PHOTO BY FREEZE FRAME PHOTOS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
WINNER OF BARNEY OLDFIELD RACE … Rusty Schlenk won the race in dominating fashion with a winning margin of 14 seconds. This was Schlenk’s record setting 7th Barney Oldfield victory.
Jackson, Michigan’s Rusty Schlenk put on a show, leaving only 10 cars on the lead lap as he claimed his seventh Barney Oldfield win, and the $5,000 prize, on a night honoring the racing legend and the Henricks family.
The win was during the annual stop for the American Late Model Iron-Man series, who honored the Henricks family and Oakshade Raceway with a plaque for the track’s enshrinement into the newly-created American Late Model Iron-Man Hall of Fame.
In a 35-lap feature that was only stopped once for a caution on lap two when Colin Shipley spun in turn two.
From there, it was all Schlenk. He grabbed the lead from Colten Burdette at the start, and by the ninth circuit around the track, Schlenk found himself at the tail end of the field.
He was able to put his machine anywhere he wanted, resulting in a win by 12-and-a-half seconds.
“This takes me back to the early 2000s when you could run the top of it,” Schlenk said in the post-race victory lane. “The track started a little sketchy, and I was a little worried, but man they brought the track around and you could run all over it. Hats off to the track prep tonight.”
Behind him, there was a great battle between four cars for second. Current late model point leader Steve Kester took second on lap 30 and finished in the runner-up spot.
Casey Noonan worked his way up to third, followed by the pole-sitter Burdette. Terry Rushlow rounded out the top five.
In a Dominator Super Stock feature that was marred by cautions, it was Adrian, Michigan’s Jake Rendel who crossed the line first.
Starting deep in the field, Rendel dodged issues from the cars around him and found himself chasing Mason Lutrell with one to go. Rendel found the right spot to pass, off the corner of turn four, to grab the lead and the win.
Lutrell settled for second, with Jeff Foks, early leader Josh McNicol and another driver who started deep in the field, JR Gooden, as the top five.
No such heroics were needed for the Compact feature. Holgate, Ohio’s Ryan Okuley powered his way to the front after a mid-race restart and went on to claim the victory.
Okuley eased past early leader Geoff Wasnick, who settled for the second spot. James Stamper, Wesley Belkofer and Justin Newman rounded out the rest of the top five.
Oakshade Raceway will roar back into action on Saturday with another full night of action. It’ll be Autograph Night, with the Late Models, Speedy Graphics Sportsman, Dominator Super Stocks and Compacts all competing.
Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps start at 6 and racing will begin at 7:15.
