|
Blaney takes Fremont's $4,000 on July 4;
Weaver tames 305 sprints; Ward tackles truck field
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Contact: Brian Liskai
liskai2x@cros.net
By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio - Dale Blaney likes
slick smooth race tracks. He got just what
he wanted at Fremont Speedway Saturday
night, as he took home the $4,000 on
Burkett Family Night.
"The Track That Action Built" paid
tribute to the military men and women -
America's heroes - during the
Independence Day event, with special pre-race
festivities. Saturday also marked the
halfway mark of the season in the
inaugural Kistler Racing Products Fremont
Attica Sprint Title Championship
Series which has a separate point fund
for the 410 sprint drivers totaling
over $50,000 in cash and contingency
prizes. Both Fremont Speedway and
Attica Raceway Park also have their own
separate point funds. With his
second place run Friday at Attica and a
strong third place finish at Fremont
Saturday, Gibsonburg's Craig Mintz has
grabbed the FAST Championship Series
point lead.
Blaney's victory wasn't easy as he had
to work his way through the B-main
which earned him a 10th starting spot in
the A-main for the Fort Ball Pizza
Palace 410 Sprints. He made a great move
exiting turn four on lap 14 to get
around both Craig Mintz and Chris Andrews
to grab lead.
The 30-lap feature went non-stop after
an initial caution on the start that
sent Tim Shaffer to the tail and Rob
Chaney and Bob Felmlee to the pits.
Shaffer would storm his way through the
pack to finish second.
"I love seeing the track this way.
When my top wing gets back there (all the
way to the rear of the car) at this place
and most places that's when I'm
usually grinning But, we've actually
struggled here this season, usually
we're pretty good. We had a good night.
Had to run the B, but we got some
more laps and made a few adjustments.
That 83 (Shaffer) must have been
pretty good he ended up second on the
board. I don't know if it was good for
him to go to the tail or not...it was
good for us. We'll take it...we've
been struggling," said Blaney beside his
George Fisher Racing, Ti22
Performance backed sprint car.
"I was trying to run the bottom a
little bit. My car was pretty decent
anywhere, but they were starting to slip
around a little bit. I just got a
good run. If you sit back there you can
kind of dictate where you go...you
go where they don't go. I didn't hear
anyone in traffic so I kind of took my
time...maybe a little too patient. But
George gives me a good car,
especially when we come here," added
Blaney in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.
"I'm awful thankful for the Burkett
family for putting on this race.
Thankful for Fremont...glad everyone came
out on the Fourth of July."
After a lap one caution in the Fremont
Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints'
A-main, the 25-lap feature went non-stop
as well. Fremont's Paul Weaver held
off several challenges from D.J. Foos
after getting caught up in lapped
traffic, and went on to score his 23rd
career Fremont victory to move him
into a tie with Jim Fleming for 17th on
the all-time win list.
"I came up on Bobby (Clark, to put him
a lap down) and I don't know if he
was just taking it easy because got to
the tail there and didn't want to
over do it, but it seemed like everywhere
I went he went. He didn't do
anything wrong, I just went the wrong
way," said Weaver beside his Genzman
Enterprises, Level Performance, M&L
Excavating, Ludwig Propane backed #1W.
Weaver utilized the high line
throughout the feature while most of the field
stuck to the bottom.
"You'd have to pave the bottom for me
to go down there," joked Weaver in the
Engine Pro Victory Lane. "I've got to
thank Dee Genzman... if it weren't for
him I wouldn't be out here. My wife, even
though I couldn't run her set-up
because it was a totally different track
from the last time, but I have to
thank her for supporting me."
After an initial yellow to start the
Fremont Fence Dirt Truck feature, only
one other caution would fly in the 20-lap
affair. The main featured
side-by-side racing throughout the top
six spots, and when the dust settled
2007 track champion Cory Ward of
Sandusky, Ohio, would get his third victory
of the year and his 16th career win, just
one behind his dad, Jim's career
total.
Just like the 305 sprint feature, Ward
knew if he was going to win he had to
move up on the track.
"When Dible (Bob) got by me I just
started to follow him and I didn't like
the bottom at all. I decided on that
restart (on lap 12) I was going to run
outside and hopefully it would work out
and it did. Three and four was
killing me but the middle of one and two
I was getting a lot of bite," said
Ward beside his Budweiser, Eastside Cafe,
T.J. Hosang Construction, Jim's
Auto Salvage, Precision Auto Body backed
truck.
