SPITHALER, CRAVER & STALEY GRAB RAIN OUT FEATURES; RYAN, DROWN, BRENNAN & RAIN TAKE WAYNE COUNTY CHECKERS

Saturday, August 15,2026

By Mike Swanger

Rain has tormented O’Reilly Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway all season long and the last two Saturday’s has interrupted the action halfway through the night. Saturday nights action would start early with three make up features from the week before as the JoyRide Transport Sport Compacts hit the track first with Mansfields Wes Staley taking the point at the drop of the green flag and holding off Cody Musselman in the closing laps to put Wilfong’s Hauling, Canton Auto Salvage and Gentry Dumpster Service # 73s into the Summit Racing Victory Service for the first time this season. Musselman would finish second as Johnny Bruce, Cody Rush and Peyton Davis finished out the top five.

Brandon Craver would go flag to flag for his second Canton Glass House Super Stock win of the year as the Navarre based Ohio Paper Tube, Global Transport and Mid’s Sauces #771 would take on early challenges from Jason Flory and then late runs by Jose Marsh and Paul Holmes who would take second from Marsh with five laps to go with Denny Shear and Ryan Tope following the leaders to the checkered flag.

Next up would be the OVSCA Sprint feature and it would get off to a tough start as Tyler Street and Nash Gierke, who would both continue action, along with Danny Mumaw, Shawn Hubler and Trinity Ramseyer got tangled up in turn two on the start. Chris Myers would bring the field back to green but on lap two would slide into the turn three wall, ending his race. Kory Crabtree would take the lead but caution flags on laps four and six would delay the action as an open red was thrown for the field after Jordan Ryan took a tumble in turn one. With the race back to green, Crabtree was pressured by Brandon Spithaler with Tyler Street in pursuit. Coming out of turn four on lap 19, Crabtree bobbled and Spithaler and his Superior Truck and Trailer, Rustler Services and Kruz #22 edged past for the lead and his first win at WCS. Street would power past Crabtree for second with three circuits to go. Rayce Jacobs and Chris Verda completed the top five.

The scheduled Back to School night would start with the OVSCA/Pine Tree Towing & Recovery Sprints and this time Jordan Ryan in his repaired Ernst Tire Recycling, Joyride Transport and Premier Planning #25r setting the pace with Brandon Spithaler in his tire tracks. This time Ryan would slip on lap 14 and Spithaler swiped the lead away. That lead for Spithaler would last for four circuits as lapped cars became an issue and coming out of turn four on lap 19, Spithaler swiped the front stretch wall as he was trying to lap a slower car and that sent him spinning into the infield ending his chance at the double win night. Ryan inherited the top spot back and the Bellevue driver held off a fast charging Rayce Jacobs for the win, his first at Orrville’s Historic Oval this season. Jacobs scored a season best second with Crabtree getting by Nuckles for third and Verda getting his second fifth place finish of the night,

The Malcuit Tavern Super Late Models rolled onto the track next and four caution flags in the first five circuits kept the field bunched together as JR Gentry was the leader but on the restart of lap 5, Kyle Moore moved past Gentry for the point but he would pull off right after that with mechanical issues and Gentry would also drop out, giving the lead to Doug Drown. The Wooster driver raced out to a big lead aboard the Malcuit Tavern, 89 Holmes and Joyride Transport #79 as Todd Brennan settled into second with Ryan Markham and Dave Hornikel slicing and dicing for third. A lap 18 caution waved and then Mother Nature opened the spigot. Drivers and Track officials agreed to call the race at that point giving Drown the win.

But the night wasn’t over with as the track crew would get the track back into shape along with several drivers and their race cars helping out with the rain stopping so the Flynn’s Tire and Auto Service Modifieds hit the track with a pair of 5’s on the front row with Jess Hartman grabbing the point from Ryan Markham but Jason Brennan took control on lap 2 and then fended off Hartman the rest of the way as the Zanesville driver and his J & B Towing, Y-City Detailing and Elite Signs & Graphics #11 scored his first WCS win. Jimmy Humphrey and Kyle Moore went wheel to wheel as Humphrey hung on for third from Moore with Denny Benjamin taking fifth.

The Canton Glass House Super Stock were chasing after the Danny Gardner Memorial with Braden Tucke and Paul Holmes going fender to fender for the lead until lap seven when both got out of shape in turn one. Before they could get lined back up for the restart, the skies opened back up, halting the rest of the races. The race will pick up next week at that point as the Late Models and the Modifieds will have make up features from last week along with the Sport Compacts. Watch the Wayne County Speedway’s facebook back in the next few day for more information for next weeks action

WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY SUMMARY

1. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 2. 7*-Tyler Street, 3. 11c-Kory Crabtree, 4. 81-Rayce Jacobs, 5. 3v-Chris Verda, 6. 31 Jac Nickles, 7. 1- Jamie Myers, 8. 1mc- Wayne McPeek, 9. 00k- Anthony Gaskins, 10. 8t- Tanner Tecco, 11. 7dk- Dylan Kingan, 12. 91x-Aaron Middaugh, 13. 25r- Jordan Ryan, 14, 70- Henry Malcuit, 15. 56n- Nash Gierke, 16. 38k-Chris Myers, 17. 9- Lance Heinberger, 18. 16- Danny Mumaw, 19. 11- Shawn Hubler, 20. 14- Trinity Ramseyer

1. 771- Brandon Craver, 2. 7- Paul Holmes, 3. 99- Paul Holmes, 4. 45-Denny Shear, 5. 10t- Ryan Tope, 6. 36- Matt Hensel, 7. 37- Dusty Tuttle, 8. U4- Jason Flory, 9. 910- Don Rutt

1. 73s-Wes Staley, 2. 7c-Cody Musselman, 3. 311-Johnny Bruce, 4. 52-Cody Rush, 5. 43d- Peyton Davis, 6. 42w-Moose Workman, 7. B11- Trent Bishop, 8. 42- Carl Schachel, 9. 49b-Jimmy Burns, 10. 31- Valek Menough, 11, 84- Colton St.John, 12. 54c- Clayton Evans

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026

Bazell Race Fuels Heat 1 1. 22- Brandon Spithaler, 2. 25r- Jordan Ryan, 3. 1mc- Wayne McPeek, 4. 83x- Nate Reeser, 5. 31- Jac Nickles, 6. 11- Shawn Hubler, 7. 00k- Anthony Gaskins, 8.32- Charlie Russell

DMI Racing Products Bulldog Rear Ends Heat 2 1. 7*- Tyler Street, 2. 3v-Chris Verda, 3. 8t- Tanner Tecco, 4. 91x- Aaron Middaugh, 5. 3tn- Tyler Newhart, 6. 14 Trinity Ramseyer,

SCS Gears Heat 3 1. 81- Rayce Jacobs, 2. 59- Bryan Nuckles, 3. 1- Jamie Myers, 4. 7dk- Dylan Kingan, 5. 25- Cody Stillion, 6. 11c – Kory Crabtree 7. 56n- Nash Gierke

FEATURE 1. 25r- Ryan Jordan, 2. 81- Rayce Jacobs, 3. 11c- Kory Crabtree, 4. 59- Bryan Nuckles, 5. 3v- Chris Verda, 6. 8t- Tanner Tecco, 7. 1- Jamie Myers, 8. 1mc- Wayne McPeek, 9. 31- Jac Nickles, 10. 25- Cody Stillion, 11. 83x- Nate Reeser, 12. 3tn- Tyler Newhart, 13. 7dk- Dylan Kingan, 14. 11- Shawn Hubler, 15. 32- Charlie Russell, 16. 22- Brandon Spithaler, 17. 14- Trinity Ramseyer, 18. 9- Lance Heinberger, 19. 91x- Aaron Middaugh, 20. 7* Tyler Street

Henthorn Sales & Service Heat 1 1. 20- Todd Brennan, 2. 5m- Ryan Markham, 3. 79- Doug Drown, 4. 71- Dave Hornikel. 5. 96f- Justin Chance, 6. 69r- Doug Baird, 7. 5em- Emma Markham

TruForm Race Products Heat 2 1. 14- JR Gentry, 2. 1*- Kyle Moore, 3, 59- Larry Bellman, 4, 22g- Tegan Evans, 5. 7- Nick Cox, 6. 03- Jim Gingery

FEATURE 1. 79- Doug Drown, 2, 20- Todd Brennan, 3. 5m- Ryan Markham, 4, 71- Dave Hornikel. 5. 96f- Justin Chance, 6. 59- Larry Bellman, 7. 22g- Tegan Evans, 8. 69r- Doug Baird, 9. 7- Nick Cox, 10. 14- JR Gentry, 11. 5em – Emma Markham, 12. 1*- Kyle Moore

Henthorn Sales & Service Heat 1 1. 21d- Kyle Moore, 2. 5- Ryan Markham, 3. 16- Caden Alexander, 4. 01- Denny Benjamin, 5. 00- Donnie Danley, 6. 185- Ron Miller

TruForm Race Products Heat 2 1. 11- Jason Brennan, 2. 5a Jess Hartman, 3. 60- Jimmy Humphrey, 4. 12- Mitchell Lam, 5. 16h- Ron Hamlin, 6. 22g- Jesse Griffitts

FEATURE 1. 11- Jason Brennan, 2. 5a- Jess Hartman, 3. 60- Jimmy Humphrey, 4. 21d- Kyle Moore, 5. 01- Denny Benjamin, 6. 5- Ryan Markham, 7. 12- Mitchell Lam, 8. 16- Caden Alexander, 9. 16h- Ron Hamlin, 10. 22g- Jesse Griffitts, 11. 185- Ron Miller, 12. 00- Donnie Danley