WAUSEON, OH – Oakshade Raceway kicked off the 2024 race season on Saturday night with some exciting racing action on the new clay racing surface. Defending track champion Devin Shiels took advantage of Rusty Schlenk’s bad luck to pick up the first UMP DIRTcar Late Model feature win of the year.
Schlenk started on the pole and darted out to a huge lead over the first half of the 25-lap feature event with Shiels in pursuit. Everything changed on lap 16 when Schlenk suffered some major front-end damage in an incident with a couple of lapped cars.
With body working flapping around violently, Schlenk led the field back to the restart. He quickly started dropping back through the running order and eventually retired to the pits a couple laps later. Shiels from Britton, Michigan, inherited the lead and coasted to the win with Carter Murday not too far behind in second and Dusty Moore third. Carter Schlenk, who has stepped up from the DCR Graphics Sportsman class into the UMP DIRTcar Late Models came home fourth with 2022 track champion Casey Noonan fifth.
Kolin Schilt suffered a little front-end damage in his DCR Graphics Sportsman heat race and made repairs get the Buckeye Concrete Coatings, Spangler Candy, Tri-State Pole Barns, Legacy Spray Foam sponsored 55K ready to start from the pole of the feature event. The effort paid off as the Stryker, Ohio, driver drove to feature win in a race the was only slowed by cautions a few times in the first handful of laps.
The best battle on the track behind Schilt was for second between Ian Palmer and Ryan Davis. Palmer held the position most of the race with Davis trying to find a way by. The two drivers battled hard for 10 laps until Davis was able to finally make the pass on lap 16 of the 20-lap race. He would go on to finish second with Palmer coming home third. “The Outlaw” Jesse Jones and Chris Williams would rounded out the rest of the top five finishers.
The 15-lap Dominator Super Stock feature produced some great racing action for the lead and had a little extra incentive thrown in courtesy of JD & Sons Excavating of Delta, Ohio. They increased the purse to $500 to win and $75 to start.
Adam Noonan and Chane Stuckey started on the front row and those two drivers battled for the top stop the entire race. Stuckey would get the advantage on lap seven, but Noonan would fight back three laps later. Finally, with just a couple laps remaining, Noonan slipped up just a bit in turn four and Stuckey from Toledo, Ohio, took the lead and the $500 win. Noonan settled for second followed by Jeff Hinkley, John Lonabarger and Jarrett Rendel.
Great racing action continued into the Compact A Main. Hillsdale, Michigan’s Cory Gumm took the lead after an early restart from Ryan Okuley. Okuley stayed right on Gumm’s rear bumper trying to battle back for the lead, but eventually faded just a bit until they caught lapped traffic. Gumm had to make some impressive moves, including squeezing between two lappers, to maintain his advantage over Okuley. Gumm held on to pick up the checkered flag with Okuley close behind. Jason Deshler finished third followed by Eric Carr and Brett Ireland.
Just as the Dominator Super Stock B Main was taking the green flag, a car rolled to a stop coming off turn two which brought out a quick yellow. That stacked things up on the front stretch as some cars slowed quicker than others that were still hard on the gas. Once things got sorted out, Nick Fenner from Morenci, Michigan, found himself out front with a commanding lead. Fenner would go on to take the easy win over Kenny Rice, who had rolled his car over earlier in his heat race. Haley Dippman finished third followed by Brandon Goad and Richard Froelich.
The Compact B Main capped off the night’s racing action with Chris Rutan leading at the start. After an early caution, Charles Hargett drove hard into turn one trying to pick up positions and slammed hard into the side of Eli Kolodie who was running third at the time. Both drivers slowed with Hargett coming to stop to draw another yellow. Kolodie was able to continue.
Nathan Goodman from Wauseon, Ohio, charged from the rear of the field to challenge Rutan for the lead. Goodman would edge Rutan by inches for the lead on lap four. A lap or two later, Rutan turned sideways and stopped in turn four, giving up the second position to Kolodie. Goodman went on to pick up the checkered flag with Kolodie second. Pole sitter Mark Prather came home third with Andrew Hollister and Devin Harper the rest of the top five finishers.
This Saturday night May 25, Oakshade Raceway hosts the 35th Annual Barney Oldfield Race for the DIRTcar UMP Late Models paying $5,000 to win. It also marks the return of the American Late Model Series now branded as the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series. DCR Graphics Sportsman and Dominator Super Stocks will also be in action on with the Compacts having the night off. Gates open at 4pm with hot laps/qualifying at 6pm and racing at 7:30pm. Adult general admission is just $15, ages 6-11 are $5 and kids 5 and under are FREE! Pit passes are $25.
