DeGRAFF – Shady Bowl Speedway finally got a break from Mother Nature to get in a full night of speed on Saturday.
A packed pit area of over 100 race cars were on hand to keep fans cheering all night. The highlight of the night was the first leg of the Wooten Automotive and Towing Modified Buckeye200 Series, the first race of a four-race series for the ever-popular open wheelers. Jeremy Niswonger led the first lap of the 50-lap event only to be passed on lap 2 by second generation driver Bob Sibila Jr. Sibila, from Massillon, threaded his way through the 28-car starting field, dodging numerous crashes and a power outage to put his Bullit Fabrication open wheeler in victory lane.
Second through fifth followed – Bill Burba, Daniel McPherson, Gary Eaton Jr. and Austin Eaton.
The H&N Towing Crown Vics were up next. Tim Lykins, Jimmy McElfresh, and Matt Parsons took turns leading the first five laps before Nick Barrett took over the point on lap 6 and never looked back. Josh Sage, Matt Parsons, Jimmy McElfresh and Nate Wilcoxon chased Barrett across the finish line.
The Saucy Sows Farm Market Thundercars ran the first of four Rolling Thunder Series races. Each event will be 50 laps. The event turned out to be a copy of the 2022 season for Buck Purtee. Purtee, in the Bryce Realty sponsored Monte Carlo, dominated last season being crowned track champion. 2023 started just like 2022 as Purtee led all 50 laps to dominate the event. He was pursued across the money stripe by Scott Drake, Robert Roush, Jakob Brunke and Frankie Oakes.
Harrod Septic Solutions compacts packed the pits with over 50 cars on hand. The number of cars allowed Shady Bowl promoter Rick Young to run two separate 25-lap mains, both paying $500 to win and $100 to start. The first 25-lapper saw heartbreak for Dayton’s Bobby Terry as he led 24 laps only to be passed by Springfield’s Cody Combs on the last circuit. Combs went on to post the win in his All Above Glass Shop backed ride. Bobby Terry, Michael Litchfield, Steve Duty and Jimmy McElfresh rounded out the top five.
The second compact main saw Fred Triplett and Alec Young swap the lead in the first three laps before Damien Weigel took over the lead. Weigel looked to have the race in hand like the first 25 lapper, but it was not to be. On the white flag lap, he too lost the lead as David Lockhart of Huber Heights motored by him to take the win in the family-owned racer. Damien, Garrett Adams, Dominic Smith and Alec Young had a great view of last year’s Enduro Champion taking the checkereds.
This week’s program will feature the rained-out Ohio 300 Late Model Series sponsored by the Ohio Freeze Factory. The Harrod Septic Solutions compacts will host the 2nd annual Justin Dreer Memorial American Compact Challenge race #1. The Desperados Bar and Grill sponsored Street Stocks and the H&N Towing Crown Vics will also be on hand.
