Race fans at Oakshade Raceway were treated to a great Sunday afternoon of racing with a 200-lap Enduro Race that featured a lot of excitement and a slew of lead changes.
Dan Dippman led the pack on to the track for the first few circuits until he took his car to the pits. That briefly turned the lead over to Leonard Ganey. Adam Bokor and Scott Bowersock all occupied the lead position within the first 10 laps as well.
Mark Henderson and Tim Wilber also held the lead for a few laps within the first quarter of the race.
Ganey reassumed the lead by lap 50 and held the top spot until suffering a couple flat right rear tires that sent him to the pits shortly after lap 75. That turned the lead back over to Tim Wilber who maintained it until just before the halfway point in the race.
A series of pit stops shuffled the lead around to a few different drivers midway through the race. Wilber pitted turning the lead over to Brian Prezpiora. He pitted a few laps later giving the race lead to Mike Mercer. Once Mercer headed to the pits, Leonard Ganey took control once again.
Ganey led the next 65 laps and built up a five lap lead over his nearest competition. Ganey appeared to have things well in hand until bad luck struck with just 10 laps to go. Something appeared to break in the front end of Ganey’s car as he drove straight off turn three over the banking and just came to a stop in the grass where he remained for the remainder of the race.
Jeff Geis who quietly kept out of major trouble throughout the event became the final leader of the race and went on to win the 200-lap enduro race. Ganey had enough laps on the rest of the field to receive credit for a second place finish.
Jeremy Grover, a past enduro winner, finished third after bouncing his car hard off the wall and almost rolling over earlier in the race. Mark Henderson took fourth and Brian Prezpiora was fifth.
More racing has been scheduled at Oakshade Raceway before the conclusion of the 2005 racing season. Another 200-lap/two hour enduro race has just been announced for Sunday, November 6, 2005 at 2pm. Gates open at 11am. Check out www.oakshaderaceway.com for more details.
