ONA, WV-The Ona Speedway is set to roar to life for it’s biggest race of the season this Saturday, November 6th for the Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Mountaineer 100 and the Partner’s Insurance Legends Car Mountaineer Cup. This race that will be held in front of the camera’s of Speed51 TV is set to be one of, if not the biggest Mountaineer 100 in history with an excellent field of cars coming in each class. The national tire shortage forced the event to be moved back to November where plenty of tires are now available. Moving the race to November has seen unprecedented interest as Ona will be one of just a few short tracks across the country racing this weekend. Here is your official Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Mountaineer 100 and Partner’s Insurance Legends Car Mountaineer Cup preview:
McCam Builders Modified Preview
As is the case each season, the McCam Builders Modifieds will headline the event with the Mountaineer 100. The 100 lapper is the longest race of the season at Ona. Caution laps will not count and there will be a halfway break on lap 50. With an abrasive track surface that is very much a drivers track, conserving tires is huge over the course of the 100 lap race. It’s the norm in the race to see some drivers fast in the first half of the race and fade in the second half while some drivers save tires the first half of the race and march through the field the second half of the race. The Mountaineer 100 is truly a can’t miss race that is unlike any race seen in the region. It’s a big part of why this race draws such large crowds.
Ohio driver Brad Yelton carries a ton of momentum heading into this year’s Mountaineer 100. Yelton won the Midwest Modifieds Tour race at Ona back on May 1st when he bested a 23 car field. He also finished second in last year’s Mountaineer 100 to Doug Meyer. Meyer, the “Ohio Outlaw” who hits up all the big races, is another driver who will be a major force to reckon with as he looks to repeat. Hamilton, Indiana’s Brian Nester, a former winner of the Mountaineer 100, is another driver that is always a top contender when he comes to Ona.
As has been seen in year’s past, Ona drivers usually fair really well at the Mountaineer 100. Jeremy Cooper has a lot of momentum heading into this year’s Mountaineer 100 for the Ona drivers as he won the last Modified race on October 23rd in a last lap pass. Jason Garrett had won the past two races in a row, but will be unable to attend on Saturday due to prior commitments. 2 time and defending Modified track champion Andy Booten is determined to contend for the checkered flag at this year’s Mountaineer 100 following being collected in a wreck in last year’s race. The Modified class has been unpredictable this season with 7 different winners. Expect a thrilling Mountaineer 100 on Saturday where any driver can win!
Keaton’s Collision Center Late Model Preview
The Mountaineer 100 is also the biggest race of the season for the Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models as they will go 50 laps for $1,500 to win. Jake Keaton has dominated the class this season, winning every single race. Keaton only has this one hurdle to cross in conquering a perfect season. It could be a tough hurdle as this race has always been known to draw a stout field of Late Models. Former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jerick Johnson from Mooresville, NC has already posted on social media that he will be at Ona this Saturday to try to get the race win. Some of Shady Bowl Speedway’s best have also posted intentions to come to Ona, including former Mountaineer 100 Late Model winner Don Mahaffey Jr. from Dayton, OH. You can never count out Bellefontaine, Ohio’s Brad Coons as well who has battled neck and neck with Keaton this season.
Partner’s Insurance Legends Car Mountaineer Cup Preview
Sponsorship from Partner’s Insurance & Financial Services in Barboursville, WV has resulted in the first Legends Car Mountaineer Cup. Both the Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro and Keaton’s Collision Center INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro classes will race for big money on Saturday with the Pro class paying $1,000 to win and the Semi-Pro class paying $600 to win. Both classes have strong paybacks. All season long out of town drivers have dropped into Ona almost every race to do battle with the Ona regulars. Some of them have been successful including Cornelius, NC’s Tyler Lester, Stedman, NC’s Daniel Adam, and Garner, NC’s Carson Haislip who all won races at Ona this season.
