Oakshade Raceway hosted a full weekend of great racing action. On Saturday, Brian Fisher and Brett Miller each took one of the Sportsman Twin 25 Feature victories, while Oakshade’s announcer, Scott Hammer, won an exciting celebrity charity race that raised over $4,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the fight against breast cancer. And on Sunday afternoon, Chris Williams outlasted the field of nearly 30 cars to win his second 200-lap Enduro race of the year.
Last year’s celebrity charity race winner, NBC24 Chief Meteorologist Norm Van Ness, raised the most funds to earn the pole starting position starting alongside Wauseon Mayor Jerry Dehnbostel.
Van Ness proceeded to open a large lead over the rest of the field and appeared to be on his way to second consecutive victory until the very last lap. He lost the transmission on the car borrowed from Craig Dippman as he entered turn three. Dan “Links” Rice was running second and came up on the leader’s ailing car quickly and slid sideways into the back of it.
Just behind that action, Scott Hammer was working under Jon Eaton, Mr. January in a calendar benefiting the fight against breast cancer, for third. Hammer managed to squeeze by Rice’s sliding car and then by Van Ness to come out of turn four with no one between him and the checkered flag.
Eaton finished second followed by WTOL Channel 11 News’ Ryan Vetter who was the 2007 winner.
The first of the Sportsman Twin 25’s was next with Brad Mills getting the early lead. Mills opened up a big lead in the first half of the race.
Brian Fisher meticulously worked his way up to second and then began to reel in Mills. Fisher caught Mills and took the lead away on lap 17.
Fisher went on to pick up the win and his fifth feature win of the year. Mills finished second followed by Brett Miller, Tim Line and Mike Jessen who started 12th.
The top six finishers were inverted for the start of the second of the Sportsman Twin 25’s putting Joe Derbeck on the pole.
He took advantage of that by leading the first handful of laps until Brett Miller caught him. Miller took the lead on lap seven, but Derbeck fought hard to regain the lead.
Jeff Grochowski brought out the yellow flag on lap nine and while the field was under the caution, Joe Derbeck rolled to a stop ending his good run.
Once the field was back under green, Mike Jessen began to pressure Miller for the lead. The two drivers battled for the lead for several laps. Then Miller began to drive it harder into the corners and began to pull away from Jessen.
A week after unofficially becoming the 2009 Oakshade UMP Sportsman Track Champion, Miller captured his second feature win of the year. Jessen held on to finish second. Tim Line improved one position from the first of the Twin 25’s to finish third.
Rusty Smith was fourth and Brian Fisher could only muster a fifth place finish.
Jim Scout from Addison, Michigan started inside row two of the UMP Bomber A Main and led the entire distance to earn his fourth feature win of the year.
Danny Hogrefe faded at the start of the race, but drove back to the front and began to challenge Scout for the lead on lap 12.
Todd Silvey got by Hogrefe in the final three laps to finish second. Joe Cordes finished fourth behind Hogrefe and Jeff Foks took fifth.
Three young drivers battled for the early lead in the UMP Hornet Feature event. Drew Smith, Dylan Herman and Derek Morris were three wide for the lead at the completion of lap one with Smith having the slight advantage the first two laps.
Herman took the lead on lap three. Morris eventually got by Smith for second and then on lap eight, Smith came to a stop at the exit of turn two to bring out the yellow flag. Smith then went back to the pits.
Fifteen-year-old Dylan Herman added another feature win to his resume, bringing his total to seven for the year. Morris finished second. Adam Noonan, Josh Froelich and Curtis Spurgeon rounded out the rest of the top five finishers.
Bob Mayer slammed into the side of Dan Dippman on the first lap of the UMP Bomber B Main causing him to lose control near the front of the field and then got bumped around through turn four bringing out the caution flag.
With Karl Spoore’s leading, Garry Domoe looked to the outside and took the lead on lap two.
Domoe pulled away and never looked back as he went on to take the checkered flag. Spoores just edged out Chris Williams for second. Bob Mayer was fourth and Chuck Faller took fifth.
Josh Montague appeared to be on his way to an easy win in the UMP Bomber C Main until Jack Garland spun and brought out a late caution that eliminated Montague’s large lead.
Marty Bloomer took advantage and pressured Montague for the lead in the final laps, but Montague held on with Bloomer settling for second. Mike Miller was third followed by Tim McNichol and Jeff Goodman.
On Sunday afternoon, Dan Dippman appeared to be the fastest car on the track for the Two Hour/200-lap Enduro lead from lap 75 to 125. Being the fastest does not always equate to a winning car in enduro racing as Dippman learned shortly after lap 125 when he had issues at the exit of turn two that ended his run.
Bud Schroyer inherited the lead for a short time, but ended up giving it to Chris Williams by lap 175 after parking his car in the infield.
Williams steadily worked his way up from deep in the field early to the lead in the final quarter of the race to win the $1,000. Joe Essman just beat Ron Bloomfield for second. Chris Osborn was fourth and Bud Schroyer had completed enough laps to earn fifth.
Topless Outlaw Late Models highlight the racing action for Saturday, September 26 at Oakshade Raceway. Also in action will be the UMP Sportsmen, UMP Bombers and UMP Hornets. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.