"I'm one behind dad now in wins and
we've got plenty of time. I've got three
wins here and my next best finish is 11th
so it's been back and forth,"
added Ward in the Engine Pro Victory
Lane.
Chris Andrews looked to make it a
weekend FAST sweep at the start of the
feature, coming off his win at Attica, as
he grabbed the lead with Phil
Gressman right on his bumper and Craig
Mintz and Brandon Wimmer in tow.
Gressman would continue to put pressure
on Andrews who used the middle of
the track while Gressman stuck to the
bottom. Mintz was starting to make
some noise using the extreme high line of
the track as he raced Gressman
hard for second. Mintz would take the
runner-up spot on lap 12 and would
pressure Andrews for the lead. All eyes
were on 10th starter Blaney who had
worked his way to fifth in just two laps,
grabbed fourth on lap seven and
third on lap 12.
Blaney would dive under both Mintz and
Andrews exiting turn four coming down
to complete the 14th lap to take the
lead. While Blaney pulled away despite
hitting lapped traffic at the halfway
mark, Andrews, Mintz and Gressman put
on a tremendous battle for second,
trading slide-job after slide-job.
Gressman would wrestle away the second
spot on lap 18, only to see Mintz
slide by on lap 20.
It was hard to take your eyes off that
battle for second as Blaney picked
his way through lapped traffic, but the
fans couldn't help but notice the
charge Tim Shaffer was mounting from the
rear after being collected in an
opening lap crash. The current O'Reilly
All Star Circuit of Champions point
leader was in fifth place by lap 23,
grabbed fourth a lap later and moved
past Gressman into third on lap 25.
Shaffer would drive under Mintz for
second on lap 27, but ran out of time to
catch Blaney who held a half track
advantage.
Blaney would flash under the checkered
ahead of Shaffer, Mintz, Andrews and
Gressman.
Weaver, utilizing the extreme high
line, would bolt into the lead from his
fourth starting spot at the drop of the
green of the 305 sprint main while
D.J. Foos, Shawn Valenti and
Kevin Lee would wage a great battle behind for
second. Once Foos was able to fend off
Valenti, he set his sights on Weaver.
Weaver was able to pull away slightly
until lap 13 when he caught the rear
of the field. While he struggled with
lapped traffic, Foos was able to
close, and by lap 15 was pulling under
Weaver exiting turn four as the pair
raced side-by-side the next five laps.
Behind them Valenti and Todd Heuerman
waged a torrid battle for third.
Once Weaver was able to get around
Bobby Clark, he would pull away slightly
and go on to the win while Foos, Heuerman,
Valenti and Steve Rando would
round out the top five.
Rookie Cory Tappel would lead the
field to the green in the 20-lap dirt
truck main with Loren Schwochow, Ward and
Jimmy McGrath in tow. Ward would
drive into the lead on lap three,
bringing McGrath into second and Schwochow
to third. Schwochow would grabbed the
lead when Ward slipped up on lap four,
bringing 7th place starter Bob Dible into
second while Ward ran third and
McGrath fourth. Dible would drive under
Schwochow for the lead on lap six
and Ward would take second on lap 8 while
Steve Endicott was on the move
from his 10th starting spot into third.
Tappel would bring out the yellow on
lap 12 with the running order Dible,
Ward, McGrath, Endicott, Schwochow and
Dan Hennig.
Ward would move to the outside on the
restart and he and Dible raced door to
door the next two laps before Ward would
grab the lead on lap 14. Ward would
not give up as he continued to race under
Ward lap after lap. At the
checkered, Ward would win by half a truck
length over Dible while Endicott,
McGrath and Henning would round out the
top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in
action Saturday, July 11 on Schiets
Motorsports Night with the 410 and 305
sprints and dirt trucks in action.
For more information and ticket prices go
to www.fremontohspeedway.com
Fremont Speedway - 7/4/2009
Burkett Family Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints
Qualifying -
1. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.56; 2. 83-Tim
Shaffer, 12.65; 3. 2-Dale Blaney, 12.71;
4. 60-Jody Keegan, 12.72; 5. 7T-Troy
Vaccaro, 12.75; 6. O9-Craig Mintz,
12.76; 7. 11M-Brandon Martin, 12.76; 8.
