It was a wild night of racing at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday night as the Sportsman class was in the spotlight with the Sportsman Twin 25 feature events which were won by Rusty Smith and George Lindsey.

Last week’s Sportsman feature winner, Joe Derbeck, led at the start of the first 25-lap feature event until Bruce Stuart took command on lap three. Sylvania, Ohio’s Rusty Smith took the lead on the following lap and drove out to a huge lead. The rest of the field began to make up ground on Smith once he started working through lapped traffic. One of those cars about to get lapped spun just in front of Smith on lap 19 which brought out the only caution in the race and tightened the field for a restart. With clear track in front of him, Smith was able to pick up the easy win.

Rusty Smith drew an eight for the inversion of the starting line up in the second Sportsman 25-lap feature putting him on the outside of the fourth row. A broken shock would keep Smith from being a factor in the second feature. Rich Ruff started on the outside of the front row and raced with pole-sitter Roger Weirich for the lead early. The two drivers traded the lead a couple times until Ruff settled in and pulled away. George Lindsey from Adrian, Michigan, got by Weirich and then quickly closed in on Ruff late in the race. Lindsey passed Ruff for the lead on lap 22 and went on to take the checkered flag with last year’s winner, Mike Jessen, getting by Ruff to finish second.

UMP Late Model rookie driver Mathew Chapman was one of the winners of the Sportsman Twin 25s last year before moving up a class this season. Chapman started on the pole of the Late Model feature and led the first part of the race which had quite a bit of carnage. Track point championship contender Casey Noonan came to a stop on lap 4 to bring out the caution flag. McClure, Ohio’s Rusty Schlenk rushed to swap out engines Saturday afternoon before making it to Oakshade Raceway and the effort paid off. Schlenk took the lead from Chapman on lap eight, but Chapman wasn’t about to give up. Chapman closed back in on Schlenk while working though slower traffic, but Schlenk held on to pick up his first win of the season at Oakshade.

The Bomber A Main featured the top two in points battling for the lead on the final lap. Jeff Foks Jr. took the lead at the start with Craig Dippman nipping at his heels. Gregg DeTray joined the battle for the lead after taking second from Dippman on lap 11 of the 15 lap event. Two laps later, DeTray overtook Foks for the lead and the two drivers duked it out the final few laps. Foks attempted one last move to the inside of DeTray going into turn three on the final lap. Foks ran out of room and the two drivers made contact sending both spinning to bring out the yellow flag. Dippman inherited the lead for a one lap shootout to the finish and went on to pick up his first feature win of the year.

Toledo, Ohio’s Richard Riffe continued his dominance in the Sport Compact class, leading from flag to flag in the A Main to pick up his fifth feature win of the season. Jeff Foks Sr. made it a race though, riding right on Riffe’s rear bumper for most of the race, but couldn’t make the pass for the lead and settled for a second place finish.

Things were a little crazy in the Bomber B Main with a lot of crashes that brought out multiple caution flags and cut the race short when the time limit expired setting up a green-white-checkered finish. Rayce Price from Morenci, Michigan, started on the pole and led the entire way and was able to fend off Rick Dixon and Dylan Hough to pick up the feature win.

The only red flag of the night came in the final race, the Sport Compact B Main. Jeff Goodman got into Brandon Paskan going into turn one sending both cars sideways. Goodman’s car then began to barrell roll which stopped the race for a few moments as track crews worked to right his car. Toledo, Ohio’s Paul Miller led the entire distance to win the feature race.

Saturday, July 2 is Memorial Night at Oakshade Raceway as well as the Night of Wheels rescheduled from the rain out a few weeks back. UMP Late Models, UMP Sportsman, Bombers and Sport Compacts will all be in action as well as a bunch of bike giveaways for the kids during intermission. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.

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Billy Moyer Jr. out of Batesville, Arkansas, added his name to the elite list of Barney Oldfield Race winners at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday night.

Steve Kester ran strong the first handful of laps of the 40-lap 27th Annual Barney Oldfield American Late Models Series feature event. Moyer started inside the second row and was unable to gain any ground early. He ended up spinning in turn four causing the field to scatter around him. Moyer was able to keep his car moving, but another car came to a stop after spinning to avoid Moyer’s to bring out the yellow flag on lap five. Jon Henry restarted second just ahead of Moyer and darted past Kester to take the lead. Henry opened up a huge lead over the rest of the field and began to work through lapped traffic when Moyer found a line his car worked in and began to close in. Moyer took the lead on lap 24 and carried it all the way to the checkered flag to win the $5,200 check. Henry and Cody Mohoney battled hard for the second position with Henry coming out on top. Last year’s Barney Oldfield Race winnner, Jeep Van Wormer, finished fourth with Houghton Lake, Michigan’s Dona Marcoullier ending up fifth after starting 13th.

Bruce Stuart opened up a big lead early in the UMP Sportsman feature until a caution on lap eight after Joel Morton and Billy Brown got together. Lambertville, Michigan’s Joe Derbeck had a good restart and took the lead away from Stuart. Jamie Grochowski got by Stuart for second and pressured Derbeck for the lead the remainder of the race. Despite a few late cautions, Derbeck was able to hang on for his first feature win of the season with Grochowski settling for second. Bob Gregory got by Stuart to finish third with George Lindsey fifth.

Defending Bomber Track Champion Gregg DeTray started on the outside of the front row in the Bomber A Main and proceeded to lead the entire race distance. DeTray from Swanton, Ohio, opened up a huge lead until a caution on lap 11 tightened up the field with last week’s feature winner Jeff Foks Jr. right on his rear bumper in second. DeTray went on to to pick up his first feature win of the year. Foks held off a hard-charging Craig Dippman for second with Tim Murphy and Roscoe Stetten the rest of the top five finishers.

