ONA, WV-It was a perfect day for racing at the Ona Speedway on Saturday, August 20th for Carpenter’s Repair Night as the Ohio Wheelman Street Stock Series invaded the track for the first time. A large crowd in attendance saw what was perhaps the most exciting race night of the season with lots of great side by side racing and late race passes.
Cam McKinney took the lead to start the night’s 20 lap McCam Builders Classic Car feature with Jeremy Cooper tucking right behind him in second. For nearly the entire race, McKinney and Cooper battled bumper-to-bumper for the lead with McKinney stronger in turns 1 and 2 and Cooper stronger in turns 3 and 4. Cooper tried every way possible to get around McKinney, but wouldn’t have enough as McKinney came to the checkered flag to take the feature win! The win continues what’s been a breakout season for McKinney as he has won every race in the class this season and sets himself up to be in position to just start the September 9th feature to win the track championship. Cooper finished second with Gary Chapman third, Rick Keaton fourth, and Mark Cazad fifth.
Jake Keaton wrestled the lead away from Gregg Carby on lap two and pulled away to lead the remaining laps and take his fourth win of the season in the Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models! Carby kept his second place streak alive as he finished second for the fourth race in a row. Mike Burcham finished fourth after a great early race battle with Kenny Parson’s who recovered from a flat tire on lap 9 to finish fourth. John Morton finished fifth.
Rick Watson took the lead to start the night’s 20 lap Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mod feature with Tyler Brown right behind him in second. Watson and Brown battled bumper-to-bumper for several laps with Brown eventually going to the high side to battle side by side for the lead with Watson! While the two battled side by side, the races first caution would fly for J. R. Adkins who slowed on track. On the restart, Watson would pull away from Brown who got loose on the first lap of the restart and maintain about a four car length lead. Watson looked poised for victory until a caution would fly on lap 16 for contact between Brad Cooper and Marty Powers that sent Powers into the guardrail. Powers would continue on and Cooper was charged with the caution.
On the restart, Watson maintained his lead with Brown now right on his bumper again! Brown tried every way to get a nose underneath of Watson. Off of turn four coming to the white flag, Brown got his nose underneath Watson as they battled side by side for the lead down the frontstretch! Into turn one the two were still side by side as the two made slight contact battling side by side for the win. Brown would clear Watson and come back around to the checkers to complete the last lap pass and take his fourth win of the season! Watson finished second with Powers third, Cooper fourth, and Adkins fifth.
Ona Speedway Street Stock points leader Chris Jividen took the lead to start the night’s 50 lap Ohio Wheelman Series Street Stock feature. Jividen was immediately under heavy pressure from second place runner Sam Bigham who got around on lap four to take the race lead. Behind Bigham, the racing was as intense as short track racing gets Robbie Kordiac moved into second and began to pressure Bigham, Kordiac then came under pressure for the second position from Joe Coursen who would get by him and set his sights on Bigham who had now pulled out to a one second lead. The first caution of the race would fall on lap 18 for a slowing Clark Perry, setting up a side by side restart with Bigham and Coursen. On the restart, Coursen powered by Bigham on the outside to take the race lead.
As the laps wore on, Coursen would start to pull away from Bigham who was in his own battle for second with Earl Goldy. Indiana’s Josh Poore joined this battle with Poore eventually making the pass to move into third on lap 31. The second caution of the race would fly on lap 40 for a Stephen Schlea spin, erasing the big lead that Coursen had. On the restart, Coursen would continue with the lead while Poore would pass Goldy to move into second. Poore would never have enough to get to Coursen though as Coursen came across the checkered flag in first. However, after the race, Coursen would fail post race tech, giving the win to Poore. Goldy finished in second with Jeff Kuyendall third, Sam Bigham fourth, and Robbie Kordiac fifth. In the series preliminary races, Earl Goldy won the dash while Stephen Schlea and Sam Bigham won heat races.
Bradly Workman took the lead to start the night’s 20 lap Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compact feature with Stacie Watson and Evan Proctor all close behind in second and third. As the laps wore on, Workman and Watson began to pull away from Proctor with only a few car lengths separating the two. In the closing three laps of the race, Workman and Watson would encounter heavy lap traffic that was side by side in front of them! With nowhere to go, the two stayed nose to tail which allowed Proctor to catch up to them to make it now a three car race for the win!
On the final lap, Workman looked high on traffic with Watson looking to his inside through turns one and two. Off of turn two and down the backstretch the two were side by side for the lead and made contact as the two tried to position their way around lap cars! The contact between the two slowed Workman as Watson took the lead. Into turn three, Watson looked high on lap traffic, allowing Proctor to look to the inside of her! Off of turn four, Watson carried high side momentum to come across the checkered flag and take the win! With the win, Watson also took the points lead by one point over Proctor heading into the Season Championship race. Proctor finished second with Workman third, Tyler Bailey fourth, and Rex Burton fifth.
Jay Workman took the lead at the start of the night’s 25 lap Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR feature and began to pull away from the field. Meanwhile, the battle for second was intense between championship rivals Nick Fowler and Chris Deskins. Deskins would get the second position while Fowler would then get passed by Joe Workman and Tim Cassidy and engaged in a race long battle for fifth with Keith Watson. Up front, Jay Workman had pulled out to a 3.7 lead. However, as the race reached it’s closing laps, Deskins began taking big chunks out of Workman’s lead. Lap after lap Deskins was 3-4 tenths faster than Workman, but he would run out of laps as Workman came across the checkered flag to take his first feature win of the season! Deskins finished second with Joe Workman third, Tim Cassidy fourth, and Keith Watson fifth.
