Reed, Shammo Record 4th Attica Wins; Valenti, Missler Net 2nd Victories
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) The point leaders in the 410 sprints and 305 sprints protected their turf on Legendz Sports Bar & Grill Night at Attica Raceway Park Friday, while the feature winners in the late models and trucks helped tighten those point battles.
Monclova’s Byron Reed, the 2003, 2005 and 2006 Attica champion, dominated the second half of the 30-lap feature to pad his lead in the point standings for the World Auto Parts of Huron & Cleveland 410 Sprints. It was Reed’s fourth win of 2007 at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speedplant.
Defending co-champion in the 305 sprints, Andy Shammo of Millbury, Ohio, also increased his point lead – ever so slightly – by claiming his fourth victory of 2007 at ARP during the non-stop 25-lap feature. Second place point man Bryan Sebetto finished second. Shammo and Sebetto have won all but one 305 sprint feature at ARP in 2007.
ImageBellevue’s Ryan Missler, who entered the night third in the Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop Attica Late Model point standings, led all 20 laps of the feature to claim his second victory of 2007, tightening the point battle as he closed on leader Ken Han and second place point man Larry Kingseed.
Risingson’s Shawn Valenti entered the night’s racing fourth in the dirt truck point standings. He too closed the gap with his second victory, edging third place point man Bob Dible by a fender with a last lap, last corner pass. Point leader Art Ball dropped out while running second.
“This win goes to the crew. They had this car so perfect…it was easy to drive. Hats off to the track crew too…this racetrack was awesome. You could run anywhere you wanted. I have to thank Barry Jackson and JEI Chassis…they have us on a roll right now,” said Reed beside his Reebar Die Casting/ Schoenfeld Mufflers, Weld Wheels backed #5.
Image”The car rolled around the bottom well and when I needed to get up on the cushion to get around lapped traffic it was good up there too,” said Shammo beside his Advanced Speciality Contractor/Herman-Kinn Funeral Home backed #48s. “I have to thank our great sponsors and Level Performance for such a great motor.”
“Those yellow flags late in the race hurt. The car went from 190 degrees to 250 degrees there at the end. It helps to start up front. We came here tonight determined to get back into the point battle,” said Missler beside his McElwain Construction, Taze DJ & Karaoke, MIssler Industries Machine Shop backed late model.
“I apologize for getting into Bob (Dible) down the backstretch…but hey, that was for the win. I watched the sprint cars and they were fast going high in 3 and 4 and low in 1 and 2 and that’s what I did,” said Valenti beside his Kern Tool, Dymond Motorsports & Fabrication backed dirt truck.
In the 410 sprint feature, there were two misques at the start that sent Scott Curran, Caleb Griffith, Ed Neumeister and Mike Linder to the rear due to spins. Once the race got underway, Craig Mintz bolted into the lead from his third starting spot. While Mintz built a sizeable lead, John Ivy, Chris Andrews, Brock Mayes, Lee Jacobs and Byron Reed battled back and forth behind.
Mintz hit lapped traffic by lap 9, allowing Ivy and Mayes to close. Mayes would move into second on lap 10 and would use a lapped machine as a pick to drive around Mintz for the top spot a lap later. Ivy, Reed and Andrews would swap positions each corner before Reed would execute a low move in turns 1 and 2 to go from fourth to second in one lap. Reed drove around Mayes exiting turn 4 on lap 14 to grab the lead.
ImageWhile Reed sliced his way through traffic like a surgeon, Mayes, Ivy, Mintz, Andrews and now Brandon Martin would stage a torrid battle behind. Action would halt on lap 21 for a stalled Lee Jacobs, with the running order Reed, Mayes, Ivy, Martin and Andrews as Mintz began to fade.
Reed would pull away on the restart and would take his 21st career Attica victory to move into second on the all-time win list behind Mark Keegan’s 54 triumphs. Mayes, Ivy, 11th-starter Greg Wilson and 12th-starter Martin would round out the top five.
