Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday. May 21,2008 - FIVE
Former racing driver named director of track events
G earing up for its
grand opening in the sum
mer o f 2009, the manage
ment o f Pacific Northwest
Motorsports Park ( PN W M P )
has named Mike Silcox, a
former racecar driver and
member of the promotion
al team that brought the
American Lemans Series to
Portland, as the motorsports
country club’s director o f
track events.
“ Mike is a terrific
addition to Pacific N orth
w est M otorsports P ark ,”
said Bill Gardner, the man
aging p artn er o f P acific
Northwest Motorsports Park
and former NASCAR Cup
Championship team owner.
“He is uniquely qualified
for th is p o sitio n having
been involved in just about
every aspect of motor sports,
from his first-hand experi
ence behind the wheel o f a
race car to overseeing track
time and w orking behind
the scenes to establish and
market events. I’m confident
that he’ll develop an excep
tional calendar of events and
programs fro the track.”
As director o f track
events, Silcox is responsible
for scheduling track time,
developing a curriculum
for the PNWMP corporate
driving school program and
creating special events. He
is already w orking w ith
the sanctioning bodies for
certain NASCAR divisions,
Sports Car, Open W heel,
SCCA and motorcycle rac
ing to schedule events at
the track and visits from
nationally acclaimed driv
ing schools such as the Skip
B arber and The R ichard
Petty Experience.
“ It’s very exciting
to have the opportunity to
build a program for Pacific
Northwest Motorsports Park
from the ground level,” said
Silcox. “I enjoy racing o f all
kinds, and the program will
reflect that diversity. I’m
planning a varied menu o f
events and driving opportu
nities that will be appealing
to a broad audience o f race
fans.” Over the course o f
the next few months, Sil
cox will conduct a series
o f private briefing events
for motorsports enthusiasts
and car clubs in Portland,
Seattle, WA, Boise, ID, and
Sacramento, CA to unveil
the design for the six-plus
mile, m ulti-configuration
road course and assess track
time needs.
During his career as
a driver (1983-2002), Sil
cox drove SCCA Formula
Ford/Club Ford cars, Barber
Dodge series; IMSA Super
cars for CROYCO Racing;
Kohler Racing Mustang in
the SCCA Trans-Am series,
TKO Southwest/Northwest
N A SC A R Tour D ivision
and the A m erican V iper
Racing Vipers in the ALMS
series. He is a 1982 gradu
ate o f B ondurant Racing
School, and was an instruc
tor at the prestigious Skip
B arber Racing School in
the late 1980’s. In addition,
he participated with AMG,
Porsche, Viper and Corvette
track days and often assisted
individual groups with their
track d ay ’s activities. He
developed the initial cur
riculum and coordinated
racecars, for the Johnny
Rutherford Racing School
Heppner
in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area
in Texas.
In addition to play
ing a vital role in bringing
the ALMS race to Portland
(1998-2000) as the Rose
City Grand Pix; Silcox over
saw the development o f the
“ Summer W hites” charity
event. He owns and man
ages TKO Motorsports, and
was the team manager o f
the ULHRA Impact Hydros
Team for six years. In the
early 1990s, Silcox was the
marketing director for the
Dallas Grand Prix Associa
tion responsible for sponsor
ships and group ticket sales,
and coordinating special
race events. Other events
he has worked to promote
include Z u p an ’s H istoric
Races, the AMG Ride and
Drive at Road America and
the B rew er’s Fest in Port
land. Silcox has also worked
in sales capacities for na
tionally known firms includ
ing Time-Warner Telecom,
GTE Southwest and Merrill
Lynch.
Pacific N orthw est
Motorsports Parks is sched
uled to open in the summer
o f 2009. The six-plus road
course at the heart o f the
country club, made up o f
three in dividual courses
ap p ro x im a tin g tw o -p lu s
miles each, will facilitate
all types o f racing, including
formula cars, sports racers,
production racers, vintage
cars, stock cars, street cars
and m otorcycles. Two o f
the courses and the facili
ties will be available to rent
for corporate team-building
activities, and to car clubs or
individuals.
Already under con
struction, Pacific Northwest
M o to rsp o rts Park is the
first phase o f the Master-
Planned Motorsports desti
nation complex to be built
in Boardman over the next
10 years. When completed,
it will also include a one
mile kart track, % mile drag
strip, a 5/8 mile asphalt oval,
a tw o-plus mile off-road
course, a 3/8 mile clay oval
and ultimately a 1.25 mile
high-banked oval, super
speedway designed to po
tentially accommodate pre
mier oval-racing sanctioned
events, with an 80,000+ seat
grandstand, luxury and ga
rage suites, a fan fest infield
area and club seating, it will
truly be a regional racing
destination for the whole
Pacific Northwest with ma
jor national events that will
set it apart from most race
sites. The 5,000-plus acre
M aster-Planned Entertain
ment complex includes de
velopment o f the Columbia
riverfront property adjacent
to the site with a marina/re-
tail complex, RV village and
campground, g o lf course,
a car museum, w ater and
am usem ent parks, hotels,
motels, and retail centers
and restaurants.
