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| RETURN TO ORLAND by Norm Bogan |
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Following a Friday night show at Chico, many of the competitors journeyed to Orland for a second night of Wingless Spec Sprint Car racing. This was a return to Orland after my initial visit last year and an opportunity for me to renew old acquaintances with Promoters Paul and Carol Turner. Paul raced for a number of years at Ascot in Modifieds and Sprints before moving to northern California in the late seventies. Since my traveling buddy, Lance Jennings and I were staying in nearby Willows, we spent a leisurely morning, stopping off for breakfast at Nancy’s Airport Café, then journeying west about six miles to Thunderhill Park, an SCCA road racing venue, which was featuring many Shelby Cobras and Mustangs from the San Francisco Bay area on a weekend outing. The C.E.O. of this facility is David Vodden, a former sprint car racer, announcer and former promoter at Baylands Raceway. We sat and reminisced with Dave for nearly an hour, relating stories of races past and recalling names of yore. What a pleasant stroll down “Memory Lane”. After returning to Willows, it would be several hours before action got underway at the Glenn County Fairgrounds oval. Why not go sightseeing? Lance and I decided to journey about forty miles north to Red Bluff, but opted to travel the old highway, US 99W, instead of the more heavily traveled Interstate 5. As you meander down this highway passing the abandoned shells of old cafes, gas stations and those old motels that once provided respite for travelers, it is easy to imagine the 1950s and realize the lives that were influenced by this highway and the businesses along it. This mostly two-lane macadam would carry the vital needs for both citizens to the north and south. Traveling north would soon find the majestic volcanic peaks of Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta, showing the way to Oregon. Journeying south, finds the landscape becoming a plain, with orchards of fruits and nuts, acres of sunflowers and corn, as well as large plots of rice fields. The Sacramento River travels from the Siskiyou Mountains in the north through the middle of the fertile valley, eventually merging with the American River coming out of the High Sierras and emptying into the San Francisco Bay. Arriving in Red Bluff, there is a beautiful park along the river’s edge, with boat launching facilities and areas for swimming and recreation. Across the river to the east are beautiful estates with private launch areas on the shoreline. These racing trips can be fun and educational. On your next outing, become familiar with the history of the area. It will make the visit more enjoyable and often you will come away with an appreciation for the venue and some well-kept secrets. Now it was time to concentrate on racing once again. Orland is a fifth-mile oval with banking on both ends and no walls except along the main straightaway. Fifteen sprinters were on hand, along with classes for Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and Mini Modifieds. I spoke with Chris Webber, who had a nasty crash at Chico the previous night. He was moving gingerly after suffering a concussion, but was in good spirits, looking forward to putting together a new racecar to keep alive his point lead and returning to competition the following week. We got to see his sister Sarah Olson in action as she is leading the Mini-Truck points and exhibited many of the same skills as her brother, not afraid to charge around the top to gain a path to the front. After a spin put her to the back of the field with five laps to go, Olson charged back to finish second in the feature. Sarah has plans to take over her brother’s sprinter next year as Chris moves to a 410 Winged Sprint. Sprint heat winners were Tony Richards and Josh Jocobo. Richards claimed the Dash victory and Jocobo bested Richards, with Billy Garcia coming home third in the Sprint feature. While venues like Knoxville and Eldora have gained notoriety, tracks like Orland, often show up with only box scores in a short back page column of the local newspaper. Track names may not be familiar to many fans, but this is the backbone of racing. All the heroes got their start at some obscure track. True race fans are the ones, who support a track each week and cheer for their favorite driver. While most racers make racing their Saturday night fun, every once in awhile, a gem shows up and moves on to big time racing and while doing so, takes a little piece of each of the hardcore fans with them. |
