Ocean Speedway. Cottage Grove Speedway, Outlaw Pro Stock Season Preview, More

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Golobic Gets It Done At Ocean Speedway,

Pettit, Velasquez, Harris, Gullo Other Winners

Watsonville, CA...April 23...Shane Golobic won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. He took the lead early on and turned in a rather dominant performance in getting his first win at the track this season. Golobic is a two-time Watsonville champion, and his win came aboard the Matt Wood owned Elk Grove Ford/NOS Energy Drink Sprinter

The night looked like it might belong to point leader Justin Sanders, who has been rather dominant this season. Sanders chased Keith Day Jr across the finish line to finish second in the six lap Trophy Dash. That put him on the outside front row. Day surprised him by charging into the lead at the start. Unfortunately, Sanders saw his race come to an end on a Lap 2 yellow flag that also ended the race for Adam Kaeding and Kurt Nelson. On the restart, Golobic took the lead from Keith Day Jr as reigning champion Mitchell Faccinto settled into third ahead of Ryan Bernal. Bernal slipped past Faccinto for third on Lap 6. By the 10th lap, Golobic had built up a good lead over Keith Day Jr. Corey Day settled into fourth on Lap 19. Corey Day took third from Bernal on the 22nd lap. Golobic held a straightaway lead when the final yellow flag of the race waved on Lap 27. As Golobic motored ahead on the restart, Corey Day began to challenge Keith Day Jr for second, making the pass on Lap 28. However, nobody was stopping Golobic as he went on to score the impressive victory ahead of Corey Day, Keith Day Jr,  Bernal, Dominic Scelzi, Colby Copeland, Faccinto, Bud Kaeding, JJ Ringo and Tucker Worth.

There were 32 Taco Bravo Sprint Cars, and Golobic ripped around the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval with a lap of 11.248 to set the quick time. Sanders was second quick at 11.319, beating the 11.383 of Corey Day. The four eight lap heat races would transfer the Top 4 directly into the Main Event. Wins went to Joey Ancona, Keith Day Jr, Bernal and Becker. Corey Day ended up in the 12 lap B Main, but he used his pole position start to lead every lap in victory. Nick Ringo took second from Adam Kaeding on the fifth lap and finished there, followed by Jake Andreotti, Nelson and Adam Kaeding.

Jim Pettit II won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. This was the second win at Watsonville this season for Pettit, who is the current State point leader. Matthew Hagio started on the outside front row and raced into the early lead over JC Elrod and Carl Berendsen II. The yellow flag waved after two laps. Elrod took the lead from Hagio on the restart. Pettit was running fourth at that point, but he made a big move around both Hagio and Berendsen to grab second on the fourth lap as reigning champion Cody Burke followed him into third. Pettit stalked Elrod until making what proved to be his winning pass on Lap 6. Elrod was being hounded by both Burke and Robert Marsh, and Marsh led Burke past him for second and third on Lap 7. As Pettit had a decent lead, Marsh and Cody Burke were battling for second when the yellow flag waved on Lap 10. Pettit continued to lead on the restart as Cody Burke and Berendsen settled into second and third. Austin Burke motored around Berendsen for third on Lap 12, and the final yellow flag waved on Lap 18. Pettit continued to lead on the restart. Though Cody Burke kept it close, Pettit would prevail at the checkered flag. Austin Burke settled for third, followed by Robert Marsh. Unfortunately, Marsh was disqualified, moving Berendsen into fourth, followed by Elrod, Kyle Bryan, Raymond Keldsen Jr, Gary Marsh and Hagio. Hagio and Pettit won their respective eight lap heat races.

Tommy Velasquez III won the rapidly run 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event. Velasquez finished second to Shawn Jones last week and proceeded to win the Main Event at Santa Maria Raceway a night later. Velasquez bolted into the lead at the start ahead of reigning champion Mark Biscardi and reigning Antioch champion Travis Day. Velasquez rapidly pulled away from Biscardi and held a straightaway advantage by the eighth lap as Gene "Punky" Pires took third from Day. The only yellow flag of the race on Lap 14 erased a near straightaway advantage for Velasquez over Biscardi. Undaunted, Velasquez proceeded to pull away on the next restart as Pires took second from Biscardi. It was an exciting three-car battle for second, and Biscardi led Day past Pires on Lap 19. However, Velasquez held a straightaway advantage over Biscardi at the checkered flag. Day finished third, followed by Trafton Chandler, Dan Zuger, Eric Weisler, Pires, Justin Bingman, Barry Waddell and Eddy Claessen. Biscardi and Velasquez won the eight lap heat races.

Quinton Harris won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was his first win in the class. Long time Watsonville racer Tony Oliveira moved his Ford into the lead at the start ahead of Wally Kennedy and reigning champion Joe Gallaher. The yellow flag waved on Lap 3, and Oliveira continued to lead Kennedy and Jerry Skelton on the restart. The final yellow flag slowed the pace on Lap 5. While Oliveira continued to lead on the restart, Harris and Scott Freeman bumped Skelton out of the Top 3. Harris began pressuring Oliveira for the lead and put the moves on him on the 10th lap to take over. Skelton took third from Freeman on Lap 11. On Lap 16, Skelton took second from Oliveira. However, Harris had a decent lead and brought it home to the satisfying win, followed by Skelton, Olivera, Adriane Frost, Joe Gallaher, Brady Muller, Kennedy, Freeman, Bobby Gallaher and Terry Campion. The eight lap heat race wins went to Skelton and Campion.

Tony Gullo won his second 15 lap Four Banger Main Event. Looking for his second win, Richard Mitchell set the early pace ahead of Kate Beardsley and Gullo. Gullo and Beardsley were having a good battle with Gullo gaining second on the sixth lap. A lap later, Gullo found his opening and took the lead from Mitchell. Gullo led the rest of the way to win as Mitchell settled for second ahead of Kate Beardsley, Nicole Beardsley, Bill Beardsley and Travis Van Gilder. Gullo also won the six lap heat race.

Racing continues next Friday night with the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars back in action along with the Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers and Police N Pursuit cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com. 

Robinson Scores Sprint Car Victory At Cottage Grove Speedway

Cottage Grove, Oregon....April 23...Jodie Robinson won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Cottage Grove Speedway. This was the opening night of the Spring Fling and only the second career win for Robinson aboard the Morrison Concrete/Roseville Precision Inc sponsored Sprinter. Two years ago, her first win came in a stellar field of competitors in a Sprint Car Challenge Tour race at Merced Speedway.

