Hillard Miller drove his late model back to victory lane for the first time this year Saturday night at Oakshade Raceway.

Rick Delong grabbed the lead at the start of the late model feature and Hllard Miller, who started alongside Delong on the front row, tucked in behind the 3 car of Delong. The top two broke away from the pack, but Rusty Schlenk and last week’s feature winner, Kris Patterson, tried to close the gap.

The first caution came out for Greg Martin who spun out. On the restart, Miller made a challenge for the lead, but Delong held on and actually pulled away from the second place car.

Things changed once Delong caught the tail end of the field and began dealing with lapped traffic. Miller closed back in on the back bumper of Delong and on lap 17, took the lead away.

While the two leaders were battling with each other and lapped traffic, Kris Patterson had also closed in on the lead duo. Once Miller had opened up a little distance over Delong, Delong found he had his hands full with trying to hold off Patterson for second.

Hillard Miller took the checkered flag for the first time this year, even after a close call with Ron Miller who was trying to keep from going a lap down on the final lap. The battle for second continued right up to the finish line with Rick Delong holding off Kris Patterson for second by the nose of his car. Rusty Schlenk finished fourth with Mike Marteney finishing fifth.

The sportsman feature also produced another first time winner for 2003 with Devin Shiels driving to an impressive win.

Tim Shelley and Rusty Smith battled early with Smith leading much of the first half of the race until Bill Eversole spun on lap 6 bringing out the yellow flag.

Devin Shiels powered to the outside of Joe Derbeck and Rusty Smith to go from third to the lead on the first lap after the restart. Shiels then drove away from the rest of the field for the easy win. Joe Derbeck finished second with Ray Klawitter third.

George Laney led from flag to flag in the bomber A Main. Gary Cole had a good run going until he drove the wheel off his machine after working his way up to fourth.

Randy Miller became the first driver to take the Tail Start Challenge this year, giving up his starting spot to start at the tail and a chance at an extra $400 from Racer’s Connection if he won, but mechanical problems on lap 6 took him out of contention.

Finishing second behind George Laney was Bill Toedter. Kevin Cole came across the line third with Josh Steinacker finishing fourth.

Tom Ordway was the winner of the bomber C Main, also leading from start to finish. David Goben and Jim Chapman had a good battle for second with Chapman beating Goben for the runner up position.

Brent Myers led the first few laps of the bomber C Main, but shooting toward the front in a hurry after starting mid-pack was the 44 of Gordon Digby. Digby took the lead on lap four and didn’t look back. A couple laps later, Myers night ended in a plume of smoke as he retired to the pits.

Digby won uncontested followed by a distant Patrick Bell who finished second.

This coming Saturday night will feature more great stock car racing at Oakshade Raceway featuring late models, sportsman/trucks and bombers.

After winning the Barney Oldfield Race a week before, Kris Patterson was once again victorious at Oakshade Raceway Saturday night.

Fifty-two late models checked in to participate in the second American Late Model Series event of the year at Oakshade. Kris Patterson came into the night already with three feature wins at Oakshade including the first ALMS feature in May.

Patterson, the ALMS points leader, started on the pole for the 30-lap ALMS feature event along side Justin Paxton. With Patterson assuming the lead at the start, Paxton ran second but was closely pursued by Shane Yoder.

The battle behind Patterson for second through fourth got even more interesting as Brian Ruhlman entered the fray and eventually got by both Yoder and Paxton for second.

Ruhlman’s charge to the front was cut short on lap 18 when Yoder got back by the 11 car of Ruhlman. A couple laps later, Ruhlman fell off the pace and went to the pits.

A caution on lap 23 tightened up the field for the final seven laps. On the restart, Patterson jumped down the low groove to protect his lead while Yoder moved up to the high groove to clear some lapped cars and try to close in on the leader.

Once again, Patterson proved to be too strong as he went on to pick up the checkered flag and the check for $2,000. Yoder settled for second and Paxton held on to a third place finish.

Jeff Brown suffered a bit of bad luck early on in the sportsman feature event. With Ray Klaywitter leading, Jeremy Grover and Brown were battling for the second spot until Brown lost a tire, ending his night.

Rob Liaeff eventually got by the 47 of Jeremy Grover and put a little pressure on Klaywitter for the lead. A few laps later, Grover, who was running third at the time, got turned around coming off turn two bringing out the yellow flag forcing him to restart at the back of the pack.

Liaeff managed to get alongside Klaywitter on the ensuing restart to battle side by side, but he could not complete the pass.

Joe Derbeck started in the middle of the pack and worked his way up to the front, getting by Liaeff for second and then challenging Klaywitter for the lead. Derbeck completed the pass on Klaywitter as the two came to the white flag.

