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A.J. Sleek claims first 305 feature Dible, Arnold share truck wins
By Brian Liskai FREMONT, Ohio (Aug. 6, 2005) - Mike Linder gripped the steering wheel hard and was prepared to start flipping. But, his car bounced back to the track after making contact with Andrew Palker on a restart, and he went on to pick up his fourth feature win of the season at Fremont Speedway on Lee's Famous Recipe Country Fried Chicken Night. On a lap three restart, Palker was leading when his car jumped out of gear exiting turn two. Linder was right on his bumper and climbed over the left rear wheel of Palker, sending the Fremont driver's car high into the air. It bounced back on the track and to everyone's astonishment, nothing was broken on the car save for a bent up front wing side panel. "I was prepared to end up somewhere flipping down the back stretch. It must have been the suction created by my hind end that kept me on the track. We got very lucky. For the second week in a row it looked like we would settle for second...that K car was darn quick," said Linder. "We'll just keep riding this good luck. I've been around long enough to know the bottom can drop off at any time." Gibsonburg's A.J. Sleek traded slide jobs with Scott Kraylek in the final two turns on the last lap to pick up his first career Fremont feature win in the 305 sprints. The Coors Light Dirt Trucks were split into two complete fields - odds and evens in the point standings, and Fostoria's Bob Dible edged Bobby Davis for his second win of the season in one main, while Brian Arnold held off Dwight Waltermeier for his third win of the year in the other feature. In the 410 feature, Palker jumped into the lead from his pole position, while Linder moved into second from his inside second row starting spot, and David Harrison in third. The yellow would fly on lap two for Scott Euler, setting up the nearly catostrophic restart. Palker was able to restart on the tail, moving Linder into the lead followed by Harrison, outside front row starter Brian Smith and fast qualifier Byron Reed. Linder used the outside rim of the track to build a sizeable lead. All eyes
were on John Ivy, who had some sort of motor problems after pushing off for the
feature, having to go pitside and moving him to the tail for the start. By lap
four, Ivy had cracked the top 10. Linder hit lapped Linder again set sail on the restart and cruised to the win to build on his point lead in the season-long championship battle. Reed would get around Harrison to take second, with 15th starting Alvin Roepke picking up third, Dukes fourth and Harrison rounding out the top five. "I can't believe we've won four races here. I've never been very good at Fremont. We won a couple of 305 races here in the past, but that was about it. I have to thank my crew for all the hard work they put in this thing every night," said Linder beside his Andy James Motorsports sprinter. In the 305 feature, Sleek powered into the lead from his outside starting position and also avoided catastrophe when he got into a lapped car in turn one on lap 13, doing a 360 degree spin to avoid having to go to the tail. He also got some help, as three cars got around him, but the caution would fly as Vern Menkoff stopped to hand the lead back to Sleek. Sleek would build the lead on the restart, with Daniel Smith, Scott Kraylek and Paul Weaver in tow. Kraylek would move around Smith a lap later and began closing on Sleek, as Bobby Foster followed into third. As Sleek flashed past the flag stand to complete lap 22 of the 25-lap affair, Kraylek stuck his nose under him in turns one and two. Sleek and Kraylek would race side by side for two laps, with Sleek holding the advantage as they took the white flag. Kraylek sould sneak under Sleek exiting turn two as the pair raced down the back stretch. Kraylek tried the slide job under Sleek entering turn three, but Sleek would turn left and return the favor exiting the final turn to claim the win. Kraylek would come home a close second, with Foster, Weaver and Smith rounding out the top five. "I got into the lapped car and started spinning...I just had to put my foot down and keep it going. I thought 'here we go again...' we've had such terrible luck at Fremont. Then when Scott put his nose under me, I knew the slide job was coming in turn three and I just had to be patient and do it right back," said Sleek beside his Dennis Construction/KOT Trucking sprinter. In the first feature for the trucks in the odd numbers in the point standings, Bob Dible and Bobby Davis would trade the lead back and forth the final 10 laps, with Dible hanging on for his second win of the season. Dan Roepke would finish third followed by Steve Endicott and Craig Hoffman. "That sure was fun. Bobby raced me clean and it was exciting for the fans. They say the first win is the hardest, but I worked harder for that one than the first one," said Dible beside is Bob's Machine Shop truck. In the even points truck main, Brian Arnold and Dwight Waltermeier would swap
the lead back and forth the final two thirds of the feature, with Arnold scoring
the win. Current point leader Steve Sabo would finish third, with Paul Dymond
fourth and rookie Chuck Roelle rounding out the "Dwight is a good clean racer and he battled me hard and made me earn it," said Arnold beside his B.L. Minnich Trucking sponsored truck. "I knew if I could get under him, I could hold him off. I have to thank all my sponsors including Crown Battery and Burns Electric. Last year we didn't have any sponsors on the side of this thing and they have all helped us get to victory lane three times here this year and two at Attica." Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, Aug. 13, as Auto Value presents the NRA 360 sprint/Fremont Speedway 305 sprint challenge. The 305 sprints are invited to Limaland Motorsports Park on Friday, Aug 12 to battle the NRA 360 sprints on their home track, while the 360s come to Fremont the next night to battle the 305 sprints on their home turf. The 410 sprints are also on the racing card. Fremont Federal Credit Union 410 Qualifying (Track Record 11.732 - Lee
Jacobs, May 3, 2003) 410 SUPER SPRINTS - 25 Cars Heat 2 (Top 5 to A): Heat 3 (Top 5 to A): B - Main (Top 5 to A): A - Main (30 Laps) [Starting Position]: 305 SPRINTS - 37 Cars Riverside Machine & Tool Heat 2 (Top 4 to A): Foster Auto Body Heat 3 (Top 4 to A): Real Geese Heat 4 (Top 4 to A): COMPUTER MAN 305 DASH: 1. 72-Daniel Smith; 2. 37Z-Bryan Scott; 3. 48S-Andy Shammo; 4. 21-Scott Kraylek; 5. 15C-Chris Andrews 1st B - Main (Top 2 to A): 2nd B - Main (Top 2 to A): A - Main (25 Laps) [Starting Position]: COORS LIGHT DIRT TRUCKS (Odd in points)- 24 Trucks Heat 2: A - Main (20 Laps) [Starting Position]: COORS LIGHT DIRT TRUCKS (Even in points) - 22 Trucks Heat 2: A - Main (20 Laps) [Starting Position]: |
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