Saturday Night Racer http://www.latemodelracer.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl Saturday Night Racer >> SATURDAY NIGHT RACER >> Southern Oregon Speedway News http://www.latemodelracer.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1522441158 Message started by C.W. on 03/30/18 at 1:19pm

Title: Southern Oregon Speedway News Post by C.W. on 03/30/18 at 1:19pm The 2018 Schedule For Southern Oregon Speedway Has Been Released White City, Oregon...The 2018 Southern Oregon Speedway schedule has been released, and it signals an exciting season from start to finish at the 23 year-old racing facility. All of the divisions the people enjoyed watching last season, all of the special visits and more are planned for the coming season. Once again, the season includes IMCA sanctioned Modifieds and Sport Modifieds, the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, Valley Store-All Late Model Lites, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets and the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. Special visits are also planned for the Outlaw Pro Stocks, Northwest Focus Midgets and the Streets Stocks. Hays Oil has returned to support Southern Oregon Speedway this year, providing the official racing fuel of the speedway, Sunoco Racing Fuels. Also, Kendall Oil will again be the title sponsor for the popular Winged Sprint Cars. Valley Stor-All will be the title sponsor for the Late Model Lites and JOAT Labs, who built several of the cages for cars in the Hornets division last year, will return to sponsor that division. Other announcements may be forthcoming. The Modifieds and Sport Modifieds are down for 11 visits each, and it starts with the season opener on April 28th. The Late Models and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will join them as we kick off the new season. The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars open their 10 Race season on May 5th with another packed show that will include IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds, and the season opener for Mini Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets. On May 12th, the Late Models return with a show that also includes the Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites in their opener, Mini Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets. The night also includes the first of four scheduled Demo Derbies. With the season in high gear, the special events begin on May 19th with the Road To The Iron Giant 50 lap race for the Street Stocks. Late Models, Mini Stocks and Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites will be there along with the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. The Open Wheel Showcase returns on Memorial Day Weekend (May 26th), headlined by the Northwest Focus Midgets along with Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. The excitement just keeps on coming on June 2nd with the 6th Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race, featuring IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, Late Models, Pro Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets. The Malicious Monster Truck Tour makes an appearance at Southern Oregon Speedway on June 9th with the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars racing in support. The IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek Tour is back on June 23rd with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and JOAT Labs Hornets also on the card. One of the highlights of July is Kids Bike Giveaway Night on July 14th. The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars and Late Models will be in action along with the Mini Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets. By the time August rolls around, it's a non-stop month of excitement at Southern Oregon Speedway that begins with the two-day Western States Dwarf Car Nationals event on August 3rd and 4th. On the 4th, Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars and Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites will also be on the card. August 11th will be the big $2,000 to win Iron Head Winged Sprint Car Nationals. Joining them will be the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, JOAT Labs Hornets and Mini Stocks. The track will continue its new tradition of honoring past Southern Oregon racing greats with Hall Of Fame Night on August 18th. The Stock Car extravaganza will include IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds, Late Models, JOAT Labs Hornets, Mini Stocks and OTRO Hardtops, who will be at Southern Oregon Speedway six times this season. August ends with the $3,500 to win Herz Precision Parts Wingless 360 Cascade Sprint Car Challenge. Joining the Wingless Warriors that night will be the Late Models, Mini Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets. On Labor Day Weekend, the R Charles Snyder Salute is back. The two-day event on September 1st and 2nd features IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars as we honor the memory of the voice of Southern Oregon racing. Pro Stocks will run on the 2nd. Championship Night 1 on September 15th closes the point season for Late Models, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. Championship Night 2 on September 22nd will close the season with Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds and OTRO Hardtops. It will be 23 nights of pure excitement on the Jim Rodgers prepared 3/10 mile clay oval. The track will hold championship seasons for seven divisions this year. Stay tuned for more news about the coming season in the weeks ahead. