Weger, Mahaffey Score Port City Now600 Triumphs
Shawn Mahaffey on the winning run with his family at Port City Raceway. (Richard Bale’s photo)
TULSA, Oklahoma – With a field of 82 competitors ranging from A-Class (63) to Restricted (19), the Dirt2Media National Open Wheel 600 Series presented by the Hi-Plains Building Division graced the tone of Port City Raceway Saturday night with Braxton Weger and Shawn Mahaffey accumulate wins in the Turn Pike Challenge.
The race was broadcast live by SPEED SPORT Affiliate Now600.tv.
Mahaffey made an exclamation point on his evening, clinching his second NOW600 A-class win of his career, along with his second win of the night, with a different sanctioning body and car style.
Opening with a late pass to Kale Drake to win the POWRi Outlaw non-wing feature, #11k, he left nothing to chance with the wings.
Starting at the top of the front row, Mahaffey quickly moved into familiar territory around the hub of Port City Raceway and did his best to stay there when traffic came into play. After a warning with five laps to go, Mahaffey would have Daison Pursley chased.
Pursley, who had just surpassed the POWRi National Midget feature, worked wherever he could find traction, made his run on the last lap but would come back shy by 0.265s. JJ Loss crossed over in third place followed by Drake and Matt Carr to complete the top five.
The first time Braxton has parked Weger on the winning lane in NOW600 competition, the #31bw led the first two laps before Bradley Cox prevailed on lap three after a restart. It looked like the race was in the hands of the Arizona shoe, but a wrong move in traffic on lap 16 spelled disaster for the No. 45.
Sidelined with a steering problem while working on the side of the road, the lead was put back in Weger’s hands. Pursued by Carson Bolden at the restart, the No. B2 made an effort, but couldn’t deny Weger the win. Both climbed eight places, with Garyn Howard third and Landen Adams fourth. Stone Smith made every attempt to push the high side and held onto fifth place.
The end:
Winged A Class Feature (25 rounds): 1. 11K-Shawn Mahaffey[2]; 2. 71K-Daison Pursley[4]; 3. 67-JJ loss[1]; 4. 26K Kale Drake[3]; 5. 93-Matt Carr[6]; 6. 1H-Connor Lee[7]; 7. 8K Tyler Kuykendall[8]; 8. 59-Brody Mclaughlin[20]; 9. 12K Jack Kassik[11]; 10. 28-Chelby Hinton[17]; 11. 20Q Brecken Reese[16]; 12. 83-Brant Woods[12]; 13. 88M-Max Crabdree[19]; 14. 3T-Trevor McIntire[10]; 15. 13-Elijah Gile[15]; 16. 3- Cole Roberts[13]; 17. 1V-Johnny Boland[5]; 18. 4N – Ryan Winter[9]; 19. 14G Madelyn Gjerness[18]; 20. 49-Cody Barnes[14]
Restricted A Class Feature (25 laps): 1. 31BW-Braxton Weger[1]; 2. B2 – Carson Bolden[6]; 3. GH7 – Garyn Howard[11]; 4. 88L-Landen Adams[12]; 5. 5S-Stone Smith[4]; 6. 24C-Cale Lagoon[5]; 7. 4-Jew Allgayer[9]; 8. 1P-Mekentzi Potter[16]; 9. 11-Kyle Hooper[18]; 10. 83-Dawson Woods[3]; 11. 6-Brylee Kilmer[15]; 12. 12-Tori Tyer[13]; 13. 14R Jaxon nail[17]; 14. 9 Sami Porter[19]; 15. 3-lathe Griggs[7]; 16. 45-Bradley Cox[2]; 17. 2T-Tyler Crow[8]; 18. 73-Chase McDougal[14]; 19. 97-Cash Lacombe[10]