Rusty Schlenk convincingly picked up his third feature win of the season Saturday night at Oakshade Raceway in the second event of the Attica/Oakshade Late Model Challenge Series sponsored by Napa of Archbold, Bryan and Wauseon, Dirt Nerds Podcast and Soldier Boy Productions.
Schlenk started on the pole of the 25-lap UMP DIRTcar Late Model main event and jumped out to a commanding lead right from the drop of the green flag. The red flag flew on lap number two after Brad Wade got crossed up on the backstretch collecting a few other cars including that of Mathew Chapman who ended up rolling over. It was Chapman’s first night out in competition this season. Shortly after the restart, Dusty Moore got the advantage over Schlenk for the race lead. The McClure, Ohio, driver would reclaim the lead one lap later and drove off to a huge lead on the way to his third feature win at Oakshade Raceway this year. Moore held on to finish second just ahead of a hard-charging Jon Henry who ended up third after starting 16th. Steve Kester and point leader Casey Noonan were the rest of the top five finishers.
Rusty Smith’s winning streak was finally snapped in the UMP DIRTcar Sportsman class at Oakshade Raceway after Adrian, Michigan’s Billy Brown took his first checkered flag of the year. Brown started on the pole and battled early with Rusty Smith who had won the previous four features. Another Smith, Joe Smith, worked his way to the inside of Brown to challenge for the race lead with a handful of laps remaining. Joe Smith would slip back to finish third with Brandon Gregory getting by to finish second. Point leader Rusty Smith ended with his worst feature finish of the year in fourth. Josh Robertson was fifth.
Stryker, Ohio’s Kolin Schilt earned his second Hot Rod Welding & Engineering Bomber A Main win of the season. Gabe Mueller took the early lead with Jeff Foks second. Foks would get collected on a lap nine caution sending him to the rear for the restart. A couple more top contenders were caught up in a lap 10 incident that involved Adam Noonan, Gregg DeTray and Rich Riffe. Only Noonan would continue. In the end, Schilt avoided trouble to take the checkered flag ahead of William “Bubba” Cundick, Tim Fisher and Adam Noonan. Foks recovered to finish fifth.
Charles Hargett rolled over in turn two on the first lap of the Compact feature event to bring out the red flag. The red flag received quite a workout as Hargett’s was one of at least four cars getting wheels up on the night. Once things got going, point leader Kevin Murday, Mark Barrick and Joe Elliott battled for second behind race leader Cory Gumm out of Hillsdale, Michigan. Gumm went on to pick up his second consecutive Compact feature win with Barrick finishing second. Elliott finished third followed by Murday and Joe Carr.
Chane Stuckey drove out to a big lead at the start of the Hot Rod Welding & Engineering Bomber B Main. A lap seven caution would tighten up the field with Josh Corkwell restarting second and Adam Lantz third. Lantz, winner of last week’s A Main, passed both Corkwell and Stuckey to take the lead by lap nine. Lantz went on to lead the final three laps and pick up the victory. Stuckey and Corkwell followed in second and third respectively. Chris Bleikamp finished fourth and Dave McMannamy climbed five positions to end up finishing fifth.
Oakshade Raceway will be back in action Saturday, July 4th with a full racing program of UMP DIRTcar Late Models, UMP DIRTcar Sportsman, Hot Rod Welding & Engineering Bombers and Compacts. Grandstands will be open once again with fans practicing social distancing. Gates open at 3pm, hot laps at 6pm and racing at 7pm.
