Wilson Wins Wild One at Attica; Clark Gets 3rd 305 Win; Schlenk Wins 5th Late Model Feature
 

By Brian Liskai
 

(Attica, OH) Just when Greg Wilson thought he had the 410 sprint field covered at Attica Raceway Park, Phil Gressman executed a slide job to take the lead with four laps remaining. Wilson, a two-time All Star Circuit of Champion titlist, didn't panic. The Benton Ridge, Ohio driver regrouped and drove around Gressman on lap 28 and went on to his 18th career Attica victory on WNWO Channel 24 NBC/Aaron's Sales and Lease Night.

"I can't believe we finally won again. This is my best place right here at Attica...it's always been good to me. It's fitting that we finally win one and it was here. Daniel Smith came and helped me tonight...Floyd and my cousin Jason...Floyd is my right arm. I talked to Daniel and he said Brock Mayes) wasn't going to race tonight and he would come and help me. I knew we were going to have a good race car and I didn't want to give one away. I gave and All Star race away that we were going to win awhile back that he was helping me and I didn't want to give another away," said Wilson aboard the DNC Hydraulics, All Star Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning backed W20.

The Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature was just as exciting. Sixteen-year-old Jimmy Colvin looked like he had the field covered, but when Fremont's Bobby Clark caught him with five laps remaining, the veteran and the youngster waged a terrific battle for the lead, trading slide job after slide job, and even making contact with each other. However, Colvin would spin in turn four with just three laps remaining, handing the lead to Clark. But, the exciting racing wasn't over, as Clark had to contend with defending track champion Stuart Brubaker the last three laps before taking the checkered by less than half a car length for his third victory of the season at Attica.

"I was good up top, but not good enough to make a clean pass of him when he slid up off the bottom. I just had to be patient and let the momentum build in this thing," said Clark beside his Al Davis Carpeting, Williams & Son Masonry, Jenny's Copper Penny, B&L Plumbing, Crown Battery backed #40. "Then when I got the lead, I kept seeing Stuart down there and I almost gave it away a couple of times jumping the cushion."

Jackson, Michigan's Rusty Schlenk had dominated the Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Models when ever he has showed up at Attica and Saturday was no exception. Schlenk led all 25 laps to score his fifth win of the season at Attica aboard his Micro Armor Lubricants, Complete Truck Repair, Main & Company, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars backed #91. However, a little luck played into it for Schlenk, as he either broke something in the rear end or the transmission of the car coming down for the white flag, but was able to hold on for the victory.

"I don't know what broke. I took the white flag and went into one and when I got on the gas the car just wouldn't do anything. Don't know if I broke a gear or stripped an axle or something in the transmission. I got it back in the pits in first gear so I'm thinking it might be something in the tranny," said Schlenk. "I love this place...for some reason this year we can get around this place awesome. We hit on something at the beginning of the year and haven't changed a thing here...it's just good week after week."

It seemed no one wanted to win the dirt truck feature at first. Dan Hennig looked in command, but suffered a mechanical problem three laps into the caution filled feature. Then Paul Brown Jr. took the point, only to drive off the track a lap later. When defending Fremont Speedway track champion Jim McGrath of Clyde, Ohio. inherited the lead on lap five, he was able to hold off several challenges from Art Ball and Dwight Waltermeier to score his first career Attica win.

"I tried to keep away from him (Ball) but he kept gaining on me little by little and I thought 'man I don't know if I'm going to make it or not," said McGrath beside his J&F Miller Farms, Winesburg Barbecue, War Paint Graphics, B&K Auto backed #5 truck. "The truck I haul my race truck with is kind of getting weak so I had to burrow one to get over here."

At the start of the 410 sprint feature, Wilson grabbed the lead with Craig Mintz, Ryan Bunton and Brandon Wimmer in tow. The action ground to a halt when Mitch Harble got out of shape and Brian Smith and Tim Shaffer got together, with Shaffer getting upside down and Smith with heavy damage. On the restart, Wilson and Mintz pulled away while Wimmer had his hands full with 10th place starter Gressman. Just as Wilson was entering lapped traffic, the caution would fly on lap eight for a Josh Davis spin.

Gressman would bolt into the third spot on the restart and began driving under Mintz to challenge for second. Again, just as Mintz and Gressman began to close on Wilson as he hit the back markers, the caution would fly for a Cap Henry spin, giving Wilson a clear track.

