The inaugural Ken Schaltenbrand Sr. Memorial featuring the ULMS Late Models took center stage and did not disappoint as 32 drivers assembled to do battle for the $4,000 top prize and a seemingly endless amount of contingency awards and lap money in honor of the late driver who graced The Action Track years ago.

Georgia’s Ashton Winger came north for the first of a trio of races on the weekend, coming in fresh off a weekend that saw him capture a $10,000 check at Talledega Short Track last Saturday night, and was looking to keep that momentum rolling as he started the 30-lap Ken Schaltenbrand Sr. Memorial race. However, Sarver’s Michael Norris had other ideas at the outset of the night and brought the field to the green flag as the pole sitter flanked by Chub Frank to his outside. After a caution on the initial start for Dan Angelicchio, Norris quickly set out to put the field as far behind him as possible while behind him, Frank, Winger, Dave Hess and Alex Ferree made up a formidable chase pack. Following a lap three restart, Ferree quickly moved to the third spot behind Norris and Winger with Norris setting a blistering pace while using the top side of the speedway. With 23 laps remaining, the yellow flag waved for Daryl Charlier and on the ensuing restart, Winger tested Norris with a slide job attempt that came up just short. The lead for Norris was short lived though as Winger found his way around him for good with a pass on the backstretch on lap 19 after the two drivers had thrilled fans with a series of traded slide jobs that saw the lead exchanged on the same lap between the two.

Behind the battle up front, veteran pilot Matt Lux had been making steady progress towards the front from his ninth starting spot to fifth while Ferree took advantage of Norris bobbling on the cushion to take the second spot while Frank moved into third. Gary Lyle spun on lap 14 to bring out the yellow flag, giving Ferree and Frank and Norris a chance to reclaim the top spot. The restart saw Lux get a great jump to move into the third spot while Ferree fell back to fifth. Norris gave it one final attempt to retake the lead just moments later but was unable to find enough momentum to make the slide jobs stick before going off the top of turns one and two with four laps to go. Ferree made it back towards the front on the restart, nearly taking second away from Lux before the checkered flag fell, but out front it was all Winger who posted his second straight victory in less than a week for the Big Frog Motorsports team. Ken Schaltenbrand and Danny Snyder tied for the hard charger honors with each moving up 11 spots.

I’ve watched races here my entire life, there’s a lot of awesome people that have won here,” Winger said in the Close Racing Supply Lernerville Speedway Terry Bowser `Excavating Victory Lane. “Our car was really good. I think Mike was a little better than me early, he could round that cushion really well. I knew I was going to have to wait and be patient and then that top thinned out a little bit and I then I kind of found a line in three where I could hold the race track and keep to him and I knew if I could get out front I could hold the lead and block and protect.”

ULMS/Precise Racing Products Late Models Feature- Ken Schaltenbrand Sr. Memorial: (30 Laps)

(58) Ashton Winger
(21) Matt Lux
(1C) Alex Ferree
(4S) Ryan Montgomery
(27) Michael Lake
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(1*) Chub Frank
(X3) Wyatt Smith
(14) Dan Angelicchio
(44) Joe Petyak
(27W) Eric Wilson
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(44H) Dave Hess Jr.
(10L) Gary Lyle
(1Z) Logan Zarin
(72) Michael Norris
(10*) Jared Miley
(77) Tyler Dietz
(20) Todd Brennan
(3RK) Daryl Charlier
(12B) Andy Boozel
(9) Levi Yetter
(10SX) Dave Stamm
(48) Colton Flinner
(44*) Joe Petyak