WAUSEON, OH – It was a blast from the past Saturday night at Oakshade Raceway with the Vintage American Race Cars (V.A.R.C.) displaying their classic race cars and putting on a few exhibition races in addition to a full racing program with make-up features for the DCR Graphics Sportsman and Compacts. The evening was highlighted by Colin Shipley‘s late race pass to collect his second DIRTcar UMP Late Model feature win of the year at Oakshade.
BJ Gregory started on the pole of the 25-lap DIRTcar UMP Late Model feature event and led the first few laps that were slowed by a few caution periods. The biggest of which was when a good portion of the field stacked up on a lap three restart. After that last caution, Casey Noonan would slip on by Gregory for the lead on lap five and led a majority of the race.
Shipley, out of Weston, Ohio, moved up to second and started to close in on Noonan. The two drivers would have an epic battle for the lead from lap 10 to lap 21. Shipley was finally able to get by Noonan with three laps to go and went on to earn the victory which moved him up to third in the point standings, just 36 points out of the lead. Noonan settled for a second-place finish with Carter Murday ending up third and taking over the point lead. BJ Gregory and Steve Kester were the rest of the top five finishers.
Ryan Davis had a night to remember, sweeping both DCR Graphics Sportsman feature events after starting on the poles for each. The pair of wins also catapulted the Weston, Michigan, driver to the top of the Oakshade DCR Graphics Sportsman point standings.
Ian Palmer, who won two weeks ago, brought out a caution in the first regularly scheduled feature with three laps to go after he spun ending his chances at a decent finish. Davis would hold off Adam Lantz and Kolin Schilt to pick up his first feature win of the night. Jesse Jones and Donnie Ringman finished fourth and fifth respectively.
The June 8 make-up feature ran caution-free with Davis darting out to a big lead early. Lantz was running second once again and was able to slightly chip away at Davis’s lead late in the race while working through slower traffic. Lantz ended up settling for second with Schilt repeating his third-place finish as well. Mike Jessen finished fourth and Jesse Jones was fifth.
Sylvania, Ohio’s Adam Noonan started on the pole of the Dominator Super Stock A Main and led from flag to flag in another caution-free race. By lap 11 of the 15-lap feature event, the leaders began to work through lapped traffic with Noonan able to maintain his advantage over Jake Rendel for his first feature win of the year. Jordan Conover gained a couple positions from the start to finish third ahead of Jarrett Rendel with Jeff Foks Jr. climbing 7 positions to end up fifth.
The regularly scheduled Compact A Main gave fans one of the most exciting finishes of the night. With Brett Ireland leading, Jason Deshler, Nathan Goodman and Ryan Okuley were having a heck of a battle for second with Goodman finally coming out on top. Then Goodman, from Wauseon, Ohio, closed in on Ireland and made a last lap, last corner pass for the win. Deshler, Okuley and Ken Wells were the rest of the top five finishers.
In the June 8 make-up Compact A Main, James Stamper held off Jason Deshler to lead lap one, but Deshler would take command by lap two. Ryan Okuley moved up to second and then began to put the pressure on Deshler for the race lead. The New Bavaria, Ohio, driver would finally take over the lead on lap nine of the 12-lap race and go on to pick up the checkered flag. Deshler would finish second with Stamper holding on to third over Ken Wells and Jeff Goodman.
The red flag flew early in the Dominator Super Stock B Main after a fire erupted under the hood of Chad Zuver’s car. Track crews quickly extinguished the fire and Zuver was OK, but his race was over.
Toledo, Ohio’s John Young would lead the field back to the green flag, but Jeff Robertson would make the pass under Young coming off turn two to lead lap two. Both Robertson and Young checked out on the rest of the field until lap six. Robertson suddenly slowed in turns one and two and at the same time Landon Bleikamp spun in turn four which brought out the caution flag. Under the yellow, Robertson limped back to the pits turning the lead back over to Young who went on to pick up his second B Main win of the season. Brandon DeLong, Grayson Warner, Derek Zuver and Harriet Callahan were the rest of the top five finishers.
In Compact B Main action, Chris Yockum fell off the pace late in the race turning the lead battle over to James Huffman and Adam Thomas. The two drivers battled side by side to the checkered flag with Huffman edging out Thomas for the win. It was the New Bavaria, Ohio, driver’s first win of the season. Peyton Hovis closed out a strong run to finish third with Megan Elliott and Tyson Harper the rest of the top five.
The final race of the night was the Compact B Main make-up race from June 8 in which only eight drivers answered to call for the start. Tim Streight led the first lap, but Wauseon, Ohio’s Nathan Goodman, who was fresh off his A Main win earlier in the night, wasted no time taking the lead away by lap three. Goodman went on to pick up the feature win with Streight hanging on to finish second. Mark Prather started deep in the field and drove to a third-place finish with Hovis and Newman finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
The biggest race of the season is this weekend at Oakshade Raceway as the DIRTcar UMP Summer Nationals and Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals roll into town. Along with the Late Models and Modifieds will be the Dominator Super Stocks. Gates will open on Friday by 12pm for those who wish to get there early and camp. Everyone coming through the gate on Friday must purchase a ticket or pit pass for Saturday’s event. Then on Saturday morning, gates will open once again at 10am. The pits will be open all day for everyone to meet drivers and get photos/autographs until 4pm. After 4pm, a pit pass will be required to remain in the pits. Hot laps/qualifying will begin at 6:30pm with racing scheduled to start at 8pm. Adult general admission is just $15, ages 6-11 are $5 and kids 5 and under are FREE! Pit passes are $25.
