Sprint Cars, Late Models Cap Double Header Weekend
At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...Another two night racing weekend is on tap at Southern Oregon Speedway. Following last week's big Hall Of Fame night, this Saturday's night show offers the high powered Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars and Late Models along with Mini Stocks, OTRO Hardtops and Pro Stocks. There is also a full program of Outlaw Karts at the one-eighth mile dirt oval next to the big track on Friday night.

People are talking about the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car and Late Model divisions. The track has never had a serious Late Model effort of its own. You have to go back to the old Medford Speedway to find that. The Sprint Cars have had over a dozen championship seasons, but the division fell off after 2010. Promoter Mike McCann made a commitment to establish both of these divisions at the track when he took over this year, and the numbers are up for both.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars had a ten car field last time and a dozen cars at the previous race. There have been four different winners in seven races. Reigning champion Jake Wheeler was back to win his first Main Event last time and deny Kyler Barraza his fourth win. Kyler's three wins and two seconds have given him a commanding point lead. In fact, he could actually clinch the championship with a good enough finish this week. Barraza may have taken a couple of seasons off since his back to back Southern Oregon Sprint Tour championships, but he's picked up right where he left off.

The battle is between past Cottage Grove champion David Hibbard, impressive rookie Merissa Henson and two time winner Bailey Hibbard for second, and just seven points separate the three. Though three time feature runnnerup D. Hibbard and his son Bailey have had better finishes than Henson, she has done a slightly better job of getting to the finish line and has finished as high as third. B. Hibbard is coming off of back to back non finishes, and he's looking to turn his luck around this week. Whatever happens in the championship battle, it looks like the race for second will go down to the final checkered flag next month.

The Sprint Cars are gaining more interest every week. Outlaw Kart stars Tanner Holmes and Mike Wheeler have both joined the division in recent weeks. Holmes has taken two checkered flags with a fifth place finish in his first start. Young rookie Enrique Jaime finished fourth last time as he is now fifth in points. The division has several young competitors, which bodes well for the future. We've also seen the return of 1998 Cottage Grove champion Hedge Carter after an eight year absence. People are talking about Southern Oregon Speedway's Sprint Car effort, and indications are that we will keep seeing new additions to the roster in the days ahead.

By far the most exciting driver to watch in Late Models is Dustin Knight. He leads Nathan Augustine in a close championship battle, and he likes to run right on the edge. Knight delighted the crowd last week with a last lap pass from third to first to win the Trophy Dash. He then had the lead, lost it and regained it in traffic to win his second Main Event. Knight now has two wins and three seconds in the Main Event. Augustine has a win and chased Knight twice for second place finishes. He also has three Trophy Dash wins. Both drivers are fast, and you get contrasting driving styles from the more aggressive Knight to the more patient Augustine. This is a battle that could go down to the season finale.

Reigning champion Bob Dees just gained third by a point over Kristy Grout. Dees finished third last week, while Grout ran further back. She was fortunate to be back after her rollover a few weeks ago bent her frame. Tim Grout found a new chassis and spent the off week getting it ready for Kristy to come back. Dave Foote and Mike Linder have both had their moments this year with recent Top 4 finishes. We saw the return of Don Garrett and the debut of Chris Biggs last week. Drivers are watching this class and looking to join the action. In fact, Top 3 Antioch Speedway competitor David Newquist and Mike Hynes are planning to visit the speedway this week. It's looking like Saturday's race could even offer a season high car count on the heels of last week's ten car field.

Mini Stocks were added with a point race this week to make up for an earlier rainout. The point battle is so close that just 11 points separate 16 year old Dillen Lausen, Kristopher Mix, 15 year old Michael Johnson and past champions Steve Goetz and Gary Anderson. Johnson won his first race at his home track last time out, joining Goetz, Anderson and David Steele on the winner's list. Most of the drivers in the field have a legitimate chance to win. Though Andrew Hall has struggled a bit in his Pinto Wagon, he's due for a big night.

OTRO Hardtops make their final appearance of the season, and Mark Minter and Jamie Britton have divided the wins among each other with two each. Bruce Wilkerson was racing hard to get a win for car owner Vic Bridges last time, but front end damage ended his race early. Staunch OTRO supporter Bill Trotter, who fields two cars, was the fourth different Trophy Dash winner last time. He too will be racing hard for a feature win. OTRO has had fun putting on a show for the fans with their old Coupe and Sedan race cars, and indications are that a few drivers missing in recent visits will be back this week.

The Pro Stocks have struggled to get cars under the track's banner, which is raising speculation about the future of the division that has been a part of the roster since the track opened. Dr. Scott Lenz won the most recent race, which was his third victory of the season. A family commitment will keep him out of the action this week, which opens the door for one time winner Jeffrey Hudson and rookie Dean Hackworth to make a big leap in points. Josh Kralicek and Darron Arnold are both anticipated this week, and there's word of Miles Deubert possibly racing in a different car. We may also see the debut of past Top 5 Mini Stock racer Mike Cloud.

