PHOTO BY FREEZE FRAME PHOTOS
FEATURE WIN … #1- Casey Noonan- winner of the DIRTCAR UMP Late Model Feature. This was Casey’s first feature win of the season.
By: Scott Hammer
WAUSEON, OH – After last week’s rain out, Oakshade Raceway was back on track with an exciting racing program highlighted by Sylvania, Ohio’s Casey Noonan picking up his first DIRTcar UMP Late Model win of the season.
A couple of early pile ups in the 25-lap DIRTcar UMP Late Model main event thinned out the field. The first happened on lap one when something in the steering broke on Bob Mayer’s car on the backstretch.
That ended up with Jesse Jones taking a hard hit from Colin Shipley who had to start on the tail in a borrowed car after his car had motor issues earlier in the night. Then on lap five, Jamie Grochowski and Joe Smith got hooked together and spun.
After that it was caution-free and smooth sailing for Casey Noonan who started on the pole and led the entire distance. Steve Kester briefly gave up the second position to Mike Bores, but was able get it back and pursue Noonan most of the race.
Kester could not quite get close enough to mount a challenge and settled for second. Bores finished third with Jake Hooker and Terry Rushlow the rest of the top five finishers.
With the win, Noonan extended his slim point lead over Kester to eight points with just two championship races remaining.
Wayne Miller jumped out to the early lead of a caution-free Speedy Graphics Sportsman feature event after starting on the pole. Shane Estes muscled his way past Miller a few laps into the race to take the lead as Miller began to slide back through the running order.
Berkey, Ohio’s Dylan Jessen began rolling the outside and tracked down his father, Mike Jessen, who was running second and then Estes for the lead in an epic three car battle during the latter stages of the race. Mike Jessen would make a last lap pass on Estes to finish second. Dylan Hough finished fourth with Sam Estes ending up fifth.
It was Dylan Jessen’s third straight feature win and his fifth of the season.
Jeff Foks Jr. shot out to the early lead in the Dominator Super Stock A Main but Josh McNicol out of Adrian, Michigan, tracked him down and took the lead away a handful of laps into the 15-lap race.
Multiple cautions would keep the field tight. Mason Luttrell and Jeff Foks Jr. would trade the second position a couple times as the two drivers also battled atop the championship point standings.
The last caution flag would set up a one-lap race to the finish with Luttrell in second behind McNicol. Luttrell looked to the inside and had a nose alongside McNicol as they charged off turn four toward the checkered flag.
McNicol held on to earn his first Dominator Super Stock A Main win. Luttrell added to his slim point lead of 13 points over Foks with his second-place finish. Foks minimized the point loss by finishing just behind in third. Chane Stuckey and Kaleb Hinkley were the rest of the top five finishers.
The final event of the night was red flagged just after the start when Fred Hasch ended up on his lid in turn one just after the drop of the initial green flag of the Compact A Main.
Once that accident scene was cleaned up, it was all Ryan Okuley who dominated to earn his fourth consecutive feature win and sixth of the season. Ken Wells looked strong early but slowed off the pace about halfway through the race and retired from competition.
Russell Nickloy finished second followed by Wesley Belkofer, Sam McGuire and Geoff Wasnick.
Oakshade Raceway will host a special night of racing this coming Saturday, August 15 with a $1,000 to win Sportman/Mods event combining the Speedy Graphics Sportsman and UMP Modifieds against each other in a single class once again.
Also in action will be the Dominator Super Stocks, Compacts, Fremont Dirt Trucks (running in their own class) and the always exciting Vintage American Race Cars. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps start at 6 p.m. and racing will begin at 7:15 p.m.