ORRVILLE - By almost every measure, the Saturday, Aug. 6, field of cars was the strongest and most stout of the 2022 season at the O’Reilly Auto Parts at Wayne County Speedway, less than an hour from Mount Vernon. And the 3-8-mile oval was once again up to the task as well.
Chris Myers became just the second repeat winner this season in the Pine Tree Towing and Recovery Sprint Cars by leading every lap of the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association/Rick Susong Memorial headliner, while Ryan Markham stayed red-hot by besting a talented Malcuit Tavern Super Late Model contingent in picking up his sixth overall victory. Kyle Moore doubled up for the second week in a row by claiming both the McKenzie Concrete Super Stock and Elite Munitions Modified mains with Chaz Dawson becoming just the fourth JoyRide Mini Stock driver to visit the Summit Racing Victory Lane with his first win of the campaign.
Myers, who last won at WCS on May 28, inched closer to Henry Malcuit in the chase to the season championship by leading all 25 laps from his front-row starting slot. Myers held off Kory Crabtree, also a former winner at WCS, Tyler Street and Ricky Peterson, both feature winners at WCS in 2022, and Western Pennsylvania-based youngster Leyton Wagner in fifth at the stripe.
Crabtree, second in the OVSCA point standings behind Bryan Nuckles, dogged Myers the entire race, eventually pulling to within a few car lengths in heavy traffic before a caution waved on lap 15. Myers once again set sail when the green replaced the yellow until lap 22, when Joe Adorjan left the ballpark by tumbling over the turn 2 guardrail. Adorjan was unscathed but was done for the evening while running in 15th before the crash.
Myers survived one last-ditch effort on the restart from Crabtree and held on as Street, Peterson, Wagner and Malcuit diced it up behind the familiar Tony Popa-owned yellow 38K. Malcuit crossed the stripe sixth, with Skyler Gee, Andrew Palker, Jamie Myers and Nuckles completing the top 10.
“We’ve struggled some recently, but this a tough place,” said Myers. “The track is so fast, and if you can win here, you’re doing something. We hit the lapped cars just right as they stayed mostly on the bottom. Everything worked in our favor tonight.”
