ONA, WV-Ona Speedway’s annual Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Mountaineer 100 is set for this Saturday, October 28th. The race will conclude Ona Speedway’s 60th anniversary season. It is fitting that the race will close out the 60th anniversary season as the Mountaineer 100 pays tribute to the Mountaineer 300/500 NASCAR Cup Series races that were held at the speedway, with the first one being 60 years ago in 1963.
The Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Mountaineer 100 is always the biggest race of the season each year at Ona. The race carries with it a lot of prestige. The race is headlined by the Mountaineer 100 for the Patriot Meat Processing Modifieds, but also includes high paying, prestigious special races for the other divisions on the racing card. The All Seasons Powersports Late Models, Haunted Majestic Street Stocks, Contemop Trophy & Awards UCAR’s, and Mays Tire & Service Center/Jeffrey Trucking Legends Cars will all be running special races. In all, 240 laps of feature racing will be held on Saturday.
With Ona Speedway’s location and the time of year the race is being held after most touring series and tracks have completed their season, this year’s Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Mountaineer 100 is setting up to be a race where several of the best drivers in multiple regions will collide for a true battle of the best.
This can be seen in the Patriot Meat Processing Modified entry list. Matt Dimit and Brian Nester, the top two points finishers in the Midwest Modifieds Tour, the countries top asphalt Modified touring series, are both scheduled to be in attendance. Dimit is coming off of a big $5,000 win at the Winchester Speedway in Indiana and has won the previous two Mountaineer 100’s. Nester, one of the most accomplished asphalt Modified drivers in the country, is a previous Mountaineer 100 winner.
The Modified entry list also includes several top Ohio drivers from Midvale Speedway, Lorain County Speedway, and Shady Bowl Speedway. The Ohio contingent is led by drivers such as Brad Yelton, a former Midwest Modified Tour winner at Ona, 2020 Mountaineer 100 winner Doug Meyer, Lorain County Speedway Halloween Festival of Speed winner Bubba Smith, former Shady Bowl Speedway track champion Chris Parker, and many more.
The Modified entry list also features some of the south’s more accomplished Modified racers. Chris Johnson, a former Shawn Balluzzo Memorial winner at Virginia’s Langley Speedway as well as Erik Fowlkes, another Langley Speedway feature winner, are both scheduled to be at Ona.
The out of town drivers will face battle against a tough group of Ona Speedway Modifieds. 2023 track champion Jeremy Cooper will lead the charge for the Ona regulars. Cooper led 67 of the 100 laps last year en route to a third place finish. Wes Smith is having a career season as he has visited victory lane twice on the season. Andy Booten has had strong runs all season long. Thomas Mays, another former Ona Speedway track champion who finished 8th in Midwest Modified Tour point standings, is scheduled to make his first Mountaineer 100 start in several years.
The story is much the same in the All Seasons Powersports Late Models. Some of the top drivers from Shady Bowl Speedway in Brad Coons, Don Mahaffey, and Ryan Fleming are all scheduled to be compete in the 40 lap Late Model special. Coons won two races last season at Ona while Mahaffey and Fleming finished 1-2 in the race last year. Grove City, Ohio’s Chad Pendleton, a former Columbus Motor Speedway track champion, has two feature wins at Ona this year and will be in attendance. Beaver Dam, Kentucky’s Laci Minton, who races often at Highland Rim Speedway close to Nashville, TN, will be in attendance.
The out of town Late Models will face strong competition from the Ona regulars. Jake Keaton has won all but two races this season and is a former winner of the Late Model portion of the Mountaineer 100. Though from Columbus, Ohio, Joe Fihe is a regular runner at Ona and is coming off of his best finish of the season with a second place finish on October 7th. Proctorville, Ohio’s Carson Lucas, who has ran his Late Model at Ona and in Pro Late Model competition down south, will also be in attendance.
The same story can be told in the Haunted Majestic Street Stocks with several out of town drivers coming down to battle Ona’s best in Tommy Rowe, Kenny Chapman, Mike Christy, Clinton Thompson, and many more. Strong fields are also expected in the Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s and Mays Tire & Service Center/Jeffrey Trucking Legends Cars.
All of this is setting up what will be one exciting evening of racing. Pit gates will open Saturday at 10:00 am with general admission gates opening at 2:30 pm. The first feature race will hit the speedway at 4:30 pm. General admission for this action packed show with over $25,000 in purse money is only $20 for ages 13 and up and free for ages 12 and under. All access pit passes are $40 for ages 13 and up and free for ages 12 and under.
The speedway will also be open on Friday, October 27th for Yes Chevrolet/Yes Ford Practice Day. There will be open practice from noon until 6:30 pm. At 8:00 pm, Burning Ridge will take the stage under the tech shed for a free concert for all Friday ticket holders. Pit passes on Friday are $20 for ages 13 and up and free for ages 12 and under.
For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
