Jeff Oakley picked up his first official win of the 2016 race season in the Late Model division at Dominion Raceway. In a one hundred lap feature, thirty one cars took to the grid on this Memorial Day with racing all on their minds and the fallen of our military hero’s in their hearts. While the threat of rain did its best to create havoc over the afternoons events, only the sounds of racing could be heard over Dominion Raceway.

Getting the afternoons racing going was the time trials to decide the races pole winner and the starting grid. Thirty cars took time with Jeff Oakley notching up another pole award posting a lap at 14.853 seconds or 96.950 mph. Making the trip from his home track of South Boston Speedway, Matt Bowling in his first ever appearance at Dominion Raceway qualified second. Late Model series points leader Doug Barnes Jr would start third, Nick Smith fourth and Logan Jones made up qualifying’s five best on the grid. Other notables in the series was Michael Hardin eighth and Trent Barnes tenth.

Green flag racing was over the track at Dominion Raceway and showing the field into turn one was the likes of pole setter Jeff Oakley. But emerging out of turn two with the advantage was Matt Bowling who would go on to lead lap one of the race. Doug Barnes Jr wasted little time making quick work of Oakley as well for second before Oakley could regroup to mount up his first assault towards the front of the field. That was all accomplished by lap seven when Oakley motored by Bowling in just a few laps later.

On back, Nick Smith was keeping pace running fourth in the field as Sergio Pena worked his way into the top five of the event before the races first caution waved. Keith Carpenter on lap fourteen makes heavy contact with the turn one wall ending his day early in the race. Back to the green and this time, Jeff Oakley would get a much better start, securing the point and looking to set sail on the field. Smith and Doug Barnes Jr had a good battle for second before Barnes got the position to claim the spot.

Meanwhile, Oakley had built a eight car length lead before the races second caution flag waved as Tyler Daniels goes around. After a few more caution periods, the race was at the halfway point showing Oakley having his way with Bowling giving chase along with Pena, Barnes and Smith. Soon, the leaders would encounter slower race traffic and Oakley’s race lead was down to one car length as lap traffic was in play. But it also played to Oakley’s advantage once he got through leaving Bowling likely frustrated along with many others.

With thirty circuits remaining, Oakley’s lead continued to grow especially after a good battle for second took place as Bowling had it and Doug Barnes Jr wanted it. Once Barnes cleared, to have a shot at Oakley there would be the need for a caution but the caution never came. On lap one hundred and clearly the man to beat, Jeff Oakley dominated the event picking up his first win in the 2016 race season. Dominion Raceway and they’re NWAAS Late Model division will take a week off with race action returning June 11th when the series will do a seventy five lap feature.

Race Results:
1 #11 Jeff Oakley
2 #88 Doug Barnes Jr
3 #83 Matt Bowling
4 #12 Nick Smith
5 #7 Michael Hardin
6 #1 Trent Barnes
7 #98 Travis Miller
8 #33 David Polenz
9 #4 Johnathan Findley
10 #01 Sergio Pena
11 #29 Robert Bruce
12 #00A Bruce Anderson
13 #56 Doug Liberman
14 #61 JJ Pack
15 #36 Chris Johnson
16 #99 Vincent Campbell
17 #40 Jay Penny
18 #07 Richard Storm
19 #82 Mike Ganoe
20 #17 Maddie Crane
21 #36 Owen Smith
22 #9 Mark Miller
23 #89 Matt Ashworth
24 #45 Tyler Daniels
25 #82b Cameron Burke
26 #77 Logan Jones
27 #64 Bill Leutz
28 #66 Zack Wells
29 #86 Michael Marr
30 #44 Keith Carpentar
31 #8 Tyler Hughes