Drown Holds Off Henry For Attica UMP Late Model Win; Dussel On A Roll With 305 Victory; Ball Gets Fourth In Trucks
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) A late race caution helped Wooster, Ohio’s Doug Drown gather his composure and go on to score his first career late model victory at Attica Raceway Park Friday on Bazell Race Fuels/Underground Utilities Night.
Bradner, Ohio’s Nate Dussel has had a great week. On Saturday he scored the 305 sprint victory at Fremont, and just six days later captured his first career victory at Attica Raceway Park.
It looked like Dwight Waltermeier would cruise to his second straight win in the dirt trucks at Attica. However, a broken rear-end sent his truck tumbling with just two laps remaining, handing the lead and the victory to Art Ball. It was Ball’s fourth win of the season at Attica and his 12th career victory in the division, the most all-time.
Drown drove the high line around Jon Henry on a lap 12 restart to take the lead exiting turn two in eh 25-lap Ludwig Propane feature for the Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Models. However, Henry would methodically work the bottom groove and was challenging Drown over the next 11 laps until the caution flew with just two to go. Drown moved to the bottom of the track and successfully held off Henry for the win.
Image”When I saw Jon on the inside of me…the one I was actually worried about was Rusty (Schlenk) because I know he has a Rayburn (chassis) and would probably get up there on the cushion a little bit better than most, so I was surprised to keep seeing Jon coming in the inside,” said Drown beside his Wooster Glass, Becker Farms, D.J. Directional Services, Malcuit Racing Engines backed late model.
“A couple of weeks ago here we were challenging but I had the battery die on me so I definitely didn’t want to let this one get away. I knew if I took his (Henry) line he’d have to earn it a little bit and get up on the wheel,” added Drown of his first win of the season. “It’s been a real tough season. We had a good run going here…we’ve had a good strong car, but just haven’t gotten the job done. We were used to Rockets and now we have a Lazer Chassis and we’re doing some adjustments and getting used to it. It flexes a lot more than my Rocket…just some odds and ends things to get used to. With the World of Outlaws coming here next week, this definitely helps to get some test and tune in.”
Dussel took the lead of the Fremont Fence 305 Sprints feature on lap 14, and utilized the top side of the track to build a lead, only to see Bobby Clark use the same line to hunt him down. But, Dussel picked his way through lapped traffic and went on to the victory.
“Once again, Mike and Craig (Dussel) put a great car under me. I just had to be patient with the lapped cars. What a week it’s been, I just hope we can keep it up,” said Dussel beside his Berrier Fabrication, Dussel Welding, OC Shocks backed sprint car.
In the 15-lap dirt track feature, Waltermeier grabbed the early lead while Ball worked his way into second and drove under the leader several times, but a handful of cautions slowed Ball’s momentum. However, Ball could see something amiss in the rear-end of Waltermeier’s truck, and just as the leader entered turn one to complete the 13th lap, something broke, sending Waltermeier tumbling. Ball would cruise to the victory.
“He was having a few problems there the last few laps. I hated to see that happen to Dwight…but those things happen,” said Ball, beside his Magers Lumber, Kear’s Speed Shop, Chaney Roofing and Maintenance backed truck. “We’ve been doing alright…things have been going our way.”
Henry would grab the lead at the start of the late model feature from his outside front row starting spot, but Dusty Moore would pressure him while Drown held third with Ryan Missler and Justin Chance battling for fourth. Henry and Moore raced side-by-side until the first yellow flew on lap nine for Steve Kester. On the restart, Drown would drive around Moore into second and begin his battle with Henry. A caution on lap 11 would set up Drowns winning move. As the green came back out he bolted to the top side of turns one and two and shot past Henry. The car on the move was Rusty Schlenk as he moved into third from his 11th starting spot on lap 12. But, during a caution on lap 13, Schlenk would head pitside with mechanical woes.
