Joe Derbeck was the big winner of the UMP Sportsman Twin 25’s at Oakshade Raceway with Rusty Schlenk winning the first 25-lap segment.
The night started off with the rained out Season Championship UMP Bomber Features from the previous week. The UMP Bomber A Main picked up where it left off with five laps complete and Chris Henry leading.
Jim Scout put the pressure on Henry for the lead after the drop of the green flag and the two drivers put on a great race for the lead until the yellow came out on lap eight after Cliff Bernard spun in turn four.
Henry was leading the field back to the green flag and had something break in the rear end and drove straight back to the pits putting an end to his night.
Jim Scout assumed the lead and went on unchallenged until the end of the race. Craig Dippman worked his way up to second and began to close in quickly on Scout but ran out of laps as Scout captured the victory. Ron Bloomfield had a career best third place finish followed by the unofficial 2007 Oakshade Raceway UMP Bomber Track Champion, Tom Ordway. Dan Dippman finished fifth.
Curt Lancaster carried a large lead in the UMP Bomber B Main make up race all the way to the checkered flag over Billy Brown and Ron Leonard. Karl Spores started deep in the field and finished fourth ahead of Josh Montague.
Dan Manor was the leader of the first lap of the final make up race in the UMP Bomber C Main with Matt Henschen hot on his tail, but in the end it was Dustin Sauter who worked his way up after starting deep in the pack that got to the front to take the victory with Ron Tolles in second.
Manor held on to finish third ahead of Henschen and Cody Tredway.
The Links Zone Smackdown Challenge took to the track just before the Sportsman Twin 25 main event of the night. The race featured Cliff Smithers from K100 radio (WKKO) and Ryan Vetter from WTOL Channel 11 News in a race against Oakshade’s announcer Scott Hammer and Links Zone intermission host Dan Rice. Donation cans were set up in each of the drivers names with all proceeds going to the Children’s Miracle Network and despite a somewhat sparse crowd due to the chilly conditions, over $1000 was raised with the biggest chunk coming out of Vetter’s donation can.
Vetter started on the pole and grabbed the lead at the start with Hammer hounding him the entire distance.
Mystery driver “Water Boy” was a late edition to the race and got by Smithers who appeared to have a very loose handling car and Rice who had a close call with the front stretch wall.
In the end of the 10-lap race, it was Ryan Vetter holding off Hammer for the win.
Then it was time to get back down to business with the first half of the UMP Sportsman Twin 25’s. Joe Derbeck started on the pole and had a great battle with Tim Fisher for the lead early on. Fisher took the lead on lap three shortly after a restart from a caution for a Ky Harper spin.
Last year’s winner of both 25-lap segments Josh Steinacker suffered mechanical problems and retired from competition on lap 6 after moving up to second position.
A few laps later Derbeck got held up by a lapped car and lost two more positions to Rusty Schlenk and Brad Mills.
Schlenk got to the outside of Fisher for the race lead and the two raced side by side for several laps until the yellow flag flew for another spin. Just as the front runners were slowing, Fisher’s car let out a big plume of smoke. Fisher pulled to the infield and was done for the night after his strong showing.
Schlenk then took over the lead and went on to win the first half of the Twin 25’s over Mills, Mike Jessen, Rob Liaeff and Chris Smith.
The drivers then had some time during a couple Bomber Features to work on their cars in preparation for the final 25 laps with the inversion of the top 10 finishers putting Schlenk in the tenth starting position.
While the Sportsman drivers took a break, the UMP Bomber A Main rolled onto the track with Dan Dippman dominating early.
Ron Bloomfield spun in turn three on lap nine to bring out a caution and on the ensuing restart Cliff Bernard who was running second couldn’t turn his car as it went straight toward the wall coming off turn four.
Once back under green, Dippman proceeded to pull away again with the lead.
Jody Burton climbed up on the back end of Dustin Sauter as the white flag flew. The cars separated and continued on with Dan Dippman picking up the easy victory over Jim Scout, Tom Ordway, Brice Luttrell and Wade Rick.
Next out was the UMP Bomber B Main with Jeff Strock getting by Billy Brown for the early lead.
Curt Lancaster and Jeff Geis started in the middle of the pack and made an impressive charge to the front with Lancaster getting by Strock for the lead on lap seven.
Lancaster went on to pick up his second UMP Bomber B Main Feature win of the night with Geis taking second. Strock held on to a respectable third place finish ahead of Toxic Moe and Bill Vorce.
The Sportsmen then made their way back out with the top ten inverted for the final 25 laps. Joe Smith, Rusty Smith and Rob Anderzack raced three wide for the lead with Anderzack finally taking command by lap two.
Anderzack had opened up a good lead, but Joe Derbeck began to close. Derbeck went to the outside of Anderzack after a restart for a caution and took the lead a pulled away.
Ky Harper had a very fast car and got by the race leader, but started the second segment seven laps in arrears after suffering problems in the first segment of the race and getting towed back to the pits on lap 18.
With Derbeck continuing to lead, Mike Jessen began to make up ground in the closing laps. Jessen made a final bid for the lead on the last lap with Derbeck just holding him off for the win. Just behind them, Rusty Schlenk had spun in the final corner giving up a top five finishing position.
Chris Smith took third with Anderzack falling back to fourth. Brian Fisher finished fifth.
The racing wasn’t over yet as the final event of the night took center stage after the Sportsman trophy presentations. Trevor Reed took advantage of starting on the pole to take the lead at the start of the UMP Bomber C Main.
Jake Gamber started putting pressure on Reed for the lead just as the yellow flag came out for Brian Drewes’ spin.
Todd Smitley, Jesse Burgett, Walt Helsel, Greg Detray and Matt Rose were all involved in a big crash coming off turn four on the restart forcing another yellow flag.
Gamber got by Reed for the lead in the final three laps of the race to pick up the checkered flag. Donovan Paskin was third followed by Corina Belcher and Brad Brehm.
Oakshade Raceway will host an Outlaw Late Model show on Saturday, September 22 with the UMP Sportsman and UMP Bomber divisions back in competition. Gate open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.