ONA, WV-After two off weeks, the Ona Speedway will return to action in a big way with the 2nd Annual JR’s Frame & Body Firecracker Extravaganza with the Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Fireworks Show on Friday, June 25th and Saturday, June 26th. This special two day summertime special is a celebration of country and motorsports with 9 different divisions racing over the 2 days. There will be several things with this event that will make it one of the most popular among fans this season.
Friday, June 25th: 2nd Annual JR’s Frame & Body Firecracker Extravaganza Night #1 Preview
The weekend of racing will get underway on Friday, June 25th with a four division show featuring Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models, Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods, Contempo Trophy & Awards U Cars, and Chandler Auto Performance Crazy Compacts. This show will have a special general admission price of only $5 for ages 11 and up, making it the cheapest ticket price of the season! The $5 general admission price is a special appreciation to all of the Ona Speedway race fans for their support. With the action that is expected during the Friday night portion, the $5 general admission price is no doubt the best deal of the season. It presents a great opportunity for race fans to invite family and friends to the track who have never been before.
The Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models will headline the Friday night show. Barboursville’s Jake Keaton has been perfect on the season to this point, winning all four features. Keaton’s wins haven’t come easy though as redraws and pill draws have seen Keaton come from deep in the field to take wins. Branchland, WV’s Jacob Bell, who sits second in the point standings and has finished second the past 3 races, will look to get one spot better and take his first career Late Model feature win. Last year’s track champion Kenny Parsons has been consistent all year and sits third in points while Bellefontaine, OH’s Brad Coons led 9 laps last race en route to his second podium finish of the season. Veteran drivers John Morton and Mike Burcham have also been consistent all year and sit in the top 5 in points. It is sure to be another great Late Model show as it will be interesting to see if the rare Friday night appearance for the Late Models could bring in some drivers from other speedways who normally race on Saturdays.
Last season the Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods had the most parity of any class. This season, the class has seen four different winners in four races with Rick Sibila, Chad Bailey, Rick Watson, and Marty Powers taking feature wins. These drivers will all be hungry to see who could be the first repeat winner of the season as Powers and Watson are engaged in a tight battle for the track championship. While car count hasn’t been the highest in this class, the action has been great each week with a lot of close racing and lead changes. With it being a Friday night show, the Sport Mods could also pick up some more cars from Saturday night tracks who race Crate Modifieds.
The Contempo Trophy & Awards U Car division is another division that is yet to have a repeat winner as Tim Cassidy, Chris Deskins, and Keith Watson have all taken wins this season. This class always features great racing with some of the best veteran drivers at the track competing in this class. With so much parity and a points battle that sees 5 drivers within 11 points of each other, it is a power struggle to see who will come out ahead as the driver to beat as we head into the hot summer and speed closer to the big Freedom Used Autos Fly by 40 VORES Compact Touring Series race at Ona on August 21st. The U Cars have had one of the biggest car counts of any class this season and will put on a show in their class alone that will be worth the $5 admission price.
The Chandler Auto Performance Crazy Compacts continue to produce heart-pounding racing, as witnessed last race when 21 year old Kassidee Bush held off another driver in their 20’s, Tyler Bailey, to claim her first career win. Bush, a second generation driver who with her mother Donna Bush may be the only mother-daughter combo in history to win at the track, has had a breakthrough season and comes into the race as the points leader. While he has not won this season, Dillon Higginbotham has been a model of consistency and moved into the 2nd position in points and will look to cut into Bush’s 7 point lead. The Crazy Compacts will no doubt put on another exciting show on June 25th.
Pit gates on June 25th will open at 4:00 pm with practice from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm. General admission gates will open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm. General admission is only $5 for ages 11 and up 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.
Saturday, June 26th: 2nd Annual JR’s Frame & Body Firecracker Extravaganza Night #2 Preview
The Saturday portion of the weekend will feature an exciting 5 division racing card of McCam Builders Modifieds, Rocky Top’s Pizza Street Stocks, McCam Builders Classic Cars, Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro, and Keaton’s Collision Center INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro. Following the races, one of the region’s best fireworks shows will take place with the Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Fireworks Show. This fireworks show is one of the best that fans will see at any race track and rivals the type of show that a city would put on. It is a fan favorite and truly a fireworks show you can’t miss as we celebrate Independence Day a weekend early at Ona.
Defending track champion Andy Booten is starting 2021 where he left off in 2020 with 2 feature wins already and currently sits atop the point standings. Following one of the wildest and most dramatic Modified races seen at Ona in quite some time back on June 5th, another chapter will be written on June 26th in this incredible battle for the 2021 track championship in this class. Andy Booten, Jake Keaton, and Brad Yelton have taken wins this year, but a hungry field of drivers will be looking to breakthrough with a win. The Modifieds at Ona Speedway is perhaps the most competitive class at the track top to bottom and will headline the racing program on June 26th.
The Rocky Top’s Pizza Street Stocks and McCam Builders Classic Cars return to action after being off on June 5th. Both of these classes feature cars with a lot of horsepower that are difficult to drive. The result is a lot of side by side racing, beating and banging, and cars on the ragged edge. The action has been thrilling in these classes this season. The last race in the Classic Cars saw Tyler Brown win in a photo finish over teammate Brad Cooper in a race that saw 5 lead changes in 20 laps. Will Hass leads the class in wins with two and comes in with a narrow 3 point lead over Kenny McCallister. The action has been just as intense in the Street Stocks with three different winners in three races (Clinton Thompson, Clark Perry, J. R. Webb). Clark Perry has a 6 point lead over Chris Jividen. More cars that haven’t been out yet this season in both divisions are expected to be back on June 26th, helping to make what should be two great races in these classes.
You absolutely cannot beat the thrilling action we have seen this season in the Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro and Keaton’s Collision Center INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro. With around 25 cars between the two classes showing up weekly, the Legends Cars are a can’t miss show at Ona Speedway. In the Semi-Pro class, the racing action a lot of times has looked more like a superspeedway race at Daytona or Talladega with tight action the norm. There have been three different winners in three races in the Semi-Pro class (Will Geer, Matthew Martin, Newton Moore). In the Legends Car Pro class, everyone knew coming into the season that veteran driver Steve Swann would be the driver to beat. Swann has won 2 of the 3 races in the class and is the points leader. Another veteran driver, Jerry Graley, was able to break Swann’s perfect record since his return and win on May 22nd. First year Legends Car driver Corey Steinbrecher held off Swann for 11 laps last race en route to a career best second place finish in the class. One thing is for sure, the two Legends Car features on June 26th will feature two of the most hard fought races of the night.
Pit gates on June 26th will open at 2:00 pm with practice from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm. General admission gates will open at 5:00 pm. Qualifying will be at 6:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm. 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.
Thursday Practice on June 24th
JR’S Frame & Body Practice Night will start off the weekend on Thursday, June 24th with open practice from 5:00 pm until dark. Pit passes are only $5 while the cost to practice a race car is only $20.
For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
