Blaney Kicks Off UNOH Ohio Sprint Speedweek Defense With Attica Win
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Dale Blaney began the defense of his O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Sprint Speedweek title by dominating the field Sunday at Attica Raceway Park to kick off the 25th Anniversary of the University of Northwest Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by RacingJunk.com.
The Fowler, Ohio driver took the lead from Brock Mayes on lap 15 and never looked back to record his 56th career All Star victory, to move him into a tie for third with Jack Hewitt on the all-time win list. It was Blaney’s second All Star win of 2007 at Attica and 9th overall 410 sprint victory at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” venue. Blaney, the 195 and 1996 All Star champion, has won the Ohio Sprint Speedweek title in 1995, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Image”We got a good pill draw and laid down a good qualifying lap (fast time of the 54 that qualified) and that gets you out of the blocks in good shape. And anytime you get behind the wheel of George Fisher’s machine, it’s a great ride,” said Blaney beside is Berlin Natural Bakery sponsored #2. “It’s definitely a good way to start the week, but it just gets tougher every night.”
If Blaney can record three more wins over the next six nights, he would win a $50,000 bonus!
Brock Mayes would grab the early lead in the 40-lap Aarons Sales & Service/ Pepsi feature, with Craig Mintz applying pressure.Mintz would actually slide in front of Mayes to lead lap 3 before Mayes would get back around for the top spot. Mayes and Mintz would begin to pull away somewhat as Brian Ellenberger, Blaney, Brandon Martin and Rob Chaney battled behind them.
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The first of only two yellow flags would fly for a stalled Greg Wilson on lap 8 with the running orderMayes, Mintz, Blaney, Ellenberger, Martin and Chaney. Mayes and Mintz would continue to battle for the lead as Blaney rode in their tire tracks. By lap 11, that trio battled side by side, with Blaney sliding by Mintz on lap 14 and then under Mayes for the lad a lap later.
ImageBlaney would encounter lapped traffic at the halfway mark, but it didn’t slow him down. The battle behind him was heating up between Mayes, Mintz, Chaney, Martin and Ellenberger.Chaney would grab the third spot on lap 22 and would fly around the outside of Mayes on lap 29 for second and would try to hunt down Blaney. Martin would move into third on lap 32. The final caution would come out on lap 37 for Lee Jacobs. Blaney had a couple of lapped machines between himself and Chaney. With an open track ahead, Blaney would cruise to the victory. Chaney would grab second, with Attica driver Brandon Martin getting a podium finish. Rounding out the top five were Byron Reed and 11th-starter Kenny Jacobs.
“It seems I’m always finishing behind that red #2. He had that clean track and that makes all the difference. It’s a good way to start off this long week. I couldn’t be prouder to drive this race car for Randy and Lisa Hammer and Rob Hunter and this entire crew,” said Chaney beside his Hammer Pallets/Berlin Natural Bakery backed 24h.
The finish for Martin was just what the doctor ordered.
“My confidence was down a little after last night (at KC Raceway). But the guys have been working hard on this in the shop and we’ve been making steady progress every time out,” said Martin beside his R&S Diversified, Martin Excavating backed #11. “This is great to end up on the horse track at my home track in front of this huge crowd.”
ImageGibsonburg, Ohio’s Ken Hahn would lead all 20 laps to record his 3rd career feature victory in the Fultz Fabrications & Speedshop Attica Late Models. Ryan Missler, Ernie Haynes, Jim Fleming and Mike Marteney would round out the top five.
“We are definitely on a roll. We’ll take it because I know how quickly luck can change,” said Hahn beside his Bestwick-Braun Company sponsored #27.
The UNO Speedweek presented by RacingJunk.com moves to Wayne County Speedway near Orrville, Ohio Monday, then to Waynesfield Speedway near Lima Tuesday, Hilltop Speedway near Millersburg Wednesday, Fremont Speedway Thursday; Limaland Motorsports Park, Friday and wraps up at Eldora Speedway Saturday.
Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, July 6 on R&R Auto Wrecking Night with the World Auto Parts of Huron/Cleveland 410 Sprints, 305 Sprints, Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop Attica Late Models and Dirt Trucks.
