WAUSEON, OH – One week after earning his first Oakshade Raceway DIRTcar UMP Late Model feature, Sylvania, Ohio’s Rusty Smith backed it up with a second consecutive win Saturday night.
Smith started on the outside of the front row of the 25-lap main event and got the advantage over Kyle Moore to gain the lead at the drop of the green flag.
The red flag flew shortly after a lap eight restart when Moore spun while battling for fifth which collected five other cars which left turn two blocked. Once the incident was cleaned up and racing resumed, Smith began to drive away from the rest of the field.
Smith caught some heavy traffic running at the back of the field with a handful of laps remaining. That allowed point leader Carter Murday, Devin Shiels and Dusty Moore to close right up on the race leader in the closing laps. Smith was able to hang on and take the checkered flag with Murday coming home second. With the win, Smith was able to close to within 18 points of Murday in the point standings with only four events left on this year’s point schedule. Shiels finished third followed by Dusty Moore and Steve Kester.
Ryan Davis, from Weston Michigan, padded his point lead in the DCR Graphics Sportsman class, picking up his third feature win of the season. Kolin Schilt had won the previous two feature events and was in a tight point battle with Davis but broke a motor before racing began Saturday night. Ian Palmer finished second in the feature with Karl Spoores third. Roman Brown gained four positions to end up fourth with Chris Williams fifth.
Toledo, Ohio’s Chane Stuckey started the Dominator Super Stock A Main on the outside of the fourth row and drove around the outside of Jake Rendel to take the lead on lap three. Stuckey held off a late race challenge from point leader Jarrett Rendel to earn his second A Main win of the year. Rendel settled for second followed by Jeff Foks Jr., Adam Noonan and Dylan Burt.
Ryan Okuley made a bid late in the Compact A Main to get the lead from Nathan Goodman while working through lapped traffic. It was the third feature win of the year for the New Bavaria, Ohio, driver. Goodman was able to finish second with Jason Deshler, who has a commanding point lead, finishing in third. Ken Wells and James Stamper were the rest of the top five finishers.
The Dominator Super Stock B Main produced one of the night’s most exciting races. Jeremiah Gilbert led the first half of the race, but Cody Stetten closed in and snatched the lead away. He appeared to have things well in hand but just as the white flag was about to fly, Stetten’s car seemed to lose power on the straight aways. That allowed Derek Zuver from Pioneer, Ohio, to close in quickly on the final lap. Zuver made the pass for the lead coming off the final corner with the checkered flag in sight. It was his first B Main win of the year. Stetten coasted to a second-place finish with Chad Zuver not too far behind in third. Gilbert slipped back to finish fourth and Frankie White was fifth.
Once again, the Compact B Main wrapped up the night’s racing action with a caution free race. Jackson, Michigan’s Ben Lantis wasted no time in getting the lead on the first lap and then drove away from the rest of the field to his second B Main win of the season. The battle for second place was a good one for much of the race with pole-sitter Bo Gray fending off Mike Rice and Bailey Wies for second. Tyson Harper finished fifth behind Rice and Wies.
This weekend Oakshade Raceway will host another full racing program of DIRTcar UMP Late Models, DCR Graphics Sportsman, Dominator Super Stocks and Compacts. 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.