Robinson started in the second row of the feature as Garen Linder and Jake Wheeler settled into first and second. Robinson was running third and took second from Wheeler on the seventh lap. A lap later, she slipped past Linder to take the lead. A yellow flag waved on the 13th lap for Shane Forte. On the restart, Linder regained the lead from Robinson as Holmes was running in third. The race remained close at the front of the pack, and the tenacious Robinson finally moved back around Linder to take the lead for good on the 25th lap. Robinson went on to victory with Linder not too far behind in second. Holmes was a solid third, followed by Tyler Driever, reigning champion Tyler Thompson, Kyle Alberding, Vern Scevers, Matt Hein, Forte and Jared Hood.

The Friday night show drew an impressive 19 car field, and Driever toured the quarter-mile clay oval with the fast time of 10.612, beating the 10.719 of Wheeler. They ran three eight lap heat races with Robinson, Forte and Hein winning those races. Linder won the five lap Trophy Dash.

Bricen James won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. James is the 2019 IMCA Western Regional champion, and he started in the fourth row. Polesitter Paul Rea led two laps before Jeffrey Hudson grabbed the lead. Previous winter Matthew Drager settled into second on the fourth lap ahead of Colin Winebarger. However, James moved into third on the eighth lap and took second from Drager a lap later. Winebarger moved into third and briefly grabbed second from James on the 12th lap. James reclaimed second on Lap 15 and set his sights on Hudson. On Lap 17, James moved by Hudson for the lead, and Hudson brought out a Lap 19 yellow flag. James led the restart ahead of Winebarger and 13th starter Curtis Towns. James went on to win ahead of Winebarger, Towns, Drager, Eston Whistler, Jake Mayden, Aaron Sheelar, Steven Sturdevant, Hudson and Chance Hyser.

22 IMCA Modified drivers came to compete on Friday night. James Welshonse was the quickest qualifier at 15.279, beating the 15.400 of Rea. The eight lap heat race wins went to Drager, Whistler and James. Drager won the four lap Trophy Dash.

Donald Schott won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event. Anthony Prather had the pole and set the early pace ahead of PJ Humphrey and Daniel Ray. Schott started in the third row and took third from Ray on Lap 4. On the seventh lap, Schott slipped past Humphrey for second. Prather saw his run in front thwarted as he brought out a yellow flag on Lap 11. Schott assumed the lead at that point ahead of point leader Graig Osborne. Schott would pull away to a comfortable margin of victory by the time the checkered flag flew. Osborne settled for second, followed by Brody Humphrey, Mike Swaim, PJ Humphrey, Prather, Robert Hughes, Taunton Swaim and Ray. Eric Freeman was a Main Event scratch. Ray was the quickest of 10 qualifiers at 17.620, beating the 18.215 of Osborne. Schott and Mike Swaim won the eight lap heat races, and Taunton Swaim won the four lap Trophy Dash.

Saturday's race for the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA Sport Compacts has be called due to rain.. For further information on the happenings at the track, go to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or check the track's Facebook page.

Outlaw Pro Stock Association Returns For 10th Season

Klamath Falls, Oregon...In the Southern Oregon and Northern California area, Outlaw Pro Stock racing has been a staple class. You can trace its origins in the Medford area to the Sportsman division that branched off from the Street Stocks at Medford Speedway, and the Pro Stocks were an integral part of the rosters offered when Southern Oregon Speedway opened in 1996. In fact, it wasn't uncommon to see them deliver fields of 30 or more cars and have the best supported division of the night back in those days.

Siskiyou Golden Speedway was able to feature the class through the years as well. When the Medford track closed, several of the Sportsman racers ended up in Yreka supporting what was a really healthy division at the time. In the early 2000s, a group of Pro Stock racers, led by the Flowers family, were ardent supporters of Worden Speedway. The track is actually not far from where current Outlaw Pro Stock President Scott Flowers lives, but it's been dormant for over 15 years now.

As happens with divisions of all kinds, they see a decline in numbers over time. Race tracks sometimes make tough decisions to drop certain classes from their lineup. This is what occurred in 2012 when Southern Oregon Speedway management at the time decided that they would go ahead and drop the Pro Stocks as they added the IMCA Sport Modifieds. This caused a fracture in the lineup as a few of the drivers went ahead and joined the new Sport Modified class. That left the rest of the Medford and Klamath Falls racers fighting to keep Pro Stock racing alive.

At the time, two of the important figures in Medford fighting for the cause were former President Arlen Heath and Maurie Skaggs. The association running Siskiyou Golden Speedway at the time offered the Pro Stocks a lifeline by booking them for several races, and the Outlaw Pro Stock Association was officially born that year. Though the door wasn't open for them to go back as a group to the Medford track in 2012, drivers did support a race or two. By remaining united, the Outlaw Pro Stock Association eventually did get included on the 2013 schedule at Southern Oregon Speedway and have had at least some dates there every year since.

By sticking to their guns and keeping the rules sensible and affordable, a remarkable thing happened with the association. By 2015, they offered some of the strongest car counts at the Medford track as the numbers even went into the 20s. The division in decline just a few years earlier was now growing and in demand. The fact is, fendered Stock Car racing such as the Pro Stocks offer has always produced some exciting racing, and people want to see it.

The champion honor roll for the group is a who's who of some of the best drivers you'll find in the area. Ken Irving is a long time supporter of Pro Stock racing and won the 2012 and 2014 titles. Dave Everson could be very difficult to beat at Medford and has since moved on to Super Late Models. However, he won the 2013 championship before moving on. In 2015, a rising young star named Jeffrey Hudson, son of long time Pro Stock supporter Jeff Hudson, became the youngest champion in the group's history at 15 years old. Hudson is currently competing for the IMCA Modified championship in Cottage Grove and was a Southern Oregon Speedway Sprint Car Rookie of the Year before that.

Another long time supporter of Pro Stock racing, Steve Borror, decided to run for points in 2016 and proved rather dominant in claiming the honors that year. Speaking of dominant, Dr Scott Lenz decided to throw his hat in the ring in 2017. A past champion at Southern Oregon Speedway who started his career at the old Medford track, Lenz was also difficult to beat en route to championship seasons in 2017 and 2018. He might have won it again in 2019, but the steady Scott Flowers finally broke through to win a championship. He repeated that accomplishment last year, while also being crowned Yreka track champion for the second-straight year.

Flowers and his family have been about as big of supporters as you'll find for racing. They have multiple cars and have in years past supported Street Stock/Enduro racing as well. Though the competitive fire burns and winning is the goal, Scott is happy to enjoy a good night at the track. In 2019, he finally notched his first career win. In general, you'll find him finishing in the Top 5 unless mechanical issues sideline him. He won a race last season, but it wasn't as easy to win. In fact, the competition level was so high that they produced seven different winners in the eight races held in Yreka.

