By: Ron Burt
Hammer Down
If you’re on Facebook and like local racing, Scott Hammer, the public address announcer at Oakshade Raceway and driver of the #8 Dominator Stock, has a Thursday night racing show with fellow driver and racecar builder Ron Miller. They cover the area tracks, interview drivers, and recap the races. The show starts at 7PM and last one hour. It’s the best weekly coverage of our area tracks. If you miss the broadcast, you can replay it anytime.
If you’re on TikTok I post racing reels from area racetracks. If you like to see different types of race cars, I invite you to check out the Ohio Sports Blitz. I upload different reals I don’t put on my Ohio Sports Blitz Facebook page.
By now most race fans know William Byron won the 66th annual Daytona 500 last Monday at Daytona International Speedway after NASCAR’s premier race was delayed one day by rain. Byron edged his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman as a crash broke out just as Byron took the white flag for the final lap. Officials immediately threw a caution flag, and the checkered flag followed, giving Byron his first Daytona 500 win. This is the kind of win most race fans don’t like to see, a race won on a caution flag. Rounding out this year’s top five, 2nd Alex Bowman, 3rd Christopher Bell, 4th Corey LaJoie, and Bubba Wallace. Of the 40-car starting field this year 19 have raced at Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways at least once in their careers. That’s 47% of the field, including the 2023 defending Daytona 500 Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The 47th season of the Worlds Greatest Show on Dirt, with the World of Outlaw Sprints opened their 2024 season with the annual 4-night series at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL. The “Big Cat” Brad Sweet took the opening night checkered flag. He led all 25 laps to cash in on a $12,000.00 payday. Tyler Courtney made a strong challenge but Sweet fought him off and made his 91st trip to Victory Lane with the series. The next evening February 7th, David Gravel made it look easy picking up his first feature win of the season. On night number 3, Tyler Courtney on the last lap and final turn was able to sneak by Abreu and cross the finish line and pick up his $12,000.00 check. The fourth and final night of the National saw Sheldon Haudenschild pick up his 35th career victory with the World of Outlaws, his 3rd Gator Trophy and $20,000.00 for the win.
The High Limit Sprint Car Series planned to open their season February 12th at East Bay Raceway. Mother Nature had other ideas. February 13th, the divers did double duty and were forced to race two events back-to-back. The matinee saw “Yung Money” Kyle Larson get the win and the night-cap was won by Tyler Courtney. It was his first win in the new High Limit Series. Until next week, keep your wheels down. Ron out! ohiosportsblitz@yahoo.com
