The Bomber class took center stage Saturday night at Oakshade for the $1,000 to win Papa Boiler Hot Rod Welding & Engineering Bomber Spectacular.
As the night’s main event, the Bomber Spectacular A Main was first to roll out on to the track after intermission. Toledo, Ohio’s Rich Riffe started on the outside of the second row and it didn’t take him long to get the lead of the 25-lap event. Cody Houston spun on lap nine to bring out the first caution of the race forcing him to restart at the tail. Riffe, Jeff Foks Jr. and Chris Henry began to check out on the rest of the field in the top three positions. In the end, Riffe was able to hold off both Foks and Henry to claim the $1,000 for winning the Papa Boiler Hot Rod Welding & Engineering Bomber Spectacular. Adam Noon finished in the fourth position with Cody Houston recovering nicely to end up fifth after his lap nine spin.
A big pile up at the start of the UMP Late Model feature that involved Ryan Missler, Brad Wade and Ken Hahn brought a quick stop to the racing action and set up a complete restart. After that, Steve Kester and Devin Shiels battled for the lead much of the race with Kester leading the first half. Both drivers were working through some heavy lapped traffic with about 10 laps to go when Shiels made the right lane choice to take the lead away while Kester had to check up for a lapped car. The Britton, Michigan driver went on to open up his advantage in the closing laps on the way to the checkered flag. It was Shiels’ second consecutive feature win. Kester held off a hard-charging Casey Noonan, who was sporting a new ride this weekend, to finish second. Dan Wallace and Brad Eitniear were the rest of the top five finishers.
Tim Fisher grabbed the lead after starting on the pole of the AmeriGas UMP Sportsman feature race, but some bad luck would cost him a decent finish. Fisher gave the lead up to Brandon Gregory on lap five and then one lap later fell off the pace while running second with most of the field behind him. Joel Morton had no where to go and slammed into the rear of Fisher on the front stretch bringing out the yellow flag. Both drivers were done for the night. That turned second over the Mike Jessen, but he was unable to mount a challenge on Swanton, Ohio’s Brandon Gregory who had the 66 car hooked up on the high side. Gregory collected his second feature win of the season with Jessen settling for second. Last week’s feature winner, Rusty Smith, finished third with Mathew Chapman ending up third after slipping way back in the running order earlier in the race due to some damage. Josh Robertson made a nice run to finish fifth after starting way back in the field.
Hillsdale, Michigan’s Cory Gumm started on the pole and led every lap of the final event of the night, the Compact feature race. A late race caution allowed Eric Carr and Carter Murday to tighten up behind Gumm for the restart, but Gumm was too strong and went on to pick up the checkered flag. Carr and Murday finished second and third respectively with Justin Seirra and Jeff Goodman rounding out the rest of the top five finishers.
The final race of the 2018 season at Oakshade Raceway is set for this coming weekend featuring topless (no roofs) UMP Late Models. In additional to the topless UMP Late Models, the AmeriGas UMP Sportsman, Hot Rod Welding & Engineering Bombers and Compacts will also be in action this Saturday, September 29. Gates open at 4pm, hot laps are at 6pm and racing begins at 7pm sharp.
