ONA, WV-Night #1 of the Season Championships on Friday, September 9th certainly lived up to all the hype. A nice Friday night crowd assembled to watch the Season Championship races for 5 of Ona Speedway’s top weekly divisions.
The night started with the 20 lap McCam Builders Classic Car feature. By taking the green flag, Cam McKinney clinched the 2022 track championship and his second track championship in three years. At the race start, Jeremy Cooper took the lead with McKinney tucking behind him in second. Cooper pulled away from McKinney during the first part of the race, but as the race reached the lap 12 mark McKinney started closing in on Cooper. By lap 16, McKinney was within a car length of Cooper as coming off turn four, McKinney was charging hard trying to catch Cooper and nearly spun the car. This allowed Cooper to pull back away and lead the remaining laps to take his first Classic Car win of the year! McKinney finished second with Gary Chapman third, Rick Keaton fourth, and Mark Cazad fifth.
Jake Keaton clinched the 2022 Keaton’s Collision Center Late Model track championship when he took the green flag to start the night’s 25 lap feature. Keaton and Brad Coons battled side by side for the lead during the races opening lap with Keaton taking the lead. A caution would fly on lap 3 for a John Morton spin, setting up another restart. On the restart, Keaton and Coons once again battled side by side for the lead for a lap with Keaton maintaining the lead. With Keaton up front, Coons in second, and Gregg Carby in third, the most furious race of the night was for fourth between Kenny Parsons and Mike Burcham which was also the battle for third in points. The two battled hard lap after lap. At the checkered flag, Keaton came across the finish line to win the track championship in style with a race win with Coons in second, Carby third, Parsons fourth, and Burcham fifth.
Jeremy Cooper clinched the 2022 McCam Builders Modified track championship when he took the green flag to start the night’s 25 lap feature. Jason Garrett stormed to the lead to start the feature with Cooper quickly moving into second. Garrett maintained a couple car length lead over Cooper for much of the race and extended that lead out even more during the latter stages of the race as the leaders approached lap traffic. Garrett was poised for victory on the final lap until a caution flag flew for Brian Payne who had spun in turns 3 and 4. This setup a green white checkered restart. On the restart, Cooper gave Garrett a bump into turn one, moving Garrett up the track and allowing Cooper to get to his inside to battle side by side for the lead! The two remained side by side for the lead coming to the white flag! On the final lap, the two drivers were still side by side through turns 1 and 2 and down the backstretch. The remained side by side through 3 and 4 and a drag race to the checkered flag with Cooper winning in a photo finish! Coopers margin of victory was 0.054 hundredths of a second. Garrett finished second with Andy Booten third, Jacob Bell fourth, and Marty Powers fifth.
Stacie Watson came into the 25 lap Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compact feature with a slim one point lead over Evan Proctor. Watson took the lead at the race start with Proctor tucking right behind her in second. As the laps wore on, Watson started pulling away from Proctor and extended her lead all the way out to 2.2 seconds. However, with 10 laps to go, Proctor started reeling Watson back in. By 6 laps to go, Proctor had cut the lead all the way down to 1.1 seconds. After that, Watson started pulling back away however and would come to the checkered flag to take the feature win and win the track championship! Proctor finished second with Preston Hysell outdueling Rex Burton in a furious battle to finish third. Burton finished fourth with Tommy Ross fifth.
The final feature of the night was the 25 lap Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro feature. This race saw Steve Swann and Tyler Martin tied for the points lead with Jake Keaton only 1 point back. Swann stormed to the race lead at the start with Keaton right on his bumper in second. For the first four laps, the two remained nose-to-tail for the lead. On lap 5, going into turn one, Swann made a rare mistake and slipped up the track, allowing Keaton to retake the lead which then put Keaton as the points leader. The races first caution flew on lap 8 for a Jay Dunlap spin, setting up a double file restart with Keaton and Swann on the front row. On the restart, the two battled side by side for the lead for an entire lap. On lap 10, with Swann still charging up high to try to take the lead, Steve Hass looked under Swann for second. Swann quickly moved back down and held off Hass to remain in second, a move that would prove to be crucial later in the race. Swann stayed right on Keaton’s bumper in the battle for the lead.
On lap 14, another caution flew for another Jay Dunlap spin, setting up another double file restart with Keaton and Swann. On the restart, Keaton and Swann battled side by side for the lead through turns 1 and 2. The two nearly made contact off of turn 2 with Swann now taking the lead down the backstretch and into turn three. Swann would lead lap 15 with Keaton now tucking right in behind Swann. Over the next several laps, Keaton stayed tucked right behind Swann, waiting to capitalize on any mistake. As the laps wore down to two laps to go, Keaton knew if he was going to make a move he had to make it. On the backstretch and into turn three, Keaton got a run on Swann and looked to his inside but would have to back off, costing Keaton precious car lengths to Swann. Swann would maintain a three car length lead on the final lap and come to the checkered flag to take the feature win and win the track championship! Keaton finished second with Tyler Martin third, Steve Hass fourth, and Cameron Gue fifth.
The Ona Speedway will be back in action today, Saturday, September 10th for night #2 of the Season Championships featuring the CRS Super Trucks, Bumper Pounding Street Stocks, Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods, Contempo Trophy & Awards UCARS’s, and Geer Brother’s Body Shop INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro. Pit gates open at 2:00 pm with general admission gates opening at 5:00 pm. Racing will start at 7:00 pm. Adult general admission is only $15 for ages 15 and up, $10 for ages 11-14, and free for ages 10 and under. All access pit passes are $30 for ages 15 and up, $15 for ages 11-14, and free for ages 10 and under.
Complete Results
Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models
Fast Qualifier-Jake Keaton, 18.036
25 lap Feature-Jake Keaton, Brad Coons, Greg Carby, Kenny Parsons, Mike Burcham, Carson Lucas, Bobby Fihe, John Morton
Lap Leaders-Jake Keaton (1-25)
Car Count-8
McCam Builders Modifieds
Fast Qualifier-Jason Garrett, 18.140
25 lap Feature-Jeremy Cooper, Jason Garrett, Andy Booten, Jacob Bell, Marty Powers, Brian Payne, Wes Smith
Lap Leaders-Jason Garrett (1-25), Jeremy Cooper (26)
*Note: Race ended with a green-white-checkered taking it to 26 laps
Car Count-7
McCam Builders Classic Cars
Fast Qualifier-Jeremy Cooper, 20.265
20 lap Feature-Jeremy Cooper, Cam McKinney, Gary Chapman, Rick Keaton, Mark Cazad
Lap Leaders-Jeremy Cooper (1-20)
Car Count-5
Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro
Fast Qualifier-Steve Swann, 19.707
25 lap Feature-Steve Swann, Jake Keaton, Tyler Martin, Steve Hass, Cameron Gue, Thomas Crabtree, Scott Martin, Rob Dunlap, Matthew Martin, Jay Dunlap
Lap Leaders-Steve Swann (1-4), Jake Keaton (5-14), Steve Swann (15-25)
Car Count-10
SNAP Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compacts
Fast Qualifier-Evan Proctor, 21.789
25 lap Feature-Stacie Watson, Evan Proctor, Preston Hysell, Rex Burton, Tommy Ross, James Saylor (DNS: Bradly Workman)
Lap Leaders-Stacie Watson (1-25)
Car Count-7
