DeGRAFF — Shady Bowl Speedway honored local car builder Bob Korn on Saturday.
For years, Korn built stock cars that every driver in the midwest wanted to take a turn driving. Korn lost his life to cancer several years ago. The Korn cars were Ford powered and painted black and white bearing the number 72. The race was a 72-lap feature in honor of his car number.
The race was the Korn Memorial, but it turned out to be The Josh Smith Benefit. The Quincy driver swept the night’s events. He set fast time, won his heat and the 72 lap feature, taking home over $2,000 when the lap money was added. He also took the Amsoil Hard Charger award. Smith took the lead on lap 17 and never looked back. Mike Ward and Don Mahaffey Jr. tried to put pressure on Smith in his Fast Racing Engines sponsored ride but came up short. Buddy Townsend was fourth and Larry Kemp fifth. Jesse Gade also picked up a heat win.
The 30 lap modified feature took to the track next. Brian Brandyberry took the lead at the drop of the green flag. Brandyberry held the top spot until fast qualifier Greg Stapleton took over on lap five. Stapleton, of Troy, put the pedal to the floor as he sped to victory lane. Shane Shirk was second, with Brian Brandyberry third, Brad Yelton fourth and Logan McPherson fifth. Stapleton, behind the wheel of his Stapleton Machine sponsored openwheeler, was also a heat winner, as was Buddy Townsend. Brandyberry posted the dash win. The DeGraff Service Cener Hard Charger award was won by Rob Dutra.
The 25 lap street stock feature was a battle all the way, as Sidney driver Rodney Roush took advantage of his front row starting spot by leading every lap in his M&M Head Service Chevelle. The win was far from easy, however, as he had to hold off the challenges of Josh Sage and fast qualifier Josh Smith. When the checkered flew, it was Sage second, Smith third, Shawn Stansell fourth and Jacob Muncy fifth. Roush also captured the dash win, with Devon Vincent taking the heat win. The Ohlinger Auto Service Hard Charger Award went to Ryan Burch.
In compact racing, it was a familiar sight in victory lane, as Medway’s Josh Foltz won his fifth feature of the year. It was a clean sweep for Foltz, as his Detroit Tire backed racer also won the dash and picked up the Quick Parts Hard Charger award. Jimmy McElfresh, Mike Wintrow, Ryan Tamburro and Dillon Higginbotham rounded out the top five. Tamburro scored a heat win.
The pure stock main saw Zack Doolin of New Carlisle post his sixth win of the season in his Adams Auto Service sponsored Cutlass. Defending track champion and fast qualifier Jason Purtee was second, followed by John Eastman, Ryan Tamburro and Zack Brandyberry.
In the spectator drag racing, Chad Owens took the win over Corey Plunkett.
This Saturday will be the first double points night for all classes. The late models, modifieds, street stocks, pure stocks, compacts, super compacts and the spectator drags will do battle. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.