Legends Cars put on some of the most thrilling racing you will see at Ona. With the big purse sure to attract several out of town cars to do battle with Ona’s best, it is sure to be a battle you don’t want to miss to see who will win the Partner’s Insurance Legends Car Mountaineer Cup. Ona Legends Car track champions Steve Swann and Zach Steele along with Jake Keaton, the man with all the momentum lately with two wins in a row, will lead the Ona charge to try to keep the Legends Car Mountaineer Cup from leaving the state of West Virginia.
Rocky Top’s Pizza Street Stocks Preview
A strong $1,000 to win and payback will be on the line for the Rocky Top’s Pizza Street Stocks thanks to sponsorship from 3 Vets Heating & Cooling. The action in the Street Stock division has heated up in the second half of the season with some of the most exciting races each night coming from this class. Lesage, WV’s Brett Carey, a former winner of the Street Stock portion of the Mountaineer 100, carries all the momentum heading into Saturday with three feature wins in a row. Carey, the 2020 track champion, got a late start to the season and has won all three races he has competed in. Carey will lead the Ona contingent in trying to keep the $1,000 going to an Ona driver. The large winners purse is sure to draw cars from different tracks as the speedway has received a lot of interest from Ohio cars coming down for the event. The last time the Ohio travelers came to Ona back in May 2020, it was CRA Street Stock regular Chad Pendleton taking the big win.
Contempo Trophy & Awards U Car Preview
A strong $800 to win is on the line for the Contempo Trophy & Awards U Car class. This strong purse is expected to draw several out of town drivers to do battle against Ona’s best such as Tim Cassidy, Keith Watson, Joe Workman, Jay Workman, Nick Fowler, David Adkins and many more. The last big race for the U Cars was the VORES Touring Series Freedom Used Autos Fly by 40 on August 21st that saw Ona driver Tim Cassidy best the VORES cars for his biggest career win. 11 time track champion Keith Watson carries the momentum into Saturday with two feature wins in a row. Last season, Watson outdueled Ohio traveler Erik Johnson to win the U Car portion of the Mountaineer 100. Expect the U Car action to be hot and heavy with so much money on the line.
Chandler Auto Performance Crazy Compact Preview
Strong car counts all season long have earned the Chandler Auto Performance Crazy Compact division a spot in the season’s biggest race on Saturday. The drivers of the Crazy Compact division will be laying it all out on the line with their biggest purse of the season on Saturday. Last race saw several Ohio travelers come down but it was 2021 track champion Kassidee Bush taking her second win of the season and carrying all the momentum into Saturday’s big race. Bush’s mother, Donna Bush, is the defending champion of the Crazy Compact portion of the Mountaineer 100 and will be looking to win the race in consecutive seasons.
Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Practice Day Friday, November 5th
An extremely important Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Practice Day will be on Friday, November 5th when the track will be open for practice from 11:00 am until dark. The day long practice session will be huge as drivers dial their cars in for Saturday’s races. Saturday’s race will no doubt see the coolest track temperatures of any race at Ona over the past couple of seasons. With cool temperatures expected on Friday, the practice day will provide great conditions for drivers to tune their cars to track conditions that aren’t normally seen at Ona. The cost to practice a race car on Saturday will be $20 with pit passes $10 per person.
Early Start Times
This Saturday will see much earlier start times that will allow the racing program to be complete before temperatures get too cold. Pit gates on Saturday will open at 10:00 am with practice from 10:30 am until 1:15 pm. Qualifying will be at 1:45 pm with racing at 3:00 pm. Sunset isn’t until 6:23 pm on Saturday so the large majority of the racing program will be completed under daylight.
Admission Prices
Saturday’s jam packed racing program will see general admission only $20 for ages 15+, $10 for ages 11-14, and free for ages 10 and under. All access pit passes are $40 for ages 15+, $20 for ages 11-14, and free for ages 10 and under.
Santa at Ona Speedway
Santa Clause will be in the midway area from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm for all of the young race fans to meet and greet. Racers in Christ will also be setup with a bounce house for the kids.
For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