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com. 2018 Southern Oregon Speedway Schedule April 14 - Play Day April 28 - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Model, SODCA Dwarf Car May 5 - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets May 12 - Late Models, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites, Demo Derby May 19 - Road To The Iron Giant Street Stocks, Late Models, SODCA Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites May 26 - Open Wheel Showcase - Northwest Focus Midgets, Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, SODCA Dwarf Cars, OTRO Hardtops June 2 - Roger Haudenshild Tribute - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, JOAT Labs Hornets, SODCA Dwarf Cars, Late Models, Pro Stocks June 9 - Malicious Monster Truck Tour - SODCA Dwarf Cars June 16 - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites, OTRO Hardtops June 23 - IMCA Modified Speedweek - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, SODCA Dwarf Cars, JOAT Labs Hornets June 30 - Veterans Night - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, OTRO Hardtops, SODCA Dwarf Cars, Demo Derby July 7 - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites, SODCA Dwarf Cars July 14 - Kids Bike Giveaway - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets July 21 - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites, SODCA Dwarf Cars, OTRO Hardtops, Demo Derby July 28 - No Racing August 3 - WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals - Dwarf Cars, JOAT Labs Hornets August 4 - WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals - Dwarf Cars, Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites August 11 - $2,000 To Win Iron Head Sprint Car Nationals - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car, SODCA Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets August 18 - Hall Of Fame Night - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Models, JOAT Labs Hornets, OTRO Hardtops, Mini Stocks August 25 - Herz Precision Parts Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge - Wingless 360 Sprint Cars $3,500 To Win, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Late Models September 1 - R Charles Snyder Salute - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, SODCA Dwarf Cars September 2 - R Charles Snyder Salute - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, SODCA Dwarf Cars, Pro Stocks September 8 - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites, Demo Derby September 15 - Championship Night 1 - Late Models, Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Valley-Stor-All Late Model Lites, SODCA Dwarf Cars September 22 - Championship Night 2 - Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, OTRO Hardtops Schedule Subject To Change Schedule For 20th Anniversary Outlaw Kart Season Released For little Southern Oregon Speedway White City, Oregon...The 2018 schedule has been released for the Outlaw Kart program at Little Southern Oregon Speedway and it's a little bit bigger than it has been in the past two seasons. Eleven events have been booked, including a two-day show to open the season on May 18th and 19th. The KT-100 Challenge, presented by Speed City, opens the show on May 18th along with the track's regular lineup of Beginners Box Stock, Box Stock, 250 Karts and 500 Open Karts. The KT-100 Challenge Main Event will run on Saturday along with a full program for the UAS Series Speedway Karts, presented by Speed City of Medford. One of the changes in the 2018 schedule is the inclusion of the Speedway Karts at all events. Speedway Karts run the entry level 4 Cycle class and the faster UAS division, and both will take part in the remaining nine events, which will include championship point racing for both divisions. The schedule will show race dates on June 8th, June 22nd, July 6th, July 13th, July 20th, August 10th, August 17th, September 7th and September 21st. This year there is only the one opening weekend event for May. The past two seasons have seen four May events rained out, so promoter Mike McCann is hoping to have better luck getting the season started by starting it later and going later. This should result in much more racing on the fast 1/8th mile dirt oval, prepared by Uncle Rich. The popular Beginners