Despite it being a pandemic year and tracks struggling to get open, there were only less than 10 cars once in the eight Yreka races, and that was a nine-car field. They were otherwise always in double digits with a high of 14 cars, while also delivering a field of over 20 competitors in head-to-head competition with the NASCAR Sportsman Late Models in Coos Bay on one occasion. This all added up to some of the best racing on the program on any night the Outlaw Pro Stocks were part of the deal.

In the end, Scott Flowers won the championship by 42 points. Flowers only missed the Top 5 in one of the eight races held, and his finishes included four seconds in addition to the win. With that kind of consistency, it's difficult to beat him for the championship. Matt Harlow gave it a good run in second, and it was somewhat of a milestone year for him as well. Harlow recorded his first ever win with the group and was in the championship hunt all the way to the end. His win came at the season opener. Colby Hammond nearly get the win that night before settling for a career best second.

A look at the list of winners finds that rookie Darek Alford drove the former Scott Lenz car to his first win as well. Johnny Cobb, who has been competing with the group since it started, got his first win, and Jeff Haudenshild recorded only his second triumph with the group. From Chico Silver Dollar Speedway, two-time track champion Phil Marino was also a winner. The Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series joined the Outlaws at the Coos Bay event and one of their regulars, Jesse Gonzalez, got that win. Scott Flowers and Johnny Cobb finished third and fourth that night, respectively.

As usual, Scott's son James Flowers did well in points, but it was a difficult season for him with mechanical issues taking him out of the action at times. His season best third place finish helped him in finishing third, one point ahead of Hammond and two points in front of Cobb. Alford ended up topping the rookie board and finishing three points out of fifth in the end. Haudenshild, Denny Burtenhouse Jr, Scott Bennett and Steve Borror rounded out the Top 10. Borror didn't run for points, but he bears distinction as the only driver with two feature wins. He won the final two events of the season in Yreka.

The fact is, just about anybody in this group can win on any given night. Rick Lukins came the closest to winning without taking the checkered flag in first. Like Hammond, he had a season best second place finish. Hammond had one second place finish as well as one third with the group. Scott Bennett didn't race every week, but he managed to grab one third place finish as did Ken LaPlant. All of these hard chargers will be out to get into the winner's circle when the season begins.

The Outlaw Pro Stock Association doesn't have the schedule on their website yet, and this may be due to the fact that they are negotiating for dates in Medford as that track has finally released a schedule. Pro Stocks appear on the schedule several times there, but the association will likely select some races as they've already booked several races in Yreka and don't like to run two weeks in a row when it can be avoided. It's very possible that the Rocky Nash Memorial Tri State Pro Stock race in Medford on August 14th and the R Charles Snyder Salute on September 4th will be included. They have been supporting the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race in Medford, but the June 12th date doesn't include them. As has happened in the past, the Haudenshild family may designate another date to honor Roger with Pro Stock racing, though that hasn't been announced.

They return to Coos Bay Speedway in another head-to-head battle with the NASCAR Sportsman Late Models on July 24th. Otherwise, they will kick things off in Yreka on May 1st, and the Yreka schedule also includes May 15th, Memorial Day, May 29th and 30th, June 19th, July 10th, August 28th, September 11th and September 25th. The Memorial Day weekend event will be a Tri State Pro Stock Challenge race, but the association has indicated they will throw full support behind this race. It is anticipated that the field will grow well into the 20s for the doubleheader weekend.

There's been a bit of a resurgence in Pro Stock racing, and one thing that shouldn't be lost in the discussion is the importance the Outlaw Pro Stock Association has played in this resurgence. If those drivers back in 2012 had given up on the cause, the effort would have gone away completely. Some of the other things happening now probably wouldn't have. The association remains budget minded in their rules, and they have a good group of drivers from the Klamath Falls, Medford and Yreka areas giving them good support. May 1st will see them kick things off at Yreka. You can find more information by going to the Outlaw Pro Stock Association Facebook page.

 

2021 Schedule
May 1 Yreka
May 15 Yreka
May 29-30 Billy Geyer Yreka
June 19 Yreka
July 10 Yreka
July 24 Coos Bay
August 14 Medford
August 28 Yreka
September 4 Medford
September 11 Yreka
September 25 Yreka
Schedule subject to updates

2020 SEASON POINTS STANDINGS

1st: Scott Flowers 552

2nd: Matt Harlow 510 

3rd: James Flowers 476

4th: Colby Hammond 475 

5th: Johnny Cobb 474

6th: Derek Alford 471

7th: Jeff Haudenshield 367

8th: Denny Burtenhouse 300

9th: Scott Bennett 268

10th: Steve Borror 245 

11th: Ricky Lukins 223

12th: Arlen Garrison 169

13th: Ginny Flowers 161

14th: Pablo Duran 146

 

Outlaw Pro Stock Champions
2012 Ken Irving
2013 Dave Everson
2014 Ken Irving
2015 Jeffrey Hudson
2016 Steve Borror
2017 Scott Lenz
2018 Scott Lenz
2019 Scott Flowers
2020 Scott Flowers

Is Another Stock Car Division In The Future 

At Southern Oregon Speedway?

Medford, Oregon...We like to engage in speculation from time to time. Oftentimes, we can read the trends happening in the sport, see something coming and are able to predict it. In this case, there is a trend happening in the sport, but the main goal at Southern Oregon Speedway right now is to just get the gates open. With Southern Oregon Motorsports and Travis Hoppes promoting this deal, they are currently making big improvements to the facility.

When it comes to scheduling in 2021, they had to look around at everybody else's schedules. They tried not to book on top of anything big, and that left them just making the best of things. One thing Hoppes did do was include every division that was a part of the program in 2019 on this year's schedule. This also included the Pro Stock division, which has only had one championship season at the track since the division was dropped from the regular rotation prior to the 2012 season.

It's known that there are anywhere from a dozen to 15 Pro Stocks in the area, though who will actually bring their cars to the track is anybody's guess. This was attempted in 2017 to lackluster support, but things may be different now. The Pro Stocks are having a bit of a resurgence, and management felt the time was right to reinstate this division and apparently will have another go at keeping championship points. It's not really a bad thing to give these guys an opportunity. You only truly fail by not trying.

The Pro Stocks were a staple class at the Medford track when it opened in 1996. In fact, they frequently delivered the biggest car counts back in those days. When Promoter John Skinner opened the gates, he picked the IMCA Modifieds, Pro Stocks and a new Mini Stock class to build the program around. They added Sprint Cars and other things to the mix, but they were in a very good position. They were frequently attracting over 100 cars in the pits with the combined divisions. It was the land of milk and honey at the time.

