Fan Notes from Wayne County Speedway All Stars!

Max Stambaugh (Tom Myers) 10/7/2017 Orrville, Ohio – The All Stars stopped in at Orrville, Ohio’s historic oval Saturday for the fifth and final time of the 2017 racing season. I asked around to see if anyone knew if the All Stars had ever been to Wayne County five times in a season and no one knew for sure but the consensus guess was no. Would there be a repeat All Star winner for the first time this year or would a fifth different winner stop in victory lane?

In addition to the All Star competitors and tough Wayne County regulars, quite a few invaders were on hand, including Ian Madsen, Christopher Bell, Spencer Bayston, Cap Henry, Cale Conley, Stuart Brubaker, Cole Duncan, Rob Chaney, Lee Jacobs, Broc Martin and Brad Lamberson. The last few seasons, Madsen has travelled east to Ohio after his Knoxville season was over… and he has raced well. This evening would be no different.

The weather was warm and sunny and windy. When I got back to the pits, I noticed a young man walking about who was wearing a neck brace. It was Tyler Esh! That was so cool seeing him up and about. Some of the things I read about his condition had me worried but it looks like he will be a-okay! Many people in the pits came over to talk with him and there were a lot of smiles. Tyler had his 35 car on hand and Travis Esh was steering it for the evening.

Ian Madsen Some folks in the pits were talking about drivers that might follow the All Stars next year. There was plenty of speculation about big names, newcomers and how the big race at Mansfield next April will play out. Some were waiting for their engine rebuilds to get back and others were talking about going to Charlotte. Everybody was tired…..it’s been a long season!

The track was in good shape once again. It was tacky and smooth and a cushion developed after hot laps. There was no dust. However, a pesky swale or dip, if you want to call it that… at the entrance of turn one and turn three proved problematic. In turn one you bounced through it…..no problem. Turn three was a different story. In that turn the majority of the drivers negotiated it fine….but for more than a few, that swale caused their right rear to dig in and upset the car. Some would grab the dirt and turn over while others hopped and bounced it up the track. I would chalk it up to the tacky surface more than the swale or dip. I have seen much, much worse. In hot laps, Jordan Harble and Hunter Mackison rolled their cars after grabbing too much race track…at the turn three entrance. In time trials, Tyler Dunn had an issue entering turn three and hopped it and went straight into the guardrail front first. He came to a stop so fast I thought for sure he would be hurt but he was okay.

Thirty- four cars timed and Cale Conley was the fastest followed by Spencer Bayston. There were four heats with the top five transferring. In heat one the finish was Kemenah, third fastest timer Cole Duncan, Bayston, Conley and Caleb Armstrong. Bayston made a nice slide job stick in turn three to grab third on the last lap. In heat two the finish was Max Stambaugh, fourth fastest timer Andrew Paulker, Bell, Jordan Mackison and Danny Mumaw. Bell was driving the Numeister/Linder Brothers 11n. The heat three finish was Broc Martin, Brad Haudenschild, Lee Jacobs, Ryan Smith and Brent Matus. In heat four, Madsen looked really strong taking the win followed by Pete Jacobs Memorial winner Caleb Helms, Rob Chaney, who was driving the Holbrook 83, Brandon Spithaler and Ryan Broughton. There were no flips or rollovers in the heat races. All went off just fine.

Broc Martin When the first of two dashes was lining up, Cale Conley, while warming up his motor, flipped his car at the turn three entrance. He would be scored in last place in the dash but still had a feature start locked up. He did return for the feature with a borrowed Lee Jacobs wing on top. The dash one finished with Helms at the front, who nursed a souring motor the last two laps, Martin, Paulker, Stambaugh and Conley. These cars would start on the inside row. The second dash got us Madsen at the front followed by Kemenah, Haudenschild, Bayston and Duncan. In the B main, Cap Henry forged to the front followed by Trevor Baker, Stuart Brubaker, Jordan Harble, T.J. Michaels, John Garvin and Brandon Matus.

