Babcock Earns Oakshade Late Model Feature Win

Jeff Babcock worked hard to pick up his first UMP Late Model feature win of the year at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday night with some exciting four-wide racing.

Dusty Moore set the pace early in the UMP Late Model feature after starting on the pole. Chris Keller was running a distant second when he fell off the pace on lap nine of the 25-lap race. Babcock inherited second place after Keller retired to the pits and began to make up ground on Moore. Babcock caught Moore in heavy lapped traffic. Herb Reich and Matt Lindsey were racing side by side at the tail end of the lead lap and with Babcock closing in, Moore made a move to make it three wide. Babcock jumped to the outside of that battle for some four-wide racing action.

Ky Harper’s spin with just two laps remaining brought out the only caution flag of the race. Babcock had edged out Moore in that four-wide battle on the last completed green flag lap so he led the field back to the green flag for the final two laps. Moore tried unsuccessfully to take back the lead at the start, but it was Dona Marcoullier who was on the move late in the race. He picked up two positions in the final laps to finish second to Babcock. Rusty Schlenk finished third and Moore slipped back to finish fourth. Ryan Missler was fifth.

Tim Line put on a dominating performance in the UMP Sportsman feature event. He started on the outside of the front row and led the entire distance. Drew Smith slowed on the backstretch on the second lap of the race and stacked up some of the field ending Josh Sisty’s night. Despite several other caution periods, Line was able to pull away from the rest of the field and picked up his third feature win of the year. Mike Jessen worked his way all the way up to finish second after starting 15th, but had to hold off a hard-charging Bruce Stuart who finished just a few feet behind in third. Bob Gregory and Joe Derbeck were the rest of the top five finishers.

Mathew Chapman had a strong run in the Bomber A Main. He led the first three laps after starting on the outside of the front row. Jeff Foks quickly snatched the lead away on lap four. Adam Noonan mounted a late race challenge on Foks, but had to settle for a close second place finish as Foks won his third consecutive A Main. Terry Rushlow finished third followed by Chapman and Chris Sands.

Jerry Hoot started in the back of the Sport Compact feature and quickly worked his way to the front of the combined Sport Compact/Hornet field. Hoot went on to pick up the easy win over Cory Gumm, Terry Rushlow Sr., Regan Ford and “Sparky Marky” Gillingham. John Anderson ended Cody Laney’s win streak at four after picking up the Hornet feature victory. Laney finished second.

Perry Cox and Duane Fletcher got hooked together at the start of the Bomber B Main which ended Fletcher’s night with a tow back to the pits. Cox was able to continue. At the front of the field, Adam Lantz tried to hold off Curt Lancaster early in the race, but Lancaster took the lead away. Cox had more issues on lap six when he got turned around in turns one and two after a bump from Terry Rump. The two drivers were battling in the top five.

Lancaster went on to an easy win over Jim Remley and Curt Dickey. Rump finished fourth and Lantz held on to end up fifth.

Colin Walker took the lead at the start of the Bomber C Main and survived a very close call with Anthony Petrey who had spun just in front of him at the tail end of the lead lap. Walker slammed on the brakes and narrowly avoided crashing into Petrey. Tim McNicol took advantage of the situation and took the lead briefly. Walker regained his composure and took the lead back on his way to his first feature win of the year. McNicol finished second followed by Taylor Dippman, Joe Elliot and Maverick Wright.

Oakshade Raceway will be hosting a huge night of racing on Saturday, June 22. It is the 24th Annual Barney Oldfield Race/American Late Model Series paying $4,900 to win for UMP Late Models. UMP Sportsmen, Bombers Hornets and Sport Compacts will also be in action. Gate open at 4pm with racing at 7pm.