Drown and Henry would wage a great battle over the next nine laps while behind them, Missler, Moore and Ken Hahn would fight it out for third. Just when it looked like Henry might have enough on the bottom of the track to get around Drown, the caution would fly for John Bores on lap 22. Drown regrouped and moved to the bottom to stop Henry’s advance and would go on to take the checkered with Henry, Moore, Missler and Hahn rounding out the top five.
ImageFourth place starter Matt Ferrell would drive around the high side and into the lead at the start of the 305 sprint feature with Zack Kramer, Dussel, Matt Merrill, Steve Rando and Stuart Brubaker right on his tail. Kramer would use the bottom groove to take the lead a lap later while Ferrell ran comfortably in second and the real battle was for third between Dussel, Merrill, Brubaker and Rando. Following a lap five caution, Ferrell’s run would end when his engine let go, moving Dussel to second and Rando to third. The race would go the rest of the distance without a caution.
Kramer would continue to lead, but Dussel, using the high line, was slowly chopping away at his advantage. Meanwhile there was a heck of a battle for third between Rando, Brubaker, 11th starter Bobby Clark and Paul Weaver. Brubaker would grab third on lap 2 with Clark also utilizing the high line to take fourth. Dussel would keep his momentum up and fly around Kramer into the lead on lap 14 and would hit lapped traffic a lap later. Kramer began to fade, and on lap 10, Clark would drive around Brubaker and Kramer into the runner-up position.
While Dussel was working through traffic, Clark was flying around the track’s rim and closed within three car lengths when Dussel took the white flag. Entering turn three and four for the final time, Dussel made a great move, splitting two lapped machines, as he went on to nip Clark for the victory. Brubaker, Rando and Kramer would round out the top five.
ImageIn the 15-lap truck feature, while Waltermeier was cruising out front early, the real battle was behind him between Dave Gibbs, Ball, Brian Arnold, Paul Brown Jr. and Alex Wiechman. After a lap three caution for Brown, the race gathered some steam, allowing Ball to close in on Waltermeier while Wiechman took third on lap six with Arnold and Kent Brewer battling for fourth. Following a lap 12 caution, Waltermeier and Ball would race side-by-side the next lap and Wiechman and Arnold raced door-to-door for third, while the crowed watched a great charge from Dan Hennig who had moved from 16th to sixth. Then disaster struck for Waltermeier a lap later. On the restart, Ball pulled away the final two laps for the victory while Wiechman, Arnold, Brewer and Hennig would round out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will play host to the best dirt late model racers in the world on Friday, July 24, as the World of Outlaw Late Models come calling for $10,000 to win. The 410 sprints are also in action for $3,000 to win. For ticket prices and times go to www.atticaracewaypark.com
Attica Raceway Park – 7/17/2009
Underground Utilities/ Bazell Fuels Night
Fultz Fabrication & Speed Shop UMP Late Models
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 12D-Doug Drown; 2. 1-Jon Henry; 3. 27S-Eric Spangler; 4. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 5. 1DJ-Craig Vosbergern; 6. 12-Michael Stiltner; 7. 51-Devin Schields; 8. 15B-Mike Bores; 9. 3R-Chuck Roelle