While this was going on, the fans were being treated to a passing clinic by Kenny Jacobs and Jody Keegan, both of whom had come from the C-main and the back of the B-main to start 20th and 21st in the A-main. Jacobs had moved to ninth by the 12th lap while Keegan sat in 11th.

On the ensuing restart, again Gressman pulled a flier on the bottom of turns one and two to move in front of Mintz for second. However, Mintz would get his momentum on the high side and raced side-by-side with Gressman  over the next six laps when the caution flew for Brandon Martin. Another mover was Byron Reed who climbed from 17th starting spot to sixth while Jody Keegan had moved from 21st to eighth with Jacobs in ninth.

When the green reappeared, Wilson again pulled away slightly while Gressman, Mintz and Chris Andrews waged a terrific battle for second. Again, just as Wilson was moving into lapped traffic on lap 24, the caution would come out for a Wimmer spin, with the running order Wilson, Mintz, Gressman, Andrews, Reed, Keegan, Mike Linder and Jacobs. On the restart, Gressman again got under Mintz for second, but wasn't able to close on Wilson as the final caution would fly for Sheldon Haudenschild.

With five laps to go, Gressman had to make his move if he had a chance at the win. On the restart, he dove under Wilson and slid up in front of him exiting turn two to take the lead, bringing Mintz along into second.  However, Wilson would drive under Mintz a lap later to take second and raced to Gressman's outside as they ran side-by-side the next two laps. Coming down to complete lap 28, Wilson drove high around Gressman and regained the lead. Gressman couldn't rest, as Mintz pressured him for second. At the checkered, Wilson had a car length advantage as Mintz edged Gressman for second by a nose. Andrews and Reed would round out the top five.

"I almost picked up the throttle too quick," said Wilson of the restart when Gressman passed him for the lead. "I got tight on the curb...I slid across
it and banged into it..if Hamp (former car owner Bob Hampshire) was here he would be here yelling at me for getting into like that. I just kind of
regained my composure. I knew I had a real bad fast race car," said Wilson of his winning move.

At the start of the 305 sprint feature, Colvin grabbed the lead with Nate Dussel racing to his outside lap after lap with Paul Weaver, Zack Kramer and Stuart Brubaker continuously swapping third place. The first caution would fly on lap 10 for D.J. Foos, which aided Colvin who was about to get into heavy lapped traffic, many of whom were racing in his bottom groove.

With a clear track, Colvin again raced into the lead with Dussel continuing to apply pressure while Weaver, Kramer and Brubaker right on their bumper. Kramer's great run would end a lap later when he got off the high side of turn two. The ensuing restart again saw Colvin on the bottom and Dussel up top with Weaver and Brubaker right on their tails. Clark, who started back in the 7th spot, lurked behind in fifth spot, waiting to make his move. Weaver would drive around Dussel into second on lap 14 with Brubaker and Clark pressuring Dussel for third. Dussel would move back into the runner-up spot on lap 15.Weaver would lose a number of positions on lap 16 when he slid off the high side of turn two, moving Clark into third and Brubaker into fourth. Clark would dive under Dussel to challenge for second on lap 19 as they raced side-by-side with Brubaker joining the fray over the next two laps. Clark was then able to pull away slightly from Dussel who fell to the clutches of Brubaker. Now it was a three car battle for the lead, with Clark and Colvin trading slide jobs, even making contact exiting turn four with four laps to go.

Colvin would slide up off the bottom exiting turn four on lap 22 and would lose the handle, spinning, giving the lead to Clark. However, the race
wasn't over. Brubaker would drive under Clark on the ensuing restart and the battle was on the next three laps as the two raced side-by-side before Clark would edge Brubaker at the checkered flag. Todd Heuerman, who raced right behind all that action, would come home third with Dussel and 11th starter Brad Haudenschild rounding out the top five.

Schlenk would watch a couple of huge leads evaporate with late race cautions, that would cause several lapped machines to go to the tail and
allow Dusty Moore to restart right on his rear bumper. But, each time, Schlenk would pull away until experiencing drive train problems after taking
the white flag. But, he was able to limp back to the win while Moore held off a charging Dave Hornikel for second with Wayne Maffett Jr. and Ryan
Missler rounding out the top five.

With his great season at Attica, Schlenk said it is giving him a lot of confidence coming up on the big money late model races around the state in
the coming months.

"I can't wait for some of these big paying shows at the end of the year after I can get away from the points racing I've been doing," Schlenk said.

