May 28, 2022 Results

Written By: Randy Worrell

ORRVILLE – “To finish first, you first must finish.” There is some dispute where this phrase originated, but it held true to form on Saturday night as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway hosted its first Fast Five racing event of the season under much-deserved perfect weather conditions at “Orrville’s Historic Oval”. 

Three of the five feature winners, including Chris Myers in the Pine Tree Towing and Recovery sprint cars, Mitch Caskey in the Malcuit Tavern late models, and Kyle Moore in the Elite Ammunition modifieds started sixth or worse, while Took Wiles finally shook off the gremlins in capturing the McKenzie Concrete super stock main event. Doug Hensel returned to victory lane in the JoyRide Transport mini stocks. 

Myers, from his outside row three starting slot, inherited the lead on lap five after a trio of contenders suffered misfortune early in the 25-lap main. Zach Ames, who started outside the second row, hooked a rut in turn 3 during the opening circuit that ended his evening after nearly getting airborne. Wyatt Zimmerman, running a strong third on lap five, jumped the cushion in turns 1 and 2 and flipped his mount to bring out the event’s second red. Andrew Palker then grabbed the point and looked poised to get his first checkered flag in nearly three years before jumping the cushion between turns 1 and 2 a lap later, sending the McClure Motorsports entry pitside.  

Myers, who had closed to three car lengths of the lead on lap 4, survived a mid-race charge from Danny Mumaw in picking up his first win of the season in the familiar Kempthorn Motors yellow No. 38. Mumaw finished second from seventh, Henry Malcuit came home third with Tyler Street fourth from row five with Jason Dolick rounding out the top five.  

“I saw (Danny) dive underneath me there in turn four and thought l’d better pick up the pace a little bit,” said Myers. “This a tough track, and it was perfect tonight. This car has been competing here since l first started racing, and it feels great to put it in victory lane.” 

The 25-lap super late model feature rolled off next, with veterans Ryan Markham and JR Gentry duking it out for the top spot during the races’ first 15 laps with Gentry holding down the lead. Following a lap 15 caution, Chuck Kimble moved into second behind Gentry, with Caskey, from inside row four, cracking the top five. Kimble retired to the pits on lap 18 with mechanical problems, though, while Caskey motored into the runner-up spot. 

Disaster struck the leader for the second time in as many events, however, as Gentry shredded a tire on a lap 20 restart, handing the point to Caskey who held on over the last five laps for his first feature win aboard the Brad Malcuit No. 79. Markham held on for second, with Nick Cox turning in an impressive run for third, Justin Chance finished fourth and Larry Bellman rallied for fifth after tagging the tail on lap eight. 

The 20-lap modified event was up next, with Moore serving notice not only to the WCS faithful, but to the upcoming DirtCar Summer Nationals contingent as well. The Mansfield pilot, who started seventh on the grid, slowly worked his way to the front, and by lap eight had grabbed the point from early leader Tristan Bickford. Moore withstood a late-race rally from Nathan Loney to record another victory in his black Larry Reed No. R88. Loney finished second with Bickford riding home third, season-opener winner Colton Shaw fourth and Vincent Dipizzo fifth. 

“This is by far the best modified I’ve ever driven,” Moore said. “My brother (Brad) works his tail off on this thing, and we’ll be ready (when the DirtCar Nationals) and Nick Hoffman (defending series champion) roll into town.” 

As a reminder, the DirtCar Summer Nationals for late models and modifieds invades the WCS on Sunday evening July 17. 

Regardless of starting position, Doug Hensel is always a favorite in the mini stock division and Saturday night was no exception.  

Hensel powered to the front from his inside second row starting spot on lap nine and never looked back in returning to victory lane in his familiar black No. 18. Hensel moved into second on lap four behind early leader Travis Hutton, then wrestled the top spot away with a move on the bottom of turns 3 and 4 five circuits later during the 12-lap main event. 

Hutton hung on for second, with Anthony Collins grabbing third after a torrid battle with Johnny Bruce Sr., Justin Cranmore, Dustin Bedlion, and Brad Hensel who finished fourth through seventh. 

The speedway certainly saved the best for last, as the super stocks hit the 3-8-mile oval with a familiar face standing in victory lane following their 15-lap finale. 

Veteran Took Wiles shook off a year-and-a-half of bad luck in speeding to victory from his inside row two starting spot. Wiles built a 10-car length advantage by the halfway mark, and cruised to his first win in 15 years in his iconic orange No. 187 over Rob Melzer, eighth-starting Kyle Moore, Don Rutt, Paul Holmes, and Tyler Wiles.  