Box Stock division, which is the gateway for the youngest racers to get started, returns this year with word of several new competitors. Last season, we saw the first starts ever for Yreka Winter Series champion Carson Henson and Mike Wheeler Jr. Word is that there will be several other newcomers in this class, which should make for some entertaining racing for the fans. Malachi Johnson and Kiley Grimes have won the past two championships. The popular Box Stock division is the next division in line for the youngsters, and with three time champion Trevor Grimes moving up to the 250 Kart class, it is a wide open race to see who the champion will be this year. It will be interesting to see what newcomers and returning drivers will take part in this class. Grimes was only out to get his first starts in the 250 Kart class last season, but he ended up winning the championship. Will he be able to repeat? One driver who could present a big challenge for him is fellow Box Stock champion, Carley Holmes. Vinny DeBenedetti and Yreka Winter Series champion Cadyn Smith also made the move into the 250 Kart class last season. The bigger question is how the 500 Open Kart division will respond after a disappointing 2017 season. The elephant in the room is the higher cost for drivers to maintain their 500 Karts, and the fact that it has seeped down to the 250 Kart class hasn't helped matters either. Still, there is word of 250 drivers getting 500 Karts, including brothers Braden and Bodee Weiser. It is hoped that this division will return with a bigger car count. Management has issued the challenge to the 500 Open Kart division that they need to bring at least four Karts to the show to get a purse. Other things are being examined for potential shows in the future, and management has looked into Flat Track Motorcycle racing and Lawn Mower racing as well. Also on the table is a potential Hornet race, or even a Hornet Figure 8 event. The goal is to continue to keep Little Southern Oregon Speedway going for years to come. Records show how many talented young racers have gotten their starts at this track before moving on to the bigger track. The aforementioned Speedway Kart division is an important addition to the program. Several enthusiastic competitors came to compete in the final two events last year, sparking much optimism for the future of this style of Kart racing. It just adds to the family fun aspect of the sport. The Fuller family of Speed City in Medford is enthusiastically supporting the Speedway Kart class, and this means you see such stars as Yreka Summer Series UAS champion Brionna Fuller, Lori Fuller, Larry Fuller, Steve Rambo, Yreka Summer Series 4 Cycle champion Johnny Hoult, Debbie Medeiros and many more. Racing fans looking for more of a racing fix will find it at Little Southern Oregon Speedway on Friday nights 10 times this year, and it's a nice appetizer heading into the bigger track on Saturday nights. Who are the rising young stars of Southern Oregon racing? You can find that answer on Friday nights. Stay tuned for more information or go to the southernoregonspeedway.com/OutlawKarts.html 2017 Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart Season Review White City, Oregon...The 2017 season at the Southern Oregon Speedway Cage Kart track can best be summed up by the phrase, the show went on as scheduled. Once again, the first two races of the season were claimed by rainouts and frustration grew when pipe problems at the facility forced the cancellation of the third event. The season finally opened for what was the fourth scheduled event. A low turnout nearly forced the next event to be turned into a playday. Not one to give up so easily, promoter Mike McCann put it to a vote amongst the racers who were present. The vote was to race and the show went on as scheduled. To show you the level of commitment to the program, on one occasion the 500 and 250 Outlaw Kart classes brought one Kart each. Though the two cars were run together, the drivers were paid for winning their Main Events and given winner's trophies. Despite criticism, management has remained firmly committed to the Outlaw Kart program. This can be best demonstrated by Uncle Rich and his crew and the hard work they put forth in preparing the track for each event. The drivers were given smooth racing conditions. In addition to that, Rich kept the grounds maintained and led his crew in giving the walls of the Kart track a fresh coat of paint. The commitment was there to keep the show going. The 500 Open Kart class has held the top spot at the track since the gates opened in 1998. Car count was less than desired, and the finale was called off when only local legend Mike Wheeler showed up to race. The record shows that wins went to champion Tanner Holmes, Wheeler, 2016 champion Johnny Burke and Wyatt Pinckney. Pinckney won his race with he and 250 winner Trevor Grimes the only competitors on the track. Both drivers received winner's