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. O1-Justin Chance; 2. 91-Rusty Schlenk; 3. 40WD-Dusty Moore; 4. 27-Ken Hahn; 5. 33-Bryan Koebbe; 6. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 7. 93T-Jeff Esbenshade; 8. O3-Jim Gingery; 9. 71-Dave Hornikem
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5M-Ryan Markham; 2. 50Y-Ryan Missler; 3. 48B-Mike Marteney; 4. 48-John Bores; 5. 77-Steve Kester; 6. 92-Noah Wagner; 7. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 8. 99-Steve Sabo; 9. 12M-Bobby Michaels
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 51-Devin Schields; 2. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 3. 21-Larry Kingseed; 4. 3R-Chuck Roelle; 5. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 6. 99-Steve Sabo; 7. O3-Jim Gingery; 8. 12-Michael Stiltner; 9. 12M-Bobby Michaels; 10. 92-Noah Wagner; 11. 15B-Mike Bores
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 12D-Doug Drown[3]; 2. 1-Jon Henry[2]; 3. 40WD-Dusty Moore[1]; 4. 50Y-Ryan Missler[4]; 5. 27-Ken Hahn[12]; 6. O1-Justin Chance[6]; 7. 27S-Eric Spangler[5]; 8. 33-Bryan Koebbe[14]; 9. 3R-Chuck Roelle[19]; 10. 48-John Bores[9]; 11. 21-Larry Kingseed[18]; 12. 91-Rusty Schlenk[11]; 13. 5M-Ryan Markham[10]; 14. 48B-Mike Marteney[8]; 15. 51-Devin Schields[16]; 16. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.[7]; 17. 5H-Ernie Haynes[17]; 18. 69-John Mayes Jr.[20]; 19. 77-Steve Kester[15]; 20. 1DJ-Craig Vosbergern[13]
Fremont Fence 305 Sprints
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 19R-Steve Rando; 2. 11F-D.J. Foos; 3. 8K-Zack Kramer; 4. 1-Nate Dussel; 5. 1W-Paul Weaver; 6. 51-Brad Bowman; 7. 94-John Ivy; 8. 10X-Dustin Stroup
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. 13-Junior Felver; 3. 40-Bobby Clark; 4. 22D-Dan Hammond; 5. 2-Tim Kern; 6. 83X-Nate Reeser; 7. 71-Bill Kraylek; 8. 8J-Jess Stiger; 9. 29-Chris Lang
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 2. 14-Chad Wilson; 3. M28-Josh Muntz; 4. 39-Matt Merrill; 5. 28-Shawn Valenti; 6. 41-Dustin Dinan; 7. 31-Chuck Wilson; 8. 65-Mark Lang
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 1-Nate Dussel[2]; 2. 40-Bobby Clark[11]; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6]; 4. 19R-Steve Rando[3]; 5. 8K-Zack Kramer[1]; 6. 1W-Paul Weaver[13]; 7. 11F-D.J. Foos[12]; 8. 39-Matt Merrill[7]; 9. 13-Junior Felver[8]; 10. 22D-Dan Hammond[9]; 11. 2-Tim Kern[14]; 12. 28-Shawn Valenti[15]; 13. M28-Josh Muntz[5]; 14. 31-Chuck Wilson[19]; 15. 14-Chad Wilson[10]; 16. 71-Bill Kraylek[18]; 17. 10X-Dustin Stroup[20]; 18. 83X-Nate Reeser[16]; 19. 8J-Jess Stiger[21]; 20. 65-Mark Lang[22]; 21. 67M-Matt Ferrell[4]; 22. 41-Dustin Dinan[17]
Computer Man Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. O1-Art Ball; 2. 39-Dwight Waltermier; 3. 30-Dave Gibbs; 4. 71-Craig Holland; 5. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 6. 4X-Brian Sorg; 7. 5F-Skeeter Fitch; 8. 9-Curt Inks; 9. 13S-James Saam
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. 33-Brian Arnold; 2. 8K-Kent Brewer; 3. 56-Alex Weichman; 4. 4S-Keith Sorg; 5. 84-Adam Jones; 6. 4J-Jeremy Lozano; 7. 21R-Dustin Keegan; 8. 32H-Dan Hennig
A-Main – (15 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. O1-Art Ball[4]; 2. 56-Alex Weichman[9]; 3. 33-Brian Arnold[6]; 4. 8K-Kent Brewer[7]; 5. 32H-Dan Hennig[16]; 6. 84-Adam Jones[5]; 7. 4X-Brian Sorg[11]; 8. 30-Dave Gibbs[1]; 9. 9-Curt Inks[15]; 10. 4J-Jeremy Lozano[12]; 11. 39-Dwight Waltermier[2]; 12. 21R-Dustin Keegan[14]; 13. 4S-Keith Sorg[3]; 14. 5F-Skeeter Fitch[13]; 15. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[8]; 16. 71-Craig Holland[10]; 17. 13S-James Saam[17]