WAUSEON, OH – Rusty Schlenk became a six-time winner of the annual Barney Oldfield Race with a dramatic last lap pass for the lead in the 40-lap Valvoline American Late Model Iron Man Series feature event. The win earned the McClure, Ohio, driver $5,000 for his efforts and made for a weekend sweep after Friday night’s win at Attica Raceway Park.
The 2008 Barney Oldfield Race winner, Casey Noonan, started on the pole and led all but the last lap. Noonan pulled out to a big lead over Rod Conley and Rusty Schlenk the first half of the race.
Ryan Missler mixed it up with Schlenk for the third position around lap 10 as Missler would take the position for a short time, but Schlenk fought back and regained the third spot a lap later.
The first and only yellow flag of the race came out just past the halfway point of the race as Rusty’s son, Carter Schlenk, came to a stop at the exit of turn two. This would tighten up the field for a restart, but Noonan was able to pull away from Rod Conley and Rusty Schlenk once the green flag flew again.
Schlenk was able to get by Conley for second with just over 10 laps remaining. With Noonan working through heavy lapped traffic, Schlenk was able to make up ground and close in on the race leader.
He got to Noonan’s rear bumper with just a handful of laps to go. Sensing the 91 car behind him, Noonan began to press a bit harder trying to work around lappers. He was able to hold Schlenk off until the final lap. Noonan slipped up off the bottom in the final set of corners just a bit, but it was all Schlenk needed. He pounced to the inside of Noonan and won the drag race coming to the checkered flag.
Billy Green fell back through the running order earlier in the race after starting fourth but was able to fight back up for a third-place finish ahead of Rod Conley. Last week’s feature winner, Devin Shiels, rounded out the top five finishers.
Adam Lantz from Wauseon, Ohio, started on the outside of the front row of the DCR Graphics Sportsman feature race and quickly grabbed the lead over “The Outlaw” Jesse Jones who started on the pole.
Kolin Schilt, last week’s feature winner, had some issues during the race. He spun early and had to restart at the tail. As Schilt tried to fight back up through the field, he would spin again with just a few laps remaining. Being his second caution in the race, Schilt was forced to retire to the pits.
Meanwhile, Lantz would go flag to flag for the feature win, holding off a late charge from Ryan Davis. Ian Palmer finished third followed by Jesse Jones and Chris Williams.
A caution-filled Dominator Super Stock A Main was up next with pole-sitter Dylan Burt slowing on the second lap and pulling off the track to the infield. That turned the lead over to multi-time track champion Jeff Foks Jr.
Jake Rendel, from Adrian, Michigan, started sixth and eventually worked his way up toward the front. He was able to get a run on Foks on a restart to take the lead. Rendel would go on to pick up the victory with Foks finishing second and Jarrett Rendel third. Adam Noonan had gotten up to second, but then lost brakes and faded back to end up fourth with Chane Stuckey finishing fifth.
Bill Reeves Sr. took command early in the Dominator Super Stock B Main. Pioneer, Ohio’s John Lonabarger got to the inside of Reeves on an early restart after a caution to take the lead for good. Lonabarger went on to pick up the easy win over Reeves, Grayson Warner, Curt Dickie, and Chad Zuver.
This Saturday night, June 1, Oakshade Raceway hosts a full racing program of DIRTcar UMP Late Models, DCR Graphics Sportsman, Dominator Super Stocks and Compact will also be back in action. 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.
