Brian Smith Pulls Off Upset at Attica; Miller Gets 2nd Late Model Win; Valenti Snares 1st 305 Sprint Victory

By Brian Liskai
 

(Attica, OH) Call it David verses Goliath. Call it an upset. But Fremont, Ohio's Brian Smith, driving an underfunded team, using a 10-year-old motor, passed former World of Outlaw driver Chad Kemenah with a perfect slide job on a restart with six laps to go and went on to take the 410 sprint win on Quality Welding Night at Attica Raceway Park.

Smith, the 2004 Attica 305 sprint champion, lost his ride toward the end of last season. He put his old engine in a car owned by Kit Henry, who also owns a sprint car his son Cap, and went racing. Smith, who toured one year with the All Star Circuit of Champions several years back, pulling his own car on a little open trailer, seemed a bit stunned in victory lane.

"Thank the Lord, thank the Lord, thank the Lord. Jesus Christ turned my life around...I just can't believe we did this," said Smith beside his Alliance of Construction Professionals, Gressman Powersports, Geck Electric backed sprint car. "Kit Henry had done so much for me and Keith and Mark Whaley and all the crew have been so good to work with."

It was the opening night of the Kistler Racing Products F.A.S.T. (Fremont/ Attica Sprint Title) Championship Series, which will contest 11 races at both Attica and Fremont for a $50,000+ point fund in cash and prizes separate from both tracks who will have their own champions and point fund.

It was the only caution flag of the race that cost Kemenah the win. He had built a sizeable lead and appeared to have the race in his hands while Smith, who started on the outside of the front row seemed to be destined for a good second place run. On the lap 24 restart, Smith went to the bottom of turns one and two while Kemenah used the outside on the slick surface. Smith drove in hard and slid up in front of Kemenah and then raced in the middle of the track the remaining five laps.

Matt Miller battled throughout the 25-lap Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Model feature with Dusty Moore and Wayne Maffett before scoring his second victory of the season at Attica.

"We tried a different tire than what everyone else was running and a lot different set-up. The car wasn't great, but I could drive it around on the track. I really like racing here. When the track slicks off it is racy from top to bottom," said Miller beside his McCullough Industries, M&W Body Shop, Gressman Powersports backed late model.

While he may only be in his second year of sprint car racing - having moved up from the dirt truck division - Risingsun's Shawn Valenti looked like a seasoned veteran as he scored his first career sprint car win in the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature. On two restarts - one with just a lap to go - with veteran Bobby Clark right on his rear bumper, Valenti used a very slow pace to keep the field from driving to his outside until he could regain his momentum.The caution came about as the leaders were getting into lapped traffic and one spun right in front of a tremendous three car battle on the last lap between Valenti, Clark and Stuart Brubaker.

"I saw Bobby stick his nose to my outside and I knew I couldn't let him get a run on me on the outside on the restart so I kept it slow and then at the last moment stood on it," said Valenti beside his Autozone backed #28. "Tim Kern told me I could drive one of these things...I was beginning to have my doubts, but here we are."

Mike Linder jumped into the lead of the 410 sprint feature with Smith, Kemenah and Brandon Martin in tow. Kemenah would drive around Smith into second on lap seven and battle side-by-side with Linder over the next two laps for the lead before using his high line exiting turn two to grab the top spot on lap 9. While Kemenah pulled away, Linder, Smith, Martin, Greg Wilson and Byron Reed would wage a good battle before being joined a few laps later by Tim Shaffer.

Kemenah caught lapped traffic at the half-way mark with Linder, Smith, Martin, Reed, Wilson and Shaffer still battling. Smith would drive under Linder into second on lap 22 while Margin and Reed pressured Linder for the third spot. The only caution flew on lap 26, setting up Smith's winning move while Linder stayed in third and Tim Shaffer used the high line to drive into fourth.

Smith would pull away for the win with Kemenah second Shaffer driving around Linder on the last lap for third while Martin would round out the top five.

Dusty Moore would grab the early lead of the late model feature with Steve Sabo and Miller right on his rear deck lid. Miller would race side-by-side with Moore the next three laps before gaining a slight advantage, though the two would continue to race door-to-door the next five laps. Miller would eventually began to put a little distance between himself and Moore who now had his hands full with Wayne Maffett Jr. and Ryan Missler. The racing was slowed in the early stages by five yellows, but would go the last 14 laps under green.

