By Mike Swanger: It was near perfect weather conditions and another great racing surface as NAPA Wayne County Speedway was back in action after a week off because of rain and when the night was finished, three drivers found their way to their 1st victory on Summit Racing Equipment night. For the Lias Tire Late Models, it was race #3 for the Attica Raceway Park/ NAPA WCS Late Model Series and JR Gentry would lead all the way for the win as he held of Larry Kingseed in the early part of the race and then survived a late run by three time winner Ryan Markham. Three weeks ago Brad Haudenschild edged out Broc Martin at the finish line and this week they would start on the front row of the Fisher Performance Sprint feature but the duel would end on lap 8 when Haudenschild smacked the wall coming out of turn four and ending his night as Martin would cruise to the win. Brandon Gardner picked up his first Thrifty Muffler Super Stock win as three time winner Larry Baldwin was chasing a $300 bonus if he would start last and score the win but he came up one position short of the win. Brad Hensel took the checkered flag in the WQKT Mini Stock main after Greg Thompson had led all the way until he hit a spun car on the white flag lap. Robbie Ledger took the lead at the halfway mark of the NAPA Mini Wedge feature for his second straight win.
Kingseed and Gentry would bring the Late Model field to the green flag, that was thrown by ARCA flagger, Denise Engle, as Gentry grabbed the point from the outside starting position. A lap two caution for Larry Bellman that also involved Jeremy Canada and Jerry Aber that saw all three going pitside. On the restart, fast qualifier Gentry would be chased by Kingseed and Rocky Owens and then it was a five way battle between Brad Malcuit, Markham, Shane McLoughlin, Keith Berner and Mike Bores, who would bring out the next caution on lap seven for a spin. Markham would secure fourth place on the restart as Malcuit, Berner and McLoughlin continued their three wide battle for fifth. With ten laps to go, Markham worked his way past Owens for third and tracked down Gentry and Kingseed. McLoughlin’s ride coasted to a stop on the backstretch to slow the action with three circuits to go. As the green flag reappeared, Kingseed jumped the cushion in turn two that allowed Markham by but Gentry and his Wooster based El Campesino Restaurent, Sound FX DJ Service and Buckeye Container #14 held off Markham for the win as Keith Berner edged past Kingseed on the last lap for third with Owens hanging on to fifth. Gentry picked up the Hoosier Tire Award while Berner received the American Racer Award. The VP Fuels Hard Charger went to Weston Hutchinson as he went from starting 18th to a finishing spot of 8th. Heat winners were Markham, Bores and Malcuit while Brandon Gardner won the last chance race.
The packed house of fans were all ready for another heated feature for the Fisher Performance Sprints as Broc Martin was on the pole and fast timer and two time winner Brad Haudenschild along side and they went side by side until Haudenshild would slip sideways in turn four on lap two giving Martin some breathing room. That was short lived as Bob Lime and Bill Ault got together in turn one at the start of lap four to bring out the red flag and during that delay, Jordan Harble’s machine ignited and ended his night. Before another lap could get recorded, 4th running Pete Grove stopped on the track and was assisted back to the pits. Using the high groove, Haudenschild put the pressure on Martin for the lead but as he came out of turn four for the completion of lap eight, smacked the frontstretch wall ending his chance at a third straight win. From that point on it was green all the way as Martin, from Wooster, drove away for the win aboard the Jim Smith Enterprises, Santmyer Oil, and Orrville Trucking #83 as Mitch Harble took home second. Eric Williams and Shawn Hubler went back and forth with a couple of wheel taps thrown in during the last half of the race with Williams finally winning out for third as Russ Sansosti filled out the top five. Williams and Grove paced the heat races.
Before the Thrifty Muffler Super Stock field could get to turn one, Nick Smith, Mitchell Lam, Don Rutt and Zack Myers tangled and all four could not restart. Once the race got going, Miamisburg’s Brandon Gardner powered his way into the lead from his third starting spot as fifth starting Mitch Caskey took second from pole sitter Paul McVicker but all eyes where on Larry Baldwin as he was chasing the bonus money from his 17th starting position and at the halfway mark had climbed to third. A lap 11 caution would bunch the field together and before the green flag flew again for the restart, Baldwin jumped the gun and was docked for jump starting. The Schaeffer Oil, RDL and Innovative Graphics #27g of Gardner pulled away for his first win of the season as fast qualifier Baldwin powered past Caskey with two laps to go for second. McVicker ended up fourth as Tim Arnold grabbed fifth in his first night out. Caskey and Chase Alexander topped the heat races as David Uhler picked up the Baldwin Motorsports Award.
The Direct Hydraulic Hose feature for the WQKT Mini Stocks would see Greg Thompson out front with Brad Hensel, Doug Hensel and Moose Workman in a three way fight for second but with three laps to go, Paul Kern would spin right in front of Thompson, who would make hard contact, taking the leader out. Brad Hensel of Wooster would inherit the lead and then take the DJ Directional Services and Sportsman Bar #28 into victory lane for the third time this year and pick up the Gary Hensel Sr. sponsored trophy. Doug Hensel finished second with Moose Workman third followed by Adam Kern and Mitch Reichard. Thompson and Workman notched the heat wins.
Braxton Wilson was looking for his third win of the season in the NAPA Mini Wedges and looked good from his pole starting position but at the halfway mark, his powerplant picked up a hiccup and he faded as Tanner McLoughlin, Cody Stillion and Robbie Ledger moved past and when McLoughlin and Stillion both got sideways, Ledger moved past and the Jewett, Ohio youngster put the Stull Trucking, Mansfield Hauling and Lewton Race Engines #33 into victory lane for the second straight time, collecting the donated $60 first place money. Matthew Moore came back from a first lap spin to take second for the second time in a row and won the JR Gentry t-shirt. Billy Dawson started last, was penalized for jump starting and still finishe third as McLoughlin and Lucas Thomas rounded out the top five. Heat winners were Wilson and Zoe Stafford.