purse money and trophies for their efforts. Perhaps the highlight of the season was the slide job battle put on by Burke and Holmes, where they were passing each other in every turn for the entire distance. Burke scored the win, but the second place finish earned by Holmes was good enough to notch the championship in his favor. The biggest car count of the season came with four competitors on the night Wheeler won in impressive fashion. Wheeler is credited with second in the standings in a tie with Pinckney. The 250 Kart division turned into an unlikely battle as the season went on. Having won the previous two Box Stock championships, the Box Stock season was pretty much Trevor Grimes's farewell season as he became a rookie in the 250 class. Grimes is shown as a two time winner with a third and fourth place finish in the Main Event, but he nearly let the championship slip away from him. Perhaps the most entertaining competitor in this field was past Box Stock champion Carly Holmes. Holmes only raced three times, but the record shows she left with the winner's prize money on all three occasions. As Holmes was winning her third race, Grimes was stuck in the pits. After running the Box Stock race, Grimes was unable to get his 250 Kart to start. Holmes used her win to take the point lead, but her absence from the finale gave the lead back to Grimes. Holmes would settle for second in the final standings. With third and fourth place feature finishes, Box Stock graduate Cadyn Smith wrapped up third in the standings. Smith also had a successful winter as he won the 250 championship in Yreka. Both Braden Weiser and Reece Slyter had second place finishes in their lone starts, netting them 4th and 5th, respectively, in the standings. Trevor Grimes certainly carried the experience advantage into his final Box Stock season. With four victories and a second place finish, there was little doubt who the champion would be. However, it was the one night Grimes settled for second that may have been the race of the season. Keaton Augustine was bypassing his local track to compete in Medford, and Augustine made a surprising pass on Grimes to claim the other Main Event win. He also had a second and a third place feature finish to claim second in the standings. Having won the Beginners Box Stock championship in Yreka a year earlier, young Taylor Fuller set his sights on a successful Box Stock championship run there in 2017. However, he made some appearances in Medford and earned a second, a third and a fourth place finish on his way to 3rd in the standings. This young man showed how tough he was when one of his visits resulted in a rollover. Sophia Bauer used a third and fourth place finish to wrap up fourth, while Vinny DeBenedetti had one third place finish to finish fifth in points. Vinnie's Box Stock season came to a screeching halt when he contacted the Turn 4 wall and flipped. Fortunately, he was uninjured, and he would make the move up to 250 Karts by season's end. The Beginners Box Stock season turned out to be the closest championship battle at the track. When Jacob James showed up for the first two races and won impressively, it looked like he would be a runaway champion. However, those were his only starts of the season in Medford as he wound up fourth in the final points. After blowing a motor in the season opener and missing the next race, Malachi Johnson came on strong. He won the final three races of the season. Johnson still had to contend with reigning champion Kiley Grimes as she had a shot at the championship in the season finale. Grimes lost by 11 points as she had one second and two third place finishes among her highlights. Uriah Sanders had a third and two fourth place finishes to move into third in the final standings. With second place finishes in their only starts, Keegan Bounds and Gavin Restad tied for fifth. The fastest growing form of Kart racing in the area is happening in the Speedway Kart division. Rainouts and cancellations early in the season prevented them from showing what they could do on the fast 1/8 mile dirt oval early on, but the month of August saw the Speedway Karts make two impressive visits. Both times, a combined total of 12 Karts competed with six in the 4 Cycle class and six in the faster UAS division. . It was Kenny Boardman flying to victory in the first UAS race ahead of Larry Fuller and Ron Bolles, who each won a heat race that night. In the 4 Cycle class, hard charger Steve Rambo won a heat race and impressed with his feature triumph ahead of Michael Vickers and Lori Fuller. Rambo backed up his win with another win at the next race ahead of Vickers and Debbie Medeiros, who were the two heat race winners that night. Richard Torzilli won the next UAS race ahead of Yreka UAS champion Brionna Fuller and reigning Yreka Champion Ed Grubb. Mike Wheeler won both heat races and pitted while leading the Main Event that night. The Lawn Mower racers were invited to make