ONA, WV-What a night it was at the Ona Speedway on Saturday, October 23rd for Finish Line Concrete Trick or Treat Night. 78 cars from 6 different states packed the pit area in what ended up being one of the most exciting nights of racing of the season. The trick or treat portion of the show was a huge success as the drivers went all out to provide an awesome experience for the big crowd that participated in the trick or treat.
The night’s racing action started with the 15 lap Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mod feature. Justin Shanteau took the lead at the start and faced a rear view mirror full of Rick Watson for the entire race. Watson desperately tried to find a way around Shanteau each lap but was unable too as the field took the white flag. On the last lap off of turn 2, Watson got a run on Shanteau and gave him a bump. The bump upset Watson’s car and he then lost 5-6 car lengths down the backstretch. Heading into turn 3 with now a safe lead, Shanteau spun allowing Watson to get by him to make the last lap pass to take the win! James Jones finished second with Jacob Parsons third and Shanteau in fourth.
Dale Garrett took the lead to start the night’s Keaton’s Collision Center INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro feature. Early in the race all eyes were on 9th place starter Carson Haislip and 10th place starter Matthew Martin as they stormed through the field. On lap 2, Martin passed Garrett to take the lead with North Carolina racer Haislip quickly moving into second and pressuring Martin. After several laps of side by side battling for the lead, Haislip passed Martin on the outside line to take the lead on lap 6. From there, Haislip checked out to lead the remaining laps and take his first career Ona Speedway win in his first ever start at the speedway! Martin finished second with Marty Powers third, Chris Bishop fourth, and Adam Jeffrey fifth.
Jeremy Cooper led every lap of the 15 lap McCam Builders Classic Car feature to take his first win of the season! Cooper started on pole and dominated the race, winning by 1.510 seconds. For Cooper, it was his first time back in a Classic Car in a few years. 2020 track champion Cam McKinney finished second with 2021 track champion Brad Cooper third. Stevie Brown rounded out the field in fourth.
Jake Keaton dominated the night’s 15 lap Keaton’s Collision Center Late Model feature to stay undefeated on the season and win his 10th race in the class this season! 2020 track champion Kenny Parsons finished second with Mike Burcham third and Chris Cremeans fourth.
Scott Martin took the lead to start the night’s 20 lap Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro feature. Martin faced a ton of pressure in the battle for the lead with Jake Keaton, Zach Steele, and Trevor Thacker all behind him in a four car battle for the lead! On lap 2 into turn three, Zach Steele passed Martin to take the lead with Thacker now battling side by side with Martin. Off of turn 4, Martin and Thacker made contact as Thacker hit the turn four guardrail at a high rate of speed drivers side first and then was hit by Cameron Gue as his car was thrown back in front of traffic. It was perhaps the most vicious crash seen at Ona in quite some time. Thacker was shaken and taken to a local hospital for observation, but thankfully walked away from the crash without serious injury.
Because the lap did not count, Martin got his spot back in the lead on the restart. On the restart, Jake Keaton used the highside to go around Martin to take the lead with Zach Steele moving into second. Keaton jumped out to a lead of over one second but as the race got to it’s halfway mark Steele began to catch Keaton. Steele inched away at the lead and by 5 laps to go had got the lead down to within a half second. Steele was able to get to within a car length of Keaton, but Keaton pulled back away some on the final lap to come to the checkered flag to take his second feature win of the night and second Legends Car win in a row! Steele finished second with Tyler Martin third, Corey Steinbrecher fourth, and Scott Martin fifth.
Clinton Thompson took the lead at the start of the night’s 20 lap Rocky Top’s Pizza Street Stock feature with Brett Carey quickly moving into second. Carey would catch Thompson as the two would engage in a tremendous side by side battle for the lead with Thompson down low and Carey up high. After several laps of side by side racing, Carey would take the lead on lap 7. Chris Jividen would then pass Thompson for second and set his sights on Carey. Jividen closed right to the bumper of Carey and stayed close to him the rest of the race, but would never be able to make the pass as Carey led the remaining laps to take his third feature win in a row! Jividen finished second with Clinton Thompson third, Tyler Bailey fourth, and Tommy Rowe fifth.
Donna Bush, driving the Michael Baldridge owned #8, took the lead at the start of the night’s 20 lap Chandler Auto Performance Crazy Compact feature. On lap 2, Bush’s car slowed with mechanical problems, allowing Billy Arthur to take the lead. Kassidee Bush then quickly moved into second with James Saylor in third. Bush and Saylor were right on Arthur in a tremendous 3 car battle for the lead. Bush kept working and working the high side of the speedway, battling side by side with Arthur. A lap nine caution for a Shane Summers spin setup a double file restart between Arthur and Bush. On the restart, Bush stormed to the lead to lead lap 10. One of the most spectacular crashes of the year then took place as Shane Summers got upside down and slid down the backstretch on his roof with several cars wrecking behind him in a NASCAR Daytona/Talladega type of wreck. Thankfully all drivers were ok. On the restart, Bush would lead the final 5 laps to take her second win of the season! Evan Proctor came from the 14th starting position to finish second with Billy Arthur third, Dustin Higginbotham fourth, and Stacie Watson fifth.
