Three New Winners Arrive At Ohio Valley Speedway Victory Lane

Eighty-four race teams and a near-capacity crowd ventured to Ohio Valley Speedway for the second race of the season. Racers again provided plenty of drama during the feature events, as three new feature winners emerged.

The Mineral Wells Tire WRA Mini-Wedge feature led off the holiday-eve night. Nathan Drake, from his outside-pole start, led the entire event, nearly lapping everyone else on his way to his second win of the season in a new cart build by dirt-racing legeng Charlie Swartz. Swartz’s great-grandson Lucas Crooks edged Kasey Rankin for second, with Rankin, Jordan Turner, and Toby Wilson rounding out the top 5. Wilson and Drake won the heats; Jackie Shutts of Mineral Wells Tire provided the evening’s trophies.

With 22 late models entering, three heats and one consi were run to set the field for the 25-lap main. Fast Qualifier Jake Hawkins immediately took the lead, with Butch McGill, Chris Garnes, Andy Bond, and Ed Shuman following. On lap 3, Bond was charged with a caution which eliminated him, Shuman, Donnie Dotson, and Vince Toler. Hawkins and McGill continued to lead, while Derek Doll dueled with Harold Redman Jr. and Garnes. Four more cautions for minor spins would slow the action until lap 17. Doll took to the very-high side, and “waited while the leaders duked it out”. When Hawkins and McGill made sllight contact which slowed their momentum, Doll was able to slip by both leaders and go on for his first-ever OVS feature win. While all this was going on, KC Burdette was steadily coming thru the field from his 15th-starting spot, and wound up third at the checkered ahead of McGill and Redman. Hawkins, McGill, and Garnes won the heats, and David Gibson won the consi.

Robert “Booger” Garnes made one of his infrequest visits to the Valley pay off, leading the distance of the 20-lap AMRA Modified feature for his second-ever win. It was far from easy, as Andy Bond, Vince Conrad, and Jason Brookover provided constant competition throughout. Bond outlasted Conrad for second; Brandon Patton and D. J. Cline rounded out the top five; Brookover came back from a spin to finish 6th. Jim Fordyce was fast qualifier and won the first heat; Garnes won the second. Sixteen drivers were entered.

Chris Lauer is continuing to make the FWD 4-Cylinder class look easy. For the second straight program, Lauer was fast qualifier, won his heat, and led the distance; this time the feature went non-stop. Bobby Collins finished second, followed by Sam Dickel, Jeff Rankin, and Donnie Wamsley. Collins won the other heat.

Just like last week, Dale Giffin lead the Pure Stock feature early; Matt Maloney provided early competition until spinning. Scott Rooks, Aaron Ellis, Glen Underwood, and Joe Memel took up the chace, with Maloney coming back to the top six by halfway. The gremlin bit Giffin again, as he shredded a left-rear tire with three laps to go, enabling Rooks and Ellis to get by, with Rooks holding on for his first win in four years. Ellis, Maloney, Giffin, and Memel were the top 5. Ellis was fast qualifier; Giffin and Maloney won the heats.

A regular five-division racing program is on tap for this coming Saturday; gates open at 4, racing at 730.

SUMMARY
AMRA LATE MODELS (22, 5 from heats, 3 from consi)
Fast Qualifier: Jake Hawkins 15.572
Heat 1: Hawkins, Ed Shuman, Donnie Dotson, Vince Toler, Adam Miller, Aaron Ellis, Cody Walker
Heat 2: Butch McGill, Andy Bond, Jeromy Misel, George Klintworth, JR Gibson, Austin Longfellow, David Gibson Jr.
Heat 3: Chris Garnes, Derek Doll, Harold Redman Jr., Brock Morris, KC Burdette, Joey Harper, Johnny Vandale, Larry Longfellow
Consi: D. Gibson, Eddy, Vandale, Harper, Walker, L. Longfellow, A. Longfellow
Feature: Doll, Hawkins, Burdette, McGill, Redman, Garnes, Misel, Vandale, D. Gibson, Eddy, Klintworth, J. Gibson, Morris, Shuman, Dotson, Toler, Bond, Miller

AMRA MODIFIEDS (16)
Fast Qualifier: Jim Fordyce, 16.839
Heat 1: Fordyce, Vince Conrad, Jake Shafer, Blake Eddy, Robin Lashley, Tom Sigler, Bob Moskey, DNS Nathan Perkins
Heat 2: Robert Garnes, Andy Bond, Jason Brookover, Marc Martin, Brandon Patton, D. J. Cline, Dylan Shafer, Charlie Martin
Feature: Garnes, Bond, Conrad, Patton, Cline, Brookover, M. Martin, J. Shafer, D. Shafer, C. Martin, Fordyce, Eddy, Sigler, DNS Lashley, Moskey, Perkins

PURE STOCKS (13)
Fast Qualifier: Aaron Ellis 19.483
Heat 1: Dale Giffin, Scott Rooks, Ellis, Glen Underwoon, Duane Stiers, Woody Lucas, Sarah Klintworth
Heat 2: Matt Maloney, Mike Mason, Joe Memel, Brad Stoner, Dustin Van Horn, Rick Denton
Feature: Rooks, Ellis, Maloney, Giffin, Lucas, Memel, Stiers, VanHorn, Denton, Stoner, Klintworth, Underwood, Mason (unofficial)

FWD-4-CYL (13)
Fast Qualifier: Chris Lauer 19.995
Heat 1: Lauer, Sam Dickel, Zach Heasley, Josh Ayers, Rusty Blosser, Paul Midcap, Jarrod Heiss
Heat 2: Bobby Collins, Jeff Rankin, Donnie Wamsley, Jeff Blanton, Barry Kitts, John Rankin
Feature: Lauer, Collins, Dickel, Jf. Rankin, Wamsley, Heasley, Blanton, Kitts, Blosser, Jn. Rankin, Midcap, Heiss, Ayers

MINERAL WELLS TIRE WRA MINI-WEDGES
Heat 1: Toby Wilson, Kasey Rankin, Grace Misel, Tanner Wilson, Shyan Morris, Ashley Simonton
Heat 2: Nathan Drake, Jordan Turner, Kenzie (Roo Roo)Dotson, Lucas Crooks, Alexis Miller, Jake Ice
Feature: Drake, Crooks, Rankin, Turner, Wilson, Misel, Dotson, Martin, Morris, Simonton, Ice, DNS Miller