Another Saturday night of exciting racing at Oakshade Raceway was highlighted this week by Aaron Scott’s Howard Miller Late Model feature win.
Veteran driver, Hillard Miller, started on the outside of the front row and took the lead from the start over Jerry Bowersock and began to pull away early in the Howard Miller Late Model Feature.
The first yellow came out on lap five for Zac Davis whose car came to a stop in turn two. After the restart, Miller once again began to open up his advantage over Bowersock and Aaron Scott who was in third.
By lap eleven, Scott had moved into the second position and Rusty Schlenk worked his way to third. Both drivers closed in on race leader Hillard Miller.
After the second yellow for Skeet Reckner’s spin in turn two, Aaron Scott got a good run in the high groove after the restart to get around Miller for the lead. Schlenk also got by for the second position, shuffling Miller back to third.
Once Scott assumed the lead, no one could catch him. He drove away from Schlenk and the rest of the field to win his second consecutive Late Model feature which gives him a total of three wins on the year.
Schlenk settled for second with Miller holding off Rick Delong for third.
The great racing continued next in the Sportsman feature. Bruce Stuart and Rich Noonan battled for the lead in the first two laps and were closely pursued by Rusty Schlenk who once again was racing in both the Sportsman and Late Model divisions.
Jamie Grochowski and Ron Shultz brought out the first yellow flag of the race when Grochowski spun and Shultz went over the turn two banking to avoid him.
Shortly after the restart, Schlenk took the lead away from Stuart and began to drive away.
Stuart’s good run came to an end on lap 10 when he spun in turn four bringing out the third yellow flag of the race.
On the restart, Tim Fisher, who was up to second, got by the 28Z of Schlenk to briefly take the lead. Schlenk reeled Fisher back in and reassumed the top spot by lap 14 and went on to win his second consecutive Sportsman feature win, and his third of the year.
Tim Fisher finished second and Chris Keller was an impressive third after starting 18th in a borrowed ride. Joe Derbeck and Rob Liaeff rounded out the rest of the top five finishers.
Bomber division heat winners ran a special Howard Miller Memorial Dash just before intermission with Bob Gregory first to take the checkered flag.
In the Bomber A Main, Jim Scout took command early after a couple complete restarts and went on to win his first Bomber feature of the year.
Joe Smith put some pressure on Scout early on, but fell back to finish third behind Dan Dippman. Curt Lancaster started on the pole and finished fourth just ahead of the dash winner, Bob Gregory.
Chris Williams started on the pole of the Bomber B Main and set sail as the early leader. Shane Stuckey, who started sixth, quickly closed in on Williams.
Williams and Stuckey raced side by side lap after lap for the lead until Stuckey experienced some bad luck. As the two were rounding turn four to take the white flag, Stuckey suffered a flat right rear tire that took him out of competition.
Williams went on to the easy victory over Karl Spoores, Rich Noonan III, and Ian Lewis.
Kevin Hanford was fast in the Bomber C Main, taking the lead from Chris Howard on the first lap. After an early caution, Hanford started to pull away with the lead.
Todd Silvey was just a bit faster. He closed in on Hanford and by lap seven, took the lead from Hanford.
Silvey went on to win his second Bomber C Main of the year with Hanford having to settle for second. Jim Guinn was third followed by Harold Heisler and Bobby Hutchins.
Saturday, July 9, Oakshade Raceway will once again host the Vintage American Race Cars (VARC) who will have their cars on display for the fans to get up close to and then they will be running some laps on the track. In addition to the VARC, the UMP Late Models, Sportsman and Bombers will be back in racing action.