At the old Medford Raceway, they had Stock Cars and Street Stocks, but an offshoot of the Street Stock division was the Sportsman class. These three divisions continued until the track closed in 1989. The Street Stocks were somewhat brushed aside or forced to compete with the Sportsman division as many drivers were forced to go to Yreka to get their racing fix. Therefore, when Skinner opened the gates in 1996 at Southern Oregon Speedway, Street Stocks were not included. He didn't think they were needed, and he wasn't necessarily wrong in that assessment.

Despite the fact that many tracks on the West Coast in 1996 still had a thriving Street Stock division, the drivers with Street Stocks who were determined to race in Medford could upgrade a little bit and compete with the Pro Stock class. Contrary to rumor, the track didn't have an official Street Stock division as such, but those drivers were welcome. In fact, there was some discussion around 1999 of creating a Street Stock division so that those drivers could be competitive in their own class. The idea was eventually abandoned.

Again, when you get the kind of numbers they had at the time, nobody's necessarily complaining. However, you know how the old saying goes. What goes up, must come down. The numbers at the track began to decline after a stellar 10-year run. By the time 2010 came around, management was open to different ideas. This included taking a hard look at the Street Stock class. By that point, Cottage Grove, Willamette, Sunset and Coos Bay had Street Stocks, and these cars didn't evolve much from what they were in the 1990s, contrary to the direction the division took in California. What they call Hobby Stocks is closer to what Oregon calls Street Stocks.

It first materialized as a Enduro class in 2010. These were cars that were pretty much Street Stocks, and the division got a little bit more structure in 2011. For four years, they kept points in Medford, and this is the division that launched the racing careers of Duane Orsburn, Jorddon Braaten and Miles Deubert. In fact, these three drivers won the championships with Orsburn doing it twice. Another notable driver to get his start in this class was Garrett Dees, who now competes with the Late Models.

The numbers started to peak in 2012, and they were able to get it up to double digit car counts. Unfortunately, management couldn't resist tinkering with the rules. Drivers had what they had, and some of the drivers just walked away at that point. By 2014, when Deubert won the title, the division was a shadow of its former self. Though the cars were still in the area, management gave up on the effort prior to the 2015 season. At the time, John Skinner was just trying to complete his 20 year run in the hopes that he could get reimbursed some of his investment in building the place as per the initial contract. He was about to get an unpleasant surprise, but that's another story.

The Street Stocks did make a return in a bigger way after that. Two big Iron Giant Street Stock Series races were booked, and one of them had over 20 cars. Fans got a taste of the excitement that these fendered Stock Cars can offer. Management was keen on booking two Street Stock races in 2020. They had one scheduled, but the pandemic saw to it that the gates never opened at Southern Oregon Speedway. By 2015, the Street Stock division at Yreka also faded away. At various times, management talked about doing something again, but nothing ever came to fruition.

Fast forward to 2021. Street Stocks are still delivering strong numbers at Cottage Grove and maintaining their presence at Coos Bay. They have been renamed American Classics at Sunset Speedway and will continue to be there along with Willamette Speedway. There are people in Medford who have voiced an interest in this class. Recently, Ryan Nelson talked about having a car. The Nelson family supports Mini Stocks, Hornets and Sport Modifieds, but they like the idea of having a Street Stock division as a step between Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.

Two California Street Stock drivers, Jesse Skidmore and Shannon Collins, both have moved up to Oregon in the last few years. Collins still competes in the class they call Hobby Stocks in California. Skidmore ended up getting a Sport Modified. In both cases, the drivers voiced an interest in supporting something in Medford if it were added. Right now, all that's going on is the occasional conversation with the racers, and the track is doing what they have to do with the classes that have already been established. However, there is that nagging question.

Could a Street Stock division be added to the Southern Oregon Speedway lineup in the future? Pro Stocks have been reinstated, and the track will be looking to see how those numbers evolve. They have a pretty big lineup of divisions and have released the intended payouts, but there's something to consider. This is a new management, and we've just been through the pandemic that shut everything down. We still don't know what the numbers are going to be in all of these classes. Things can change in the next few years, and the door may be open for Street Stock racing.

Even some of the Mini Stock competitors, such as two-time Medford and two-time Yreka champion David Steele, have expressed an interest in running a Street Stock, but nothing suitable has been created. Many of the drivers who have competed in the Mini Stocks don't necessarily like the move up to the IMCA Sport Modifieds, and that makes a Street Stock division attractive. Recently, Yreka management has put out feelers again, but this may be a case of following the leader. Yreka would be more apt to make such a move if Medford made it first.

Some people might say that the Street Stock division's time has passed, but they would also advocate for a fendered Stock Car division. While the Street Stocks have a good presence in Oregon, the IMCA Stock Car division has emerged on the West Coast. Willamette and Sunset Speedways will offer the division this year, and Sunset has gone as far as to book a 100 lap race on July 4th that will pay $5,000 to win. The division is also growing in California as Hanford and Bakersfield have been joined by Antioch and Merced this year. Things are happening.

One of the attractive things about the IMCA Stock Cars is the very sanctioning body they bring. You'll find that many Oregon racers are more apt to support racing if there is a sanctioning behind it, at least when it comes to Modifieds and Sport Modifieds. It seems inevitable that Willamette and Sunset will be joined by Cottage Grove in IMCA Stock Car racing within the next few years, and that could lead to Southern Oregon Speedway doing it. It could very well be that the IMCA Stock Cars will eventually find a home at Southern Oregon Speedway after management assesses how things go in the next couple of years.

It's about offering variety to the fans. The desire in Medford is to keep the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds going strong, because Modified racing has been a staple class since the gates opened there. However, fendered Stock Car racing has been there right alongside the Modifieds, and they also have a fan base. The addition of the Pro Stocks for so many races this year shows that management knows that fans are interested, but the Stock Car discussion will also continue as Street Stock and IMCA Stock Car advocates make their voices heard. It will be interesting to see where this leads in the future.

