The bombers were the featured division at Oakshade Raceway for the first and only time in 2003 this past Saturday night with 80 competitors showing up to compete in the Fourth Annual Bomber Spectacular paying $1,000 to the winner. The event was nothing short of spectacular.
The 24-car starting line up for the Bomber Spectacular was set with the top ten qualifiers inverted after eight heat events and four consi’s.
The action started early with the 2001 winner of the Bomber Spectacular, Brice Luttrell, taking the lead from Jacob Rendel just two laps into the 30-lap race. Rendel fought hard with Luttrell to tried and wrestle the lead back away for the next couple laps.
The first caution came out on lap four for the pole starter, Bill Toedter, who spun in turn four. The next caution flag flew one lap later after Mitch Betz and Joe Smith got hooked together on the front stretch sending Smith off the high side of turn two.
After the third caution for Tommy Huff who spun on lap nine, Brice Luttrell continued his lead and began to pull away from Jacob Rendel and Jim Scout.
Brian Stricklin got into Gary Cole and Cole got turned around and collected Randy Roseman on lap 16 bringing out another yellow flag. Stricklin and Roseman both continued on, but Cole was done for the night.
Joe Wohlgamuth had a decent run going working his way into the top five after a caution for Chuck Leininger on lap 17, but Wohlgamuth drove his car back to the pits while still under caution turning the fifth position over to Mitch Betz.
Dan Bleikamp, who was the fast qualifier, worked his way up to fourth, but got too high in the corner on the restart and dropped back a few positions and then suffered mechanical problems a lap later.
At the same time, things got interesting for the lead as Luttrell, who had led every lap since lap two, blew a tire and fell off the pace. Rendel regained the lead with Jim Scout still on his tail.
Just as Luttrell’s tire blew, Ted Goetz Jr. and Joe Smith got together to bring out the yellow flag.
Luttrell made it back to the pits, quickly changed his tire and rejoined the tail end of the field just as the green flag waved.
Jim Scout continued to hound the leader Jacob Rendel for the last ten laps. Randy Roseman had closed in on the leaders running in third and Brice Luttrell worked his way back up through the field to battle with the leaders.
With two laps to go and the top four cars running in a tight pack, Luttrell made a move around Roseman for third, but got spun around coming off turn two and continued on without a caution.
In a thrilling finish, Scout made one final attempt to take the lead from Rendel on the last lap. Scout dove to the inside of Rendel going into turn three. The two raced side by side through the final two corners, but Rendel edged ahead coming down the front stretch to the checkered flag and won the Fourth Annual Bomber Spectacular and $1,000.
Scout finished a close second with Roseman finishing third. Luttrell ended up finishing in the sixth position.
The final racing event of the 2003 season at Oakshade Raceway takes place this coming Saturday with topless outlaw late models and bombers in racing action. Stop by www.oakshaderaceway.com for more details.