an appearance in July and brought two competitors. What they lacked in count they made up for in a crowd pleasing side by side battle in the Main Event, won by Gabe Garrison. In the last event of the season, two newcomers made their very first starts of the season in the Beginners Box Stock class. Carson Henson and Mike Wheeler Jr. were actually on the track previously making practice laps after the night's events had concluded. For the special final race, these two new competitors battled each other for a trophy and $50 in prize money sponsored by fans. When the checkered flag waved, it was Henson winning his first race ahead of Wheeler. The good news for fans of Outlaw Kart racing is that the show went on in 2017 despite the obstacles. It was the 20th season of racing on the smaller track. 2018 marks the 20th Anniversary Season of Outlaw Kart racing at Little Southern Oregon Speedway, and it will see an increase in events scheduled. For further information, go to southernoregonspeedway.com/OutlawKarts.html. Continued In Comments...

Title: Re: gt Post by C.W. on 03/30/18 at 1:19pm 2017 Southern Oregon Speedway Season Review White City, Oregon...2017 marked the 22nd consecutive season of continuous operation at Southern Oregon Speedway. Promoter Mike McCann began his second year at the speedway with an exciting schedule featuring some big events. McCann and crew also struggled during the early portion of the season with numerous problems that threatened to derail the season. However, several big events enabled the season to end on a high note. The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars were back for their second season, and rules adjustments and some support from Dave's Carpet And Vinyl helped boost the numbers. Kyler Barraza, who is a two time Southern Oregon Sprint Car Tour champion, returned after taking a break and mounted a serious challenge for the championship. Jake Waddell was a surprise visitor and scored the victory in the season opener ahead of Barraza. The season opener marked one of the moments that affected the championship battle as Bailey Hibbard crossed the finish line in third but bypassed the scales and was disqualified. Barraza won his first of three Main Events at the second event, and B. Hibbard rebounded for his first of three wins at the third race. With seven Top 3 finishes and three Trophy Dash victories, Barraza built such a big lead that even missing the final race due to burns suffered in a fiery crash at the Herz Precision Parts Cascade Sprint Car Challenge race couldn't stop him from winning the championship. Bailey Hibbard did all that he could in winning the season finale for his third victory, but Merissa Henson crossed the line in fourth to hold him off by just one point. Henson finished second in the points with Rookie Of The Year honors, and her best Main Event finish of the year was third. After three straight second place feature finishes, David Hibbard finally got his one victory and ended up fourth in the standings ahead of rookie Enrique Jaime. Jaime had a heat race win late in the season and a season high third place Main Event finish. David Hibbard won one Trophy Dash with Barraza winning the other three. Jake Wheeler made an appearance late in the season and held off Barraza for the victory. Cooper Desbiens, Camden Robustelli and Tanner Holmes each had a season high second place feature finish. The $3,000 prize in the Herz Precision Parts Wingless Sprint Car Challenge was won by Californian Geoff Ensign ahead of Cody Fendley and Cottage Grove 360 Sprint Car champion Kyle Miller. The Late Model division gathered more momentum and featured an exciting battle between Coos Bay champion Nathan Augustine and past Pro Stock and Modified champion Dustin Knight. There were four consecutive different feature winners in the first four races as Augustine, Knight, Trent Elliott and reigning champion Bob Dees collected the wins. The battle intensified as Knight and Augustine when the next two races, and Augustine led the division with four Trophy Dash victories. Round #6 was the game changer as Knight crashed exiting Turn 2 early in the race and finished last. He rebounded to win the seventh event for his third win of the season (to go with his three seconds), but a scheduling conflict kept him from running the final race. Augustine was the point leader headed into that race, but got a flat tire that night to finish last. Bob Dees scored the win in that race for his second victory of the season. Augustine was the champion with two wins and three seconds. Knight finished second in the standings ahead of B. Dees. Dave Foote used his third third place finish of the season in the finale to take fourth in the standings from Kristy Grout. Californian David Newquist and Rookie Of The Year Garrett Dees each had season high second place finishes, while hard luck racer Mike Linder and Kristy Grout each had a season high third. Knight, B. Dees and John Dees