 

Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 23
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
A Main
Shane Golobic
Corey Day
Keith Day Jr
Ryan Bernal
Dominic Scelzi
Colby Copeland
Mitchell Faccint
Bud Kaeding
J.J. Ringo
Tucker Worth
Joey Ancona
Jake Andreotti
Nick Ringo
Koen Shaw
Grant Champlin
Sean Becker
John Clark
Jeremy Chisum
Bret Barney
Justin Sanders
Adam Kaeding
Kurt Nelson

B Main
Corey Day
Nick Ringo
Jake Andreotti
Kurt Nelson
Adam Kaeding
John Clark
Mark Chaves Jr
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Bryce Eames
Kyle Offill
Justin Henry
Jacob Pachec
Jason Chisum
Josh Chisum
Kyler Shaw

IMCA Modifieds
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Austin Burke
Carl Berendsen II
JC Elrod
Kyle Bryan
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Gary Mars
Matthew Hagio
Robert Marsh DQ

Hobby Stocks
Quintin Harris
Jerry Skelton
Tony Oliveira
Adriane Frost
Joe Gallaher
Brady Muller
Wally Kennedy
Scott Freeman
Bobby Gallahe
Terry Campion
Rob Gallaher DNS

Four Bangers
Tony Gullo
Richard Mitchell
Kate Beardsley
Nicole Beardsley
Bill Beardsley
Travis VanGilder

South Bay Dwarf Cars
Tommy Velasquez III
Mark Biscardi
Travis Day
Trafton Chandler
Dan Zuger
Eric Weisler
Punky Pires
Justin Bingman
Barry Waddell
Eddy Claessen
Kieran Costas
Mike Aceves
Keith Costas


Cottage Grove Speedway Race Results April 23
Spring Fling Night #1
360 Winged Sprint Car
Jodie Robinson
Garen Linder
Tanner Holmes
Tyler Driever
Tyler Thompson
Kyle Alberding
Vern Scevers
Matt Hein
Shane Forte
Jared Hood
Brody Sim
Pat Desbiens
Donny Waddell
Justin Lemon
Brian Boswell
Jake Wheeler
Kyle Adams

IMCA Modifieds
Bricen James
Collen Winebarger
Curtis Towns
Matthew Drager
Eston Whisler
Jake Mayden
Aaron Sheelar
Steven Sturdevant
Jeffrey Hudson
Chance Hyser
Mark Gaylord
Todd Shandy
James Welshone
Paul Rea
Jesse Williamson
Doug Davenport
Jeremy DeGroot
Dustin Asher
Mark Carrell
9:31.383
Paul Culp
Jeremy Shank

Street Stocks
Don Schott
Graig Osborne
Brody Humphrey
Mike Swaim
PJ Humphrey
Anthony Prather
Robert Hughes
Tautom Swaim
Daniel Ray


Deming Speedway Unofficial
Northwest Focus Midgets
Nick Evans
Jake Munn
Shane Smith
Levi Harless
Brian Holmkvist
Jesse Munn
Chris Foster
Kyle Hanson
Jamee Gardner
Jake Austin

1200 Mini Sprints
Derek Holmwood
Clennon Holloway
Tyson Lemley
Brock Lemley
Dakota Drake
Alex Lewis
Jared Gundersen
Terry Lewis
Steven Hendrickson
Haylee Bloodgood
Tanner Schoonover
Josh Monroe

600 Micros
Tyler McLeod
Ryley Mayer
Tanner Holm
Levi Kuntz
Colin Mackey
Dylan Resch
Rachel Westmoreland
Dakota Drake
Blaine Granberg
Tristin Thomas
Macie Logsdon
Tyler Conley
Xan Miller
Jeff Woolsey
Parker Hadlock
Jeremy Holz
Haley Constance
Jesse Schlotfeldt

600 Restricted
Destry Miller
Levi Hillier
Corbin Ramsey
Levi Kuntz
Peyton Drake
Carson Guffie
Keira Zylstra
Rylee Kentch
Mallory Fisher
Ethan Lashley
Karma Fagerlie
Diane Knutzen
Fairah Lee
Grace Matier
Axel Oudman
Orn Biggs
Dale Orcutt

Jr Sprints
Avery Askvig
Clayton Jalakas
Brooklyn Constance
Colton Knapp
Dustin Ramsey
McKenna Morgan
Sawyer Baxter
Ryan Bright
Jayce Medcalf

The Editor's Viewpoint

I am sitting here on a Thursday night debating whether or not to go ahead and put together a Saturday morning post. There's not too much to cover from Friday that I'd put in the post. At the moment, I don't even have a special article. I took on a bit too much this past week in what we did for the media effort, and I'm really thinking about that. I need to dial it back a little bit. It's kind of the "effort versus reward" debate, and I know where that leads. I end up frustrated. I don't want to disappoint myself.

I didn't really feel particularly stressed this past week, but I got sidetracked on Wednesday. That threw me behind schedule with the latest post, and I didn't want to delay that post another day. This left me rushing to get it together. I was starting to get tired, and it didn't help my audio show that night. I thought I came off a bit cranky. I could have done better. In fact, I got up on Thursday morning and decided to rerecord that show. I was much happier with that, but I think I can do better with the shows as I've been doing them. This isn't just about being too cranky. I'm thinking about how to proceed with that.

Part of the thing was I don't think I was focused enough. My shows are an opportunity for me to put my observations out there, good or bad. I try to offer my thoughts on ways to make things better if I am critical, but I felt like I came off too critical. This is particularly true with the tracks in Yreka and Medford. Where Medford is considered, I think I want to sit back and watch how things proceed. They have a plan, and I'm not privy to the whole thing. Therefore, watching it develop would be wise.

The problem with Medford is I'm too close to the situation. For the last 5 years of my life, this track has been front and center. I'm not happy with the way last year went. I've always had my own thoughts on how things should go there, but those were never my decisions. There were times I could impact the decisions with my suggestions, but more often than not, I didn't have a choice. It was up to me to make whatever the decision was work. That's why I was brought up here, to help the cause.

The thing about it is, there was more work to be done. I felt good about where we were going, but I've known for a while that our time was short. It's a helpless feeling knowing that you're involved in an effort where there is no long range goal. It's year to year, and the 10 year plan you thought you were signing on to doesn't exist. You know it can end soon. I'm not being negative when I say that, because I understand why it was that way. I will probably offer several different observations whenever I get the book together, so I'm not hashing it out here.

I'm not looking to be involved on an official level at that track. I came up here at the request of Mike McCann, and I feel good about the things I did to help. There are regrets, sure, but I do know that I've done my best. With Mike walking away, I knew my time was done there. It still hurts a little bit, but I will get over it eventually. I don't want my negative feelings to come out too much. If I'm going to say things, I want to be fair. 

There were people expressing negative opinions toward us, but I haven't heard any of that from any source down there lately. I'm happy to report that fact, so I really want to just observe and see how it goes. I wish them luck, even though there's a competitive part of me that doesn't want to be shown up. Ultimately, I think we all want success for the place.

I will say that I haven't given Travis Happes enough credit. This guy actually signed on for what will be thousands of dollars of sponsorship for the California IMCA Speedweek Series. He was all in this year, and this was before he knew what was going on in Medford and what role he would play. Though I know there are other people putting money into this, Travis is making investments too. You don't do things like that from a negative point of view. You're jumping in to try to make a difference, and I respect that. We might have a few differences in philosophy, but the ultimate goal is success for racing. 