“We’ve had some bad luck, so this feels pretty good,” said the 55-year-old former track champion. “We have added Cramer Oil and Pertee Monuments as sponsors this year and must thank my family for sticking with me through all of this. We build our own cars from the ground up. We bend the tubing, we do it all and I’m pretty darn proud of that. We may even go to Hilltop next week and chase the bounty (on super stock driver Kyle Moore) too. “ 

WCS returns to action next week with another Fast Five program, with the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association (OVSCA) joining the Pine Tree Towing 410 sprints. 

 Sprints 

Heat 1 – 8-Ames, 12D-Dolick, 70-Malcuit, 7-Dylan Kingan, 4-Street, 23-Nick Patterson, 6-Jonah Aumend, 20-Danial Burkhart 

Heat 2- 9-Palker, 16-Mumaw, 38-Myers, 14-Zimmerman, 2-Joe Adorjan, 901-Bob Lime, 57-Tyler Newhart 

Feature- 1. Myers, 2. Mumaw, 3. Malcuit, 4. Street, 5. Dolick, 6. Patterson, 7. Kingan, 8. Burkhart, 9. Adorjan, 10. Lime, 11. Aumend, 12. Palker, 13. Zimmerman, 14. Ames, 15. Newhart 

Late Models 

Heat 1- 55-Kimble, 92-Chance, 5M-Markham, 7-Cox, 24-Jason Skelly, 92B-Austin Bright, 45-Tom Denzinger, 88-Dustin Smith 

Heat 2- 79-Caskey, 14-Gentry, 59-Bellman, 21- Wes Morrison, 28- Jason Henderson, 11- Ryan Abel, 17-Tyler Evans, 414- Ricky Holderbaum 

Feature- 1. Caskey, 2. Markham, 3. Cox, 4. Chance, 5. Bellman, 6. Morrison, 7. Gentry, 8. Abel, 9. Bright, 10. Henderson, 11. Smith, 12. Kimble, 13. Skelly, 14. Denzinger, 15. Evans, 16. Holderbaum 

Modifieds  

Heat 1- R88-Moore, 01-Shaw, 60-Jimmy Humphrey, 4-Jim Plance, 185-Ron Miller, 21-Dwayne Powell, 911-Colton Lehman, 88-Barry Jacobs, 73-Cody Basinger 

Heat 2- 10-Loney, 75-Bickford, 99-Mark Gardiner, 1-Depizzo, 225-Bud Watson, 69-Ryan Robey, 29-Scott Smith, 78-Richard Grogg 

Feature – 1. Moore, 2. Loney, 3. Bickford, 4. Shaw, 5. Depizzo, 6. Gardiner, 7. Humphrey, 8. Miller, 9. Robey, 10. Watson, 11. Plance, 12. Grogg, 13. Lehman, 14. Smith, 15. Basinger, 16. Jacobs, 17. Powell 

Mini stocks 

Heat 1- 18-D. Hensel, 89-Hutton, 311-Bruce, 23-Kyle Petit, 98-David Dawson, 3C-Ryan Carder, 12-JR Graser, 11-Matt Short, 54-Clayton Evans, 3-Dylan Tanner, 49-Jimmy Burns, 19-Wes Staley 

Heat 2- 2-Cranmore, 18-B. Hensel, 71-Collins, 18X-Bedlion, 29-Matt Reichard, 99- Tony Mullinex, 17-Wayne Newbury, 35-Daniel Spayde, 97-Brock Searls, 100-David Potter, 1-Steven Lester, 99-Chris Mullinex 

Feature- 1. D. Hensel, 2. Hutton, 3. Collins, 4. Bruce, 5. Cranmore, 6. Bedlion, 7. B. Hensel, 8. Petit, 9. Reichard, 10. Carder, 11. Dawson, 12. T. Mullinex, 13. Spayde, 14. Graser, 15. Burns, 16. Potter, 17. Evans, 18. Searls, 19. Short, 20. Lester, 21. Newbury, 22. Staley 23. Tanner, 24. C. Mullinex 

Super stocks 

Heat 1- 187-Took Wiles, 77-Melzer, 910-Rutt, 771-Brandon Craver, 5-Luke Sprouse, U4-Paul McVicker, 2-William Sidel 

Heat 2- 21D-Moore, 70-Humphries, 15-Chase Alexander, 187-Tyler Wiles, 18-Braden Tucke, 27-Don Baney Jr., 313-Virgil Masters 

Feature – 1. Took Wiles, 2. Melzer, 3. Moore, 4. Rutt, 5. Holmes, 6. Tyler Wiles, 7. Tucke, 8. Craver, 9. McVicker, 10. Sidel, 11. Sprouse, 12. Alexander, 13. Baney, 14. Masters