In honor of Bob Coply’s late wife, Olga’s California Dream 100 continues. The August 18-19 mini stock event at California’s Madera Speedway pays $3,000 to victor and offers more than $10,000 throughout the purse.
Olga and Bob Coply created the California Dream 100. Sadly, Olga passed away in May 2020 from a blood clot following cancer treatment. Madera Speedway promoter Kenny Shepherd then renamed the race in Olga’s honor.
“Olga was behind the scenes in all of our promotions,” Bob said. “She wanted to have a big mini stock race. We were planning the event with Kenny in late 2019 when Olga started getting sick. When I took her to the hospital, it was discovered she had cancer.”
Though Olga has passed, Bob kept promoting the show in her honor.
“It threw me for a loop,” said Bob of her death. “We had no celebration of life because of the pandemic. All we had was the show. The first show had 18 cars, no people in the stands, and everyone wore masks.”
Despite a rocky start, Coply continued promoting the annual event.
“Last year we finally turned the corner,” Bob said. “This year, for the fourth event, there is interest from all over the West. We have cars coming from as far away as Canada. You have to understand that no race in the West pays the four-cylinder cars the way this one does.”
It also permits a wide variety of four-cylinders, including both front- and rear-wheel-drive.
“We leveled the field with parts and pieces of 12 sets of rules,” said Bob. “Most important is that we have a solid head rule — no roller heads. There is a weight-to-cc ratio. If you run a big motor, you have to add more weight. For example, a 2500cc [engine] has to weigh 2450 lb.”
Olga’s California Dream 100 also offers a slew of bonuses, with gift certificates, gift baskets, and cash offered for awards such as fastest woman, fast time, and hometown money paid to top finishing drivers from select tracks. In addition, A and B trophy dashes pay all four qualifiers. MAVTV will broadcast the event live.
For those looking to earn a spot in the show, you can do so by winning the Prelude to the Dream on June 24 at Magic Valley Speedway in Twin Falls, Idaho. The winner also gets $1,000. If you want to make it a weekend, nearby Meridian Speedway is hosting a show the night before.
“Olga’s California Dream 100 is all about having fun and racing with friends and new friends who share their love for four-cylinder cars,” Coply said. “The event is growing every day, and having it broadcasted on MAVTV is on more bonus that is unique about this race.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
