Rodgers Continues Ascent Up West Coast Sport Mod Ranks With Stellar 2021 Campaign

Chico, CA (11/16/2021) For 19 year old Tyler Rodgers, it hasn’t taken long to become a household name in Northern California IMCA Sport Mod competition. The 2017 Silver Dollar Speedway Rookie of the Year has rode a steady trajectory up the Nor Cal Sport Mod ranks over the past few years, firmly entrenching himself as a favorite to win each and every time his #44 Twyzted by Evo Northern Sport Mod hit the track.

Tyler’s 2nd win of the season at Quincy’s American Valley Speedway

2021 saw the family based Rodgers Racing team primarily focus their efforts towards the northeast portion of the state, with over half of the team’s 23 starts coming at Susanville’s Diamond Mountain Speedway and Quincy’s American Valley Speedway. That diligent focus paid off in a big way for Rodgers and the team, who after mechanical gremlins on opening night, went on to win 5 of the next 6 races at the Quincy venue en route to a dominant championship run.

The 2021 American Valley Speedway title would mark the first track championship in Rodgers’s young career, finishing in the runner up spot twice in his first 2 years at Silver Dollar Speedway before beginning to travel more the past 2 years.

Rodgers wouldn’t completely abandon his local track however, making 2 starts at the Dollar in 2021, highlighted by an awesome battle with Phillip Shelby on Pepsi Night that nearly saw Rodgers take home the prestigious trophy for a second consecutive season.

Despite a full slate of local racing, the team continued to travel this past season. Making the trip down for the inaugural Sport Mod show at Petaluma was one that meant a little more to the team, as the 3/8ths mile gumbo oval is what the team considers to be their true home track. With the unique Petaluma surface requiring a steep learning curve, the team was happy with their 4th place finish on the night.

While many would agree that Rodgers’s track title at Quincy was easily his top achievement, one underrated facet to his 2021 season was his ability to consistently run up front when out of state. The team made 3 trips across state lines to White City Oregon’s Southern Oregon Speedway, each trip proving that Rodgers could compete (and win) against the Northwest’s finest.

Rodgers’s first Oregon start of 2021 at the annual Haudenschild Tribute was nearly perfect. Out the gate the 44 machine was fast, posting quick time in qualifying by a whopping 3 tenths (setting a new track record in the process) before comfortably winning his heat race and trophy dash. The feature looked to be going the same way before lapped traffic played a factor late, dropping Rodgers to a 2nd place finish. Rodgers showed the same speed for the inaugural PSM Showdown a month later, but issues all weekend limited the team to a 6th place finish in the $2500 to win feature.

Just like in 2018, Rodgers rose to the occasion at the R Charles Snyder Salute, winning his heat race before outlasting multiple challenges from the likes of Ryan Peery and Matt Sanders to take the opening night win. Night 2 would not fare so well, getting spun on the 2nd lap of the main before limping home to a 6th place finish.

For 2022, Tyler’s plans are currently undecided.

Tyler would like to personally thank each and every one of his sponsors and supporters who made this season a possibility, including:

Twyzted Motorsport

Uncle Matt

Uncle Nick

Grandma & Bud

Superior Fuel Cells

Kevin’s Auto and Fleet

Gandy and Staley Oil Co.

Mom

Dad

Baker Trucking

Tahoe Pure Water

Top Notch Cleaning

KPR Racing and Fab

Aunt Toni

TnT Guide Service

Season Stats:

Starts: 23

Wins: 7

Top 5’s: 13

Top 10’s: 16

Best Finish: 1st (7 times)

Heat Race Wins: 11

Track Champion at American Valley Speedway

Marysville:

3/20: 4th

Susanville:

4/2: 2nd

4/3: DNF

5/7: 1st

⅝: DNF

7/3: 6th

Merced:

Al Miller Memorial 4/16: DNF

Al Miller Memorial 4/17: 13th

Quincy:

5/1: DNF

5/15: 1st

5/29: 1st

6/5: 2nd

6/18: 1st

6/19: 1st

7/18: 1st

Southern Oregon:

6/12: 2nd

7/23: DNF

7/24: 6th

9/3: 1st

9/4: 6th

Silver Dollar:

7/4: DNF

8/20: 2nd

Petaluma:

8/14: 4th

Gallaher Racing Looks To Build Off Exceptional 2019 Campaign

San Jose, CA (3/03/2020) Coming into 2020 with heaps of expectations after a stellar season this past year, the two headed monster of Rob and Joe Gallaher are ready to crush expectations and their competition. The San Jose, California based Father and Son Hobby Stock team once again claimed the Ocean Speedway Hobby Stock track championship in 2019, with Rob winning his 3rd in the past 4 years, and 4th total title in the previous 6.