Brogan Rehklau started on the pole of the Sport Compact A Main and managed to fend off Richard Riffe to lead lap one. Riffe and Rehklau raced door to door for a few laps with Riffe eventually getting the best of Rehklau. The Toledo, Ohio driver went on to win his fourth feature of the year with Cory Gumm getting by Rehklau to finish second. Paul Miller was fourth followed by Jeff Foks Sr. in fifth.

Rick Dixon took the lead from Dan Shaffer on the second lap of the Bomber B Main. A lap four caution slowed things down and put Rob Price just behind Dixon for the restart. Price from Morenci, Michigan, had started deep in the field, but found himself side by side with Dixon racing for the lead once back under green. Finally, Price took command on lap nine and went on to lead the final three laps en route to the victory. Dixon finished second followed by Shaffer, Chris Henry and Garrett McClain.

Jeff Goodman from Wauseon, Ohio, dominated the final race of the night, the Sport Compact B Main. He grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row and ran the high line all the way to the checkered flag. Clinton Urban worked his way through the field to end up with a second place finish followed by Devin Goodman, Rick McDaniel and Cole Walbolt.

The Sportsman class takes center stage Saturday, June 25 at Oakshade Raceway with the Sportsman Twin 25s which will feature two complete 25-lap feature events. In addition, there will be UMP Late Model, Bomber and Sport Compact racing action. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.

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Racing returned to 3/8 mile dirt oval at Oakshade Raceway after last week’s rain out with Wallace Racing Products night in which Casey Noonan claimed his third feature win of the season.

Devin Shiels started on the pole of the 25-lap Wallace Racing Products UMP Late Model feature event and led the majority of the race. A few laps after a lap 17 debris caution, Noonan finally took command with defending track champion Brian Ruhlman following into the second position. Noonan, out of Sylvania, Ohio, went on to pick up the victory with Ruhlman finishing second. Shiels slipped back to finish third followed by Wayne Chinn and Steve Kester.

Jamie Grochowski led the early goings of a very exciting Wallace Racing Products UMP Sportsman feature race. Grochowski started on the outside of the front row and immediately got out in front of pole sitter Rusty Smith. The two drivers battled for the lead the first half of the race. Rich Ruff from Adrian, Michigan, had his car hooked up on the high side and joined the battle for the lead with some three-wide action beside Grochowski and Smith. Ruff appeared to take the lead on lap 12, but a caution flag flew and reset the field to the previous lap giving the lead back to Grochowski. Ruff regrouped and after some more three-wide racing for the lead Ruff got out in front on lap 15 only to have another caution flag come out and relegate him to second for the restart. Once back under green flag racing, Ruff and Smith finally disposed of Grochowski and the two drivers raced side by side the final couple laps with Ruff using the high side coming off turn four to power out in front of Smith for a very exciting finish. Billy Brown came on strong near the end of the race and finished in the third position with Grochowski fading back to fourth. Tim Fisher finished fifth.

Next out was the Wallace Racing Products Bomber A Main. Roscoe Stetten and Tim Hancock battled hard for the eary race lead, but Gregg DeTray closed in to make it a three car battle. Multiple caution flags in the first three laps kept the field tight with Detray finally getting by Hancock for the lead mid way through the race. Holland, Ohio’s Jeff Foks quickly marched toward the front after starting in the middle of the pack and got to the outside of Detray. The two drivers raced side by side for the lead all the way to the checkered flag with Foks coming out on top for his second consecutive A Main win and his third win of the season. Hancock held on to finish third with Chris Sands gaining nine positions from the start to finish fourth. Stetten ended up fifth.

Richard Riffe wasted little time in getting to the front of the Wallace Racing Products Sport Compact feature event. The Toledo, Ohio, driver took the lead at the start after starting inside the second row. He shot out to a big lead and worked through lapped traffic late in the race to pick up his third feature win of the season. Cory Gumm held off Brogan Rehklau for second with Matt Brazeau and Carter Murday rounding out the rest of the top five finishers.

Dean Taylor got out in front of Dan Shaffer at the start of the Wallace Racing Products Bomber B Main. Teri-Lynn Murphy from Holland, Ohio, worked her way quickly up to second and then dove to the inside of Taylor. The two drivers touched as they exited turn four and Murphy took the lead, but a caution for a couple cars that spun would knock her back to second behind Taylor for the restart. The two drivers battled all the way to the final corner with Murphy coming out on top. Cody Laney was able to get by Taylor to finish second after Taylor’s car pushed real bad coming off the final corner. Taylor wound up third.

Toledo, Ohio’s Jason Grames led a mad scramble at the start of the Bomber C Main with Jeff Robertson, Brennen Mellon and Scott Robertson pressuring. Jeff Robertson manage to take the lead for a short time, but Grames fought back and then had to fend off Scott Robertson. Grames survived a collision with Chris Yokum who was running at the back fo the field and held on to win with Scott Robertson finishing a close behind. Mellon finished third, but had the rear end ripped out from under his car after contact with a lapped car right at the finish. Brian Barden was fourth with John Reichow fifth.

Oakshade Raceway has a big event on tap for Father’s Day weekend. It’s the 27th Annual Barney Oldfield Race/American Late Models Series event paying $5,200 to win on Saturday night. The UMP Sportsman, Bomber and Sport Compact class will also be in action. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.

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