My grumpiness about Yreka centers around the fact that while there might be some updates being made to the facility, the racing program itself needs work. They need more cars in their regular efforts, and I feel like nothing is being done to that end. Without that happening, you're in danger of things completely collapsing, and I do know that Promoter Kevin Barba is aware of this fact. Let's just say that his return for a fourth season isn't guaranteed. I'm not saying he doesn't want to come back or isn't coming back, just that it isn't guaranteed. What happens this year will go a long way towards determining that. I want the track to be successful. Since Kevin is at the helm of that track, I want him to be successful.

I know people who think Yreka is a lost cause, but I don't believe that to be the case. I've seen some things first hand to know the good that can come out of that track. It's been a few years, but they've had a really nice program in the past. I think things can be better at the track. When I say that, I don't say it with some pie in the sky belief of something that isn't really there. It can get better with a plan and proper implementation. It will take hard work and just showing the racing community and the fans that you have a plan. Within a few years, the numbers can go up noticeably. Even some tracks that seem to not have much or live in the shadows of more successful tracks have potential if things are done right. I support the effort to keep any race track going, and I don't want to just be seen as being negative.

As I was looking around social media on Thursday, I noticed the NCRA making a post about leaving Lakeport. I get the sadness of being an organization that has been responsible for running that track for many years. I know that there's no love lost between them and new Promoter David Furia. When David was managing things for the track a few years ago, he was doing so for the NCRA. Things went bad, and I'm not privy to any of that. I know David, and I know him to be a good man. What I don't like is what's being implied by the old guard. I know they're bitter about leaving, but now's the time to get over yourselves and focus on the positivity.

Lakeport Speedway isn't closing. They have a race on Saturday that features all of the divisions that ran there before. The schedule that's been put out isn't much different than the schedule they've been using in recent years. They don't run a big schedule, but there's not a race date problem. Some of the people involved with.NCRA are in a position to block certain things that could help Lakeport and Ukiah, and I don't call that something being done for the good of racing. It frankly bothers me, and I expect better out of certain people within the group that I have held in high regard through the years

It's tough to be positive when you are on your way out and you had no control in that. If you feel you had more to give, it can make you bitter. What I'd like the old guard to do is wish the new guard luck for the good of the sport. Find out if there is anything they can do to help, which I'm sure there is. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. If you are unable to do that and you feel like there's more you can offer the sport, go find another location and build a race track. The NCRA has done that through the years, but it's certainly more of a challenge to do in 2021. Let's all be hopeful that Lakeport Speedway is successful, because success isn't a guarantee. The other option is a closed race track.

I don't want to get into naming the person or the track they represented, but I was contacted on Wednesday. They wanted information on a certain division, and I had a little info for them. I also became curious. That led to me giving myself a refresher course on the division and then hunting down a set of rules. That wasn't easy to do, because the division has been gone long enough that the rules aren't out there. I'm happy to say I did find the rules, but my little quest left me behind on the blog post. I don't know what's going on with the track in question or this division, so I don't want to comment too much yet.

Marysville Raceway had a Mini Stock division at one time. In the 1990s, the division was doing pretty well. You could say it was thriving, and some of those racers even supported the Sacramento Raceway oval when they were doing the Friday night program. Sometime along the way, people started getting more exotic with their race cars. It wasn't merely a stock Mini Stock class. It became more like a Super 4 division. I've learned since coming up to Medford that Super 4 means different things to different people. The Super 4 class I'm thinking of is like the one at Porterville that's more of a souped up Mini Stock versus the basic Mini Stock.

The problem is your car count goes away quickly, and only the diehards are there. A division that has the expectation of being entry level and having double-digit car counts suddenly has six or eight cars. I'm not saying those cars aren't neat, but there wasn't enough of them. First, Silver Dollar Speedway dropped the class. A year later, Marysville got rid of them. The shame of it is Marysville probably could have used a good Mini Stock class, but it went away because of what it became. I am surprised they haven't gone back to the drawing board with more of a Four Banger approach like Watsonville uses. Others call them Hornets or IMCA Sport Compacts.

Silver Dollar Speedway has been an interesting thing to watch, and I get why people think the track might be dying. It isn't, but I get why people think that. You don't have to go back too many years to when they had a respectable Wingless Spec Sprint class and also had IMCA Modifieds. I don't think the IMCA Modified class was dead, but it did get discontinued. The Limited Late Models didn't have enough numbers to justify their existence, so they got dropped. We've already discussed the Mini Stocks, but the Spec Sprint division got bludgeoned to death by an object. We'll call that object Crate Sprints. We're still waiting on the Crate Sprint division to become what it was envisioned to be.

Both Silver Dollar Speedway and Marysville Raceway rely heavily on Sprint Cars. Silver Dollar Speedway has always had that aspect to its program. You go back far enough, and you'll notice Marysville was a Stock Car track. Sprint Cars didn't become a regular part of the deal until Mike McCann had his brief run as promoter there. Mike was right in what he saw there, because there's always been a decent base of drivers willing to support Sprint Cars in Marysville over the past 30 years. The problem is it's hard not to book them at Marysville and still have a show you feel the fans want to see. I think it can be done, but it's hard.

Where the Crate Sprint division comes in is if they had a few more cars, you could book them on nights you gave the Winged 360s a break. I could see Marysville giving the 360 Sprint class nights off, especially on nights when they aren't in a good position to attract a strong car count due to what else is happening with the class in Northern California. If the Crate Sprint division could consistently give you car counts of a dozen or more every week, you could easily have them running on nights when you gave the Winged 360 Sprints a break, and it would actually be a good thing. I don't think the Crate Sprints look particularly great when they're running on the same night the Winged 360 Sprints are running, but that's my opinion. The hope is that the numbers are going to continue to grow this year as we've seen some of the best support for them since they were started.

What do you do when you're a promoter and you know you need more than you're offering your fans, but you know you don't have it? I was announcing at Chowchilla Speedway for a few races in 2015. John Soares promoted the track, and it's interesting that it started out with a big race in January that year. However, the numbers didn't sustain. John ended up modifying his schedule during the year to the minimum he committed to with the Fair Board. I went into that situation much more optimistic and maybe not fully aware of what was really going on. I think things could have worked better, but I also realize that John didn't particularly want to run that race track. It was more a case of him feeling like he had to in order to protect his Merced Speedway investment.

