Oakshade Raceway
Miller-DeLong pairing wins joins for Barney Oldfield win
Matt Miller tunes up in hot laps before his Barney Oldfield Race victory. (Dustin Jarrett)
WAUSEON, Ohio (June 23) — Rick DeLong won the inaugural Barney Oldfield Race in 1990 as a driver, and now he’s got a victory in Oakshade Raceway’s historic event as a car owner.
Driver Matt Miller continued his success with fellow Whitehouse, Ohio, resident DeLong on Saturday with a $4,800 victory at the 3/8-mile oval as he overtook early leader Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., on the ninth lap.
The fourth-starting Miller led the rest of the 40-lapper to take the checkers ahead of Ruhlman, who started outside the front row. Sixth-starting Curtis Roberts of Coleman, Mich., was third followed by 10th-starting Dan Wallace of Toledo, Ohio, and 20th-starting Jeff Babcock of Wayne, Ohio.
Ten cars finished on the lead lap as polesitter Jim Scout of Addison, Mich., wasn’t among then in finishing 15th.
Notes: Miller’s winning Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Corrigan Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire and Port City Racing. ... Miller also won the race in 2009, and Delong won it in 2000; a complete winner’s list wasn’t available. ... The race is a tribute to the Wauseon native who was a racing pioneer, the first to drive a car 60 mph on an oval track. He was a two-time starter in the Indianapolis 500 in 1914 and 1916. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Josh Scott, Dave Hartman, Brad Eitinear, Ron Miller, Hillard Miller, Ernie Haynes, Cody Houston, Rob Anderzack, Steve Kester and Ky Harper. ... Oakshade’s next major Super Late Model event is the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals finale on July 14, a $10,000-to-win event.
Barney Oldfield Race: (1) Matt Miller, (2) Brian Ruhlman, (3) Curtis Roberts, (4) Dan Wallace, (5) Jeff Babcock, (6) Rusty Schlenk, (7) Devin Shiels, (8) Dona Marcoullier, (9) Andrew Reaume, (10) Ryan Missler, (11) Dusty Moore, (12) Casey Noonan, (13) Jerry Bowersock, (14) Justin Coulter, (15) Jim Scout, (16) Kevin Reeve, (17) B.J. Gregory, (18) Mike Bores, (19) Rody Schroyer, (20) Chris Ross. Heat race winners (among 36 cars): Reaume, Ruhlman, Miller, Roberts. Consolation winners: Gregory, Bowersock.
