Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 20, 2006 Wauge shoots for third modified title Weather permitting, Southern Oregon Speedway will open Saturday By DON HUNT Mail Tribune WHITE CITY — Winning modified races at the Southern Oregon Speedway is difficult. Winning points titles is tougher still. Mark Wauge did both last season, and now the Jacksonville mortgage broker is aiming to become the first three-time modified champion in the 11-year history of the track. Weather permitting, the twice-delayed, season-opening race will be contested Saturday at the one-eighth mile dirt track in White City. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the racing scheduled for 6. Advertisement Wauge, 39, won only four races in the highly competitive modified class last season, but a string of strong finishes guided him to the coveted points title. His first track championship came in 2000. "We probably have the most competitive modified class on the West Coast," Wauge says. "The competition is unbelievable." And it’s about to get better. Former track champions Brad Alfrey, Jon DeBenedetti, Dan Estremado and Dennis Silva will gear up for another title run. Brian Poppa, a former pro stocks points champ, will double up in the modified and pro stock classes this summer and is a threat to win both. Chris Salyer and Travis Perry, who went 3-4 in modified points last season, also return, as do Dave Duste, Sr., Dane Smith and Markey James. Top rookies include brothers Kevin and C.J. Putnam, who dominated races at the nearby go-kart track for the past several years. In an attempt to stay out front, Wauge bought another Rayburn chassis this year. He made his debut in the new car on April 8 in Yreka and won the main event. "I’m hoping I’ve got the bugs worked out," Wauge says. Saturday’s marquee event will be a $1,000-to-win modified race. That’s a decent purse, but it pales in comparison to the $10,000 that will go to the winner of the Lon Skinner Memorial on Sept. 3. The Skinner race is expected to attract drivers from throughout the West Coast and beyond. "Those are the races that really get you pumped," says Wauge, who is also excited about lucrative races in Cottage Grove and Elma, Wash. "I’d rather take fifth out of 100 cars than first out of 20." The pro stock division is also loaded with talented drivers, although no one has been able to keep up with Frank Word III in recent years. Word, 48, dominated the class last season with eight victories as he rolled to his fourth straight points title. But unlike Wauge, Word will go with the same Skipper Klimcheck-built Chevy chassis he’s driven for the past four years. Word says the pro stock’s weight rule of 2,700 pounds acts as an equalizer. "I think my car is good for another year or two," Word says. Other pro stock contenders such as Poppa and Jim Hill, who was third in points last season, have obtained new cars in their quest to overtake Word. A young driver to watch is sprint car rookie Chad Nolan, 14, who track officials will allow to participate in test-and-tune sessions and then allow him to race when he reaches his 15th birthday in July. Nolan has raced go-karts since he was 5. "The (track) insurance companies are now allowing 15-year-olds to race," says speedway manager Teresa Lowe. "They realize these kids coming out of go-karts are better drivers than some of the adults. As long as they have a driver’s permit they’re good to go." Along with the Lon Skinner race, the speedway’s other major event is the World of Outlaws on Aug. 30. The Outlaws, featuring sprint cars that can reach speeds exceeding 100 mph, last appeared at the White City oval in 1999. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Wauge shoots for third modified title ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s