Fan Notes from Wayne County OVSCA

Trevor Baker (Tom Myers) 5/20/2017- Even with the All Stars in Wisconsin and the Outlaws in PA and rainouts all over the place, I was still able to see some good racing this weekend and right in my backyard. The Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association showed up to take on the regulars Saturday evening at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio. The car count was pretty good with 36 cars showing up to do battle.  Notables in the pits included Jac Haudenschild, Danny Smith, Dean Jacobs, Andrew Paulker, Jordan Ryan, Andre Layfield, OVSCA points leaders Nathan Skaggs and Jamie Myers, youngster Trevor Baker  and reigning track champion Danny Mumaw. The track announcer calls Danny “the kid”, so I guess it’s Danny “the kid” Mumaw.  And on this night Danny was “the kid”……like an outlaw on the run with everyone trying to catch him. 

I was surprised that Brad Haudenschild wasn’t here but I understand he was at a family event and could not make it. That was too bad because he’s pretty fast and can run with the best of them. The track was in perfect condition again. It was tacky, minimal dust, with a cushion and it was smooth…. and they ran the show quickly, even with 3 other divisions on hand. The OVSCA sprints don’t time but draw for heat race spots and that made for some interesting action. 

Jac Haudenschild Jac seemed to have some motor problems in his heat. He didn’t have enough to power around some of the guys who started in front of him and the whole heat was a struggle to move forward. Some of the racers were weaving high and low in front of faster cars. So much so that Jac ran into the back of one of the guys while attempting a pass and ended up bending his front wing. Jac made the transfer spot but had some repairs and adjustments to make. In heat 4, Andrew Paulker also found himself starting behind some slower guys. No problem right? Wrong. Those slower guys didn’t keep their line the whole race so Paulker was hemmed in. He couldn’t pass high or low and ended up out of a transfer spot. 

The other heats went well for Dean Jacobs and Danny Smith and Danny Mumaw, all transferring to the A. The heats finished up as follows…. Heat #1 Dean Jacobs, Danny Mumaw, Ronnie Blair, Trevor Baker. Heat #2 Jamie Myers, Jordan Harble, Nathan Skaggs, Russ Sansosti. Heat #3 Andre Layfield, Nick Patterson, Jac Haudenschild, Josh Davis. Heat #4 Bryan Nuckles, Danny Smith, Troy Kingan, Jordan Harble. 

I wandered around the pits after the heat races and went to see what they were doing to Jac’s car. When I approached his car, I heard him say to his mechanic that the engine wasn’t running right. They proceeded to test the cylinders and change the fuel filter and fit the car with anew front wing. 

Andrew Palker  There was also some confusion during the heats too evidently…. because Tyler Dunn thought he was to be in the 4th heat but the officials thought otherwise…..they said he was in the first heat. Well, Tyler didn’t come out for the 1st heat and missed it. He ended up starting at the rear of the fourth heat and only made it up to the fifth spot so he didn’t transfer to the A main. He must have been angry because he pulled a wheelie the whole length of the front straight on the last lap of his heat! I was just standing around in the pits looking at Jac’s car and obviously Tyler was stewing because he saw me there and, while getting on his 4 wheeler, started telling me about the whole thing. He said it was okay, and to remedy the situation, he would just go out and win the B main. 

I went back up to the stands to watch B main for the sprints. They actually had two B mains. In the first B main, two cars got together at the turn 3 entrance and got stuck together! It looked like the RR of the one car got lodged in the nerf bars of the car he was trying to pass. When the car passing underneath jumped the nerf bars, both cars immediately skidded to a stop….stuck together. In the second B main, Paulker cruised to the win with the afore-mentioned Tyler Dunn finishing third to transfer to the A. 

Danny Mumaw won the OVSCA feature at Wayne County While sitting in the stands, I started talking to the guy next to me…who happened to be at his second ever dirt track race….his first in some 30 years. He was a long-time race fan who followed the asphalt races but is wanting to start following some sprint cars. Wise choice. He wanted to know the particulars of the drivers so I filled him in as best as I could and then, he started telling me all about the supermodifieds. Now, a little bit of info was ok, you know, you act like you are listening and nod your head in mock appreciation….but he kept going on and on and on…telling me about this and that, and all these racers I have never heard of and really didn’t care to know about. Been there, done that…. and asphalt racing is why I follow the dirt races. Ha Ha, I am sure some of the readers can relate to this experience sitting next to someone at the races. At least he wasn’t telling me how great the Pittsburgh Steelers were! 

I went back to the pits before the feature and one of Andrew Paulker’s crew was attempting to put the RR wheel cover on…in the dark….without a light. I just watched him struggle and after awhile he exclaimed with a frustrated voice, “I used to do my best work in the dark!” I just laughed, that was too funny.  Right then another guy came over with a light and the wheel cover went on just in time. 
 
The feature was entertaining because, well, Jac was in it, starting 11th. Mumaw got out in front at the start followed by Dean Jacobs and Jordan Myers.  Jac’s front wing went cock-eyed on the first lap and his motor wasn’t right either….but he kept throwing his car in the turns up by the rail.  After a few laps, Jac got by 7th starting Smith after they battled for a few laps and then Danny would pass him back….Jac’s handling was off because of the front wing. A few times Jac lifted the front off the ground down the straights….and never lifted.  Jac and Danny battled back and forth like that as they both moved up to 5th and 6th. By this time, the leaders were in traffic and Dean Jacobs passed Mumaw for the lead but there was a caution flag on the same lap. On the restart, Mumaw roared to a big lead and Jacobs never got close again. Danny “the kid” Mumaw wins it with Jacobs 2nd, Jordan Ryan grabbing 3rd and Danny Smith finishing 4th. Jac had to pull off on lap 19 because of a mechanical issue and Tyler Dunn, who started at the rear, made it up to 11th, with Andrew Paulker coming up to 7th. 

A good race and we were done with the sprint feature at 10:00. Thank you Wayne County Speedway and OVSCA!