Before the A main, pole sitter Helms was struggling with the motor back in the pits. I saw a valve cover off and one cylinder missing the rocker arms….only 6 rocker arms. Then parts were fished out of the head, (I think a pushrod) and then it looked like the spark plug was removed. Then the horn sounded and the valve cover went back on. This didn’t look promising! Conley was also thrashing to get ready. Both made it to the green as the All Stars were trying to hurry things because of some fast approaching weather.

As the A-main cars idled around the track, the Helms car was making some strange sounds. It sounded like a steam engine. You know, a really loud puffing sound…but the puffs were much faster than a steam locomotive….in cadence much like a baseball card slapping against the spokes of your bike wheels when you were a kid. When the green dropped, Helms grabbed the lead. As he went into turn three, he hopped in the swale and bounced up the track into the guardrail…but kept going after losing many spots. Helms got lucky because the yellow came out at the same time for Conley who had stopped on the track. Jordan Mackison pulled off too so Helms got to restart on the pole. On the restart, Helms doesn’t take off and cars get bunched up behind and some guys get shuffled back. Paulker loses spots and Kemenah gets pushed into the infield. On the next lap, Baker and Brubaker, who were in the back of the field, get together in turn one and tangle. At the same time, Armstrong flips it in turn three. Now the running order was Madsen, Helms, Haud, Bayston, Martin. It’s a red flag and Kemenah goes to work area and Helms leaves the track along with Brubaker. Baker gets a new tire and returns. Kemenah returns. Armstrong is done for the night. Now the running order is Madsen, Haud, Bayston, Martin, Stambaugh, Paulker, Duncan, Spithaler, Smith, Jacobs, Broughton, Bell, Mumaw, Chaney and Henry.

Christopher Bell took the All Star feature at Wayne County Speedway Saturday When racing resumes on lap two, the race stays green until lap eight, when a yellow comes out for Lee Jacobs who is stopped. Then the officials throw the red so the cars can refuel. Madsen is still leading but Bayston has moved up to second. He is followed by Martin, Haud, Stambaugh, Paulker, Duncan, Smith, Spithaler , Bell, Mumaw, Chaney and Henry. During this red, a spectator needs the ambulance and this causes the track to call another ambulance. As we wait, folks in the stands are talking about how Madsen has been fast and pulling away. Some are saying Bayston will catch him. Others wonder why Bell is so far back.

When the cars get pushed off again, Brad Haud gets a flat left rear tire….He goes to the pits for a new one and forfeits his fourth spot. That moves everyone up one. When the racing resumes, Bayston throws a slide job at Masden but Madsen fights it off and gets out and away in the lead. Bell got a great restart and that open red must have helped because all of a sudden, his car comes to life. By lap thirteen Bell, who had been back in tenth or so, raced around Martin for third! The leaders got to lapped traffic around lap fifteen and Bayston slide jobs Madsen in turn three to take the lead. Bell then passes Madsen on the next lap and the race is on! Bell reels in Bayston and on lap twenty one, Bell goes low in turn three and they both drag race out of four…and then they touch! Bayston flips down the front stretch and Bell continues on with a broken right rear shock. Bayston was okay. Wow, that looked nasty. On the restart with nine to go, Bell pulls away and wins it with a broken shock. Madsen gets second followed by Broc Martin. Bell wins it from the eleventh starting spot. Cole Duncan finished fourth followed by Rob Chaney, Max Stambaugh, Chad Kemenah, Andrew Palker, Ryan Smith, and Cap Henry.

Bell is impressive. He is so smooth…..man can he drive! The young man looks so nice and pleasant and harmless…..like the neighborhood kid who always helps little old ladies and always offers to mow your lawn or shovel your snow……but make no mistake, Bell is a shark behind the wheel
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Thank you All Stars and also Wayne County Speedway for a great evening of racing! Let’s do this again next year!