Hess Jr & Palker Return To Wayne County Speedway In Winning Form

Orrville, Ohio
Saturday, May 13, 2017
By Mike Swanger
After 2 weeks of rain outs, everyone was ready for racing at NAPA Wayne County Speedway on Pepsi night as the fans were treated to some great race action in all four divisions. The Kars Connection Super Late Models were the highlight class as they were competing in the Attica Raceway Park/ NAPA WCS Late Model Series. Two time series champ Ryan Markham and last years NAPA WCS champion Brad Malcuit would bring the field to the green flag with Malcuit taking the top spot. Markham would hold second until lap 4 when Matt Lux took over and on the next circuit, 6th starting Dave Hess Jr. would take third from Markham as JR Gentry, Doug Drown and Charlie Duncan followed. After a lap 7 caution for a spun Al Farris, the intensity of the race picked up as Malcuit would continue to lead with Lux and Hess Jr. going back and forth for second, right on Malcuit’s rear bumper. Markham, Gentry, Drown and Duncan all were bunched together changing positions on each lap as they were right behind the three front runners. Weaving their way through the back markers Hess Jr. would take second and rode the back of Malcuit just past the 1/2 way mark with Drown and Gentry moving into the top five on lap 17. On lap 22, Malcuit would slip high in turn three and Hess Jr. jumped on Malcuit’s bobble to take the lead with Lux also getting by Malcuit. The next lap would see the race’s second and last caution when Andrew Myers spun right before turn three and Drown and Gentry would hit each other trying to avoid the spun car with Drown receiving a flat tire in the contact and ending his run. Hess Jr. would hold off Lux for the win in the final laps with Malcuit taking third and Gentry and Markham filling out the top five. For Hess Jr., it would be his 1st win at NAPA WCS since his World of Outlaw Late Model win back in May of 2013 as the Waterford Pa. driver and his Car Smile Wiper Blades, Hess’ Garage and Salvage and Car Go Auto Parts #44 was tuning up for the World of Outlaw Late Model show in two weeks. Hess Jr., Markham and Gentry claimed the heat race wins.
After running a couple of seasons on the Arctic Cat All Star tour, West Salem’s Andrew Palker returned to NAPA WCS, where he was the track champion in 2012 and 2013, and would go flag to flag for the win in the Fisher Performance Sprint feature. With four caution flags sprinkled in through the race, Palker would always get a good restart on those as the battle was on for second. Early on in the race, Max Stambaugh, Dean Jacobs and TJ Michael would be the contenders for second but Michael’s ride would slow on lap four as he would retire to the pits. That would put Brad Haudenschild and 8th starting Danny Mumaw into the top five. After a lap nine caution for a spun Shawn Hubler, Mumaw would find an extra gear as he zoomed past Haudenschild on the restart and drive by Stambaugh on the next lap for third and take second from Jacobs on lap 17. Ralph Engle would bring out the last caution on lap 20 as Mumaw would get a chance at Palker’s #57 on the restart but once again Palker would be quick on the drop of the green flag and pull away for the win. Jacobs would hold off Haudenschild for third the final five laps as Stambaugh rounded out the top five. Jacobs, Stambaugh, Jordan Harble and Palker topped the heat races as Tyler Dunn and Clay Riney captured the last chance races for the 33 car field.
Jordan James took the outside front row starting position and set the pace for the opening 18 laps of the Lowes Super Stock feature as early on Gary Hensel Jr. would race his teammate for the lead but on lap seven, 5th starting Bob Daugherty of Mansfield would take second as Paul Holmes came from 12th to take third on the next circuit. The next ten laps would see Daugherty and Holmes go back and forth for second as James stayed out front. Going low in turn three, Daugherty would pull a slide job on James coming out of turn four as the white flag waved to take the lead. At the same time, Holmes slipped in that corner and allowed Gary Hensel Jr. to move into third. James’ car sputtered on the last lap that enabled Hensel Jr. and Holmes to get by as they trailed the Char’s Cars, McKenzie Concrete and Met’s #21d of Daugherty across the finish line. Frank Oriti was fifth. James and Hensel Jr. won the heat races.
The WQKT 104.5 Mini Stocks started their season with Brad Hensel grabbing the opening lap lead from his 4th starting spot and set the pace for the first 8 circuits when his car sputtered and Jordan James would drive by but two laps later mechanical problems dropped James out of competition with Ashland’s Stephen Crowe taking the point with two laps to go. Crowe’s car had problems in the heat race and he had to start 19th in the feature and quietly worked his way through the field and park the Mid Ohio Steel Works, Hoffman Painting and Suburban RV #46 into the Summit Racing victory lane for the first time ever. Trailing Crowe across the finish line was John Doe, Doug Hensel, Wes Staley and Brad Hensel. James, Cory Staley and Katie Sams posted the heat wins.
It was also the first night of action for the drivers to compete for the year long Contingency Connection prizes.
Saturday, May 20th will see the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association roll into NAPA WCS along with the Kar Connection Super Late Models while the Lowes Super Stocks and the WQKT 104.5 Mini Stocks will be racing the first of their ‘Summer Series’ races.
