Oakshade Raceway played host to some incredible racing action Memorial Day weekend with Casey Noonan edging out Rusty Schlenk in an epic battle to the finish of the American Late Model Series (ALMS) presented by Sunoco feature event.

Sylvania, Ohio’s Casey Noonan started on the outside of the front row and got the lead at the start of the 30-lap, $2,000 to win, ALMS feature event over defending track champion Brian Ruhlman. A caution on lap 10 tightened up the field for a double-file restart in which Noonan chose to take the inside, putting Schlenk to his outside. Schlenk, the ALMS point leader, took advantage and darted out to the lead on the restart. A spin on lap 14 brought out the yellow flag again and Schlenk chose the inside position for the restart with Noonan flanking him on the outside. Noonan capitalized and took the lead back on the restart. Another caution slowed the field on lap 25 after Brad Wade smacked the backstretch wall. Just as the field was lined up for a single-file restart, the skies opened up just a bit and the track became too slick to resume racing. After about 10 minutes of the cars circulating around the oval, track conditions improved and the field lined up behind Noonan to go back to green for the final five laps. Schlenk restarted second and within a couple laps, was able to pull alongside Noonan to race for the lead. The two drivers raced side by side the final three laps with Noonan getting a great run coming off the final corner to pull ahead just a bit to earn his second Oakshade feature win of the year. Schlenk maintained his ALMS point lead after settling for a close second place finish. Ruhlman was third with Mike Bores and Jon Henry rounding out the rest of the top five finishers. With the feature win, Noonan takes over the early season track point lead by four points over Ruhlman.

Great racing action continued in the UMP Sportsman feature with sparks flying at the finish. Jamie Grochowski led the first five laps until crashing into an embankment around a light pole in the infield which took him out of contention, although he would later return to the race several laps down. Bob Gregory inherited the race lead with Rusty Smith pressuring from the second position. Rich Ruff charged his way to the front late in the race after getting by both Smith and Gregory. A late caution set up a three-lap race to the finish. Sylvania, Ohio’s Rusy Smith got to the inside of Ruff and the two drivers raced side by side all the way to the checkered flag. Ruff came off the final corner a bit high and scraped the frontstretch wall sending a shower of sparks flying as he tried to fend off Smith. Smith carried a good run on the inside off turn four to beat Ruff to the checkered flag in an extremely close and exciting finish. Mike Jessen finished third with Tim Fisher gaining five positions to finish fourth. Gregory slipped back to finish fifth.

Gregg DeTray appeared to be on his way to his first Bomber A Main feature win of the year, but the bad luck bug would bite him once again. DeTray started inside the second row and took the lead shortly after the drop of the green flag. He proceeded to open up a big lead and was working through slower traffic when Dylan Hough spun on lap 11 just in front of him. DeTray had nowhere to go and ripped the front off Hough’s car with the right side of his. DeTray continued on as the yellow flag came out. Another caution came out on a lap later after a Dean Taylor crash. DeTray led Jeff Foks Jr. as they came back to the green flag for the final three laps. Foks, from Holland, Ohio, took the lead away on the restart and pulled away to win his second A Main of the year. Tim Hancock and Chris Sands also got by DeTray to finish second and third respectively after DeTray faded back to end up fourth. Teri-Lynn Murphy was fifth.

Brogan Rehklau led from flag to flag in the Sport Compact feature event, ending Richard Riffe’s consecutive win streak at two. The Waldron, Michigan driver started on the outside of the second row and had the lead by the end of the first lap. Riffe quickly worked up to second, but was unable to mount a successful challenge on Rehklau. It was the first win of the season for the defending track champion. Riffe settled for second with pole-sitter Cory Gumm finishing third. Matt Brazeau started very deep in the field and took a fourth place finish with Jeff Foks Sr. ending up fifth.

A hard crash at the start of the Bomber B Main took out last week’s B Main winner, Dylan Burt, as well as Ryder Price and Duane Fletcher. Once things got going, Jerry Signor jumped out to the race lead. Adrian, Michigan’s Roscoe Stetten took command on lap five after starting toward the back of the field. Terry Rump closed in late, but Stetten held on to pick up the victory. Following Rump in second was Jarrett Rendel in third and Brandon Clark in fourth. Nick fenner finished fifth.

Jeff Goodman from Wauseon, Ohio, led the entire distance of Sport Compact B Main which was the final race of the night. Goodman wasted little time and quickly took the lead before pulling away to pick up the checkered flag over Chris Leonard. Chane Stuckey II started on the pole and slipped back two spots to finish third. Jennifer Rendel was fourth and Kenny Wats rounded out the top five finishers.

The “Night of Wheels” returns to Oakshade Raceway on Saturday, June 4 with a full racing program of UMP Late Models, UMP Sportsman, Bombers and Compacts in addiction to a large number of bikes that will be given away at intermission to a bunch of happy kids. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.

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Doug Drown topped a talented field of UMP Late Model drivers at Oakshade Raceway Saturday night, picking up the 25-lap feature win under the full moon.

Brad Wade and Rob Anderzack started on the front row and traded the lead the first few laps until Wooster, Ohio’s Doug Drown took command on lap four. Anderzack battled back, but slipped high in turns one and two before fading back just a bit. Dusty Moore then took over second, but was unable to challenge Drown for the race lead.

A caution on lap 16 for a crash involving Jake Rendel, Graeme Short and Bob Mayor tightened the field one last time, but no one would catch Drown. Dusty Moore held off Matt Miller to finish second. Rusty Schlenk took fourth with the defending track champion, Brian Ruhlman, finishing fifth.

