WAUGE FINDS HIS WAY TO WINNER’S CIRCLE  FOR $10K MOD WIN…..

By jay ‘byrd’ reese
www.sosportstalk.com
‘Southern Oregon Sportstalk’
(AM-1270 KAJO  4pm)

It’s been nearly a year since S.O. Speedway Track Champion Mark Wauge  found his way to victory lane, but that ended Saturday night as The Jacksonville Mortgage broker literally pulled a ‘Rabbit’ out of his hat to win the richest
dirt-track stock car race in Oregon history, and beating some of the best race teams on the west coast in his  ‘Rayburn Racecars’ Chasis, and Bullet Custom Engines.

Wauge won the $10,000 Lon Skinner Memorial ‘King of Dirt’ Modified Championship on his home track, and notching his first win since 2005.  And, there were 10,000 things that might go wrong at the wrong time, and Wauge admittedly sweated this win out through 12 yellow flag caution periods.

“I went from fuel pump problems to ignition problems, and every yellow, or red flag my iginition would die.  Every time I would stop it would die, actually the bumps would keep enough vibration on the distributor wires to keep it fired.”
Wauge calmly explained.

Wauge’s success story gets even better.  It seems he wrecked the car on opening night of qualifying, and bent the chasis 4”.  That’s when veteran racer, and Mod builder, Bruce Rayburn, reached in his bag of tricks for the #28 Doghouse Racing Team.  

“Bruce was amazing, and got this chasis in good enough shape to keep me in the hunt.  Those Rayburn guys take care of me.”

The Rabbit’ and his crew worked on the chasis to repair it in time for Wauge to come from the very back of qualifying this weekend, to finish in the top-8 Saturday, which punched his ticket to the feature.    

There were 7-lead changes in the 100-lap Memorial ‘Speedweek Finale’
Which saw Wauge inherit the lead on lap 36.  He would later lead the last 16-laps as he battled with 5 other leaders of the race throughout the night, and just kept working the low line in turn 1, and 2.  Wauge was persistent, and challenged all the leaders enroute to finally getting the window of opportunity to redeem himself on lap 84.

Just two season’s ago Wauge served a 6-month suspension at SOS by track officials, and now finds his way back to the top with sweet redemption.

Wauge stalked early race leader #00 Steve Arpen of Canada in the RMR,
Ron Martin Racing machine, and then  #7  Kellen Chadwick (Antioch Champ) as he sized up  # 5w  Jesse Williamson (RMR) for most of the night.  

Then, as Williamson got in to the back of Dave Duste, jr. on lap-74 releasing off of turn-2,   #0d Jon DeBennedetti and Wauge drove on by to take the lead.  Wauge and JD battled just 9 laps when Wauge finally got under JD for the lead which he never gave up.

Travis Peery finished runnerup by 4-car lengths.  Peery suffered a race penalty to begin the second 50-laps of the race from the back.  Peery (#6) was 6th at the intermission.  Peery started the night 10th,  and by lap 62 of the restart,
he was 5th.

Peery shared a ‘part’ of the win with Wauge.  “I almost had him, we got a little bumper to bumper, rubber to rubber….he has my distributor in, so I want $50 bucks rental.!”  Joked Peery in the winner’s circle.  “Jon DeBennedetti is the best driver on the west, and Kellen Chadwick is big, and just to run up front with those guys was awesome.”

Two time Northwest Mod Champion, and 2003 Southern Oregon Speedway Champion Jon DeBennedetti came from the back to front, and settled for third.
“Unfortunately I got in to Jenks early, and got a flat tire, and just had some patience for the rest of the first half”   JD would rest 5th at the break.

“I just kept getting opportunity’s to go to the front…..Kellen lost a motor, Jesse got in to a lapper, and  my chances got better.  I thought this will work, but my car just kept getting tighter, and tighter, and those guys found the bottom of the track better than me”  

2004 Track Champion (#10) Brad Alfrey kicked it in high gear from 17th at the break to finish 4th.  Second generation driver, #10m  Ryan McDaniel of Chico found himself 5th.  McDaniel just finished winning his third Silver Dollar Speedway crown.

Canadian imported driver, Steve Arpen, was clearly the best car early as the #00 RMR car led the first 28-laps weaving his way through the tail end of the 24-car field on the 13th circle.  Pole sitter #12j Dustin Jenks was strong early until he and DeBennedetti got together on lap-21.  #65 Brian Poppa left on lap-15 (motor), and Duane Cleveland exited along with Matt Duste (motor), and Justin Holt (crash).

Chadwick, who has won 7-features at Antioch Speedway this summer took command on lap 35, but was penalized one lap later for jump-starting the restart.  Chadwick vehemently disagreed, but grabbed the lead again from Wauge, and held until he broke a shock on lap 62.   With 10-laps to go he was pressing 4th when his motor let go on the home stretch.