The World of Outlaw Craftsman Late Model Series will be in action at Orrville’s Historic Oval on Saturday, May 27 with the Lowes Super Stocks. Pre race ticket sales of $25 are on sale on line by going to the World of Outlaw Late Model website or go to www.waynecountyspeedway.com and click on to the link that will take you to the World of Outlaw website. Tickets will be available next Saturday at the track.
NAPA WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY RESULTS
Saturday, May 13, 2017
KAR CONNECTION SUPER LATE MODELS
Heat 1 Dave Hess Jr., Mike Bores, Charlie Duncan, Rick Armstrong, Randy Davis, Brett Bee, Ashlee Todd, Jim Nicely dns
Heat 2 Ryan Markham, Brad Malcuit, Matt Lux, Jim Gingery, Ben Mott, Terry McIntire, Ricky Holderbaum, Andrew Myers
Heat 3 JR Gentry, Matt Latta, Doug Drown, Larry Bellman, Cody Scott, Al Farriss, Blaine Aber
Feature Dave Hess Jr., Matt Lux, Brad Malcuit, JR Gentry, Ryan Markham, Charlie Duncan, Mike Bores, Matt Latta, Cody Scott, Larry Bellman, Rick Armstrong, Ben Mott, Jim Gingery, Blaine Aber, Brett Bee, Randy Davis, Doug Drown, Terry McIntire, Ashlee Todd, Andrew Myers, Al Farriss, Ricky Holderbaum, Jim Nicely dns
FISHER PERFORMANCE SPRINTS
Heat 1 Dean Jacobs, Ralph Engle Jr., Jamie Myers, TJ Michael, Tyler Dunn, Ryan Fredericks, Bill Ault, Bret Barbone, Gary Kriess
Heat 2 Max Stambaugh, Danny Mumaw, Nathan Skaggs, Russ Sansosti, Shawn Hubler, Nick Patterson, Kris Davis, Andy Fike
Heat 3 Jordan Harble, Jared Horstman, Troy Kingan, Steve Butler, Jeremy Duposki, Clay Riney, Eric Williams, Phil Gressman dns
Heat 4 Andrew Palker, Brad Haudenschild, Jordan Ryan, Broc Martin, Dave Dickson, Brian Benson, Dylan Kingan, Jason Dolick
L.C. #1 Tyler Dunn, Shawn Hubler, Nick Patterson, Ryan Fredericks, Kris Davis, Andy Fike, Gary Kriess, Bill Ault, Bret Barbone
L.C. #2 Clay Riney, Jason Dolick, Dave Dickson, Brian Benson, Jeremy Duposki, Eric Williams, Dylan Kingan, Phil Gressman dns
Feature Andrew Palker, Danny Mumaw, Dean Jacobs, Brad Haudenschild, Max Stambaugh, Nathan Skaggs, Jared Horstman, Jordan Ryan, Broc Martin, Jason Dolick, Jamie Myers, Shawn Hubler, Clay Riney, Russ Sansosti, Steve Butler, Troy Kingan, Jordan Harble, Ralph Engle Jr., TJ Michael, Tyler Dunn
LOWES SUPER STOCKS
Heat 1 Jordan James, Cliff Staley, Todd Sherwin, Chris Albright, Darren Dawson, Todd Gallion, Ryan Tope, Todd Bevilacqua dns
Heat 2 Gary Hensel Jr., Bob Daugherty, Tyler Nicely, Frank Oriti, T A Perrine, Paul Holmes, Don Rutt
Feature Bob Daugherty, Gary Hensel Jr., Paul Holmes, Jordan James, Frank Oriti, Tyler Nicely, T A Perrine, Cliff Staley, Chris Albright, Todd Sherwin, Todd Bevilacqua, Darren Dawson, Don Rutt dns, Todd Gallion dns, Ryan Tope dns
WQKT 104.5 MINI STOCKS
Heat 1 Jordan James, John Doe, Jess Hensel, Jim Burns, Dustin Bedlion, Richard Retton, Stephen Crowe, Taylor Mazzoleni, Wes Staley
Heat 2 Cory Staley, Brad Hensel, Dustin Smith, Brianna Hensel, Randy Gibson, Heather Bender, Doug Hensel, Roger Rush
Heat 3 Katie Sams, Lance Smith, Brent Boreman, Wayne Newbury, Brian Tomblin, Colin Slykhuis, Clayton Evans, Ken Steele
Feature Stephen Crowe, John Doe, Doug Hensel, Cory Staley, Brad Hensel, Randy Gibson, Dustin Smith, Brent Boreman, Lance Smith, Jimmy Burns, Brian Tomblin, Katie Sams, Doug Hensel, Heather Bender, Jess Hensel, Colin Slykhuis, Jordan James, Watne Newbury, Richard Retton, Taylor Mazzoleni dns, Roger Rush dns, Brianna Hensel dns, Clayton Evans dns, Wes Staley dns, Ken Steele dns