For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com or call 419-680-5606
Attica Raceway Park (June 24, 2007)
Aarons Sales & Service/Pepsi Night
O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions
Qualifying – Huggins Cams – 54 cars
1. 2- Dale Blaney, 11.956; 2. 8j- Kenny Jacobs, 11.962; 3. 71M-Paul May, 12.079; 4. 25-Lance Dewease, 12.140; 5. 97-Cory Seeling, 12.142; 6. 20E-Brian Ellenberger, 12.147; 7. 11B-Brock Mayes, 12.158; 8. 09-Craig Mintz, 12.191; 9. 9x-Kevin Huntley, 12.200; 10. 11m-Brandon Martin, 12.215; 11. 16-Lee Jacobs, 12.231; 12. 24h-Rob Chaney, 12.238; 13. 51-John Ivy, 12.266; 14. 0-Gus Wasson, 12.277; 15. 10-David Harrison, 12.279; 16. 5r-Byron Reed, 12.280; 17. 15c-Chris Andrews, 12.315; 18. 3L-Mike Linder, 12.333; 19. 75h-Jesse Hockett, 12.335; 20. 7k-Dean Jacobs, 12.344; 21. 8h-Shane Stewart, 12.360; 22. 2m-Dustin Daggett, 12.363; 23. 1r-Phil Gressman, 12.377; 24. X-Mark Keegan, 12.399; 25. 4m-Jamie Miller, 12.418; 26. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.438; 27. 4-Danny Smith, 12.497; 28. 72-Andy James, 12.501; 29. 37z-Bryan Scott, 12.510; 30. 4k-Kelly Kinser, 12.511; 31. 6-Bill Rose, 12.600; 32. 3t-Tony Beaber, 12.607; 33. 28-Brian Paulus, 12.639; 34. 11n-Ed Neumeister, 12.645; 35. 1w-Paul Weaver, 12.649; 36. 20au-Troy Little, 12.676; 37. 34-Luke Hall, 12.680; 38. 48s-Andy Shammo, 12.688; 39. 12-Caleb Griffith, 12.729; 40. 51h-Aaron Higins, 12.745; 41. 2h-Tim Hunter, 12.755; 42. 98-Bruce Robenalt, 12.756; 43. 5b-Chad Blonde, 12.851; 44. 45-Brian Grove, 13.023; 45. 00-Ryan Grubaugh, 13.085; 46. 75r-Ben Rutan, 13.187; 47. 49t-Gregg Dalman, 13.220; 48. 69-Scott Curren, 13.277; 49. 22b-Ben Gregg, 13.369; 50. 16s-Lee Stark, 13.418; 51. 96au-Bruce White, 13.465; 52. 10s-Roger Shammo, 13.480; 53. 91-Aaron Middaugh, 13.923; 54. 6au-David Doherty, 14.070.
RacingJunk.com Last Chance Race (10 laps, top 4 transfer to heats)
1. 49t-Greg Dalman; 2. 00-Ryan Grubaugh; 3. 96au-Bruce White; 4. 16s-Lee Stark; 5. 75r-Ben Rutan; 6. 10s-Roger Shammo; 7. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 8. 6au-David Doherty; 9. 22b-Ben Gregg; 10. 69-Scott Curren.
Heat 1 – Crown Battery (10 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 8h-Shane Stewart; 2. 51-John Ivy; 3. 9x-Rob Chaney; 4. 2-Dale Blaney; 5. 28-Brian Paulus; 6. 4m-Jamie Miller; 7. 49t-Gregg Dalman; 8. 15c-Chris Andrews; 9. 97-Cory Seeling; 10. 34-Luke Hall; 11. 37z-Bryan Scott; 12. 2h-Tim Hunter.