The anticipation is building in the Gallaher camp as we grow closer to March 13th’s season opener at Ocean, and for good reason. The team was busy in the off-season building a completely new car for the patriarch of the Gallaher family, Joe. Pre-season testing this past Thursday at Merced Speedway couldn’t have gone much better, and the early results have the team ecstatic.

Gallaher Racing’s main goal for 2020 is simple, add another title to the family’s incredible list of accomplishments. They believe that putting a concerted effort to focus almost entirely on the local points chase will go a long way in helping accomplish the feat.

If 2019 is any indication, their fellow division racers will have trouble preventing another back to back title run for the Gallahers. Rob was phenomenally consistent in his latest championship winning season, finishing outside the Top 5 only twice across his 15 feature starts. While the consistency was certainly impressive, one could argue that his 7 main event wins were an even bigger achievement.

By far, the biggest win for either driver in 2019 was Rob’s win at the illustrious Pat and Jim Pettit Shootout. The Shootout is highly regarded as the most prestigious event at their home track, and Rob’s night 1 win last year marked his 2nd triumph in the race’s 9 year history.

Joe Gallaher wasn’t far from the track title himself this past year, but multiple early season mechanical gremlins ultimately wound up being the deciding factor in the title race. Even with the early season problems, only a 19 point gap separated the two after the final race. On top of that, both Gallahers were consistent to the point that there was over a 100 point difference between championship runner up Joe Gallaher and 3rd place in points, truly showing their stranglehold on the division in 2019.

In the midst of a stellar season, Joe also picked up career wins number 2 and 3 along the way in back to back races, including what has likely become their most infamous moment sharing the track. In late June, the two were racing intensely for the win in the late going, when Joe got a little aggressive and sent his son for a spin. Joe would hold off the competition for his 2nd win of the season. Joe acknowledged on the ride home that night that he “may have that one comin’ back around”.

When asked about his thoughts on the upcoming season, an excited Rob Gallaher had this to say: “We are fired up for the 2020 season. After Merced changed their hobby rules to exclude all the other hobby stocks in the state we decided to really focus on our home track in Watsonville. We have built a whole new car for my dad to maintain the competitive edge he had before damaging his frame at the McGowan race in Bakersfield last year. He has the pep in his step again that wasn’t there at the end of last year. Winning will be commonplace for both Gallaher cars again starting 2020. We have made setup changes and drivetrain improvements to help us stay on top. We know our competition is getting better so we have to be making changes to be better too. I can’t wait to hit the dirt circle on Friday the 13th of March.”

Gallaher Racing would like to thank all of their sponsors and supporters, including:

Gallaher Company

1 Hour Drain

Tire Time

Express Car Wash

Yeti Coolers

Coors

Snap On

Built by the Captain

Interested in having writeups like these done for your race team throughout the season? Contact Daren Ricks of DRC Motorsports Media here on Facebook, at darenricks999@gmail.com or at (530) 828-0112 to discuss a plan that fits your team’s needs.

Sorensen Does it Again, Now a 5 Time Winner in 2019

(6/24/2019)

What a start to the 2019 race season it’s been for El Sobrante native Chris Sorensen. The defending Antioch Speedway Hobby Stock champ has set a ridiculous pace so far, picking up 5 wins and 5 runner up finishes across his 1st 10 starts of the season. Sorensen’s 5th and most recent win came this past Saturday night, extending his points lead to 50 points heading into the final weekend of June.

Sorensen’s night kicked off with heat race action, where he’d roll off 3rd of the 3 cars that made the call. Sorensen immediately took 2nd on the start, than settled in behind race leader Trevor Clymens. Though he looked to the inside of Clymens multiple times over the next 7 laps, he couldn’t find the right spot to make a pass, taking 2nd in the heat race.

For the feature, Sorensen would start 9th in the 11 car field. Sorensen was a busy man early, making 5 passes in the opening 2 circuits, including dodging a car that was sideways directly in front of him.

A lap later Sorensen found himself in 3rd, and knocking on the door for 2nd. The 10 lap battle for 2nd eventually evolved into a 3 car battle for the lead as Sorensen and Clymens tracked down race leader Breanna Troen.

