July 2, 2021 – DeGraff, Ohio – J.J. Henes kicked off Independence Weekend with his first Maxima Racing Oils Must See Racing Midwest Lights victory of the season Friday night at Shady Bowl Speedway.

Current MSR Lights point leader Dylan Watson started the night off with quick time when he turned a 11.949 second lap. In a bizarre accident, Watson ploughed the turn four wall on the cool down lap when something in the steering broke, and sent him hard into the wall, severely damaging his machine. Watson would start the feature in the Craig Sharfenburg #99 in an attempt to protect his points lead.

The front row for the 40-lap feature event would find Joshua Sexton on the pole and Todd McQuillen alongside. Sexton took command of the race and lead the first four circuits with Henes trailing closely. A lap four caution would bunch the field up. One lap later Henes would assume the lead and keep the point the remainder of the race.

As Henes continued to lead, the highly competitive feature event showcased multi-car battles for position throughout the field the entire distance. Sexton would finish second followed by Jason Rader, Joey Wyckoff, and Charlie Schultz rounding out the top five.

The win was the first of the season for the seventeen-year-old Henes who claimed the MSR Lights championship last season. In victory lane Henes explained that he would have been able to mount a charge for the lead early in the race even if the lap four cation had never happened.

“I think I still would have been able to get him, but it would have been more difficult” (Sexton) explain Henes.”On the restart I got right behind him and got a run on him on the top in one and two. It made it a whole lot easier than to run him down”.

The defending champion Henes was long overdue for a win. This win could create momentum that could help him repeat, although Henes is optimistically guarded. “The first race of the year at Lorain we broke the right front wheel and it kinda hurt us for points. I don’t know if well be able to win it, but we should be able to get up there a little bit" concluded Henes.

The MSR Lights series will now be idle until events at Lorain Raceway Park August 13-14.

Finish:

1. JJ Henes (36)
   2.       Joshua Sexton (51)
   3.       Jason Rader (52)
   4.       Joey Wyckoff (90)
   5.       Charlie Schultz (92)
   6.       Tim Henthorne (15)
   7.       Dylan Watson (99)
   8.       Todd McQuillen (21)
   DNS Dylan Watson (12)