Merced Speedway promoters have always had a little bit of disdain towards Chowchilla Speedway. I know Chuck Griffin didn't like the fact that it existed. I know Ed Parker was a bit grumpy when I came out in support of Chowchilla, and Doug Lockwood was as well. I get why that is. If you're running Merced Speedway, you don't see Chowchilla as an ally. You see it as a place that can pull your drivers right out of your field. If you happen to do something that makes people unhappy, it becomes the option. It's not as if it didn't have some good racing or reasons people would want to go there as it was, but it also was an option if you didn't like Merced Speedway.

In any case, I remember leaving Chowchilla Speedway for the final time in 2015. I was going to announce in November that year, but we got a rain out. I hated that, because I was ready to go down there one more time, despite the fact that my personal life had been turned upside down. I had other things in need of being dealt with, but had the November date happened, it's possible that my life would have gone in a different direction. At least ways, I will always wonder about that. No, I didn't think John was coming back in 2016. He was done, but he would have honored that date.

We ran the race in October, and the numbers weren't great. There were 10 or a dozen hobby stocks, six mini stocks and four Dwarf Cars. I was sitting off in the side bleachers with Mike Lebo that day. I was supposed to announce. That was the agreement, and I even came down to the track with John and Jim Robbins. Wade happened to invite himself that day, and I didn't want to have to fight him over the microphone. I didn't feel like going through all of that, and John honored the agreement he made with me regardless. I always liked the trips I made to Chowchilla and Merced with him. Good conversations and good times.

John knew that the base crowd at Chowchilla Speedway was about 100 or 150 people. It's not like you can't get more fans. I've witnessed that happen there. There are people in Chowchilla who will support the track and others who will come from out of town. You have to work at it, and admittedly it had been a struggle keeping that track going after Chuck Griffin ousted Tom Sagmiller. Tom had his struggles, but his game plan overall was effective. That's another subject. I don't want to go too long here.

In any case, John said this was what would work at Chowchilla. You don't go much bigger than Hobby Stocks, unless maybe some IMCA Sport Modified races. The Sprint Car stuff and the IMCA Modified stuff requires a bigger purse, and at that point there was a struggle to get people in the grandstands. If you're going to work at it, you go with your smaller purse divisions, such as Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and even Dwarf Cars. We knew John wasn't coming back, but he said if he was going to, that's what he'd run. Or, he might add a thing known as E Modifieds or Economy Modifieds.

It's easy for me to see why Joe Diaz Jr didn't succeed at Chowchilla. We used to look at Joe and think he might have the answer, and this was due to the fact that he had built the Chowchilla Barnburner indoor kart and motorcycle program through the years. It was the only game in town. I'm not saying Joe didn't work at it. He had a good idea, and he and his family certainly worked hard. What I am saying is, where else are you going to race in December and January down in the valley? Running that program versus running the oval track are two different things.

When I knew my friend Ken Bonnema was looking to move back from Indiana to California, I found out all too late that he was going to Chowchilla. He meant to be a positive factor in what Joe was doing. He'd run errands and do things like that, and he also took a stab at announcing. He wasn't bad at it either. What I didn't understand until after Ken committed was Joe planned on running just about every week. There was simply no way that track could sustain the kind of program Joe was pushing for, and the sad fact is there was potential for success there.

There were people behind that program who had the money to support it. When you've got money to support what you're doing, you can either just throw the money at it without a real plan, or you can make a plan so that there is a return on investment. What happened was Joe got it in his head that he could run Stock Car programs on one week and Sprint Car programs on the other. Here is part of the deal. Even though Chowchilla had success with open wheel racing, it wasn't what the place was known for. You had to be strategic in how you booked it, or you weren't going to get support. With Modifieds as part of the stock car program, it was set up for failure at the start. It's about what you can truly afford to pay on the purse.

Chowchilla still had the same problem. You're trying to get fans to come out and watch on a Sunday afternoon. You don't have a big base of fans, so you're going to struggle out of the gate. Secondly, you're running a program every week. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that they were probably going to fail at this. Being the supporter of the sport that I am and just somebody who liked Chowchilla Speedway, I tried to do what I could from afar, but the place was doomed. This time, it never came back. They ended up bulldozing the track. I'm not saying racing couldn't come back there again, but it would be a tall order.

What I have suggested when the fairgrounds opens again is taking a page out of the Alameda Fair playbook. Set up your arena for a Destruction Derby, but book some good old fashioned Four Banger Figure 8 racing too. Maybe even do a little Four Banger oval like they do in Salinas. Do that during the Fair and maybe one other time as a way to get motorsports back. I think some sort of unique program like that, which didn't have a high purse demand, could work, but that's the subject for another time. I could get a bit wordy when it comes to Arena Racing.

A question I want to get into here is what would you add for a new division at a track looking for something extra. Tracks that are in need of something to add to the rotation don't always come up with the big plan. Sometimes you add something that's unique and probably isn't going to grow much. The Jefferson State Jalopies in Yreka come to mind. It's an interesting concept. The cars are different, but I don't think it's ever going to develop a huge field. There is a division in Nevada called Coupes. They take their idea from Hardtops. Neat looking cars. I think there's potential to grow a little bit, but I don't know that it will ever become huge. I could segue into Hardtops very easily here, but I am talking about new divisions.

The die hard racing person that I am would love to see a Late Model tour revival. I love the cars, and I think something could be developed between Oregon and California over time. The bigger problem is the time needed to promote something like this. You're going to have to work to build the car count. Any series director will be on the phone all week dealing with concerns from racers and discussing things with the track promoters. The purse demands would be on the level of NARC/King of the West, and that isn't cheap. You're probably going to have to bring a big sponsor into it, and that will be more time on the phone and meeting people in person.

The easiest answer is adding a Hornet division. The cars are cheap, and you don't have a big purse demand. You could go with something of a Pure Stock, but cars have changed so much in the last 20 years, what do you base it on? A lot of the stuff we're doing now comes down to fabricated chassis. 

What are the two most available chassis out there? Modifieds and Sprint Cars. Obviously, there's room for tracks to play around with Wingless Spec Sprints if promoters wanted to. That division is far from dead. It's just that promoters don't seem to want to do anything for the most part. The purses are still reasonable, and it's been proven over and over again that drivers will support it.

I'm a little bit nauseated to bring this up, but the Modified solution is there. You see, there were people looking at the fact that the IMCA Modifieds were gradually pricing themselves out of reach for some racers. It's interesting that this division was sold to us years ago as an economic solution for the budget-minded racer. As is often the case, racers pushed for more and more. They couldn't do it with the motors due to the claim rule, but the chassis and the parts got more exotic. IMCA didn't use that magic word enough. You know the word, don't you? No. That's not to say the IMCA Modifieds were dead, because they weren't and they aren't, but people were pushing for recycling the chassis.

