ONA, WV-Cars from 5 different states entered the Ona Speedway on Saturday, July 16th for night #2 of the 3rd Annual Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Cabin Fever Bash. The race night was headlined by the Midwest Modifieds Tour who came to Ona to compete for their fifth race of the 2022 season.
The night started with the 15 lap Geer Brothers Body Shop INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro feature. Fast qualifier Will Geer started in fourth due to the invert and by the end of lap 1 Geer passed the entire field to take the race lead. Behind Geer, Cole Sowards and Mick Sansom had a good battle with Sansom eventually getting passed Sowards to move into second. Nobody would have enough for Geer though as he led every lap to claim his second feature win of the season! Sansom finished second with Sowards third and Aiden Coons fourth.
Mike Burcham took the lead to start the night’s 20 lap Keaton’s Collision Center Late Model feature. The first laps of the race were frantic up front with Burcham leading, Gregg Carby on his bumper, and Brad Coons on the high side. After a couple laps of side by side racing for the lead, Coons took the lead on llap 3. Carby would then get past Burcham and a lap later Kenny Parsons would pass Burcham to move into third. Coons would set sail up front and lead the remaining laps to claim his second feature win in a row! Carby and Parsons had a good battle for much of the race with Carby finishing second and Parsons third. Burcham would finish fourth with John Morton fifth.
Preston Hysell and Bradly Workman would have a great battle for the lead for much of the first half of the 15 lap Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compact feature. Hysell led the first 5 laps until Workman was able to make the pass on him on lap 6. Workman set sail up front and appeared destined for victory until the unthinkable happened with two laps to go as Workman slowed and pulled off the speedway. This left the lead to Hysell who led the final two laps to come to the checkered flag and claim his first career win! Workman finished second with Michael Baldridge third. The Crazy Compact class is now the only class at Ona that has not had a repeat winner yet this season.
Thomas Crabtree jumped to the lead at the start of the night’s 15 lap Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro feature. With Crabtree leading, Steve Swann quickly moved into the second position and began challenging Crabtree for the lead. Crabtree’s car was fast all the way around the speedway except for coming off of turn four where his car would drift high. Coming to complete lap 5, Crabtree’s car would once again push high, allowing Swann to get underneath of him and take the race lead. Swann set sail from there and led the remaining laps to claim his third feature win of the season! Zach Steele recovered from a lap 7 spin to come from the tail to finish second with Cameron Gue third, Marty Powers fourth, and Matthew Martin fifth.
The nightcap saw the main event of the weekend, the Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Cabin Fever 50 with the Midwest Modiifeds Tour. 2 time and defending McCam Builders Modified track champion Andy Booten led the field to the green and would jump to the early race lead with Aaron Taylor right on Booten’s bumper. Booten and Taylor stayed nose to tail in an intense battle for the lead for much of the first half of the race. With Booten and Taylor battling up front, a lot of eyes were on seventh place starter Buddy Gray who kept picking off cars to move through the field. By lap 24, Gray was able to move all the way up to the third position and set his sights on the lead battle of Booten and Taylor. Another driver who was moving through the field was 10th place starter Danny Jackson who moved up into the fifth position on lap 30.
A caution flag on lap 35 for a Jeremy Cooper spin changed the complexion of the race as Gray would now restart right behind the front duo of Booten and Taylor. On the restart, Booten continued with the race lead while Taylor and Gray had an intense battle for the second position. Going into turn 3 on lap 39, Gray would shoot to the inside of Taylor as the two made slight contact with Gray now taking the second position. Taylor would slow with a broken control arm, bringing out yet another caution flag. This would setup a restart with 11 laps to go that saw Booten and Gray on the front row. On the restart, Booten and Gray would battle side by side for the lead. Still side by side for the lead, Gray would inch ahead at the line to complete lap 40 as the two were still side by side for the lead into turn one. Gray sent his #24 machine up high and would clear Booten off of turn two to take control of the race.
With Gray now leading, an intense battle took place for the second position between Booten and Danny Jackson who now moved his way up to third. Booten and Jackson battled hard for the spot until a caution flag flew with four laps to go for Steve Hass who got into the guardrail. Jackson had actually finally made the pass on Booten, but it would not count as the lap didn’t get completed before the caution flag flew. This would setup a frantic 4 lap dash for the checkered with Gray and Booten side by side on the front row and Jackson restarting third. On the restart, Gray and Booten went side by side into turn one with Gray holding onto the lead and Jackson shooting under Booten to take second. Jackson wouldn’t be able to close up to Gray during the final laps though as Gray would come across the checkers to take his first Midwest Modifieds Tour win since 2019! Jackson finished second with Booten third, Greg Fullarton fourth, and Matt Dimit fifth. In a race that was full of passing, Gray started 7th, Jackson started 10th, and Dimit started 12th.
The Ona Speedway will be back in action on Saturday, July 23rd for the One Way Septic Mid-Season Championships featuring a super show of Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models, McCam Builders Modifieds, Bumper Pounding Street Stocks, Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods, McCam Builders Classic Cars, Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s, Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro, Geer Brother’s Body Shop INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro, and Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compacts. We will have an earlier start time with racing starting at 6:00 pm. General admission is only $15 for ages 15 and up, $10 for ages 11-15, 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.
For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
Complete Results
Midwest Modifieds Tour
Fast Qualifier-Danny Jackson, 17.738
50 lap Feature-Buddy Gray, Danny Jackson, Andy Booten, Greg Fullarton, Matt Dimit, Walt Obrinske Jr., Chris Johnson, Jeremy Cooper, Thomas Mays, Brad Yelton, Sam Bigham, Steve Hass, Aaron Taylor, Tyler Brown, Dave Nester, Jacob Bell, Chad Bailey, Wes Smith
Lap Leaders-Andy Booten (1-39), Buddy Gray (40-50)
Car Count-18
Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models
Fast Qualifier-Brad Coons, 18.542
20 lap Feature-Brad Coons, Gregg Carby, Kenny Parsons, Mike Burcham, John Morton
Lap Leaders-Mike Burcham (1-2), Brad Coons (3-20)
Car Count-5
Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro
Fast Qualifier-Steve Swann, 19.797
15 lap Feature-Steve Swann, Zach Steele, Cameron Gue, Marty Powers, Matthew Martin, Thomas Crabtree
Lap Leaders-Thomas Crabtree (1-4), Steve Swann (5-15)
Car Count-6
Geer Brother’s Body Shop INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro
Fast Qualifier-Will Geer, 19.904
15 lap Feature-Will Geer, Mick Sansom, Cole Sowards, Aiden Coons (DNS: Aaron Auffant)
Lap Leaders-Will Geer (1-15)
Car Count-5
Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compacts
Fast Qualifier-Bradly Workman, 21.947
15 lap Feature-Preston Hysell, Bradly Workman, Michael BaldridgE
Lap Leaders-Preston Hysell (1-5), Bradly Workman (6-13), Preston Hysell (14-15)
Car Count-3