Miller hit lapped traffic by lap 20, and had a few close calls, but was never seriously challenged the rest of the way. However, the battle for second on back was tremendous with Maffett, Moore, Jon Henry (up from his 17th starting spot), Missler and Ryan Markham who fought his way back to the front after an early race mishap.

Following Miller across the finish line were Maffett, Moore, Henry and Missler.

Valenti has always liked the top groove and he used it to grab the early lead of the 305 sprint feature with Clark, Dustin Keegan, Josh Muntz and Bill Kraylek putting on a great show right off his left rear.Valenti would hit lapped traffic by lap 12 with Clark and 9th place starter Steve Rando beginning to apply pressure along with Stuart Brubaker. Valenti could not shake Clark who followed in his tire tracks along the outer ridge of the track while Brubaker and Rando continuously swapped the third position. With five laps to go Valenti led over Clark who now had to contend with Brubaker, Rando and Nate Dussel, up from his 11th starting spot, and D.J. Foos who had raced his way up from his 17th starting spot.

As Valenti came to the stripe to complete the 23rd lap, Clark was now poking a tire under him for the lead with Brubaker running beside them on the bottom. With the white flag in the air, Valenti was stuck behind a lapped machine and they made contact entering turn one with the lapped machine spinning and luckily all the leaders avoiding him. Valenti would use that slow restart to gain and advantage and go on to the win with Brubaker getting around Clark for second while Dussel and Rando would round out the top five.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, May 1 on Fisher Performance/Merrill Lynch Night with the 410 sprints, Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Models and Fremont Fence 305 Sprints. It will be the third night for the Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series.

Attica Raceway Park - 4/24/2009
Quality Welding Night

410 Sprints
Kistler Racing Products FAST Points Night #1
 

Heat 1 - Ultra Shield Race Products (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. O4-Cap Henry; 2. 63-Chad Kemenah; 3. O-Brandon Wimmer; 4. 11M-Brandon Martin; 5. O9-Craig Mintz; 6. 11B-Brock Mayes; 7. 25-Lee Jacobs; 8. 27-Scott Euler; 9. 11N-Ed Neumeister; 10. 23-Jamie Miller

Heat 2 - Bell Racing  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 83-Tim Shaffer; 4. W20-Greg Wilson; 5. 78-Todd Kane; 6. X-Mark Keegan; 7. 15C-Chris Andrews; 8. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 9. 20X-Craig Keel; 10. 53-Cole Duncan

Heat 3 - Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 312-Mike Linder; 2. 5T-Travis Philo; 3. 2+-Brian Smith; 4. 7K-Rob Chaney; 5. 12-Caleb Griffith; 6. 3C-Cale Conley; 7. 3J-Kevin Lee[4]; 8. 48S-Andy Shammo; 9. 10-David Harrison

B-Main - Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. X-Mark Keegan; 2. 11B-Brock Mayes; 3. 15C-Chris Andrews; 4. 3J-Kevin Lee[6]; 5. 48S-Andy Shammo; 6. 25-Lee Jacobs; 7. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 8. 10-David Harrison; 9. 23-Jamie Miller; 10. 20X-Craig Keel; 11. 27-Scott Euler; 12. 3C-Cale Conley; 13. 11N-Ed Neumeister

A-Main -  (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 2+-Brian Smith[2]; 2. 63-Chad Kemenah[3]; 3. 83-Tim Shaffer[8]; 4. 312-Mike Linder[1]; 5. 11M-Brandon Martin[5]; 6. 5R-Byron Reed[11]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson[9]; 8. 16-Bryan Sebetto[7]; 9. O4-Cap Henry[12]; 10. O9-Craig Mintz[13]; 11. 11B-Brock Mayes[17]; 12. X-Mark Keegan[16]; 13. 48S-Andy Shammo[20]; 14. O-Brandon Wimmer[10]; 15. 7K-Rob Chaney[6]; 16. 15C-Chris Andrews[18]; 17. 12-Caleb Griffith[15]; 18. 3J-Kevin Lee[19]; 19. 5T-Travis Philo[4]; 20. 78-Todd Kane[14]

Heat 1 - Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 7-Matt Miller; 2. 5M-Ryan Markham; 3. 3R-Chuck Roelle; 4. 21-Larry Kingseed; 5. 1N-Casey Noonan; 6. 12-Michael Stiltner; 7. O3-Clint Jamison; 8. 77-Steve Kester