This led to IMCA Sport Modifieds. We were sold on these cars being older chassis, and some are. I was away from the sport for a few years as this thing took off. I recall watching a broadcast from Bakersfield Speedway, and very quickly I learned that some of those Sport Modifieds were not old cars. The rules are different, and you can't do everything on a Sport Modified that you can on a Modified, but people were already using newer chassis. This is why you get people pushing for more for the IMCA Sport Modifieds when it comes to headline status and purse money. They've got more of an investment in these cars than was probably meant to be. It is what it is, and the division is supported pretty well.

You've already got thriving IMCA Modified and IMCA Sport Modified divisions, so I feel dirty suggesting Economy Modifieds as an alternative. I want something different. I just get tired of looking at Modifieds after a while and want something cool like I remember from back in the day. Whether it was the Sportsman or Super Modified divisions from back then or even Stock Cars in the 1980s, you got variety. Cars looked different and had personality. After a while, these Modifieds just look the same. I'm not saying the racing is bad, just that I want to see something different. I think this is why the IMCA Stock Car division will take hold on the West Coast rapidly.

I bet if you looked around, you'd see quite a few old Modified chassis sitting out there. The owners know they aren't going to come back to the IMCA Modifieds and kick ass with them. Heck, a lot of these owners have probably just stepped away from the sport and really aren't planning on coming back at all. People might even look at these old chassis and think they don't have much of a chance in the Sport Modifieds. I think you can get some of these older cars to be competitive there, but you also need to know what you're doing.

The reality is you do have older Modified chassis out there, and the first thing one would do in establishing the new class would be to set a date. How new can a chassis be. You're basically looking at chassis rules from back 15 years or so. I know there are people that would say, but my chassis is such and such, as they argue for inclusion in this class. Yeah, and you can go run the Sport Modifieds. Economy Modified would mean more economic. It would mean entry level Modified. They do these cars at different tracks across the country. Don't talk to me about $500 to win here or big purses, because that's not what these cars are.

You're almost looking at a Modified division that some people will start in right out of the box. Or, they might go from a Four Banger into an Economy Modified. You might even be doing an engine claim rule. Yeah, I know people hate that idea, but you also don't want somebody spending thousands of dollars and out motoring people. You're not looking for somebody to put together a car with all of the exotic parts. You're talking basic, entry level Modified racing. You're looking at how to get older chassis out on the track that haven't been seen for a few years. You're looking at a division that can deliver you a car count.

There's a reason tracks are doing this class, because there's an abundance of old chassis out there. The reason Wingless Spec Sprints took off was because there was an abundance of old Sprint Car chassis. You weren't going to win a 410 Sprint Car race with that old chassis, and the same could probably have been said for the 360 Sprints. However, you could be competitive in Spec Sprints, and it gave the old chassis new life. You can look at the success the Spec Sprint division had back in the first decade of the 2000s, and the point has been proven.

Modifieds have been around long enough that I know that success is possible for Economy Modifieds as well. I really don't doubt that somebody on the West Coast will start the class. It's inevitable. I don't know who and I don't know where. I don't know that anybody's talking about it, but at a point somebody's going to think they can make something happen and get more cars. At the end of the day, promoters need more cars in the pits and to give the fans more of a reason to come watch. Fans want to see cars. This may actually be a division that could grow quickly if done right, but you can't lose sight of the fact that this is the Economy Modifieds class. It's entry level and it's meant to be that. If you want more, move up.

At the end of the day, I'm not enamored with this idea. We'd still be looking at another Modified class, and I shudder to think about that. What I am proposing could lead to tracks that have Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and Economy Modifieds. Yikes. On the other hand, you're going to get more cars. When I'm talking about looking to start other divisions, that's something they could look at. Maybe that's something Yreka could look at. Actually, I know Kevin Barba has a 4 cylinder Modified background, so I am a little surprised he hasn't taken a shot at doing something with that.

It's interesting that after I wrote this column I brainstormed ideas for something to write. I'm still wanting to put together a post for the newly renamed Jefferson State Racing News blog. I ended up doing a season preview/review article for the Outlaw Pro Stocks of Southern Oregon and then a speculative piece on another stock car class that could find its way eventually on the roster at Southern Oregon Speedway. I was thinking those two articles would make it onto the new blog, but I decided to share them here first. I guess that justifies this morning's post.

Tom Sagmiller was strutting just a little bit at Ocean Speedway after the track he prepared for the drivers last night. The racing was good, and the night went by rather quickly. They continue to get a strong car count in the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars. In this case, they had 32 of them and they were clearly the show for the night. However, IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars provided double digits, but the Mini Stocks struggled with six cars.

I admit I've been a little bit worried about the car count in the Hobby Stocks and whether it can hold up with all the racing they have been doing, but the Mini Stocks are hurting even more. Watsonville finds themselves in a difficult position next weekend. John Prentice was not invited to the IMCA California Speedweek this year, but he nonetheless has given both of his IMCA Modified classes the week off. I think he could easily have gotten 10 cars in the Sport Modifieds regardless of Speedweek, but he's being nice. This means the Mini Stocks and Hobby Stocks get to run again next week, along with the Police N Pursuit cars and Sprint Cars. We'll see how that one goes.

After the pandemic season kept the Winged 360 Sprint Cars from being on the schedule at Cottage Grove Speedway last year, they were able to host them on Friday night. With 19 cars, I'd have to believe like Heather Boyce was feeling pretty good. The division has struggled at times, but that was a solid turnout and a very entertaining race. With 22 IMCA Modifieds and 10 Street Stocks, it was a nice little Friday night program. This was supposed to be the first night of the Spring Fling event, but as I write this, Saturday's show is a rain out. Unfortunately, not much racing will be happening tonight in the Pacific Northwest due to the rain.

I talk about the good and the bad we are dealing with as we try to break through to the other side of this pandemic garbage that has seen so many restrictions put in place. Unfortunately, the Oregon governor is going to milk this for as much as she can, and Cottage Grove felt the effect on Friday as Lane County was put back into the Orange Tier at 15% fan capacity. Heather could have easily canceled because of the weather and saved herself the budget the Winged 360 Sprint Cars required on Friday, but she went ahead and took care of her racers. 

I know she and other promoters in Oregon have to be nervous as the governor has indicated that restrictions could get even worse in three weeks depending on what the numbers say. All I can say is get out and enjoy yourself while you can, because I have a bad feeling it's only a matter of time before they ramp all of this stuff up again. At some point, the people are going to have to speak up, if they want to move beyond this. I'll leave it at that.

At this point, it's time to wrap it up and get this post done. That's all for now. Until next time...