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SHAUGHN McCORMICK GETS FIRST EVER LEGENDS WIN IN OSW WINTERNATIONALS THURSDAY
by Dave Westerman
Bright sunny skies greeted competitors for the third round of the INEX/600 Series Winternationals Thursday afternoon. After a thorough grilling in the drivers meeting from Race Director Brad Hockaday, the drivers were much more well behaved after a wild opener on Wednesday. The RaceCeiver Legend Car Semi Pro division saw Florida drivers Shaughn McCormick and Alex Kempf sweep the heat races and lead the field down for their 20 lap feature. On the initial start, several cars got tangled up in turn one with Ryan Moore taking a hard shot into the wall. Moore was out of the race while Mike Alcaro and Cullen Camasta drove their cars to the pits but did not return. Kevin Eskew and Zach Zimmerly made repairs and continued. A second attempt at a start saw McCormick penalized one position for jumping the gun. That would have put Jimmy Norman on the pole but he didn’t acknowledge the RaceCeiver message, so officials move inside third row starter Kara Clarke to the pole. Clarke led the opening lap before McCormick took the point for a lap. Michael Brown slipped by for the lead on the following lap just before the caution flew on lap four as Currie Pierce hit the wall in turn two. Brown set the pace over the next few laps before the handle started to go away on his machine allowing Norman to take the point on lap eight. One lap later, Brown pulled his machine to the infield followed a lap later by third running Chad Hackenbracht. The second and final caution of the race came out on lap 15 as Chris Weddle spun in turn three. On the restart, McCormick began to really pressure Norman and he took the lead on the white flag lap and raced to his first career win over Norman, Justin Swilling, Kempf and Eskew. Completing the top ten were Dustin Davis, Clarke, R.S. Senter, Trevor Alspach and Tanner Berryhill. Jordan Anderson and Kory Abbott won the heat races for the Legend Pro division and it was Anderson setting the pace through the early going of the feature. Unlike the day before, this race saw just two yellow flags for minor spins as Craig Goess, Jr. slipped by Anderson near mid race for the lead bringing Abbott with him. Abbott gave Goess a run for his money but Goess was able to hold on to the checker. Things took a decisive turn in the pits after the race as third finisher Nick Pistone enacted a seldom used rule that says any competitor can purchase the engine from another car for a set price. When Goess declined to sell his engine, he was disqualified handing the win to local favorite Abbott. Pistone was scored in second followed by Anderson, Kyle Beattie and Chelsea Schillig. Cameron Patrick, Nick Johnson, Jesse Bunnell, Daniel Hemrick and Ryan Johnson rounded out the top ten. The Legend Car Masters division feature was much tamer than the previous day which didn’t see a caution flag until the white flag lap for Darrell Vance’s spin. The race totally belonged to Clay Hair as he dominated throughout eventually taking the win over Tim Brockhouse, George Whitney, Hoyt Dennis and Cotton Spry, who rolled out his road course car after destroying his primary car the night before. The remainder of the top ten were Scotty Edwards, Roger Austin, Larry Friddle, Will Cagle and Gary Bursey. Hair and Whitney won the heats. Dylan Presnell won his third straight Legend Car Young Lions feature but got a race of it from rookie Legend driver Ronnie Bassett, Jr. who led the first 15 laps before Presnell got by for the lead. Bassett held on for second trailed by Nick Stroupe, Bryce Walker, Devin Jones, Justin Grimes, Austin Leitner, Evan Swilling, Travis Braden, Scott Hensley and Kristen Keys. Presnell also won the heat race. It was also a third consecutive win for Ryan Schleusne in the Legend Car Charger class. Schleusne led all the way to take the win ahead of Paul Blenkenhorn, Bailey Freeman, Mike Fuchswanz, Johnny Love, Joe Goaf, Marc Fuchswanz, Edgar Coleman, Jack Davenport and Fred Goaf. The heat also went to Schleusne. Kyle Benjamin banged his way past Dillon Bassett late in the going and sped to his third Bandolero Bandit win in a row. Bassett took the runner-up spot in front of Critter Saile, Mason Massey and Layne Clifton. Sixth through tenth were T.J.Michael, Blake Jones, Riley Halverson, Brady Boswell and Jacob Wallace. Chad Finchum blew away the Bandolero Young Gun field for the third race in a row leading Matthew Linker, Sean Shalvoy, Donovan Ponder, Meghan Dillner and Brady Eddy to the checker. Finchum also won the heat race. Jarod Hicks topped Kendall Sellers in the Bandolero Outlaws while Jesse Bunnell won his third straight Thunder Roadster feature over teammate Steve Carter and Tom Clarke.
