ONA, WV-The 2024 season got underway at the Ona Speedway on Saturday, April 20th with the Delegate Daniel Linville Cabin Fever Bash. A good crowd was in attendance on a crisp cool evening that saw legendary Marshall University football coach Bobby Pruett in attendance.
The night started with the 20 lap All Seasons Powersports Late Model feature. Jake Keaton wrestled the lead from polesitter Mike Burcham to lead every lap and score the opening night win! Mike Burcham finished second with Joe Fihe third.
Wes Smith took the lead to start the nights 25 lap LG Pressure Washing Modified feature. Andy Booten quickly moved into second with Jeremy Cooper and third. The top three stayed close for the opening laps as Smith started to pull away as the laps wore on. Booten and Cooper had a good battle for second with Booten able to maintain the position. The Chris Miller for WV Governor competition caution flew at the halfway mark on lap 13. On the Tri-State Stoneworks restart, Smith continued with the lead while Booten and Cooper were tucked in close behind him. Just like in the first segment of the race, as the laps wore on Smith pulled away as he would lead every lap and take the feature win! Booten finished second with Cooper third, Rob Dunlap fourth, and Danny Vickers fifth.
Perhaps the wildest race of the night was the 20 lap Three Sixteen Motorsports INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro feature. Dean Brotherton took the lead at the start with Kenny McComas, Jeremy Dosier, and Frank Lusher all on his tail. Dosier put his #23 machine to the highside and by lap 5 was to Brotherton’s outside for the lead. As Brotherton and Dosier came off of turn 4 side by side for the lead, the approaching lap car of Elijah Johnson broke in front of them. Both cars had to take evasive action to avoid hitting Johnson as unfortunately that would cause Dosier to get into the guardrail. He would be done for the race.
On the Tri-State Stoneworks restart, Brotherton would maintain the lead with Lusher a few car lengths behind until Brotherton would spin on his own from the lead on lap 10. This left the lead to Frank Lusher, who would lead the next three laps before he spun on his own from the lead on lap 13. This inherited the lead to Kenny McComas who would lead the remaining laps and come across the checkered flag to score his first career win! Dean Brotherton came back up to finish second with Scott Brotherton third, Frank Lusher fourth, and Dosier in fifth.
Jason Garrett took the lead to start the nights Three Sixteen Motorsports INEX Legends Car Pro race. Garrett would maintain a couple car length lead over Jake Keaton and his younger brother Dale Garrett who had a great battle for second. Garrett would lead as the field came across the line on lap 10 to the Chris Miller for WV Governor competition caution. On the Tri-State Stoneworks restart, Garrett continued with the lead while Dale Garrett and Keaton had a good battle for second. Off of turn two on lap 11 Dale was ahead of Keaton but Keaton would power back around him off of turn four. Another Chris Miller for WV Governor caution would fly on lap 16 as Randall Cline spun on his own. On the Tri-State Stoneworks restart, Jason Garrett would continue with the lead and lead the remaining laps to take the feature win! Keaton finished second with Tyler Martin third, Adam Jeffrey fourth, and Randall Cline fifth.
Kenny Chapman and Marty Powers had a fierce battle for the lead to start the nights 30 lap Haunted Majestic Street Stock feature. Powers from the outside would lead lap one while Chapman would regain the lead on lap two. After a few laps of side by side racing Powers would tuck back behind Chapman in second. Meanwhile, the battle for third was an intense one between Tommy Rowe and Mike Christy. The Chris Miller for WV Governor competition caution would fly at lap 15 with Chapman leading. On the Tri-State Stoneworks restart, Chapman would once again hold off Powers for the lead with Powers tucking right behind Chapman. Trouble would strike for Mike Christy on the restart as he continued on but was noticeably slower with some sort of mechanical problems. As the laps wore on, Chapman would continue to pull away and lead the remaining laps to take the feature win! Powers finished second with Rowe third, Chris Wheeler fourth, and Christy fifth.
