WAUSEON, OH – After a slight delay due to a light pop-up shower, the racing action heated up at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday night with the first few races ending with exciting side by side finishes. That set the stage for a great night of racing which was highlighted by Casey Noonan’s win in the Oakshade/Attica Late Model Challenge Series feature event.
Noonan started inside of the second row in the main event, but it was Devin Shiels who appeared to have the car to beat at the drop of the green flag. Shiels pulled out to a big lead early in the race until the first caution flag flew on lap eight when Dale Cole Jr. spun just in front of the race leader.
The back half of the field stacked up on the ensuing restart which would bring out another yellow flag. Noonan, running second, had elected to start inside for the Delaware double-file restart, but switched things up for the second restart and chose the outside. That decision earned the Sylvania, Ohio driver the lead as he rocketed off the high side of turn two and passed Shiels for the lead.
Shiels would battle back to the inside and retake the lead at the line just as the yellow flag flew again on lap 10. The field was lined back up the way they were running the previously scored lap with Noonan back in the lead.
Several more caution periods would keep the field relatively tight with Noonan holding off Shiels for his third feature win of the season. Rusty Schlenk finished a distant third followed by Matt Lindsey and Dusty Moore.
Brad Eitniear and Kolin Schilt pulled away in the top two spots early in the UMP Sportsman feature race. Eitniear started on the pole and led the first lap, but Schilt quickly worked by on the outside to take the race lead. The two drivers continued to battle with Carter Schlenk eventually joining in to make it a three-car scramble out front. In the end it was Eitniear, out of Wauseon, Ohio, taking the checkered flag in his first UMP Sportsman start of the season. Schlenk was able to take second from Schilt after a tight battle much of the last half of the race. Point leader Josh Robertson finished fourth with Ryan Davis fifth.
2021 Dominator Super Stock track champion Gabe Mueller was hooked up on the outside and quickly drove to the front of the A Main after starting on the outside of the second row. Mueller appeared to be the class of the field for much of the race, but Bronson Means made things interesting, peaking to the inside of Mueller in the final few laps. The Holland, Ohio, driver was able to fend off Means to take his first feature win of the season. Last week’s feature winner, Jarrett Rendel, started on the pole and finish third ahead of William Cundick and Justin Gamber.
Pioneer, Ohio’s Josh Bailey had a great night in the Compact class. Bailey won his heat race which put him inside the second row for the start of the Compact A Main. Bailey capitalized on the situation and got by Jason Deshler and Brandon Paskan for his first feature win. Eric Carr finished second with Deshler slipping back to finish third. Brett Ireland and Jeff Wells were the rest of the top five finishers.
Multiple caution flags plagued the Dominator Super Stock B Main. The first came out on the initial start after Mason Lutrell got crossed up coming off turn two in front of most of the field. Joe Nickloy and Chad Zuver were collected in the incident. Dylan Burt, out of Toledo, Ohio, started on the pole and led the entire distance. A late caution as the time limit expired set up a one-lap shootout to the finish with Roscoe Stetten restarting second. Burt was able to handily hold off Roscoe Stetten for the win. Cody Stetten started at the back of the starting line up and drove to a third-place finish followed by Brandon Goad and Derek Zuver.
Once again, the final race of the night, the Compact B Main, had one of the more exciting finishes. Jonathon Gerard took the lead at the start and led the majority of the race. Aaron Barrick started on the pole and fell back to second behind Gerard. Barrick got back by Gerard to take the lead with just two laps remaining. The driver from Onsted, Michigan, went on to take the checkered flag with Eli Kolodie getting by Gerard to finish second. Nathan Goodman finished fourth behind Gerard and Craig Jones was fifth.
This Saturday night, Oakshade Raceway will host the annual Night of Wheels event in which all kids will have a chance at winning new bikes. This is in addition to a full racing program of UMP Late Models, UMP Sportsman, Dominator Super Stocks and Compacts. Gates open at 4pm with hot laps/qualifying at 6pm and racing at 7pm. Adult general admission is just $14, ages 6-11 are $5 and kids 5 and under are FREE! Pit passes are $25.