Wes Smith took the lead to start the 20 lap McCam Builders Modified feature with Jacob Bell right on his bumper in second. The two battled bumper-to-bumper for the races first 9 laps until a cut tire for Smith sent him hard into the turn one guardrail. This left Bell with the lead with Andy Booten on his outside for the double file restart. On the restart, Booten used the high side to clear Bell and take the lead. Jason Garrett then got by Bell to move into second with Jeremy Cooper also getting by Bell to move into third. Garrett quickly caught Booten as the two engaged in a bumper-to-bumper battle for the lead.
With Booten and Garrett battling hard for the lead, this allowed Cooper to catch up to them and make it a three way battle for the lead. On lap 17 into turn three, Garrett and Booten made contact with Booten going up the track a little and Garrett diving underneath of him to battle side by for the lead. Off of turn 4 while side by side, the two made contact again with both cars getting crossed up, allowing Cooper to go to their inside and make a daring three wide pass to take the lead! Somehow, Garrett and Booten collected their cars and kept on going. Cooper would pull away up front to come to the checkers and take his fourth win of the season with Garrett in second, Booten third, Bell fourth, and Marty Powers fifth.
The Ona Speedway will be in action next for the Season Championship weekend on Friday, September 9th and Saturday, September 10th. This will be the final points race of the season (there are still 3 non points races after that) as championship battles will be decided. Friday’s racing card will feature Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models, McCam Builders Modifieds, McCam Builders Classic Cars, Southern Ohio Speed INEX Legends Car Pro, and Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compacts. Saturday’s racing card will feature the CRS Super Trucks for a 50 lap feature, Bumper Pounding Street Stocks, Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods, Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s, and Geer Brother’s Body Shop INEX Legends Car Semi-Pro.
General admission Friday is only $10 for ages 15 and up, $5 for ages 11-14, and free for ages 10 and under. Saturday’s 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 each day are $30 for ages 15 and up, $15 for ages 11-14, and free for ages 10 and under. Racing will start at 7:00 pm both nights. The CRS Super Truck Series will have practice time on the schedule Friday afternoon before practice and time trials for the divisions racing that evening.
Complete Results
Ohio Wheelman Street Stock Series
Fast Qualifier-Joe Coursen, 19.432
Dash-Earl Goldy, Howard Kelly Jr., Josh Poore, Joe Coursen
Heat One-Stephen Schlea, Clark Perry, Kenny Chapman, Mike Christy, Marty Powers, Chris Jividen
Heat Two-Sam Bigham, Robbie Kordiac, Tommy Rowe, Hunter Combs, Jeff Kuykendall, Chase Burky
50 lap Feature-Josh Poore, Earl Goldy, Jeff Kuykendall, Sam Bigham, Robbie Kordiac, Howard Kelly Jr., Hunter Combs, Tommy Rowe, Stephen Schlea, Mike Christy, Chris Jividen, Marty Powers, Kenny Chapman, Clark Perry, Joe Coursen (DQ post race tech)
Lap Leaders-Chris Jividen (1-3), Sam Bigham (4-18), Joe Coursen (19-50)
Car Count-16
Keaton’s Collision Center Late Models
Fast Qualifier-Jake Keaton, 18.366
20 lap Feature-Jake Keaton, Gregg Carby, Mike Burcham, Kenny Parsons, John Morton
Lap Leaders-Gregg Carby (1), Jake Keaton (2-20)
Car Count-5
McCam Builders Modifieds
Fast Qualifier-Andy Booten, 18.376
20 lap Feature-Jeremy Cooper, Jason Garrett, Andy Booten, Jacob Bell, Marty Powers, Wes Smith
Lap Leaders-Wes Smith (1-9), Andy Booten (10-17), Jeremy Cooper (18-20)
Car Count-6
Greg Chandler Frame & Body Sport Mods
Fast Qualifier-Rick Watson, 18.955
20 lap Feature-Tyler Brown, Rick Watson, Marty Powers, Brad Cooper, J. R. Adkins
Lap Leaders-Rick Watson (1-19), Tyler Brown (20)
McCam Builders Classic Cars
Fast Qualifier-Cam McKinney, 20.391
20 lap Feature-Cam McKinney, Jeremy Cooper, Gary Chapman, Rick Keaton, Mark Cazad
Lap Leaders-Cam McKinney (1-20)
Car Count-5
Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s
Fast Qualifier-Nick Fowler, 20.269
25 lap Feature-Jay Workman, Chris Deskins, Joe Workman, Tim Cassidy, Keith Watson, Nick Fowler, Reuben Fetty, Jacob Burgoff (DNS: David Adkins, Kenny Fletcher, Danny Keyser)
Lap Leaders-Jay Workman (1-25)
Car Count-11
Snap Lawn & Handyman Crazy Compacts
Fast Qualifier-Bradly Workman/Stacie Watson, 21.938
20 lap Feature-Stacie Watson, Evan Proctor, Bradly Workman, Tyler Bailey, Rex Burton, Bill Arthur, Tommy Ross, Preston Hysell, James Saylor
Lap Leaders-Bradly Workman (1-19), Stacie Watson (20)
Car Count-9