With 8 to go, Sorensen grabbed 2nd from Troen, leaving just Clymens ahead. Sorensen and Clymens would race door to door lap after lap, with Sorensen gaining the upper hand as the leaders came to 2 to go. Sorensen would get lucky on the last lap. As he got out of shape coming out of turn 2, so did Clymens in 2nd, allowing Sorensen to maintain his advantage and walk away victorious yet again at Antioch Speedway.

Chris would like to thank all of his sponsors and supporters, including:

Brc Race Cars

GET OUT OF TOWN! Professional Pet Care

LRT Graphics

Lucky Dog Racing League

Hotshots Motorsports Photography

Montalvo Motorsports

Sorensen Picks Up Where He Left Off With Runner Up Finish

(4/1/2019)

After a season for the ages in 2018, veteran driver Chris Sorensen looks to find the same success in 2019. The El Sobrante native dominated the Hobby Stock division at Antioch Speedway this past season, racking up 8 wins and 24 Top 5 finishes across his 27 starts at the speedway, easily running away with the points title with weeks to spare.

Sorensen once again was fast out of the gate Saturday night. A 14 heat race winner a year ago, Sorensen used his front row starting position to pull away on the start and take a commanding lead. Sorensen would never face any sort of opposition in the 8 lap race, winning the heat by roughly a quarter of a lap.

Sorensen would roll off 2nd for the 20 lap main event, and while he was definitely fast, Sorensen could just not find a way past pole sitter Bre Troen. The two front row starters would engage in a close, hard fought battle for the majority of the early portion of the race.

After falling to 3rd on a mid race restart, Sorensen would claim the lead as the top 2 cars made contact in turn 4, leaving just a big enough gap for Sorensen to slip through before the yellow flag waved. Sorensen’s time at the front wouldn’t last long, however, as he made hard contact with the backstretch wall on the restart.

The contact would drop Sorensen to 3rd as both Josh Leach and Anthony Welborn made their way by. Sorensen would regain 2nd a lap later when Welborn and Leach made contact in turn 1, sending Welborn around. Sorensen would spend the remainder of the race in 2nd, taking home a solid finish on opening night.

Chris’s next race on the schedule is Antioch Speedway on April 13th (weather permitting)

Chris would like to thank all of his sponsors and supporters, including:

Brc Race Cars

GET OUT OF TOWN! Professional Pet Care

LRT Graphics

Lucky Dog Racing League

Hotshots Motorsports Photography

Montalvo Motorsports
Interested in having writeups like these done for your race team throughout the season? Contact Daren Ricks of DRC Motorsports Media here on Facebook, at darenricks999@gmail.com or at (530) 828-0112 to discuss a plan that fits your team’s needs.

Daren Ricks
DRC Motorsports Media

Another Exceptional Season Cements Braaten’s Status As Most Dominant Sport Mod Driver In Pacific Northwest

(3/1/2019)

It’s hard to understate just how dominant Jorddon Braaten has been in the Sport Mod class since the division made its way to the state of Oregon. The Central Point native has more than double the wins over 2nd place in the division’s existence in the state, racking up numerous track and state titles in the process.

Braaten’s dominance was on full display once again in 2018, putting together a 17 win campaign across a 30 race slate in Oregon and Northern California. Braaten’s high win totals and consistency helped rake in other accolades as well, including another state title, and a Top 10 placement in IMCA national standings.

The 2 time Southern Oregon Speedway Champ doubled his career number of championships in just 1 year. Braaten became the inaugural champ for the division at Willamette Speedway in 2018. Braaten took home 7 wins across the track’s 13 race schedule, 5 more than the next highest driver.

On top of his Willamette title, Braaten claimed the Cottage Grove Speedway championship in impressive fashion. After a rough early season run, Braaten went on a 7 race win streak to completely run away with the title. Braaten would wind up with 9 wins over the 13 race season, including an impressive weekend sweep of the Mark Howard Modified Nationals in late August.

Braaten kicked off his 2018 at the Arizona Mod Tour in Mid-February, and it was a big learning experience for the team. Facing some of the nation’s top talent in the Sport Mod division, Braaten made the feature on all but one night, finishing between 11th and 16th in the 6 features he started.

One accomplishment that Braaten couldn’t match in 2018 was repeating as the R Charles Snyder Salute winner. This past year’s edition saw over 50 cars enter, with Braaten coming up just short of a $2,000 payday, taking 2nd.

