4/6/2025
Willamette Speedway
Willamette Speedway Roars Back to Life with a Packed and Powerful Open Practice
Lebanon, OR — April 5, 2025
After a long winter of silence, the roar of race engines and the smell of race fuel finally returned to Willamette Speedway, and man, was it glorious. Yesterday’s open practice brought out a pit full of eager drivers, fans, and crew members—proving once again that Oregon dirt track racing is alive, well, and itching to throw down.
Drivers from all over the Northwest rolled in representing a wide range of divisions—Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sport Mods, Midgets, Hornets, IMCA Stock Cars and Limited Late Models and while not every lap was clean (hey, that's what practice is for), everyone had the same goal: shake off the rust and get dialed in for the 2025 season.
Promoter Sandy Penfold summed it up perfectly:
“It felt like a big family reunion… if your family brought a couple thousand horsepower and smelled like burnt rubber,” she laughed. “We’ve missed these drivers and fans so much, it’s just great to see everyone back and having fun.”
It wasn’t just the drivers who showed up in force. The grandstands had a solid showing of loyal fans, bundled up in hoodies and race shirts from seasons past, hungry for the sights and sounds of a race track waking back up.
Promoter Cory Penfold added, “We knew people were excited, but we didn’t expect this kind of turnout for practice. It was incredible. The drivers showed up ready to test, and the fans showed up ready to cheer—even if we were just turning laps. That tells you everything you need to know about the Willamette Speedway racing community.”
From brand new builds shaking out bugs to seasoned veterans brushing off the cobwebs (and a few bumpers), it was a successful night on and off the track. Laughter filled the pits, wrenches turned, and a few drivers discovered their throttle foot might have gotten heavier over the winter.
Whether it was your first time at the track or your hundredth, it was clear: Willamette Speedway is back, and we’re just getting started.
A huge thank you to all the fans and drivers who came out—we missed you, and we can’t wait to bring the thunder all season long.
Let’s go racing!
Article Credit: Larry Adams
Submitted By: Larry Adams
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