DeGRAFF — The 2017 points chases are over at Shady Bowl Speedway.
Champions were crowned during racing action on Saturday. The season is far from over, however, as racing will continue every Saturday through September.
Don Mahaffey Jr., of Dayton, took the top spot in the late model division as he secured his third career title. The modified point battle came to a two-driver contest between Springfield’s Shane Shirk and Bellefontaine’s Logan McPherson. Shirk was able to best McPherson and take his second championship. Sidney driver Rodney Roush will be the street stock champion for the sixth time. Rodney led his brothers Richard in second spot and Robert in fifth as they claimed three of the top five spots. Zach Doolin, of New Carlisle, was top gun in the pure stock division by virtue of his eight feature wins. It was his first championship.
Josh Foltz, of Medway, was clearly the man to beat in the compacts, as he posted 11 feature wins en route to his first championship. The super compacts ran a limited schedule, with Riverside’s Bo Hoelscher claiming top spot in the point tally. The spectator drag cars returned this season with track owner Rick Young posting a unique prize to the driver who emerged as the leader. The winner would receive a race-ready compact car built by Hanger 18 Race Cars of Dayton. In addition to the car, the driver safety equipment was also awarded. When the dust and tire smoke had settled, it was Piqua’s Corey Plunkett the champion in his Firebird. Plunkett will receive his car this Saturday.
In Saturday’s races, the late model main saw Edgerton’s Bud Perry win his third feature of the season. Perry took the lead on lap five in his Mike Ward owned, Dave’s Truck and Auto Paint Shop backed ride. Jim Lewis Jr., Don Mahaffey Jr., Caleb Reschar and Matthew Parsons finished second through fifth. The race was marred by a lap three crash that saw Tyler Mahaffey take on the turn one wall head on. The race was red flagged as track crew members, fire crews and medics rushed to the scene. Mahaffey was able to get out of the mangled racer on his own as a small fire started under the car. Medics checked Mahaffey out and he appeared to have escaped uninjured. The dash win went to Buddy Townsend, with Parsons taking the heat win.
Perry was the winner of the Amsoil Hard Charger Award.
Mike Carroll took the lead on lap 19 of the modified feature in his KEG Race Cars open-wheeler. Carroll was able to lead the rest of the way to post his second win of the season. Chris Parker was second, with Chad Poole third, Shane Shirk fourth and Greg Stapleton fifth. Poole was the dash winner, with Bud Perry and Logan McPherson scoring heat wins. The DeGraff Service Center Hard Charger Award ended up in a three-way tie, with Poole, Shirk and Stapleton splitting the bonus money.
Sidney’s Rodney Roush powered his Roush Racing Chevelle into the lead on lap seven of the street stock feature. Roush went on to take his third feature win of the season. Josh Longstreth, Jacob Heckman, Richard Roush and Chad Small II filled out the top five. Longstreth was the heat winner with Rob Schaeff carrying the checkered for the dash. The Ohlinger Automotive Service Hard Charger Award was a tie with Longstreth and Richard Roush dividing the award.
The 20-lap super compact feature saw Quincy’s Terry Eaton Jr. put his Planks Pizza backed Honda in victory lane. The win was the second of the season for the former track champion. Bo Hoelscher was second, with Nicholas Meade third, Justin Kemp fourth and Eddie Kemp fifth.
The 20-lap feature for the compacts once again saw Medway’s Josh Foltz posing for pictures after the checkered flew. The win was the 11th of the year for Foltz in his Auto Parts Plus Neon. Mike Wintrow was a close second, with Cody Wynn third, Jimmy McElfresh fourth and Larry Adams fifth. It was a good night for McElfresh, as in addition to his fourth place feature finish, he won the dash and the Quick Parts Hard Charger Award. Heat wins went to Adams and Wynn.
The pure stock feature looked like win number nine for Zach Doolin, as he was in the lead when the white flag came out. It was not to be, as he and Ryan Tamburro tangled in turn four on the last lap. John Eastman, who was running third, was able to avoid the spinning cars of Doolin and Tamburro and take his first win of the year. The final rundown saw Doolin second, Tamburro third and Don Pyles fourth.
In spectator racing, Piqua’s Corey Plunkett edged out Bob Brown for the win.
This Saturday will be a regular program for late models, modifieds, street stocks, pure stocks and compacts. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.
