By Scott Porter – FAST Public Relations: (Maumee, OH) The stage is set for one of the most intriguing championship nights in the three year history of the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (F.A.S.T.) Championship Series presented by Engine Pro & PAC Valve Springs. After back-to-back visits to Engine Pro Victory Lane at Attica Raceway Park, Bryan Sebetto has vaulted into the lead by a slim 13-points over veteran Dean Jacobs in the F.A.S.T. Kistler Cup point standings. But sitting just 32-points back in third place is defending F.A.S.T. Champion Byron Reed who looks to hoist the Kistler Cup yet again. The 21-race championship series between Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway will finally conclude this Saturday, September 10th at Fremont where the $10,000 winner’s share of the cash and prizes will ultimately be decided.
The Burmeister Racing team adamantly claims they do not “points race”, but go for victory lane instead. The team, based out of Fremont, Ohio and owned by Fremont Speedway Hall of Famer Sonny Burmeister, put together an impressive month of August which saw them claim two wins, a second and third place finish. Those four podium finishes have put them into the position where they are today as the front runner heading into the $3,000 to win finale. Bryan Sebetto, 28 years old, is a product of Northern Ohio dirt track racing where he cut his teeth in the dirt trucks before developing his racing skills through the ranks of the 305 sprints all before landing a ride in a 410 sprint car. The simplest equation to clinch his first-career F.A.S.T. championship is to finish inside the top-3 finish on Saturday aboard the JLH General Contractors, Steven Mapus Tools, Burns Petroleum backed #16. Sebetto’s average finish in the eight F.A.S.T. events contested at Fremont Speedway is a 4th-place finish.
The Seeling Motorsports entry driven by Dean Jacobs has been a constant fixture inside the top-5 throughout the 2011 season. In fact the Wooster, Ohio native has finished inside the top-5 in all but two of the 15 F.A.S.T. events contested to date and has been on a streak of eleven straight. The Northwest Ohio Towing and Recovery, NAPA Truck and Auto Center backed #97 looks to visit victory lane for the first time under the F.A.S.T. banner, which ultimately could play a role in winning the $10,000 championship if Sebetto were to finish 4th or worse during the feature event. Dean looks to build upon the three runner-up finishes at “The Track That Action Built,” but hopes not to be chasing Sebetto to the line. The F.A.S.T. Championship would be the second step for Jacobs, who wrapped up the Attica track championship just a few short weeks ago, in claiming the $3,000 bonus for anyone who can claim the F.A.S.T. title and both track championships this season. Jacob’s average finish in the eight F.A.S.T. events contested at Fremont Speedway is a 4th-place finish.
B&S Racing’s Byron Reed sits in third place with what might seem like a daunting task ahead in order to claim his second career F.A.S.T. title. Two sub-par performances at Attica Raceway Park have put “The Monclova Missile” in a 32-point deficit going into the finale at Fremont, but a reassuring fact for the 9-time Northern Ohio track champion is knowing that he has finished inside the top-5 in all eight events contested at Fremont. He has the highest average finish of the three drivers (3rd-place) and has visited Engine Pro Victory Lane twice at “The Track That Action Built.” A third visit to victory lane would help put the icing on the cake if Jacobs were to finish in 6th-place or worse and if Sebetto struggled to an 11th or worse finish.
Qualifying could play a key role in deciding what will happen on Saturday. While none of the three title contenders have posted quick time in 2011, Sebetto holds a slim advantage in starting the highest in the feature events. Both Sebetto and Reed have picked up wins while starting on the front row and from charging to the win from outside the top-5 rows. Only Reed and Jacobs have picked up precious bonus points thanks to the KSE Steering Hard Charger, which is a 2-point bonus in the F.A.S.T. Series.
While the attention will be on the top-3 in points another interesting battle brews between 2009 F.A.S.T. Champion Craig Mintz and “The Ohio Gas Man” Phil Gressman for fourth place in the F.A.S.T. Kistler Cup point standings. The two have flip flopped 4th place numerous times since July, but currently Mintz claims a slim 3-point margin over Gressman.