won one Trophy Dash each. The IMCA Modified division was so competitive that there were no repeat winners throughout the season. There was also a question as to who might win the championship. Car count was strong at the three marquee events as Californian Troy Foulger captured the $5,000 first prize in the first R Charles Snyder Salute event, followed by seven time track champion Mark Wauge. Nick Trenchard collected a $1,700 first prize with his victory in the Rodger Haudenshild Tribute in front of Albert Gill. The $1,000 prize in the Wild West Speedweek Tour race went to Californian Danny Lauer ahead of John Campos. Longtime competitor Monte Bischoff won the season opener and was a Trophy Dash winner the next week before falling out of competition. Californian Derek Nance made a surprise visit in round #3 and used traffic to take the victory from Gill. The fifth event was a victory for Gill, who declared his intent to run for the championship. However, Gill was a no show in the sixth event, won by Zach Fettinger ahead of a season high second place finish for Jesse Bailey. Bailey led the division with five Top 3 finishes. Though he didn't have a strong showing in the R Charles Snyder Salute, Bailey did make the big money Main Event, while Gill did not. Because of that, Bailey had pretty much clinched the championship heading into the season finale. Wauge ran a patient race that night and took the lead from early leader Kevin Hewitt. Once in front, Wauge became the ninth different winner in nine races ahead of a season high second place finish for Preston Jones. While Bailey was the champion, Wauge overtook Gill for second in the standings. Preston Jones would finish fourth in the final rundown ahead of Ray Kniffen Jr. Jeremy Richey had a season high second place finish in the preliminary feature during the R Charles Snyder Salute. Collen Winebarger and Bobby Hogge IV each had a season high third. Only Bailey won more than one Trophy Dash as other wins went to Kniffin, Gill and Hogge. With a new car, Mike Medel set out to defend his IMCA Sport Modified Championship. However, he faced the familiar challenge of two time champion Jorddon Braaten, who won the first two races and forced Medel to settle for second each night. When Braaten elected to pull out of the championship battle, Medel won the next race ahead of Rich McCoy. After a hot lap crash at the season opener sidelined him, McCoy was forced to play catch up for most of the season. Braaten appeared to be the winner in the Speedweek race, but a tech disqualification handed the win to Californian Brian Cooper. However, the Braaten team produced a letter proving that they had passed technical inspection of their motor after a thorough teardown, though the decision by IMCA would not be overturned. When McCoy scored back to back feature victories, two time Main Event runner up Willie McFall, McCoy and Medel were very much in the running for the championship heading into the pivotal R Charles Snyder Salute. McFall struggled all weekend and failed to make into the big show. McCoy was one of the fastest drivers all weekend, but motor issues ended his Main Event on Sunday. Medel stayed consistent and smooth with a Top 5 finish to all but clinch the championship heading into the finale. If there were any doubts, Medel won the final race for his second win of the season, successfully defending his track championship. McFall finished second in the standings ahead of McCoy. Braaten won his last two starts, and his wins in the R. Charles Snyder Salute and Roger Haudenshild Tribute each paid over $1,000. With a season high third place finish, Jesse Merriman was the top rookie and finished fourth in the standings, followed by David Marble, who had a season best second place feature finish after a very rough start. Season high second place feature finishes were also earned by Todd Cooper, rookie Justin McCreadie, Alan Furuta and Matt Sanders, while Tony Bartell, Jimmy Lipke, Craig Nieman and Oregon State champion Jayson Nelson had season high thirds. McCoy, McFall and Braaten each had two Trophy Dash wins, while Medel had one. David Steele carried his experience advantage into the Mini Stock championship battle, and after his strong ending to 2016, he appeared to be the driver to beat. Steele opened the season with back to back Main Event victories, but he blew three straight motors in the races that followed. 