Heat 2 - Bell Racing  (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 40W-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 2. 40-Dusty Moore; 3. 48B-Mike Bores; 4. O3G-Jim Gingery; 5. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 6. 93T-Jeff Esbenshade; 7. 21L-James Louy; 8. 83-Noah Wagner

Heat 3 - Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 27-Ken Hahn; 2. 67-Chris Keller; 3. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 4. 55-Chuck Hummer; 5. 1-Jon Henry; 6. 56-B.J. Gregory; 7. 171-Mark Pollack; 8. 29-Rocky Owens

Heat 4 - Tin Lizzy Collision (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 50Y-Ryan Missler; 2. 48-John Bores; 3. 99-Steve Sabo; 4. 29P-Nate Potts; 5. 101-Chester Fitch; 6. 99M-John Mayes Sr.; 7. 12M-Bobby Michaels

B-Main - Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 1-Jon Henry; 2. 1N-Casey Noonan; 3. 93T-Jeff Esbenshade; 4. 83-Noah Wagner; 5. 12-Michael Stiltner; 6. 77-Steve Kester; 7. 99M-John Mayes Sr.; 8. O3-Clint Jamison; 9. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 10. 12M-Bobby Michaels; 11. 101-Chester Fitch; 12. 21L-James Louy; 13. 171-Mark Pollack; 14. 56-B.J. Gregory

A-Main -  (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 7-Matt Miller[6]; 2. 40W-Wayne Maffett Jr.[7]; 3. 40-Dusty Moore[2]; 4. 1-Jon Henry[17]; 5. 50Y-Ryan Missler[10]; 6. 5M-Ryan Markham[9]; 7. 55-Chuck Hummer[15]; 8. 1N-Casey Noonan[18]; 9. 23C-Jeremy Canada[1]; 10. 99-Steve Sabo[3]; 11. 48-John Bores[4]; 12. 21-Larry Kingseed[13]; 13. 48B-Mike Bores[11]; 14. 83-Noah Wagner[20]; 15. O3G-Jim Gingery[14]; 16. 3R-Chuck Roelle[8]; 17. 29P-Nate Potts[16]; 18. 67-Chris Keller[5]; 19. 93T-Jeff Esbenshade[19]; 20. 27-Ken Hahn[12]

Heat 1 - Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 28-Shawn Valenti; 2. 1W-Paul Weaver; 3. 40-Bobby Clark; 4. 71-Bill Kraylek; 5. 93-Dave Saxer; 6. 83X-Nate Reeser; 7. 10-Brad Haudenschild; 8. 29-Chris Lang; 9. 65-Mark Lang

Heat 2 - Bell Racing  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. M28-Josh Muntz; 3. 41-Dustin Dinan; 4. 72C-John Bartlome; 5. 8K-Zack Kramer; 6. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 7. 2-Tim Kern; 8. 13-Junior Felver; 9. 22D-Dan Hammond

Heat 3 - Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 19R-Steve Rando; 2. 1-Nate Dussel; 3. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 4. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 5. 80-Jake Trevino; 6. 14-Chad Wilson; 7. 11F-D.J. Foos; 8. 47-Josh Burdette

B-Main - Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 14-Chad Wilson; 2. 11F-D.J. Foos; 3. 10-Brad Haudenschild; 4. 83X-Nate Reeser; 5. 13-Junior Felver; 6. 22D-Dan Hammond; 7. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 8. 2-Tim Kern; 9. 47-Josh Burdette; 10. 65-Mark Lang; 11. 29-Chris Lang

A-Main -  (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 28-Shawn Valenti[1]; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[10]; 3. 40-Bobby Clark[3]; 4. 1-Nate Dussel[11]; 5. 19R-Steve Rando[9]; 6. 11F-D.J. Foos[17]; 7. 1W-Paul Weaver[12]; 8. M28-Josh Muntz[5]; 9. 67M-Matt Ferrell[7]; 10. 36X-Dustin Keegan[2]; 11. 41-Dustin Dinan[8]; 12. 80-Jake Trevino[15]; 13. 13-Junior Felver[20]; 14. 14-Chad Wilson[16]; 15. 71-Bill Kraylek[4]; 16. 72C-John Bartlome[6]; 17. 83X-Nate Reeser[19]; 18. 8K-Zack Kramer[14]; 19. 93-Dave Saxer[13]; 20. 10-Brad Haudenschild[18]