Ogle Survives Pocono Mayhem to Claim Double Points Victory in Wild Tour Mod Showdown

Pocono Raceway, PA – The YesterYear Racing Tour Modified Series returned to the virtual “Tricky Triangle” for Season 2, Race 12 — an intense 100-lap, 250-mile double-points event, paying homage to the 1978 Pocono Modified classic. What began as a strategy-driven race emphasizing “coopetition” and fuel mileage soon spiraled into a chaotic battle for survival. In the end, points leader Tom Ogle emerged victorious, surviving the carnage to score a massive win that could define his championship run.

This event carried the weight of the season — the league’s flagship race — and featured 29 entrants, including several wildcard drivers from outside the league. With double points on the line, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Ogle entered the night with a razor-thin one-point advantage over Ken Allen, with Scott Negus just three points behind. Pocono’s high speeds and long straights promised a drafting chess match, but the sheer size of the field had regulars uneasy about the potential for chaos.

Pole-sitter Dwayne McArthur led the field to green, with Ogle starting from the second row. Early on, McArthur and Ogle worked together in the draft, joined by Gavin Adams and Ken Allen in a four-car pack at the front. Drafting proved crucial — drivers had to balance cooperation and aggression, as leading burned more fuel but staying in line risked losing track position. The early laps showcased impressive coordination… until they didn’t.

Just nine laps in, disaster struck. Third-place points driver Scott Negus tangled with Chris Haizlip, slamming the inside wall and suffering heavy damage. Though Negus returned to the track, his night unraveled quickly after another hard hit in the tunnel turn just six laps later. The left-front suspension damage proved terminal, forcing him to park the car and settle for 29th. The championship contender’s hopes took a crushing blow in the league’s most important race of the season.

The caution flag became a frequent visitor. Repeated yellow periods prevented any long green runs, effectively neutralizing the anticipated fuel mileage battle. Each restart brought fresh chaos, as mid-pack traffic bunched up and several contenders saw their nights end early. The pivotal moment came just past halfway when a tunnel-turn stack-up collected Ken Allen, who was running second in points. Allen’s car erupted in sparks as the front suspension folded under him, ending his race and relegating him to a 25th-place finish.

With both of his primary rivals eliminated, Ogle suddenly found himself in control of the championship picture. But victory at Pocono was far from guaranteed. The high-speed drafting packs continued to shuffle, and survival became the night’s defining skill.

Among the notable incidents, Mark Fisch pancaked the inside wall on the front stretch in a daring four-wide attempt, while Dwayne McArthur suffered a brutal hit when Gavin Adams spun directly in front of him. McArthur’s car, battered but still running, soldiered on despite significant damage — a testament to both resilience and stubborn determination.

As the laps wound down, Ogle found a perfect drafting partner in Dale Copeland. The two worked in unison to break away from the field, pulling over a second clear of the chasing pack. Ogle’s impatience to lead showed at times, pushing the limits of fuel strategy, but his pace kept him in contention. Guest driver Geoffrey Souza, meanwhile, impressed in his debut, holding third and admitting afterward that he was simply “topping off during cautions” and hoping for the best on fuel.

With five laps to go, another caution set up a one-lap shootout — the ultimate high-pressure finale. Jeff Aho, who had quietly climbed through the chaos, restarted from the lead. As the green flag waved, Ogle jumped to the high side with Copeland glued to his bumper. The two powered through Turn 1, side-by-side with Aho, and down the backstretch Copeland gave Ogle one final push into the lead. Ogle held strong through the final corners and took the checkered flag first, sealing a career-defining double-points victory.

After the race, Ogle was humble in victory. “I felt very fortunate,” he said. “I was happy just to take second and the points, but Dale [Copeland] was the MVP tonight. He gave me the push I needed.” Copeland crossed the line in second, calling his own effort “pure survival.” Guest driver Souza rounded out the podium in third, a remarkable feat given his limited Modified experience.

As the dust settled, the championship outlook shifted dramatically. With Negus and Allen finishing deep in the order, Ogle walks away from Pocono with a commanding points lead and the inside lane toward the Season 2 title. The Tour Mods will next head to Martinsville Speedway, where the tight confines of the paperclip are sure to deliver more fireworks — and perhaps a chance for redemption for those who fell victim to Pocono’s unpredictable mayhem.