Jason Garrett took the lead at the start of the McCam Builders Modified feature and jumped to a big lead early in the race. Jeremy Cooper dropped back several spots in the races early going but began picking the cars off one by one and by the halfway mark was in second. Cooper set his sights on Garrett and chipped away at the lead some, but by that point Garrett had a lead of over 3 seconds. With 5 laps to go, the entire complexion of the race changed as a caution for debris flew. This setup a restart with Cooper right on Garrett’s bumper. On the restart, Garrett slipped off the bottom allowing Cooper to get underneath of him and battle side by side for the lead! The two battled side by side for the lead lap after lap with Garrett using highside momentum to still lead at the line. On the last lap, the two were still side by side for the lead through turns one and two! Going into turn three, Cooper was able to clear Garrett and race to the finish line to take his first Modified win since 2019! Garrett finished second with Andy Booten third, Rick Watson fourth, and Adam Keesling fifth.
The final race of the night was the 20 lap feature for the Contempo Trophy & Awards U Cars. 11 time track champion Keith Watson took the lead at the start while Joe Workman quickly moved into the second position and right on Watson’s bumper. For nearly the entire race, Workman rode right on Watson’s bumper, trying everything he could to make the pass. Workman would never be able to make the pass as Watson pulled away the final few circuits to come across the checkers and take his second feature win in a row and third on the season! Workman finished second with Nick Fowler third, Jay Workman fourth, and Stephen Kuhn fifth.
The Ona Speedway will be in action next for it’s biggest event of the season, the Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Mountaineer 100 on November 5th-6th. For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
Complete Results
Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models
15 lap Feature-Jake Keaton, Kenny Parsons, Mike Burcham, Chris Cremeans
Lap Leaders-Jake Keaton (1-15)
Car Count-4
McCam Builders Modifieds
20 lap Feature-Jeremy Cooper, Jason Garrett, Andy Booten, Rick Watson, Adam Keesling, Jacob Parsons (DNS: Wes Smith)
Lap Leaders-Jason Garrett (1-19), Jeremy Cooper (20)
Car Count-7
Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods
15 lap Feature-Rick Watson, James Jones, Jacob Parsons, Justin Shanteau
Lap Leaders-Justin Shanteau (1-14), Rick Watson (15)
Car Count-4
Rocky Top’s Pizza Street Stocks
20 lap Feature-Brett Carey, Chris Jividen, Clinton Thompson, Tyler Bailey, Tommy Rowe, Chris Wheeler, Justin Carter, Lexi Jividen
Lap Leaders-Clinton Thompson (1-6), Brett Carey (7-20)
Car Count-8
McCam Builders Classic Cars
15 lap Feature-Jeremy Cooper, Cam McKinney, Brad Cooper, Stevie Brown
Lap Leaders-Jeremy Cooper (1-15)
Car Count-4
Contempo Trophy & Awards U Cars
20 lap Feature-Keith Watson, Joe Workman, Nick Fowler, Jay Workman, Stephen Kuhn, Evan Adkins, David Adkins, Kyle Snodgrass, Kenny Fletcher, Reuben Fetty, Trevor Doddy, John Trimble, Jason Price, Danny Keyser (DNS: Tim Cassidy)
Lap Leaders-Keith Watson (1-20)
Car Count-15
Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro
20 lap Feature-Jake Keaton, Zach Steele, Tyler Martin, Corey Steinbrecher, Scott Martin, Mike Bias, Trevor Thacker, Cameron Gue
Lap Leaders-Scott Martin (1-2), Jake Keaton (3-20)
Car Count-8
Keaton’s Collision Center INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro
20 lap Feature-Carson Haislip, Matthew Martin, Marty Powers, Chris Bishop, Adam Jeffrey, Dale Garrett, Jay Dunlap, Rob Dunlap, Brad Bowen, Brad Shifflett, Will Geer, Teddy Berry
Lap Leaders-Dale Garrett (1), Matthew Martin (2-5), Caron Haislip (5-20)
Car Count-12
Chandler Auto Performance Crazy Compacts
15 lap Feature-Kassidee Bush, Evan Proctor, Billy Arthur, Dustin Higginbotham, Stacie Watson, Rex Burton, James Saylor, Tommy Ross, Bobbie Jo Parsons, Jamie Rock, Shane Summers, Brandon Sloan, Preston Hysell, Lauren Summers, Donna Bush (DNS: Bradley Workman)
Lap Leaders-Donna Bush (1)), Billy Arthur (2-9), Kassidee Bush (10-15)
Car Count-16