In the caution filled feature for the dirt trucks, first it was Dan Hennig taking the lead, but he fell pit side with mechanical woes after leading
three laps. Then Paul Brown Jr. would spin leading as there were six cautions in the first six laps. Once Jim McGrath took the lead on lap five,
he was smooth on the bottom while Art Ball, Dwight Waltermeier and Steve Endicott applied pressure. Following a lap 8 caution for a Jim Keegan spin, Ball really raced McGrath hard for the lead. In fact the two raced side-by-side over the last six laps of the feature before McGrath edge Ball
for the win. Waltermeier, Endicott and Alex Weichman would round out the top five.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action on Saturday, Aug. 29, when the four track champions will be crowned on Kistler Racing Products Night.
Double points will be awarded in all four divisions as the season winds down. "Ohio's Finest Racing" speedplant will put the wraps to the 2009
season on Saturday, Sept. 5 when the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champion Sprints come to town for the Attica Ambush along with the late models and dirt trucks.

For times and ticket prices log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com



Attica Raceway Park - 8/22/2009
Aaron's Sales & Lease and WNWO 24 Night

410 Sprints
Heat 1 - Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 2+-Brian Smith; 2. 15H-Mitch Harble; 3. 20X-Craig Mintz; 4. O4-Cap Henry;
5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 6. 97-Mike Brecht; 7. 10-David Harrison; 8. 48-Mike
Burkin; 9. 40-Mark Imler; 10. 1K-Willie Keegan

Heat 2 - Bell Racing  (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 15C-Chris Andrews; 2. 83-Tim Shaffer; 3. O-Brandon Wimmer; 4. 312-Mike
Linder; 5. 5R-Byron Reed; 6. 1B-Keith Baxter; 7. X-Mark Keegan; 8. 60-Jody
Keegan; 9. 3J-Kevin Lee[10]; 10. 27-Scott Euler

Heat 3 - Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 53-Phil Gressman; 2. W20-Greg Wilson; 3. 48S-Andy Shammo; 4. 51-Aaron
Higgins; 5. 60C-Kory Crabtree; 6. 14H-Todd Heller; 7. 22D-Josh Davis; 8.
6-Ryan Dickey; 9. 53X-Kenny Jacobs

Heat 4 - Tin Lizzy Collision (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 11M-Brandon Martin; 2. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 3. 6R-Ryan Bunton; 4.
93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 5. 69-Scott Curren; 6. 12-Caleb Griffith; 7.
47-Caleb Helms; 8. 45-Brian Lay; 9. 25-Lee Jacobs

C-Main - Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 60-Jody Keegan; 2. 45-Brian Lay; 3. 53X-Kenny Jacobs; 4. 27-Scott Euler;
5. 25-Lee Jacobs; 6. 48-Mike Burkin; 7. 40-Mark Imler; 8. 1K-Willie Keegan;
9. 6-Ryan Dickey; 10. 3J-Kevin Lee[6]

B-Main - Computer Man Inc. (12 Laps - Top 6 Transfer)
1. 5R-Byron Reed; 2. 14H-Todd Heller; 3. 22D-Josh Davis; 4. 53X-Kenny
Jacobs; 5. 60-Jody Keegan; 6. 27-Scott Euler; 7. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 8.
1B-Keith Baxter; 9. 60C-Kory Crabtree; 10. 97-Mike Brecht; 11. 45-Brian Lay;
12. 69-Scott Curren; 13. 47-Caleb Helms; 14. 10-David Harrison; 15. X-Mark
Keegan

A-Main -  (30 Laps)

    * -Starting Position

1. W20-Greg Wilson[2]; 2. 20X-Craig Mintz[4]; 3. 53-Phil Gressman[10]; 4.
15C-Chris Andrews[6]; 5. 5R-Byron Reed[17]; 6. 312-Mike Linder[14]; 7.
53X-Kenny Jacobs[20]; 8. 60-Jody Keegan[21]; 9. 14H-Todd Heller[18]; 10.
27-Scott Euler[22]; 11. 6R-Ryan Bunton[1]; 12. O4-Cap Henry[13]; 13.
11M-Brandon Martin[12]; 14. 15H-Mitch Harble[3]; 15. O-Brandon Wimmer[8];
16. 48S-Andy Shammo[11]; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[16]; 18. 51-Aaron
Higgins[15]; 19. 22D-Josh Davis[19]; 20. 91-Aaron Middaugh[5]; 21. 83-Tim
Shaffer[7]; 22. 2+-Brian Smith[9]


