No stopping Wilhite this time on way to Sooner victory at Enid

By John Rittenoure (Maxx Ramsey photo), ENID, Okla. (June 20, 2025) - Last season was an exercise in frustration for late model racer Christopher Wilhite, Jr. Blowing motors on almost a weekly basis at the beginning of the season, and some times while leading a feature, kept Wilhite home a lot.

However Wilhite never gave up, though he may of felt like it, and it paid off with his first career Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation Sooner Late Model Series Friday at Enid Speedway.

The luck of the redraw put Wilhite on the pole and this time he went the distance.

“We have had a lot of trouble down here, but it ran like clock work tonight,” smiled Wilhite. “We have not had the best luck in the late model, but this year so far so good.”

At the drop of the green Daniel Smith and Damian Patocka chased Wilhite for the first 10 laps. Jon Herring, Jr. passed Patocka for third just before the yellow waved on lap 11. Patocka was unable to continued on the restart leaving Smith and Herring to continue the chase.

Wilhite pulled away after the restart, but with so much bad luck in the past he could not help but wonder what might happen as the race wore on.

“Not so much (in the early laps), but those last five laps it was in the back of my mind.

Wilhite said of his past engine troubles.

“There were a lot of good cars here tonight. We had to work for it.”

Leading the whole race Wilhite had to have faith that his line would hold up.

“I found something that felt good on the first lap and I figured until someone showed me a nose or something I was just going to do that,” said Wilhite. “The track was a little rough due to the rain, but the car felt good.”

Sooner Late Model Series

Enid Speedway - Enid, Oklahoma

June 20, 2025

Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[1]; 2. 92S-Dan Smith[4]; 3. 96-Jon Herring Jr[3]; 4. 24B-Chris Bragg[7]; 5. 9-Joseph Gorby[9]; 6. 24C-Brandon Conkwright[5]; 7. 92-Delbert Smith[10]; 8. 4X-Dalon Helm[2]; 9. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[11]; 10. 22N-Kevin Newell[8]; 11. 122-Damian Patocka[6]; 12. 65-Eric Brill[13]; 13. 171-Dax Harless[15]; 14. 95-Zach Nickell[16]; 15. (DNS) 171H-Drew Harless; 16. (DNS) 2-Colby Moore; 17. (DNS) 8-Michael Hilton

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 96-Jon Herring Jr[2]; 2. 122-Damian Patocka[3]; 3. 24B-Chris Bragg[5]; 4. 92-Delbert Smith[1]; 5. 65-Eric Brill[4]; 6. 171-Dax Harless[6]

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 92S-Dan Smith[2]; 2. 24C-Brandon Conkwright[1]; 3. 22N-Kevin Newell[5]; 4. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[3]; 5. (DNS) 171H-Drew Harless; 6. (DNS) 95-Zach Nickell

Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[1]; 2. 4X-Dalon Helm[3]; 3. 9-Joseph Gorby[2]; 4. 2-Colby Moore[4]; 5. (DNS) 8-Michael Hilton

Lap Leaders: 1-25, Christopher Wilhite.

Margin of victory: 2.852.

2025 Winners: 3/28 - Eli Ross, Enid Speedway; 4/11 - Eli Ross, Thunderbird Speedway; 4/12 -  Bryan Glaze, Crawford County Speedway; 5/30 - Brandon Conkwright, Humboldt Speedway; 5/31 - Kyle Berck, 81 Speedway; 6/20 - Christopher Wilhite, Enid Speedway.

Next Event: June 27-28, Thunderbird Speedway

Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation

Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation goal is to help grow both high school, trade school and college programs to start and or develop a motorsports program, club, or organizations at their school as well as individual motorsports programs. HRMF will provide financial grants, equipment, expertise, scholarships, and educational opportunities for these organizations and individuals. This program will allow students to overcome the hurdle of entering motorsports due to the high costs and specialized experience needed to get started. This program will allow these students the opportunity to be part of a team with one overall goal of success on the track, including budgeting, marketing, mechanical skills, logistics, and team building efforts. All while honoring the life lost to early of Hayden Diesel Ross, #forever66.

Sooner Late Model Series

The Sooner Late Model Series was formed in 2016 by Enid Speedway co-promoter Mark Brill. Brill felt there was not many opportunities for late model competitors to race in Oklahoma and the Sooner Late Model Series was formed. Now the series has grown beyond the borders of Oklahoma with events held in the neighboring states of Kansas, Texas and Arkansas.