Mintz moved back into the top-5 in June and seems to have found his stride behind the Top Gun Enterprises new GF1 Chassis by Ti22 Performance. Since claiming the hard charger and a podium finish at Attica the first weekend of July, Mintz has gone on to collect three more top-5 runs including a runner up finish at Fremont.
Gressman has picked up feature wins at both Northern Ohio speed plants, but has struggled to find the consistency that the De Genzman Racing Enterprises, Kear’s Speed Shop backed #53 is capable of. Gressman will need to finish at least four positions higher than Mintz in order to take back fourth in the final standings.
It appears to be etched in stone that Mike Linder will hold down the 6th place in F.A.S.T. points if both he and Gressman transfer into Saturday’s $3,000 to win feature event which starts 22-cars. The same can be said for Brad Haudenschild who holds a 77-point advantage over Kevin Lee for 7th-place. Haudenschild has also clinched the 2011 Hot Shot Engine Heater F.A.S.T. Rookie of the Year.
The next battle brews in 8th place between Lee and Whitehouse, Ohio’s Todd Heller who sits just 5-points back. Lee will have to stay on the tail tank of Heller’s G.L. Heller Company backed #14h in order to claim the position. Duane Zablocki looks to finish inside the top-10 for the first time in his racing career and a top-15 run could help solidify that. Sitting 24-points outside the pay window is Brad Bowman. After losing a motor late in the season Brad has been hopping rides in hopes of finishing inside the top-10 during his rookie season behind the wheel of a 410 sprint car.
The final chapter of the 2011 Fremont/Attica Sprint Title will be written once the dust settles on the 1/3-mile clay oval located inside historic Sandusky County Fairgrounds. Gates on Saturday will open at 4:00 pm with racing starting at 7:00 pm at “The Track The Action Built.” Visit www.fremontohspeedway.com for more information.
Visit www.fastondirt.com to find out more about the Fremont/Attica Sprint Title, the drivers, rules, schedule, sponsors, and more.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The Northern Ohio banquet tour concludes Saturday, December 3rd with the 2011 Fremont/Attica Sprint Title Banquet Party at the American Legion (2000 Buckland Ave) in Fremont, Ohio. This casual affair is open to all drivers, teams, sponsors, media and fans. The event will again feature entertainment from acoustic musician Mel Burns of Sandusky, Ohio who also performs with the band “Remembering Venice” (www.facebook.com/rememberingvenicemusic).
Drivers inside the top-10 in the final F.A.S.T. Kistler Cup point standings are required to attend this awards banquet in order to receive cash awards and contingency prizes. Please make plans in advance to attend. Exact time of this event will be announced at a later date on www.fastondirt.com.
FAST on Dirt, Inc. would like to thank the following contributors to the 2011 FAST Championship Series point fund:
Kistler Racing Products, Engine Pro, PAC Valve Springs, KS Sales & Service, Engler Machine & Tool, Black Swamp Media Group, Kinsler Injections, SCS Gearbox, Reebar Die Casting, Design Graphics Group, Kear’s Speed Shop, Tailgators Bar & Grill, MyHeroCards.com, Hoseheads.com, Computer Man Inc., Level Performance, R&R Auto Wrecking, J&F Construction & Development Inc, NWOQMRA, Young’s RV, Hot Shot Engine Heaters, OC Shocks, FSR Radiator, Real Geese, GL Heller Company, High Vista Videos, Gressman Powersports, Action Photos, Hoserville Ohio, October Hills Farms, Attica Raceway Park, and Fremont Speedway.
Also, a very special thanks to all of our contingency award sponsors:
Pro Shocks, R2C Filters, Wings Unlimited, Outerwears, Kinsler Fuel Injection, DMI Race Components, Ti22 Performance, Rocket Headers, AllPro Heads, Fuel Safe, Hepfner Racing Products, KSE Steering, Kinser Filters, J&J Auto Racing, Weld Wheels, King Racing Products, TQ Fiberglass, Keizer Wheels, OC Shocks, Rod End Supply, Linders Speed Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, VRP Shocks, Hinchman Indy Uniforms, Zemco Headers, Triple X Race Components, Fisher Performance, Race Coveralls, Productive Tools & Equipment, Hilton Garden Inn, Fat Fish Blue/Toledo Funny Bone, Ghostly Manor, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, African Safari & Monsoon Lagoon