Friday Night Karts bring down the curtain on their season this Friday night. Two of the more interesting battles are for the Beginners Box Stock and Box Stock championships. Following his runaway second Main Event victory last Friday, Malachi Johnson holds a five point lead over Kiley Grimes in the Beginners class. Trevor Grimes has won most of the Box Stock races and he's looking for his third straight championship. He lost last week's race to a late pass by first time winner Keaton Augustine. Augustine trails by 17 points in that battle. Grimes was leading the 250 Kart point race, but he surrendered the lead to three time winner Carley Holmes by 15 points after failing to start the Main Event last week. All three championships are still up for grabs this week.

The gates open for both events at 5:00 PM with the first race at 7:00 PM. Friday's General Admission is $10.00 with Children 6 and under $5.00. This gives you access to the pits. Saturday's prices are $12.00 for General Admission, $6.00 for Children (6-12), Seniors and Veterans and Children 5 and under are free. For further information go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.




Drivers Lining Up To Compete In $3,000 To Win Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...We're less than two weeks away from the Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge, presented by Herz Precision Parts, and there are already some top notch competitors planning to come to Southern Oregon Speedway for a run at the $3,000 top prize being offered. The race happens on August 26th at the fast three-tenth mile clay oval, located in White City, Oregon at the Jackson Sports Park. The track has held some big Winged Sprint Car races through the years, but this is the biggest Wingless Sprint race ever held here. Promoter Mike McCann intends to make this an annual event.

It's just been confirmed that "The Human Highlight Reel" Geoff Ensign will be behind the wheel of the Ted Finkenbinder owned Sprinter. Ted may field a second car, but the #3f car will be driven by the third generation racer Ensign. Geoff has won many Wingless Spec Sprint and 360 Sprint Car races, including USAC wins in Finkenbinder's cars. This year, Geoff has excelled at winged racing as the point leader at both Petaluma and Watsonville and second in points in the Civil War Series. The Cascade Sprint Car Challenge offers Geoff an opportunity to indulge in his love of Wingless Sprint Car racing and make a run at the big prize being offered. He may be the driver to beat.

We're still waiting on word from Kyle Miller, who has won some big Wingless Sprint Car races in Oregon through the years. However, two other big stars from the state are confirmed. Tim Alberding and Lance Hallmark are coming to make a run at the money. Alberding is a multi time Wingless Sprint Car champion and currently second on the NWWT circuit this season. Hallmark is in the midst of his second straight Top 5 point season with the NWWT Sprint Series. He's still looking for his first win of the season, but he won twice last year, including a $2,000 payday at Coos Bay.

Another Californian coming up for the big show will be Rowdy McClennon. McClennon was one of the stars on the Wingless Spec Sprint circuit during the the past seven years and is the 2012-2013 Chico champion. He's been running winged races recently. He had a Trophy Dash win at Southern Oregon Speedway last year and won a 410 Sprint Car race at Marysville a couple seasons ago. McClennon is coming to make a run at what could potentially be his biggest wingless win, and he would have to be considered a serious contender.

2014 NWWT point runnerup Mike Romig is on the list of about a dozen racers who has said they are planning to come race so far. The Vancouver, WA resident, who hasn't been running the NWWT series regularly since 2014, finished sixth at Willamette behind past top 5 ranked NWWT racer Mark Herz last week. Herz is a staunch supporter of Wingless Sprint Car racing in Oregon and has sponsored several races, including the Cascade Sprint Car Challenge. Steve Hix is a regular with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Tour. He's currently contending for a Top 10 point position there. He has family near Southern Oregon Speedway and is looking forward to a visit.

Kyler Barraza could clinch the track's Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Series championship with a good finish on August 19th. He's already a two time Southern Oregon Sprint Tour champion with multiple Coos Bay championships, and he's won wingless races in the past. Kyler was at Willamette for a wingless show last week. He hasn't run without a wing in a few years, but he won the Trophy Dash. He's a bit more familiar with Southern Oregon Speedway. Whether with wings or without, Barraza will be tough to beat at his home track.

The Cascade Sprint Car Challenge is offering a nice payday. No Main Event starter makes less than $250. After $3,000 to win, the $1,500 prize for second and $1,000 for third are still pretty nice. There are some good racers already committed to the show, and whoever wins will have to bring their A game. It's all happening on August 26th at Southern Oregon Speedway. Race information can be found, www.southernoregonspeedway.com/cascade.pdf, and the track web page is www.southernoregonspeedway.com.


Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars Back
At Southern Oregon Speedway Saturday Night

White City, Oregon...People are talking about the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car division at Southern Oregon Speedway. The Sprint Cars have had over a dozen championship seasons, but the division fell off after 2010. The track didn't crown its own champion until Promoter Mike McCann brought Sprint Cars back in 2016. McCann's reputation as a Sprint Car guy is well documented. He started Sprint Car divisions at Cottage Grove and Marysville that continue to this day.

David Hibbard has been wanting to come back to his home track, where he has won his share of Main Events through the years. Hibbard won the Limited Sprint championship at Cottage Grove in 2014 as well as ten Main Events there from 2013-2016. He is an advocate for the more affordable rules set that is being used at Cottage Grove as it allows him to field a second car for his son Bailey. This year, they added a car for his father Calvin to the team. David has worked with McCann behind the scenes to help spark a renewed interest in the Sprint Car effort at Southern Oregon Speedway, and the numbers are up from last year after seven races.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars had a ten car field last time and a dozen cars at the previous race. There have been four different winners in seven races. Reigning champion Jake Wheeler was back to win his first Main Event of the season last time. The Wheeler family has been supporters of the Medford Sprint Car effort through the years, and both Jake and his father Vern Wheeler Jr. were winners last season. Jake's first start this year was a mixed bag. He beat Barraza to win the scramble on his first night back, but he flipped in the Main Event. His win last time out reminded everybody that he is the reigning champion. Wheeler was also a Top 5 competitor in this year's Speedweek Series.

Kyler Barraza's three wins and two seconds have given him a commanding point lead. In fact, he could actually clinch the championship with a good enough finish this week. Barraza may have taken a couple of seasons off since his back to back Southern Oregon Sprint Tour championships, but he's picked up right where he left off this season. His only non Top 3 finish came the night he spun going for the lead in the final turn rather than spinning out the leader. He enters this week as the driver to beat.

The battle in points is between David Hibbard, impressive rookie Merissa Henson and two time winner Bailey Hibbard for second, and just seven points separate the three. Though three time feature runnerup D. Hibbard and his son Bailey have had better finishes than Henson, she has done a slightly better job of getting to the finish line and has finished as high as third. B. Hibbard is coming off of back to back non finishes, and he's looking to turn his luck around this week. Whatever happens in the championship battle, it looks like the race for second will go down to the final checkered flag next month.

The Sprint Cars are gaining more interest every week. Outlaw Kart stars Tanner Holmes and Mike Wheeler have both joined the division in recent weeks. Holmes has taken two checkered flags with a fifth place finish in his first start and a lead lap seventh his last time out. Young rookie Enrique Jaime finished fourth last time as he is now fifth in points. The division has several young competitors, which bodes well for the future. With the new rules package, this division is becoming an intriguing option for the Outlaw Kart racers looking to make a move up.

We've also seen the return of 1998 Cottage Grove champion Hedge Carter after an eight year absence. Carter has a third place finish and a fourth in his two starts. It might have been two thirds if not for a late pass two races ago by rising young star Camden Robustelli. Carter will be there this Saturday night, and word is that Cottage Grove point leader Ricky Ashley and Tyler Thompson are planning to make their first visits to Southern Oregon Speedway. The division has gotten the attention of two locally based 360 Sprint Car champions, Seth Nunes and Charlie Thompson. Thompson recently borrowed Merissa Henson's motor to make a start at Cottage Grove. Nunes just got a motor legal for this division.

People are talking about Southern Oregon Speedway's Sprint Car effort, and indications are that we will keep seeing new additions to the roster in the days ahead. Saturday night's show looks like it should be another good one headed into the August 26th Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge, presented by Herz Precision Parts. That race will pay $3,000 to win. The final race for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Series will be September 9th. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com. For further information on the Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge, you can find the flier at www.southernoregonspeedway.com/cascade.pdf.

Point Standings
Kendall Oil Sprint Cars
Kyler Barraza 238
David Hibbard 181
Merissa Henson 176
Bailey Hibbard 174
Enrique Jaime 137
Calvin Hibbard 99
Camden Robustelli 80
Hedge Carter 59
Jake Wheeler 54
Tanner Holmes 45

Schedule

August 19
August 26 Cascade Wingless Sprint Challenge
September 9


Sprint Car Champions

1996 Dan Menne
1997 Bill Nutter
1998 Dan Menne
2001 Chad Bauer
2002 Todd Zeitler
2003 Dan Menne
2004 T.J. Winningham
2005 Dan Menne
2006 Bill Nutter
2007 Randy Rodgers
2008 Randy Rodgers
2009 Charlie Thompson
2010 Chadd Noland
2013 Kyler Barraza *
2014 Kyler Barraza *
2016 Jake Wheel