Jesse Bailey in victory lane.
Jesse Bailey in victory lane.

Bailey Rules Southern Oregon Roost

WHITE CITY, Ore. — Jesse Bailey won the 25-lap IMCA Modified main event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway.

This was the second win of the season for the 2017 champion as he stays in the hunt for the championship. This was Hall Of Fame Night, and Markey James, Jay McCleary, Jim Walker Sr., Dave Shinn, Sam Dykes and Freddy Higginbotham were inducted into the Southern Oregon Racing Hall Of Fame prior to the feature.

Bailey started back in the fifth row of the IMCA Modified Main Event as Andy Freeman led most of the race. Jeremy Richey took over second on lap nine and began to pressure Freeman for the lead. Bailey switched to the extreme high line during the second half of the race and was able to take third from Albert Gill on lap 22.

Bailey went around Richey a lap later and made a high move in turn four of the 24th lap to take the lead from Freeman. Bailey went on to score an impressive win ahead of Freeman, Richey, Nick Trenchard and Paul Rea.

Darren Coffell won the 25-lap Late Model Main Event. This was his second win of the season. Coffell led the entire race, and Trent Elliott and Mark Wauge put on a passing clinic after a Turn 1 tangle between the two on lap 11 resulted in both restarting in the rear. Elliott overtook Doug Elkins for second on a lap-21 restart and would finish there with Wauge not far behind in third. Elkins and Dave Everson rounded out the top five.

Jorddon Braaten used his third IMCA Sport Modified Main Event win of the season to increase his point lead. Austin Petray led three laps before Jantzen Knips went by in turn four of the fourth lap. However, Braaten used a lap six restart to take the lead from Knips. Knips saw his run in second end on lap ten as Petray gained the position. Braaten went on to victory ahead of Petray, Braxton Possinger, Isaac Sanders and Branden Wilson.

David Steele won the 20-lap Bobbio’s Pizza Mini Stock event. This was the fifth win of the season for the current point leader as he scored yet another clean sweep. Steele led Ashtin Hedges from the start. Only a lap eight yellow flag slowed the pace, but nobody was stopping Steele as he won ahead of Hedges, Steve Goetz, Kristopher Mix and Hunter Magnan.

Dylan Sauer won the 20-lap JOAT Labs Hornets feature. This was his fifth win of the season, and his clean sweep effort enabled him to double his point lead over Tim Hedges, who finished seventh. Rookie Quinton Tritchler settled into second on lap two and held the spot until a lap-15 yellow flag.

As Sauer led the restart, Jenna Hedges and Chris Boynton both got by Tritchler during the next two laps. Sauer held off Hedges to win as Boynton, Tritchler and newcomer Zachary Tener completed the top five.