After two consecutive rain outs, Mother Nature finally smiled down upon Oakshade Raceway with great racing weather allowing for the kickoff of the 2017 racing season. The evening’s racing action was highlighted by Rusty Schlenk topping the other 30 UMP Late Model drivers to pick up the first Oakshade feature win of the season.
Canadian driver Andrew Reaume started on the pole and led the first lap of the UMP Late Model feature. A big crash brought out the yellow flag while working the second lap. On the restart, Mathew Chapman took the lead away after some three-wide racing with Reaume and Brad Eitniear. Eitnear and Chapman continued to battle for the lead leaving Reaume behind in third. Schlenk began his charge to the front just past the midway point of the race, taking second from Eitniear on lap 14 and then snatching the lead from Chapman one lap later. The McClure, Ohio, driver went on to the pick up the easy win with Chapman settling for second. Casey Noonan started eighth and gained five spots to finish third followed by Eitniear and Reaume.
Multiple cautions kept the UMP Sportsman feature tight with Drew Smith surviving to lead from flag to flag for the win. Bruce Stuart was running second when he spun in turn four and collected a good portion of the field behind him on lap eight. Chris Williams was running in the top five and spun to bring out another yellow a few laps later. Smith, from Sylvania, Ohio, was able to fend off Rusty Smith near the finish to earn the victory. George Lindsey finished third with Jeff Geis taking fourth. Bob Krumm started deep in the field and was caught up in at least one of the on-track incidents, but was still able to salvage a fifth place finish.
Fresh off his win the night before at Limaland, Gregg DeTray out of Swanton, Ohio started on the outside of the front row and made it two for two picking up the Bomber A Main win over Tim Hancock who started on the pole. Chris Henry was third followed by defending Bomber Champion Jeff Foks Jr. Curt Dickie ended up fifth.
Cory Gumm from Hillsdale, Michigan had his 91 car working well and took the first Compact feature checkered flag of the season after starting seventh. Jason Deshler gained the most positions to finish second after starting 13th. Carter Murday, Clinton Urban and Brandon Paskan were the rest of the top five finishers.
The Bomber B Main rolled out next and was also marred with multiple caution periods. Scott Hammer led the first half of the race with some pressure from Bill Reeves Sr. until something broke on Reeves’ car. Rob Price from Morenci, Michigan, was able to get his nose under Hammer and took over the race lead and went on to pick up the victory over Ted Hill, Scott Robertson, Hammer and Allen Tolles.
Wauseon, Ohio’s Nathan Goodman was the winner of the final race of the night, the Compact B Main. Goodman started inside row three and picked up the victory over pole-sitter Eric Carr. Regan Ford was third followed by Jeff Goodman and Richie Lentz.
Oakshade Raceway will return to racing action this coming Saturday, May 20, with another full racing program that include UMP Late Models, UMP Sportsman, Bombers and Compacts. Gates will open at 4pm with hot laps at 6pm and racing at 7pm.