Oakshade Raceway honored former driver Jack MacKenzie who passed away a few weeks ago from cancer at the age of 49 with the Jack MacKenzie Memorial on Saturday night. The event was highlighted by Brian Ruhlman picking up his second UMP Late Model Feature win of the year.
Oakshade’s UMP Late Model points leader Rick Delong assumed the lead at the start of the feature and led just the first three laps.
Brian Ruhlman closed in after starting inside the third row. Ruhlman looked to the inside of Delong and then darted to the outside to took the lead and began to pull away.
The only caution of the race came out on lap nine for Ronnie Perrine Jr. That negated the advantage Ruhlman had opened up over Delong, but once the green flag waved again, Ruhlman took off and no one could catch him.
After suffering engine problems that knocked him out of the race while leading last week, Ruhlman shook the monkey off his back this week and captured the easy victory.
Kris Patterson and Delong put on a great show for the second position in the closing laps as the two kept trading positions, but in the end Patterson began to fade allowing Delong to finish second. Rody Schroyer took third as Patterson slipped back to finish fourth. Zac Davis started on the pole and finished fifth.
A few cars made contact in the middle of the UMP Sportsman Feature field on the first lap that caused some drivers to check up and Rusty Smith ended up spinning out on the backstretch. That brought out the yellow flag and a complete restart.
Once things got going the caution flag never flew again. Joe Derbeck and Ky Harper both started on the front row and battled early for the lead. Harper won the battle and began to pull away.
Harper who is just 16 never looked back and the went on to win his first UMP Sportsman Feature win at Oakshade Raceway.
Once again the most exciting racing was for second as Joe Derbeck tried to hold off Tim Fisher and Josh Steinacker. Fisher got by Derbeck to finish second with Steinacker settling for fourth. Rusty Schlenk finished fifth.
Brett Miller was trying to make up some of the points he lost after taking last week off in the UMP Bomber division. Miller was in the top five in points but fell to sixth after last week’s hiatus.
Miller started on the outside of the front row and grabbed the lead at the start over Chris Henry who was going for his third consecutive Bomber A Main win.
Rick Dixon got sideways in turn two on lap three. Craig Dippman and Jim Scout, both in the top five in points, piled in and brought out the first yellow flag.
A lap after the restart, Henry moved to the inside of Miller to take the lead. Henry then began to pull away and looked to have that third feature win well in hand.
A late caution with three laps to go would give Miller one last shot at Henry for the lead. Miller didn’t let Henry get away after the restart and stayed glued to his rear bumper. The two drivers made contact that sent Henry spinning and brought out the yellow flag with one lap remaining.
A frustrated Chris Henry had to restart at the tail of the field as Brett Miller went on to victory over Wade Rick and Bomber points leader Tom Ordway. Kevin Hanford was fourth and B.J. Gregory came home fifth.
Dustin Sautter led the most of the UMP Bomber B Main with Jody Burton following right in his tire tracks.
Dan Bleikamp temporarily took second from Burton, but some damage due to contact forced Bleikamp to retire to the pits and turn second back over to Burton.
Rusty Schlenk had driving duties in all three classes and had his best finish of the night in his Bomber as he battled with Burton, Sautter and Danny Nighswander on the final lap to be first to the checkered flag.
Nighswander finished second followed by Burton, Sautter and Cody Tredway.
Ron Bloomfield held on to win a crash filled UMP Bomber C Main that had less then half the field left running at the finish.
Bloomfield had an early challenge from Bill Vorce, but managed to fend him off and pull away en route to his first UMP Bomber Feature win of the year. Vorce finished second followed by Jarrett Rendel, Matt Rose and Brian Plotts.
The exciting racing action continues Saturday, August 18 with UMP Late Models, UMP Sportsman and UMP Bombers. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm. Check out www.oakshaderaceway.info for more information.