O-Brandon Wimmer, 12.84; 9. 6-Bob
Felmlee, 12.85; 10. 15C-Chris Andrews,
12.86; 11. 97-Dean Jacobs, 12.86; 12.
X-Mark Keegan, 12.87; 13. 12-Caleb
Griffith, 12.87; 14. 22-Cole Duncan,
12.89; 15. 7K-Rob Chaney, 12.89; 16.
9X-Phil Gressman, 12.93; 17. 2+-Brian
Smith, 12.97;
18. 3J-Kevin Lee, 12.97; 19. 53-John Ivy, 12.98; 20. 312-Mike
Linder, 13.03; 21. 24H-Chad Blonde,
13.05; 22. 11B-Brock Mayes, 13.05; 23.
O4-Cap Henry, 13.12; 24. 25-Lee Jacobs,
13.12; 25. 89G-David Gravel, 13.13;
26. 14H-Todd Heller, 13.14; 27. W20-Greg
Wilson, 13.19; 28. 93-Sheldon
Haudenschild, 13.25; 29. 16-Bryan Sebetto,
13.26; 30. 9Z-Duane Zablocki,
13.29; 31. 48S-Andy Shammo, 13.58; 32.
7AU-Roddy Bellbowen, 13.61; 33.
10-David Harrison, 13.61; 34. 45-Brian
Lay, 14.18
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 2+-Brian Smith; 2. 24H-Chad Blonde; 3.
6-Bob Felmlee; 4. 5R-Byron Reed;
5. 12-Caleb Griffith; 6. 10-David
Harrison; 7. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 8. 7T-Troy
Vaccaro; 9. 89G-David Gravel
Heat 2 - Bell Racing Products (8 Laps
- Top 4 Transfer)
1. 11B-Brock Mayes;
2. 3J-Kevin Lee[2]; 3. O9-Craig Mintz; 4.
15C-Chris
Andrews; 5. 83-Tim Shaffer; 6. 14H-Todd
Heller; 7. 22-Cole Duncan; 8.
9Z-Duane Zablocki; 9. 45-Brian Lay
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 53-John Ivy; 2. 97-Dean Jacobs; 3.
O4-Cap Henry; 4. 7K-Rob Chaney; 5.
11M-Brandon Martin; 6. 2-Dale Blaney; 7.
W20-Greg Wilson; 8. 48S-Andy Shammo
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 25-Lee Jacobs; 2. 312-Mike Linder; 3.
O-Brandon Wimmer; 4. 9X-Phil
Gressman; 5. 60-Jody Keegan; 6. X-Mark
Keegan; 7. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild;
8. 7AU-Roddy Bellbowen
B-Main - (10 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
1. 83-Tim Shaffer; 2. 2-Dale Blaney; 3.
11M-Brandon Martin; 4. X-Mark
Keegan; 5. 7T-Troy Vaccaro; 6. W20-Greg
Wilson; 7. 60-Jody Keegan; 8.
22-Cole Duncan; 9. 89G-David Gravel; 10.
12-Caleb Griffith; 11. 45-Brian
Lay; 12. 7AU-Roddy Bellbowen; 13.
14H-Todd Heller; 14. 48S-Andy Shammo; 15.
9Z-Duane Zablocki; 16. 10-David Harrison;
17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 18.
16-Bryan Sebetto
A-Main - (30 Laps) [#]-Starting
Position
1. 2-Dale Blaney[10]; 2. 83-Tim
Shaffer[7]; 3. O9-Craig Mintz[5]; 4.
15C-Chris Andrews[4]; 5. 9X-Phil
Gressman[1]; 6. O-Brandon Wimmer[6]; 7.
5R-Byron Reed[8]; 8. X-Mark Keegan[12];
9. 2+-Brian Smith[11]; 10.
11M-Brandon Martin[9]; 11. 25-Lee
Jacobs[20]; 12. 11B-Brock Mayes[18]; 13.
O4-Cap Henry[17];
14. 3J-Kevin Lee[14]; 15. 24H-Chad Blonde[15];
16. 97-Dean
Jacobs[19]; 17. 53-John Ivy[13]; 18.
6-Bob Felmlee[3]; 19. 312-Mike
Linder[16]; 20. 7K-Rob Chaney[2]
Fremont Federal Credit Union - 305
Sprints
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 11F-D.J. Foos; 2. 10X-Dustin Stroup;
3. 18-Todd Heuerman; 4. 71-Bill
Kraylek; 5. 51-Brad Bowman; 6. 9-Jimmy
Colvin; 7. 8K-Zack Kramer; 8.