All the drivers were competing for the Contingency Connection Awards that include over $2000 in weekly awards from national manufactures. A big thanks goes out to Mars Trucking for sponsoring the $1 Dog night.
Next Saturday will see the UNOH All Star Sprints roll into NAPA Wayne County Speedway for the first of three visits this season. The Lias Tire Late Models and the Thrifty Muffler Super Stocks will be in action and the Vintage Race Cars will be on hand also as the WQKT Mini Stocks and the NAPA Mini Wedges take the night off. Keep up to date with everything going on at the track by visiting the website at www.waynecountyspeedway.com
NAPA WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY RESULTS
Saturday, May 24,2014
LIAS TIRE LATE MODELS (27 cars)
Fast Qualifier JR Gentry 17.185
Summit Racing Equipment Heat 1 Ryan Markham, JR Gentry, Larry Kingseed, David Liles, John Bores, Jerry Aber, Coby Bartram, Mike Swansiger, Blaine Aber
Summit Racing Equipment Heat 2 Mike Bores, Keith Berner, Rick Bond. Larry Bellman, Allan Baker, Brandon Gardner, Charlie Maloney, Ben Mott, Jim Nicely
Summit Racing Equipment Heat 3 Brad Malcuit, Rocky Owens, Shane McLoughlin, DJ Miller, Jeremy Canada, Weston Hutchinson, Don Conley, Jacob Myers, Steve White (dns)
Last Chance Race Brandon Gardner, Jerry Aber, Weston Hutchinson, Blaine Aber, Ben Mott, Charlie Maloney, Jacob Myers, Don Conley, Jim Nicely, Coby Bartram (dns), Mike Swansiger (dns), Steve White (dns)
Feature JR Gentry, Ryan Markham, Keith Berner, Larry Kingseed, Rocky Owens, Brad Malcuit, Allan Baker, Weston Hutchinson, Rick Bond, Mike Bores, Davis Liles, Brandon Gardner, John Bores, Blaine Aber, Ben Mott, Shane McLoughlin, DJ Miller, Jeremy Canada, Jerry Aber, Larry Bellman
FISHER PERFORMANCE SPRINTS (18 cars)
Fast Qualifier Brad Haudenschild 14.763
Saldana Racing Products Heat 1 Eric Williams, Brad Haudenschild, Jason Dolick, Shawn Hubler, Jamie Myers, Jimmy Pooler, Bill Ault, Nick Patterson, Butch Beasley
Saldana Racing Products Heat 2 Pete Grove, Mitch Harble, Broc Martin, Jordan Harble, Russ Sansosti, Bob Lime, Kris Davis, Matt Phillips (dns), Danny Mumaw (dns)
Feature Broc Martin, Mitch Harble, Eric Williams, Shawn Hubler, Russ Sanosti, Jimmy Pooler, Jason Dolick, Nick Patterson, Jamie Myers, Butch Beasley, Brad Haudenschild, Kris Davis, Pete Grove, Jordan Harble, Bill Ault, Bob Lime, Matt Phillips (dns), Danny Mumaw (dns)
THRIFTY MUFFLER SUPER STOCKS ( 20 cars)
Fast Qualifier Larry Baldwin 19.901
Summit Racing Equipment Heat 1 Mitch Caskey, Nick Smith, Brandon Gardner, Brad Eagle, Dennis Amstutz, Tyler Nicely, Gary McGregor, Chaz O’Dell, Davis Uhler, Larry Baldwin
Summit Racing Equipment Heat 2 Chase Alexander, Tim Arnold, Paul McVicker, Mitchell Lam, Tyler Thompson, Paul Whitten, Don Rutt, Chris Gibbs, Zack Myers, Bob Daugherty
Feature Brandon Gardner, Larry Baldwin, Mitch Caskey, Paul McVicker, Tim Arnold, Tyler Nicely, Brad Eagle, Paul Whitten, Dennis Amstutz, Gary McGregor, Davis Uhler, Tyler Thompson, Chris Gibbs, Nick Smith, Mitchell Lam, Don Rutt, Zack Myers, Bob Daugherty (dns), Chase Alexander (dns), Chaz O’Dell (dns)
WQKT MINI STOCKS ( 11 cars)
Heat 1 Greg Thompson, Doug Hensel, Mitch Reichard, Brad Hensel, Adam Kern, Elvis Conkle
Heat 2 Moose Workman, Dustin Daugherty, Paul Kern, Lester Berry (dns), Luke Freed (dns)
Direct Hydraulics Hose Feature Brad Hensel, Doug Hensel, Moose Workman, Adam Kern, Mitch Reichard, Greg Thompson, Paul Kern, Elvis Conkle, Lester Berry, Luke Freed (dns), Dustin Daugherty (dns)
NAPA MINI WEDGES (13 cars)
Heat 1 Braxton Wilson, Cody Stillion, Matthew Moore, Konner Thomas, Robbie Ledger, Caitlin Johnson, Jolene Voshel (dns)
Heat 2 Zoe Stafford, Lucas Thomas, Tanner McLoughlin, Brooklyn Wilson, Kolten Thomas, Billy Dawson
Feature Robbie Ledger, Matthew Moore, Billy Dawson, Tanner McLoughlin, Lucas Thomas, Cody Stillion, Braxton Wilson, Caitlin Johnson, Brooklyn Wilson, Kolton Thomas, Conner Thomas, Zoe Stafford, Jolene Voshel (dns)