The UMP Sportsman Feature produced one of the most exciting finishes of the night after Rusty Smith led from the start with Bruce Stuart trailing in second. Donnie Ringman brought out the caution flag with four laps remaining after he spun just in front of the lead pack while running near the end of the lead lap cars. Rich Ruff restarted third and pounced to take second from Stuart. Stuart, from Adrian, Michigan, battled back and reclaimed second and seemed be hooked up running the high line. He continued his march to the outside of Smith to battle for the lead on the final lap. Stuart’s momentum on the high side carried him to his first feature win of the season with Smith finishing a disappointing second after having lead the first 19 laps fo the race. Ruff wound up third followed by George Lindsey and Bob Gregory.

Chris Henry started on the outside of the front row in the Bomber A Main and quickly gained the lead over pole-sitter and last week’s B Main winner, Ryan Gorey. Former Bomber track champion Jeff Foks seems to be back in championship form, running second behind Henry, trying to pick up his second consecutive A Main win. The two drivers pulled away with the lead and defending champion Gregg Detray joined the pack to make it a three car battle out front. DeTray was able to get by Foks for second, but Henry, out of Jackson, Michigan, held on to pick up the feature win. Foks settled for third with Chris Sands and Dan Dippman rounding out the rest of the top five finishers.

The Sport Compact class continues to grow at Oakshade Raceway with nearly 30 cars in competition on Saturday. Cody Stetten took the early lead in the feature event, but last week’s winner, Richard Riffe, quickly marched his way to the front and took the lead away en route to the Toledo, Ohio driver’s second consecutive feature win. Brogan Rehklau finished second with Stetten slipping back to finish third. Nathan Goodman and Cory Gumm were the rest of the top five finishers.

Scott Hammer jumped out to the lead at the start of the Bomber B Main and led the first half of the race until Toledo, Ohio’s Dylan Burt took advantage of a restart after a caution to jump to Hammer’s inside. Burt took the lead, but Hammer battled back on the inside and the two drivers swapped the lead racing side by side for several laps. A late caution tightened the field once again with Hammer back at the point for a green-white-checkered finish. Burt got back to the inside and made the pass for the lead at the white flag. Hammer tried to battle back to the inside on the final lap with Terry Rump closing in to make it a three car race to the checkered flag. Burt edged out both Hammer and Rump for his first win. Garrett McClain finished fourth with Brenem Mellon in fifth.

Get ready for even more racing excitement Memorial Day weekend at Oakshade Raceway with the American Late Model Series presented by Sunoco racing for $2,000 to win on Saturday night. UMP Sportsman, Bombers and Sport Compacts will aslo be in actino with gates opening at 4pm and racing at 7pm.

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Casey Noonan’s dominating performance in the Bill Reckner Memorial UMP Late Model feature event highlighted the 2016 season opener at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday night. Noonan led the entire distance of the 25-lap feature.

Noonan started on the pole and immediately jumped out to the lead over Dan Wallace at the start. The Sylvania, Ohio driver proceeded to open up a big huge lead with Steve Kester moving up to second and defend track champion Brian Ruhlman in third. With no caution flags to tighten up the field, Noonan spent much of the race navigating through lapped traffic which allowed Kester to close in slightly, but not enough to put any pressure on Noonan for the race lead. Ruhlman was able to close up right behind Kester in the battle for second, but couldn’t get by and settled for a third place finish. Devin Sheils was close behind in fourth with Mathew Chapman finishing fifth.

Bob Gregory led a four-wide battle for second between Bob Krumm, Rusty Smith, Billy Brown and Jamie Grochowski at the start of the Bill Reckner Memorial UMP Sportsman feature. A big wreck involving Smith, Grochowski, Roger Weirich and Dave “Gumby” Golembiewski Jr. took out some of the top contenders on lap three. Multiple caution flags kept the field tight and veteran driver Tim Fisher from Blissfield, Michigan, steadily worked up toward the front of the field taking second by lap nine. Fisher looked low on Gregory and Gregory moved down to take that line away. So Fisher looked to the outside and finally took the lead and went on to pick up the checkered flag. George Lindsey got by Gregory for second. Mike Jessen finished fourth with Bob Krumm slipping back to end up fifth.

Chris Sands took command at the start of the Bill Reckner Memorial Bomber A Main with defending track champion Gregg DeTray running second although neither driver would end up finishing. Pole sitter Roscoe Stetten slipped back at the start, but worked his way back to the lead by lap six. Stetten’s lead would last five laps until the 2014 Bomber Champion, Jeff Foks Jr., took the lead on lap 11. During a late caution for an incident involving Tim and Teri-Lynn Murphy, both Sands and DeTray retired to the pits before going back to green. Foks, from Holland, Ohio, cited the change in manufacturer of the body on his car as a huge improvement over last year during his victory interview after the race. Stetten held on to finish second followed by Tim Hancock, Skeet Reckner and Curt Dickie.

The Bill Reckner Memorial Sport Compact feature started off with some five-wide battling as the green flag dropped. Rick McDaniel held the early lead until Toledo, Ohio’s Richard Riffe got by on lap three. Riffe went on to pick up the easy victory over last year’s track champion, Brogan Rehlkau. Matt Brazzeau ended up third ahead of McDaniel and Cody Stetten.

A hard crash at the start of the Bill Reckner Memorial Bomber B Main involving Terry Rump, Duane Fletcher and Jeff Robertson Jr. resulted in a complete restart. Ryan Gorey jumped out to the lead once things got going. Gorey led the entire distance of the crash-filled race to pick up the feature win with Morenci, Michigan’s Dan Shaffer finishing second. Despite a lot of smoke at the start of the race, Tyler James car held up to finish third with Jarrett Rendel and Dylan Burt rounding out the rest of the top five.

Racing action continues this coming Saturday, May 14 at Oakshade Raceway with a full racing program of UMP Late Models, UMP Sportsman, Bombers and Compacts. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.

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