MARKHAM ‘GOES BACK’ TO NAPA WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY VICTORY LANE; SCHROYER AND JAMES NAIL DOWN 1st WINS
Orrville, Ohio
Saturday, July 15, 2017
By Mike Swanger
Although he is leading the Kar Connection Super Late Model points and has a win this season, Ashland’s Ryan Markham decided to pull out last years race car and it worked for his 2nd win of the season while Coshocton’s Matt Schroyer made his first trip of the season to ‘Orrville’s Historic Oval’ a successful one by winning the Lowes Super Stock feature and Loudonville’s Jordan James rolled out a brand new car and captured the WQKT 104.5 Mini Stock feature on Malcuit’s Tavern night.
Charlie Duncan would set a torrid pace for the first of the Kar Connection Super Late Model feature 8 circuits but mechanical woes drove him to the pits and brought out the caution flag. Larry Bellman would take the lead on the restart but before that lap could get completed, a lot of contact was made in the middle of the pack in turn two that would send Brad Malcuit’s car end over end and coming down on the cars roof on top of the retaining tires on the back stretch as Malcuit would be ok. As the green flag flew again, Bellman held off 4th starting Markham for one lap as the H &T Demolition, Page Excavating and Innovative Graphics 5m took over on lap 10 and pulled away. Behind Bellman, Matt Lux, JR Gentry, Doug Drown and Cody Scott had a tight race going on for third. Gentry would jump the cushion in turn three, getting up on two wheels and losing two places on lap 12. Drown, who started ninth, would power past Lux on lap 14 and then take second from Bellman four laps later and then try to track down Markham, who had a straightaway lead. Drown was closing in but with three laps to go, slipped in the cushion going into turn one and could not make a late run on Markham to finish second. At the same time Drown slipped, Lux moved past Bellman for third as Cody Scott took fifth. Duncan and Bellman scored the heat wins.
Brandon Craver grabbed the lead from the outside pole position of the Lowes Super Stock feature and after a caution on lap two, the restart would see the red flag come out for a five car pile up in turn two that had the track blocked. Dustin Daugherty got sideways and collected four other cars including points leader Bob Daugherty, Eric Eicholtz, Gary Hensel Jr. and Matt Schroyer with Hensel Jr and Schroyer the only two able to continue and getting their positions back. With the green flag back out, Schroyer and his Four Seasons Tanning, Tri Form Products and Innovative Graphics #15s would take the point from Craver with Paul Holmes moving into second on the next lap. Two circuits later, Hensel Jr. took over third and the three front runners pulled away from the rest of the field. Holmes would keep the pressure on Schroyer and took the lead briefly on lap 14 but Schroyer motored back into the lead on the next lap and then held off Holmes by a little more than a car length at the finish. Hensel Jr. finished third while Bubba Smith took 4th from Craver as they ran side by side the last half of the feature. Bob Daugherty and Smith topped the heat races.
The WQKT 104.5 Mini Stock main saw Billy Parsons power his way into the lead from his 4th starting position and set the pace for the opening two laps but he went pit side on lap three as Jason St. John inherited the point as the race stayed green. St John held the lead for the next two laps which were interrupted by a red flag. A couple of cars got together in turn two and that would send points leader Corey Staley end over end and clearing the tires on the back stretch, almost at the same spot the Malcuit ended up. Other than some bruises and bumps, Staley was ok. On the restart and driving the brand new Ugly Duck, Lochevale Farms and Brad’s Auto Body #83, James grabbed the lead and then kept St. John at bay to win his first win of the season. Dustin Bedlion started on the pole, dropped back to 7th at one time, recovered to finish third ahead of Matt Miller and Michael Stewart. Winning the heat races were Miller, St. John and Parsons.
Both the Lowes Super Stocks and the WQKT 104.5 Mini Stocks were racing the second of their ‘Summer Series’ points along with regular points and all the drivers were racing for the Contingency Connection ‘Racer Rewards’ prizes.
Fourteen Vintage American Race Cars were on hand for display and they also performed on the track as John Lawhorn won their heat race with Chuck Harshman winning the feature over Jim McDermott and Lawhorn.
Next Saturday night, the Kar Connection Super Late Models will highlight the evening with the third annual ‘Don Gross Memorial’ paying $4,000 to win. There will also be the ‘Hans Gross Dash’ that will be a seven lap dash for seven cars paying the winner $700. The Fisher Performance Sprints return and the Lowes Super Stocks and the WQKT 104.5 Mini Stocks also in action.
For the latest news about the track, go to www.waynecountyspeedway.com
KAR CONNECTION SUPER LATE MODELS
Heat 1 Charlie Duncan, Nathan Loney, Jim Nicely, Cody Scott, Doug Drown, Brad Malcuit, Ryan Eddleblute, Jeremy White
Heat 2 Larry Bellman, Matt Lux, JR Gentry, Ryan Markham, Blaine Aber, Brett Bee, Jason Skelly, Austin Goon
Feature Ryan Markham, Doug Drown, Matt Lux, Larry Bellman, Cody Scott, JR Gentry, Nathan Loney, Ryan Eddleblute, Blaine Aber, Brett Bee, Austin Goon, Jim Nicely, Jason Skelly, Brad Malcuit, Charlie Duncan, Jeremy White
LOWES SUPER STOCKS
Heat 1 Bob Daugherty, Matt Schroyer, Dustin Daugherty, Paul Holmes, Gary Hensel Jr., Chris Albright, Tod Bevilacqua, Jamie Gibbs, Eric Eicholtz, Paul McVicker
Heat 2 Bubba Smith, Tyler Nicely, Brandon Craver, T A Perrine, Tom Hudson, Don Rutt, Ryan Tope, Jordan James dns, Gary McGregor dns
Feature Matt Schroyer, Paul Holmes, Gary Hensel Jr., Bubba Smith, Brandon Craver, Chris Albright, Tyler Nicely, Paul McVicker, Jamie Gibbs, T A Perrine, Tod Bevilacqua, Ryan Tope, Dustin Daugherty, Bob Daugherty, Tom Hudson, Eric Eicholtz, Jordan James, Don Rutt dns, Gary McGregor dns
WQKT 104.5 MINI STOCKS
Heat 1 Matt Miller, Brianna Hensel, Stephen Crowe, Jeff Slykhuis, Jess Hensel, Chip Patterson, Jessica James, Buzz Bender
Heat 2 Jason St. John, Doug Hensel, Michael Stewart, Lance Smith, Corey Staley, Wes Staley, Taylor Mazzoleni, Randy Gibson
Heat 3 Billy Parsons, Dustin Bedlion, Jordan James, Justin Cranmore, Jimmy Burns, Wayne Newberry, Kyle Petit
Feature Jordan James, Jason St.John, Dustin Bedlion, Matt Miller, Michael Stewart, Jeff Slykhuis, Taylor Mazzoleni, Buzz Bender, Kyle Petit, Jess Hensel, Wayne Newberry, Jimmy Burns, Wes Staley, Justin Cranmore, Stephen Crowe, Brianna Hensel, Doug Hensel, Corey Staley, Billy Parsons, Jessica James, Chip Patterson, Lance Smith, Randy Gibson dns
VINTAGE AMERICAN RACE CAR
Heat winner John Lawhorn
Feature Chuck Harshman, Jim McDermott, John Lawhorn, Sef DeChristopher