2014 champion Gary Anderson and 2013 champion Steve Goetz won the next two races with Anderson winning again in Round #5. Unfortunately, these two drivers had enough mechanical issues to keep them from making a serious championship bid. Teen leadfoot Dillen Lausen won a heat race at the opener, finished a season high second in the next Main Event and was third in the next race to take the early point lead. However, he was about to be challenged by unlikely contender Kristopher Mix. Mix opened the season with a third and had a season high second in the third event. Mix led the division with 6 Top 3 feature finishes, and Lausen began to struggle at the midpoint of the season. This opened the door for another hard charging teen, second generation racer Michael Johnson. Johnson began his charge up the ladder with a third place finish in the fourth event and a second at the following race. Johnson clearly established himself as a threat for the championship when he won the sixth event and followed that up with a runner up finish at the next race. It fell apart for Johnson at the second to last event. Johnson was running second, trailing David Steele by straightaway. Hoping to catch him, Johnson made contact with the front and back wall and ended up with a flat tire. He finished further back and as a result would need major bad luck for Mix to win the championship. However, Mix ended the season with four straight third place finishes and won the championship, while Johnson used his third second place finish in the finale to overtake Lausen for second in the standings. Steele won the last three Main Events and a total of five to finish fourth in points ahead of teammate Goetz. Marissa Luckman had a second place finish in the first event, and Andrew Hall had a season best third place finish at the second race and was also a trophy Dash winner. Only Steele repeated as a two time dash winner, while Bob Burkett, Lausen, Goetz, Johnson and Mix also won Trophy Dashes. The steady Hunter Magnan won top rookie honors. The Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites gained Mini Stock veteran Bob Burkett in their ranks along with division super star Bob Westcott, who split driving duties with Randy Hansen. Reigning champion Lee Doty won the opener and finished second at the next race behind Westcott. Doty was the early point leader, but a broken rear end in mud packing at the third event and a roll over at the next event ended the season for Doty. With one win and four second place finishes along with four dash victories, Burkett made a serious bid for the championship. Burkett's closest challenger was Charlie Eaton, who picked up four third place finishes and a season high second. The championship was close heading into the finale, but Burkett's fourth second place finish and Trophy Dash win clinched the title for him. Eaton was a career best second in the final standings, followed by Greg Arnold. With a win in the season finale, rookie Dusty Aos tied Bill Spencer for fourth in points. Danny Prewitt and Greg Arnold each had season high third place finishes while Hansen was the only other Trophy Dash winner. Hansen also won two Main Events. Burkett was the top rookie in the standings. The JOAT Labs Hornets saw an increase in car count as the new title sponsor began building cages for new competitors. The season opened with Joby Shields winning the Main Event, followed by a win in the next event by David Coggins. However, both competitors dropped out of the point race. The battle would be between reigning champion Tim Hedges and past Thrill Car champion Jason Stoutenburgh. The controversial third event saw a crash on the back straightaway between Stoutenburgh and Coggins, resulting in confusion as to who's the leader was. Initially, Zach Nelson was declared the winner, but it was discovered that T. Hedges was first. Hedges gained the point lead with his second straight win the next week, combined with a flat tire on the opening lap for Stoutenburgh. Unfortunately, this was the high water mark for Hedges, who failed to even earn a Top 3 finish in the final four events due to serious mechanical issues. Stoutenburgh left little doubt as to who the champion was by winning the last four races. Jenna Hedges had a season high second and third place finish along with two Trophy Dash wins, and she was able to overtake her husband Tim for second in the final standings. Ashtin Hedges had a season high third place feature finish to finish a solid fourth in the standings, and second generation competitor Dylan Irving finished third in the second to last race and won both the Trophy Dash and his heat race in the finale to hold off Derrel Nelson Jr. and Brandon Wonsyld for fifth. D. Nelson had two season high second place finishes while sons Zach Nelson and Ryan Nelson each had one. Scott Pierce and Wonsyld each had one second. John Corder had a third place finish. Stoutenburgh was also a two time Trophy Dash winner while Tim Hedges and Shields also had one dash win. An attempt was made to bring the Pro Stocks back under the track's promotional umbrella with their first track champion since 2011. The question was, who would race for it? Pro Stock Association members were reluctant to come on board, and an early season rainout for the association was moved to Yreka, rather than attempting to reschedule. This meant that only three of the seven remaining dates would receive full support from the association. Josh Kralicek and Derrel Nelson Jr. supported an