Ray Cook’s Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series payed a visit to the Rome Speedway Saturday night, and saw the “MacDaddy” Dale McDowell run away from the field, collecting his first win in the spring miniseries in 2023. After finishing second in Friday’s race at Tri-County Racetrack, the dirt late model hall-of-famer, started strong, taking the lead 1/3rd of the way through the 53 lap feature and never looking back.
Fort Payne, Alabama, native Sam Seawright, was fastest in both hot laps and FK Rod Ends qualifying of the 22 teams that signed in for the evening’s festivities. The three heat races for the night were won by Seawright, Carson Ferguson, and McDowell.
Seawright and Carson Ferguson occupied the front row for the feature. Seawright stepped out to the lead early but Ferguson and McDowell weren’t far behind. The first caution flew early, as on lap four Jordan Koehler slowed off turn two. On the restart Seawright pulled away from McDowell who had worked his way around Ferguson just before the caution flew.
McDowell and Seawright ran door-to-door for several laps before the Chickamauga, GA native powered around the pole sitter, just as the second yellow flag of the night was displayed on lap 18 for the Scott Hall machine who stopped on track.
On the ensuing restart McDowell began distancing himself from Seawright’s car and the rest of the field. Things were clean and green until lap 32, when fifth place running Benji Hicks (55) slowed with a left rear flat. Green was displayed again followed quickly by the yellow flag, when defending series Schaeffer’s Oil champion and current points leader Ferguson experienced the same issues one lap later.
From there it was all McDowell, who ran away from Seawright and Austin Horton as they battled for second.
For his effort’s the Team Zero Racing driver took home the $10,053 paycheck, and the first dirt late model feature win at “The World’s Fastest 1/2 Clay Track” in 572 days.
Next up for the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series will be a trip to the I-75 Raceway in Niota, TN Friday May 26th.
Feature Results
Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (53 Laps):
1. (3) Dale McDowell $10,053
2. (1) Sam Seawright
3. (5) Austin Horton
4. (6) Michael Page
5. (7) Ross Bailes
6. (12) Will Roland
7. (10) Tyler Millwood
8. (9) Kenny Collins
9. (11) Mack McCarter
10. (2) Carson Ferguson
11. (13) Jason Croft
12. (4) Benji Hicks
13. (14) Heath Hindman
14. (15) David McCoy
15. (16) Caden Mullinax
16. (22) Haiden Cowan
17. (18) Jake Rainey
18. (19) Brian Nuttall, Jr.
19. (21) Scott Hall
20. (8) Jordan Koehler
21. (17) Cla Knight
DNS. (20) Payton Freeman