The final race of the night was the Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR feature. Polesitter Jake Burgoff appeared to miss a gear at the start allowing outside polesitter Joe Workman to jump to the lead. Chris Deskins was also able to get around Burgoff to move into second. During the first half of the race, the top four of Workman, Deskins, Fowler, and Burgoff stayed nose to tail. On the lap 13 Tri-State Stoneworks restart from the Chris Miller for WV Governor competition caution, Workman would continue with the lead with Deskins right behind him in second. As the laps wore on, the race for the lead became all the more intense with Deskins giving Workman slight bumps to let him know he was there. With three laps to go, into turn one, Deskins looked to the inside of Workman as the two made contact causing Workman to spin around and bring out the caution. In what was a spinner-spinnee incident, Deskins decided to tap out, giving the lead back to Workman while Deskins went to the tail. On the restart, Workman led the remaining laps to come across the checkered flag and take the win! Burgoff finished second with Fowler third, Deskins fourth, and David Adkins fifth.
The Brody Nash Century 21 Crown Vics saw only one car in attendance. There are more local cars registered that will hit the speedway, those cars just were not done in time for the race. Ona Speedway remains 100% committed to this class that has taken off everywhere and is excited to see just how much the class will grow this season. Car counts in all divisions are expected to grow as there were several cars in each division not ready yet.
The Ona Speedway will be back in action on Saturday, April 27th for it’s biggest race of the season, the Mays Transfer & Contracting/Jeffers Excavation & Transportation Mountaineer 100! The race will be headlined by the Midwest Modifieds Tour visiting for a 50 lap duel while the Haunted Majestic Street Stocks will also battle for 50 laps. It will be special event races for all other divisions with the All Seasons Powersports Late Models, Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s, Three Sixteen Motorsports INEX Legends Car Pro, Three Sixteen Motorsports INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro, and Brody Nash Century 21 Crown Vics. The exciting racing action will start at 6:30 pm. General admission for this huge event is only $20 for ages 13 and up and free for ages 12 and under. All access pit passes are $35 for ages 13 and up and free for ages 12 and under.
The track will also host a Test N’ Tune day on Friday, April 26th from 1:00 pm-8:00 pm with open practice during those hours. All divisions competing Saturday are welcome for the practice. Pit passes for Friday are $25 for ages 13 and up and free for ages 12 and under. For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
Complete Results
All Seasons Powersports Late Models
Fast Qualifier: Jake Keaton, 17.829
20 lap Feature: Jake Keaton, Mike Burcham, Joe Fihe
Lap Leaders: Jake Keaton (1-20)
Car Count: 3
LG Pressure Washing Modifieds
Fast Qualifier: Jeremy Cooper, 18.219
25 lap Feature: Wes Smith, Andy Booten, Jeremy Cooper, Rob Dunlap, Danny Vickers
Lap Leaders: Wes Smith (1-25)
Car Count: 5
Haunted Majestic Street Stocks
Fast Qualifier: Mike Christy, 19.458
30 lap Feature: Kenny Chapman, Marty Powers, Tommy Rowe, Chris Wheeler, Mike Christy, Paul Wireman, J. R. Adkins (DNS: Jason Skeens)
Lap Leaders: Marty Powers (1), Kenny Chapman (2-30)
Car Count: 8
Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s
Fast Qualifier: Nick Fowler, 19.938
25 lap Feature: Joe Workman, Jake Burgoff, Nick Fowler, Chris Deskins, David Adkins, Lillian Bailey, Evan Strickland (DNS: Jay Workman)
Lap Leaders: Joe Workman (1-25)
Car Count: 8
Three Sixteen Motorsports INEX Legends Car Pro
Fast Qualifier: Jason Garrett, 19.418
20 lap Feature: Jason Garrett, Jake Keaton, Tyler Martin, Adam Jeffrey, Randall Cline, Scott Martin, Dale Garrett
Lap Leaders: Jason Garrett (1-25)
Car Count: 7
Three Sixteen Motorsports INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro
Fast Qualifier: Dean Brotherton, 20.637
20 lap Feature: Kenny McComas, Dean Brotherton, Scott Brotherton, Frank Lusher, Jeremy Dosier, Elijah Johnson, Ethan Johnson
Lap Leaders: Dean Brotherton (1-9), Frank Lusher (10-13), Kenny McComas (14-20)
Car Count: 7