2P-Jerrid Potter; 9. 83X-Nate Reeser
Heat 2 - Bell Racing Products (8 Laps
- Top 5 Transfer)
1. 19R-Steve Rando; 2. 28-Shawn Valenti;
3. 22D-Dan Hammond; 4. 14-Chad
Wilson; 5. 2-Tim Kern; 6. M28-Josh Muntz;
7. 1-Nate Dussel; 8. 39-Matt
Merrill
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker;
3. 40-Bobby Clark; 4. 3J-Kevin
Lee[4]; 5. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 6. 99X-Tim Buchanan; 7. 3B-Tim
Bottles; 8.
30-Adam Ollom
B-Main - (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 2. 8K-Zack Kramer; 3.
M28-Josh Muntz; 4. 1-Nate Dussel;
5. 99X-Tim Buchanan; 6. 2P-Jerrid Potter;
7. 39-Matt Merrill; 8. 83X-Nate
Reeser; 9. 3B-Tim Bottles; 10. 30-Adam
Ollom
A-Main - (25 Laps) [#]-Starting
Position
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[4]; 2. 11F-D.J.
Foos[2]; 3. 18-Todd Heuerman[7]; 4.
28-Shawn Valenti[1]; 5. 19R-Steve
Rando[3]; 6. 3J-Kevin Lee[5]; 7. 51-Brad
Bowman[13]; 8. 10X-Dustin Stroup[12]; 9.
22D-Dan Hammond[10]; 10. 35-Stuart
Brubaker[8]; 11. 71-Bill Kraylek[9]; 12.
14-Chad Wilson[11]; 13. 8K-Zack
Kramer[17]; 14. 1-Nate Dussel[19]; 15.
9-Jimmy Colvin[16]; 16. M28-Josh
Muntz[18]; 17. 82-Travis Hoffbauer[15];
18. 40-Bobby Clark[6]; 19. 99X-Tim
Buchanan[20]; 20. 2-Tim Kern[14]
Fremont Fence Co. Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 - (7 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 8-Steve Endicott; 2. 99-Art Howey Jr.;
3. 4X-Brian Sorg; 4. 20+-Dave
Brewer; 5. 8K-Kent Brewer; 6. 6-Linda
Sabo; 7. 4J-Josh Lozano; 8. 21R-Adam
Dible; 9. 34K-Kevin Miller
Heat 2 - Bell Racing Products (7 Laps
- Top 5 Transfer)
1. 32H-Dan Hennig; 2. 5-Jim Mcgrath; 3.
5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath Jr.; 4. 40-Corey
Tappel; 5. 52-Will Tezak; 6. P51-Paul
Brown Jr.; 7. O1-Art Ball; 8. 16-Steve
Sabo
Heat 3 - (7 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 17-Bob Dible; 2. 18W-Cory Ward; 3.
92-Loren Schwochow; 4. 4S-Keith Sorg;
5. 30-Dave Gibbs; 6. 71-Craig Holland; 7.
9-Roger Inks; 8. 23M-Brad Mitten
B-Main - (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. O1-Art Ball; 2. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 3.
4J-Josh Lozano; 4. 6-Linda Sabo;
5. 9-Roger Inks; 6. 21R-Adam Dible; 7.
71-Craig Holland
A-Main - (20 Laps) [#]-Starting
Position
1. 18W-Cory Ward[5]; 2. 17-Bob Dible[7];
3. 8-Steve Endicott[10]; 4.
5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath Jr.[6]; 5. 32H-Dan
Hennig[8]; 6. 8K-Kent Brewer[13]; 7.
92-Loren Schwochow[3]; 8. 99-Art Howey
Jr.[11]; 9. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[17];
10. 30-Dave Gibbs[15]; 11. 9-Roger
Inks[20]; 12. 4J-Josh Lozano[18]; 13.
6-Linda Sabo[19]; 14. 40-Corey Tappel[1];
15. 4X-Brian Sorg[4]; 16. 4S-Keith
Sorg[2]; 17. 20+-Dave Brewer[12]; 18.
5-Jim Mcgrath[9]; 19. 52-Will
Tezak[14]; 20. O1-Art Ball[16]
Back to 2009 Results
| 