eventful first race that saw Kralicek get a flat tire while leading and Nelson hit the wall coming out of Turn 4 to limp to the pits in victory. Nelson lost his ride after the second event. The second race was the association supported Roger Haudenshild Tribute, won by Dr. Scott Lenz ahead of James Flowers. Kralicek won the Trophy Dash that night, but he missed the next race, won by Lenz ahead of Miles Deubert. Lenz missed the next race as Jeffrey Hudson won ahead of rookie Dean Hackworth. This moved both drivers into championship contention. The car count grew as the association supported the next race, another win for point leader Lenz ahead of Scott Flowers. Lenz missed the next race due to family commitments, but Hudson's potential move into the lead never happened. This was because car owner Scott Bennett drove the car to a feature win ahead of Bryan Hammond. Hackworth was the only driver with a shot a Lenz going into the association supported finale. Lenz drove the borrowed Roy Bain car to a dash win and struggled as the first car a lap down in the feature. However, he did what he needed to do to clinch the track and association championships. Hackworth settled for second in track points along with top rookie honors. Meanwhile, the season finale saw Hudson win the race of the year with a thrilling last lap pass on James Flowers for his second victory. Hudson finished third in points ahead of Kralicek and J. Flowers. Lenz won three Trophy Dashes, while Hudson and Bennett each won one. The Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association ran most of their races at Southern Oregon Speedway, and Brock Peters successfully defended his club championship. Peters won four of the first six point races at Southern Oregon Speedway and was second in the two races he did not win. Because of his strong start, he held off Chad Cardoza and Ryan Smith in a good battle. Cardoza had a season high second place feature finish as did Smith. Camden Robustelli opened the season with a thrilling victory ahead of B. Peters and son Cody Peters. Cody had two second place finishes and two thirds in point competition at his home track, but the best would come later in the season. Two time champion Josh King picked up a pair of feature victories, and late season surprise victories were earned by Mason Lewmen and Rob Gergel. Gergel battled Kalvin Morton, who ended up with a season best second in the finale. Peters and Cardoza each had three A Dash wins, while Robustelli had two and C. Peters had one. At the Dwarf Car Nationals, Cody Peters made a thrilling last lap pass on NorCal Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner to win the Pro Main Event, which was the biggest win of his young career. Kevin Bender won the Veteran feature and the Veteran preliminary feature. Josh Wiesz won the Sportsman feature and the Sportsman preliminary feature, while Michael "Spanky" Grenert won the Pro preliminary feature. Roughly 70 competitors from the around Oregon, California and Nevada were on hand for the Western States Dwarf Car Nationals event. The Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtops ran for fun, not points. Mark Minter brought the Minter family's Old Pink #33 car back after being away for a couple of seasons. This is one of the original cars that competed when OTRO began several years ago. Minter won the season opener ahead of Dusty Trotter and followed that up with a win ahead of Bruce Wilkerson at the next race. Jamie Britton, a PRA competitor on the pavement in Roseburg, was a surprise visitor at the opener. Britton found that he had a preference for dirt and joined OTRO that night. After back to back third place finishes, Britton won the next two races. The final race of the season was a victory for Rhett Lange as Bruce Wilkerson settled for his second runner up finish. Wilkerson was driving for Vic and Louise Bridges. Vic Bridges was the president of the group and secured the dates for OTRO at Southern Oregon Speedway for these past two seasons. Sadly, he passed away during the off season. A season high second place finish was earned by Bill Trotter, while Kevin Lowell had a season high third. Trophy Dash victories were earned by Brian Crouch, Jimmy Del Castille, Jamie Britton, Bill Trotter and Dean Cast. Much like last season, there were no repeat Trophy Dash winners. The first event for the Road To The Iron Giant Street Stock Series came to Southern Oregon Speedway. Donald Schott won the 50 lap $1,000 to win event ahead of hard charger Kyle Yaeck and Washington visitor Jack Parshall. The Northwest Focus Midgets were a part of the Open Wheel Showcase event that ended the month of May. Over 20 competitors where on hand from the Washington based group, and Tristin Thomas won an exciting event ahead of Michael Volbrecht and Chance Crum. The Pro 4 West Modifieds were a part of that program with the win going to Tobey Ferrando.

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