For more informa
tion about Pacific Northwest
M otorsports Park, corpo
rate events and track time
reservations or to request
an invitation to one o f the
upcoming private briefing
events, contact Mike Silcox,
director of track events at
541-481-7000 or email msil-
cox@pnwmotorsportspark.
com.
South Fork
Players to
perform
play
Parks and Beautification Commission
presents certificates
T h e S o u th F o rk
Players theater group will
present the comedy Bridal
Terrorism this M em orial
Day weekend at the Com
m unity Hall in Dayville.
This one-act play will be
performed on May 23 and
24 at 7 p.m. and May 25 at
5 p.m.
Come and see what
happens when a hopeful yet
desperate bride-to-be takes
m atrim ony into her own
hands, with the help o f the
Bridal Terrorism Party, and
her immediate family.
The perform ances
are free and a fundraiser
for the D ayville School,
student field trips, will be
conducted.
T h e p lay is p e r
form ed by a rra n g em en t
w ith the Sam uel French
Company.
Peterson's P i j j Jew elers/
676-9200
“Coins for Cancer” drive
class winners announced
Mary Ann Elguezabal, Ruth Maben and Roberta Lutcher
served lunch to Mrs. Allen's ( l'1 place) and Mrs. Matteson's
classes ( 2U|1 place). Photos by Autumn Morgan
A “Coins for Cancer” drive was held at Heppner
Elementary School last week. Dr. Betsy Anderson spoke
to students in different classes about healthy habits leading
to a “cancer free” life.
The winning class was announced on Thursday,
May 15 after the money is counted. Mrs. Allen's class won
the contest by raising $1,104.84 for the American Cancer
Society. They have a “Match Program” this month and
Neutrogena w ill be matching the donation. Some o f the
money will also be given to the Relay for Life.
Mrs. Matteson’s class, which came in second place,
joined Mrs. Allen’s class for a Mexican lunch on Monday,
May 19. “This lunch is great, but it w asn’t really necessary
as it felt good to help out,” said Blake Greenup.
Ruth Maben spear-headed the “Coins for Can
cer” drive and would like to continue this tradition every
spring.
George Nalrns, Juanita Martin, Murl “Stubby” Rogers representing Willow
Creek Terrace Assisted Living in Heppner are presented a Certificate of Recog
nition by Chuck Bailey (far right), President of the City of Heppner’s Parks and
Beautification Commission. The WCTAL and Jerry Baker (not pictured), lawn
maintainence man, were commended for their “achievement of creating an at
tractive outdoor environment” and “dedication and hard work done to maintain
such pleasant grounds for your residents, staff, visitors, our community and the
public.”
Stanfeu's SteaKpouse
Gourm et Specials ~ $29
May ¿3
fit.
per person
24
Soup or Salad,
Freshly Baked Bread 8c Cream ery Butter,
Grilled Kobe Beef Top Sirloin Steak,
Signature Sweet Potato Fries, and Fresh Vegetables
May 3Q S l J 1
SEAFOOD EXTRAVAGANZA
Soup or Salad, Freshly Baked Bread 8c Creamery Butter,
ig Crab legs, Coconut Curry Prawns, lêmpura Batter lish,
Signature I rent: h Fries, and Fresh Vegetables
listi Tic I < h I C <1 id« 11
202 South Main Street, Condon, Oregon
(541) 384-4624 toll free: (Hoo) 201-6706
w w w .H otclC ondon.com
l.im ited S p e cials A vailable.
M a k e Y o u r R e se rvatio n E arly.
$ 2 0 i>«> per person (plu s gratuity)
S o rr y , No Su bstitution s.
Visit our website for more specials and upcoming events.
Jo Ann Burleson, President and representative of the Heppner Garden Club, re
ceives a Certificate of Recognition from Les Paustian. Mayor of the City of Hep
pner. The city’s Parks and Beautification Commission recognized the Garden
Club for it’s “year round dedication, contributions and hard work to create and
promote an attractive environment in our community." Some of the club’s many
projects are flowers at the mini park by the Post Office, Heritage Plaza and the
city park; all flower entries at the Morrow County Fair; projects and poster con
tests with the grade school; and a local high school scholarship.