Heat 2 – Hoosier Racing Tire (10 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 2m-Dustin Daggett; 2. 3L-Mike Linder; 3. 11m-Brandon Martin; 4. 20e-Brian Ellenberger; 5. W20-Greg Wilson; 6. 4k-Kelly Kinser; 7. 0-Gus Wasson; 8. 48s-Andy Shammo; 9. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 10. 00-Ryan Grubaugh; 11. 11n-Ed Neumeister; 12. 8j-Kenny Jacobs
Heat 3 – Engler Machine & Tool (10 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 75-Jesse Hockett; 2. 11b-Brock Mayes; 3. 16-Lee Jacobs; 4. 4-Danny Smith; 5. 5b-Chad Blonde; 6. 12-Caleb Griffith; 7. 71m-Paul May; 8. 96au-Bruce White; 9. 1w-Paul Weaver; 10. 6-Bill Rose; 11. 1r-Phil Gressman; 12. 10-David Harrison
Heat 4 – Taylor Wings (10 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 7k-Dean Jacobs; 2. 5r-Byron Reed; 3. 09-Craig Mintz; 4. X-Mark Keegan; 5. 24h-Rob Chaney; 6. 25-Lance Dewease; 7. 20au-Troy Litle; 8. 51h-Aaron Higgins; 9. 45-Brian Grove; 10. 16s-Lee Stark; 11. 72-Andy James; 12. 3t-Tony Beaber
C-Main (10 laps, top 4 transfer to B-Main)
1. 12-Caleb Griffith; 2. 48s-Andy Shammo; 3. 20au-Troy Little; 4. 34-Luke Hall; 5. 2h-Tim Hunter; 6. 51h-Aaron Higgins; 7. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 8. 96au-Bruce White; 9. 45-Bryan Grove; 10. 10s-Roger Shammo; 11. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 12. 22b-Ben Gregg; 13. 16s-Lee Stark; 14. 6au-David Doherty; 15. 69-Scott Curren; 16. 49t-Gregg Dalman; 17. 00-Ryan Grubaugh
B-Main – University of Northwest Ohio (12 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 25-Lance Dewease; 2. 8j-Kenny Jacobs; 3. 71m-Paul May; 4. 10-David Harrison; 5. 4m-Jamie Miller; 6. 20au-Troy Little; 7. 0-Gus Wasson; 8. 11n-Ed Neumeister; 9. 37z-Bryan Scott; 10. 12-Caleb Griffith; 11. 97-Cory Seeling; 12. 15c-Chris Andrews; 13. 1w-Paul Weaver; 14. 72-Andy James; 15. 4k-Kelly Kinser; 16. 48s-Andy Shammo; 17. 6-Bill Rose; 18. 34-Luke Hall; 19. 3t-Tony Beaber; 20. 1r-Phil Gressman
A-Main – MSD Ignition 40 laps Starting Position [#]
1. 2-Dale Blaney [4]; 2. 24h-Rob Chaney [6]; 3. 11m-Brandon Martin [1]; 4. 5r Byron Reed [8]; 5. 8j-Kenny Jacobs [11]; 6. 71m-Paul May [10]; 7. 25-Lance Dewease [13]; 8. 09-Craig Mintz [3]; 9. 11b-Brock Mayes [2]; 10. 3L-Mike Linder [15]; 11. 51-John Ivy [9]; 12. 4-Danny Smith [20]; 13. 7k-Dean Jacobs [17]; 14. 8h-Shane Stewart [16]; 15. 20e-Brian Ellenberger [5]; 16. 75h-Jesse Hockett [14]; 17. 16-Lee Jacobs [7]; 18. 2m-Dustin Daggett [19]; 19. 28-Brian Paulus [23]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [21]; 21. X-Mark Keegan [18]; 22. 4m-Jamie Miller [24]; 23. 5b Chad Blonde [22]; 24. 10-David Harrison [12] Note: 9x-Kevin Huntley scheduled to start second but did not fire; 4m-Jamie Miller to feature as alternate.
Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop Attica Late Models
Heat 1
1-Jim Fleming; 2. 84-Tim Sabo; 3. 27-Ken Hahn; 4. 01-Justin Chance; 5. 25-Chuck Hummer; 6. 3. Mike Graber; 7. 99m-John Mayes Sr.; 8. 29-Matt Potts.
Heat 2
1. 45-Mike Marteney; 2. 27h-Bill Hahn; 3. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 4. 6-Trevor Phillips; 5. 31-Bill Clapp Jr.; 6. 99-Steve Sabo; 7. 77c-Craig Corfman; 8. 23-Ben Elliott
Heat 3
1. 50-Ryan Missler; 2. 21-Larry Kingseed; 3. 5h-Ernie Haynes; 4.
15b-Mike Bores; 5. 18-Jim Gingery; 6. 48-John Bores; 7. 8k-Kevin Koerper; 8. 12p-Jeff Pelton
A-Main (20-Laps, Starting position [#]
1. 27-Ken Hahn [1]; 2. 50-Ryan Missler [12]; 3. 5h-Ernie Haynes [8]; 4. 1-Jim Fleming [6]; 5. 45-Mike Marteney [7]; 6. 27h-Bill Hahn [10]; 7. 18-Jim Gingery [15]; 8. 01-Justin Chance [4]; 9. 99m-John Mayes Sr. [18]; 10. 15b-Mike Bores [11]; 11. 21-Larry Kingseed [9]; 12. 25-Chuck Hummer [13]; 13. 23-Ben Elliott [21]; 14. 3-Mike Graber [16]; 15. 6-Trevor Phillips [5]; 16. 99-Steve Sabo [17] 17. 69-John Mayes Jr. [2]; 18. 84-Tim Sabo [3]; 19. 29-Matt Potts [20]; 20. 31-Bill Clapp Jr. [14] NOTE: 77c-Craig Corfman did not take a green