By: Scott Hammer
WAUSEON, OH – An exciting DIRTcar UMP Super Late Model feature highlighted a great opening night of racing at Oakshade Raceway Saturday night. Defending track champion Devin Shiels was able to fend off the 2020 champion, Steve Kester, in the closing laps to pick up the opening night win.
Twenty-three cars were scheduled to start the 25-lap DIRTcar UMP Super Late Model feature event with Dan Wallace taking command at the start after starting on the pole.
By lap 10, the leaders caught the back of the field and had to contend with slower traffic. This bunched up the front runners behind Wallace who was having trouble lapping a slower car. Rusty Smith took advantage and snatched the lead away on lap 14. A couple laps later, Britton, Michigan’s Devin Shiels took the lead. About the same time the 47J car of David Ellis slowed coming off turn two with the leaders scattering around his lapped car. Smith narrowly snuck by and third place Dusty Moore was not as lucky as the two cars collided into the infield to bring out the caution on lap 17.
Rusty Smith was slow getting back up to speed on the ensuing restart. Another yellow flag would fly for an incident behind him on that same restart. Smith would retire to the pits under the yellow flag. That moved Dan Wallace back up to second with Steve Kester third behind race leader Devin Shiels.
Kester managed to get the outside line working taking over second and closed in on Shiels in the final laps. Kester was able to pull up alongside the 51 car a couple times coming off turn four. Unfortunately, a couple slip ups coming off turn two a just a little too high allowed Shiels to get a little separation as he went on to pick up the checkered flag. Kester settled for second place followed by Casey Noonan, Jamie Grochowski and Wallace who slid back to finish fifth.
John Gamber got a great start on the front row of the UMP Sportsman feature event and took the early lead. Dylan Jessen worked by a couple cars to take over second and began to reel in the 15G of Gamber.
After a lap seven caution, Gamber and Jessen had a heated battle for the top spot for several laps. Josh Robertson entered the fray about lap 10 making it a three-car battle for the lead racing three wide at times. The trio got mixed up while working through heavy lapped traffic with Jessen taking over the top spot and Robertson close behind in second. Robertson made one final bid to the inside of Jessen on the final lap coming off turn four to get side by side with Jessen. The Berkey, Ohio, driver was able to just edge out Robertson for the win. Gamber finished third with Dylan Hough fourth and Chris Williams fifth.
Wauseon, Ohio’s Adam Lantz started on the outside of the front row and led from flag to flag in a caution-filled Dominator Super Stock feature event. Bryce Luttrell moved up 10 positions to second to challenge Lantz late in the race, but Lantz was able to go on to pick up the win with Luttrell second. R.J. Cornett started on the pole and finished third followed by Jeff Foks Jr. and Scott Hammer.
Ken Wells had a great opening night in Compact competition. The Bowling Green, Ohio, driver won both his heat race and the Compact feature, leading the entire distance. Wells started the feature on the pole and immediately charged to the lead with James Stamper and Ryan Okuley putting on a great show for second.
A few caution periods tightened the field, but Wells was able to pull away each time and took the easy victory. Stamper managed to fend off Okuley for second. Gage Rushlow and Wesley Belkofer were the rest of the top five finishers.
Racing action continues next Saturday with the first of seven scheduled $1,200 to win Sportsman Mods events pitting UMP Sportsman and UMP Modifieds against each other in one combined class. Dominator Super Stocks and Compacts will also be in action. Gates will open at 4pm with hot laps/qualifying at 6pm and racing at 7:15pm. Adult general admission is just $15, ages 6-11 are $5 and kids 5 and under are FREE! Pit passes are $30.