As we look to 2019, there’s no question that Braaten will once again be the favorite week in and week out wherever he decides to race. You can expect to see Jorddon Braaten in victory lane plenty again this season.

Jorddon Braaten Season Stats:

Starts: 37

Wins: 17

Top 5’s: 27

Top 10’s: 29

Best Finish: 1st (17 times)

Oregon IMCA Northern Sport Mod State Champion

10th in IMCA Northern Sport Mod National Points

Pacific Sport Mod Club Champion

Cottage Grove Speedway (Track Champion):

April 14th: 1st

May 5th: 2nd

May 19th: 14th

June 2nd: 1st

June 30th: 1st

July 4th: 1st

July 20th: 1st

July 21st: 1st

July 28th: 1st

August 4th: 1st

August 10th: 3rd

August 25th: 3rd

September 15th: 1st

Willamette Speedway (Track Champion):

April 21st: 1st

May 12th: 2nd

May 25th: 8th

May 26th: 1st

June 1st: 1st

June 16th: 3rd

June 23rd: 4th

July 6th: 1st

July 27th: 1st

August 11th: 1st

August 17th: 4th

August 18th: 2nd

September 22nd: 1st

Southern Oregon Speedway:

September 1st: 8th

September 2nd: 2nd

Siskiyou Motor Speedway:

April 14th: 1st

September 23rd: 2nd

Arizona Mod Tour:

February 9th: 12th

February 10th: 12th

February 11th: 11th

February 12th: 10th in B Main

February 15th: 16th

February 16th: 16th

February 17th: 15th

Kile Takes Track Title at Ocean to Cap Off Successful 2018

(2/1/2019)

After 4 year absence from full-time racing, San Jose native Matt Kile returned with a vengeance in 2018. The last time Kile had attempted a full season of racing was back in 2013 with an IMCA Sport Mod, and had since raced sporadically at various tracks across the state.

Though he hadn’t raced much in recent years, Kile returned to Ocean Speedway with high expectations, with his main goal being winning the track’s American Stock championship. Early in the season, you could see Kile was going to be a contender.

Kile would pick up his first win just 3 races into the season. Kile continued to win once every 3 weeks until he picked up his 4th win 11 races in to break the streak. Kile’s 5th and final win would come at one of the biggest races of the year, at the Johnny Key Classic in late August. Even when he wasn’t winning, Kile was impressively consistent, only finishing outside the Top 5 once all season. Kile’s 20 for 21 Top 5 rate would easily be the highest at the speedway in 2018.

Kile’s biggest challenge for the title would be 2 time defending champ Robert Gallaher. The two drivers stayed neck and neck for the championship for majority of the season, often only separated by only 10 points or less. While Kile began to pull away in the later months, Gallaher was forced to bow out of the title hunt with a few weeks left, all but ensuring Kile the track title.

When asked about his highly successful season, Matt said “In my first full year back, my intention all along was to win the track championship, and I’m very proud of my crew and myself for being able to run with the best drivers and equipment out there and come out on top.”

Season Stats:

Starts: 21

Wins: 5

Top 5’s: 20

Top 10’s: 21

Best Finish: 1st (5 times)

Worst Finish: 8th

Ocean Speedway:

March 30th: 3rd

April 13th: 8th

April 20th: 1st

April 27th: 4th

May 11th: 2nd

May 18th: 1st

June 1st: 3rd

June 8th: 3rd

June 15th: 1st

July 6th: 5th

July 13th: 1st

July 20th: 3rd

July 27th: 5th

August 4th (Mike Cecil Memorial): 4th

August 10th: 3rd

August 17th: 3rd

August 25th (Johnny Key Classic): 1st

September 7th: 3rd

September 21st: 2nd

September 28th (Pat & Jim Pettit Shootout): 3rd

September 29th (Pat & Jim Pettit Shootout): 4th

October 5th: 2nd

Matt would like to thank all of his sponsors and supporters, including:

South Bay Driveline

Jennings Construction

Mead Performance

Boardroom Racing

Auto Solutions

Amsoil
Interested in having writeups like these done for your race team throughout the season? Contact Daren Ricks of DRC Motorsports Media here on Facebook, at darenricks999@gmail.com or at (916) 229-7474 to discuss a plan that fits your team’s needs.

Daren Ricks
DRC Motorsports Media