Derbeck went on to win his second consecutive sportsman feature and his third of the year. Klaywitter, who led all but the final two laps, finished second ahead of Rob Liaeff, Devin Shiels and Brad Kendall.

Josh Steinacker jumped out to a huge lead early in the bomber A Main feature event. A caution on lap 11 wiped out the lead Steinacker had opened up on the rest of the field and after a few more quick cautions, Brice Luttrell moved up after starting tenth, to take the lead away from Steinacker.

Luttrell went on to win his fourth bomber A Main of the year with Steinacker finishing second and Jim Scout finishing third after having to restart at the tail of the field early in the race.

Tom Ordway took the lead from Troy Wickman on lap two of the bomber B Main. Ordway maintained his lead for much of the race until Robert Gregory caught him and took the lead away with two laps remaining.

Last week’s bomber A Main winner, Robert Gregory, took the checkered flag in this week’s B Main. Ordway settled for second and Adam Bokor finished third.

John Brooks went on to the easy win in the bomber C Main after taking the lead from Karl Spoores on lap number 3. John Clark finished second and Patrick Bell came home third.

Randy Murday looked to be on the way to an easy win in the bomber D Main until he spun all by himself in turn four relinquishing the lead to Jeff Summers. Summers’ lead was short lived though as Tom Lance took control and went on to the easy victory.

This coming Saturday, the UMP late models, sportsman/trucks and bombers will all be in action at Oakshade Raceway.

Kris Patterson became the first three-time winner of the Barney Oldfield race Saturday night at Oakshade Raceway in an exciting finish with Matt Miller.

A pair of Millers, Hillard Miller and Matt Miller, started on the front row of the 40-lap late model feature event, but Hillard Miller retired to the pits on the first lap and was done for the night. Matt Miller, on the other hand, pulled out to a big lead for the first half of the race.

Jeep Van Wormer, Troy Catterene and Mike McKnight tangled on lap three bringing out the first caution of the event.

Matt Miller continued to lead as Brian McCabe brought out another caution on lap 22 after he spun in turn two. Ken Hahn brought out the yellow once again when he lost a wheel on lap 28.

On the restart, Kris Patterson, who started 13th, and Shane Yoder moved around Brian Ruhlman to take over second and third behind Matt Miller.

The final ten laps featured a great battle between two veteran drivers for the lead. Miller and Patterson battled lap after lap, side by side, exchanging the lead back and forth at the line.

Then with about three laps to go, Miller was able to pull back ahead of Patterson, but the packed crowd came to its feet as the lead duo took the white flag. Miller came upon a lapped car and had to check up ever so slightly, but it was just enough for Patterson to pounce to the inside and steal the lead away in turns one and two.

Patterson’s amazing last lap pass earned him the $3,900 prize money as well as his third late model feature win of the year. Matt Miller settled for second place with Shane Yoder finishing third.

Once everyone had a chance to catch their breath, the sportsman feature was next to take to the track. Brad Kendall, Jeff Brown and Tim Shelley battled three wide early in the race for the lead until the first caution flag flew for the 3F of Brian Fisher.

Joe Derbeck and Ray Klaywitter worked their way toward the front with Derbeck taking the lead on lap six. Devin Shiels eventually got by Klaywitter for second.

A late caution set up a two-lap shootout for the finish. Derbeck proved to be too strong and when on to win his second sportsman feature of the year. Shiels finished second with Klaywitter third.

Robert Gregory won the bomber A Main after starting on the pole and leading every lap. Gary Cole who ran right on Gregory’s rear bumper for most of the race made a final attempt to get to the inside of Gregory in the final corner of the race, but had to settle for a second place finish. Josh Steinacker finished third and Bob Rendel took fourth.

Jarrett Rendel lost a wheel on the start of the bomber B Main forcing him out of competition. Mitch Betz went on to open up a big lead and won the race easily despite Josh Caudill’s late race charge toward the front.

Tim Strohaver took a wild ride early in the bomber C Main and ended upside down on his lid. It happened after Steve Reeves and Strohaver made contact coming off turn four. Strohaver then bounced off the front stretch wall and came back across the track in front of traffic. Strohaver clipped the rear of Josh Short and then rolled over. No one was hurt in the incident.

Once racing resumed, Andy Borton led the way, but then fell off the pace turning the lead over to David Goben from Toledo, OH who won easily over John Clark, Steve Reeves and Terry Mcvey.

More exciting racing is schedule for this coming Saturday at Oakshade Raceway with the second American Late Model Series event of the year. Sportsman/trucks and bombers will also be in competition.