Fremont Fence - 305 Sprints
Heat 1 - Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. M28-Josh Muntz; 2. 18-Todd Heuerman; 3. 8K-Zack Kramer; 4. 94-John Ivy;
5. 11F-D.J. Foos; 6. 49-Coty Runion; 7. 22D-Dan Hammond; 8. 29-Chris Lang;
9. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh; 10. 13-Junior Felver

Heat 2 - Bell Racing  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 10-Brad Haudenschild; 2. 1-Nate Dussel; 3. 40-Bobby Clark; 4. 9-Jimmy
Colvin; 5. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 6. 28-Shawn Valenti; 7. 80-Jake Trevino; 8.
27-Paige Polyak; 9. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 10. 99X-Tim Buchanan

Heat 3 - Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 3. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 4. 19R-Steve
Rando; 5. 71-Bill Kraylek; 6. 51-Brad Bowman; 7. 65-Mark Lang; 8. 95-Craig
Kays; 9. 8J-Jess Stiger

B-Main - Computer Man Inc. (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 28-Shawn Valenti; 2. 51-Brad Bowman; 3. 49-Coty Runion; 4. 80-Jake
Trevino; 5. 27-Paige Polyak; 6. 22D-Dan Hammond; 7. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh; 8.
99X-Tim Buchanan; 9. 13-Junior Felver; 10. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 11. 95-Craig
Kays; 12. 29-Chris Lang; 13. 65-Mark Lang; 14. 8J-Jess Stiger

A-Main -  (25 Laps)

    * -Starting Position

1. 40-Bobby Clark[7]; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6]; 3. 18-Todd Heuerman[10]; 4.
1-Nate Dussel[2]; 5. 10-Brad Haudenschild[11]; 6. M28-Josh Muntz[5]; 7.
1W-Paul Weaver[3]; 8. 94-John Ivy[9]; 9. 80-Jake Trevino[19]; 10. 19R-Steve
Rando[8]; 11. 11F-D.J. Foos[13]; 12. 28-Shawn Valenti[16]; 13. 27-Paige
Polyak[20]; 14. 71-Bill Kraylek[15]; 15. 82-Travis Hoffbauer[14]; 16.
8K-Zack Kramer[4]; 17. 51-Brad Bowman[17]; 18. 9-Jimmy Colvin[1]; 19.
49-Coty Runion[18]; 20. 67M-Matt Ferrell[12]


Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop UMP DIRTcar Late Models
Heat 1 - Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 50Y-Ryan Missler; 2. 91-Rusty Schlenk; 3. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 4.
3R-Chuck Roelle; 5. 83-Noah Wagner; 6. 92X-Randy Scott; 7. 92-Brandon
Perkins; 8. 29-Nate Potts; 9. O6-Kyle Perry

Heat 2 - Bell Racing  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 40WD-Dusty Moore; 2. 27-Ken Hahn; 3. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 4. 15B-Mike
Bores; 5. 18-Jamie Reed; 6. O3-Jim Gingery; 7. 12-Michael Stiltner; 8.
171-Mark Pollack

Heat 3 - Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 71-Dave Hornikel; 2. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 3. 48-John Bores; 4. 5H-Ernie
Haynes; 5. 51-Devin Shiels; 6. 84-Tim Sabo; 7. 99-Steve Sabo; 8. 12M-Bobby
Michaels

B-Main - Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 84-Tim Sabo; 2. 12-Michael Stiltner; 3. O3-Jim Gingery; 4. 92X-Randy Scott; 5. 99-Steve Sabo; 6. 29-Nate Potts; 7. 92-Brandon Perkins; 8. 12M-Bobby Michaels; 9. O6-Kyle Perry; 10. 171-Mark Pollack

A-Main -  (25 Laps)
1. 91-Rusty Schlenk[1]; 2. 40WD-Dusty Moore[6]; 3. 71-Dave Hornikel[7]; 4. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.[2]; 5. 50Y-Ryan Missler[3]; 6. 5H-Ernie Haynes[12]; 7. 23C-Jeremy Canada[8]; 8. 15B-Mike Bores[5]; 9. 27-Ken Hahn[10]; 10. 48-John Bores[4]; 11. 84-Tim Sabo[16]; 12. 51-Devin Shiels[15]; 13. 83-Noah Wagner[13]; 14. 12-Michael Stiltner[17]; 15. 69-John Mayes Jr.[9]; 16. O3-Jim Gingery[18]; 17. 99-Steve Sabo[20]; 18. 92X-Randy Scott[19]; 19. 3R-Chuck Roelle[11]; 20. 18-Jamie Reed[14]