Coty Runion would grab the early lead in the non-stop 25-lap 305 sprint feature with Dustin Dinan, Bryan Sebetto, Shammo and Scott Kraylek in tow. Shammo would move under Sebetto on lap 3 and past Dinan into second a lap later. Runion and Shammo would race side by side the next five laps before Shammo gained the top spot on lap 9. Sebetto would move into second a lap later, but couldn’t reel in Shammo.
While Shammo picked his way through traffic, Runion fought back to reclaim second on lap 15. Runion would bobble three laps later, allowing Sebetto to move back into the runner-up spot and close briefly on Shammo. The car on the move was Stuart Brubaker, who climbed from his 7th-starting position to fourth by lap 14 and would move into third by lap 19.
Shammo would take the checkered over Sebetto, Brubaker, Runion and Benny Bowman.
ImageIn the 20-lap late model feature, Missler grabbed the early lead with Devin Shiels, John Mayes Jr., Curtis Diesenroth and Hans Gross in tow. Missler would continue to lead when the first yellow flew on lap 10. The car on the move was Randy Scott, who had worked his way up to third from his 11th-starting position behind Missler and Mayes.
While Missler continued to lead, Mayes and Scott would battle back and forth for second with Scott taking the position on lap 14 as the yellow flew again. Missler would build a big lead once again, only to see it vanish as he took the white flag which was replaced by yellow for a spinning Ernie Haynes. As the white and green came out together on the restart, Missler stayed out front for the win, with Scott, new point leader Ken Hahn, Mayes and Gross rounding out the top five.
ImageDible, who had won the last two features at Attica, grabbed the lead at the drop of the green in the 15-lap dirt truck feature. Chuck Roelle wouldn’t let him get away though, staying right on his bumper. Art Ball, who was recovering from a brief hospital stay for surgery to remove his gall bladder earlier in the week, utilized the bottom groove to move from fifth to second by lap five. Dible and Ball raced door to door the next eight laps until Ball left with what appeared to be mechanical woes as the final yellow would fly. Dible continued to lead over Roelle, 9th-starter Valenti and 10th-starter Cory Ward. Valenti would dispose of Roelle as they took the white flag. He and Dible would touch exiting turn two as they raced hard down the back stretch. Dible would change his high land to the bottom in 3 and 4, trying to stop Valenti’s assault, but Valenti drove to the outside as they raced side by side to the checkered flag.
Valenti edged Dible by a half-funder for the win, with Roelle, Steve Endicott and Ward rounding out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will not be in action Friday, Aug. 10 as the Attica Independent Fair is held. Racing for the remainder of the season takes place on Saturdays, Aug. 18, 25 and Sept. 1.
For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com or call 419-680-5606.
>> Action Photos: Legendz Sports Bar & Grill Night Photo Gallery
Attica Raceway Park (8-3-07)
Legendz Sports Bar & Grill Night
World Auto Parts of Huron & Cleveland 410 Sprints
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 3L-Mike Linder; 2. O9-Craig Mintz; 3. 2M-Dustin Daggett; 4. 16-Lee Jacobs; 5. X-Mark Keegan; 6. 69-Scott Curren; 7. 5T-Travis Philo; 8. 1W-Paul Weaver
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 96AU-Bruce White; 2. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 3. 5R-Byron Reed; 4. 15C-Chris Andrews; 5. 12-Caleb Griffith; 6. 10S-Roger Shammo; 7. 91-Aaron Middaugh
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores Tin Lizzy Collision of Tiffin (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 51-John Ivy; 2. 11M-Brandon Martin; 3. 11B-Brock Mayes; 4. M20-Greg Wilson; 5. O-Gus Wasson; 6. 3T-Tony Beaber; 7. 11N-Ed Neumeister
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. 5R-Byron Reed[8]; 2. 11B-Brock Mayes[5]; 3. 51-John Ivy[2]; 4. M20-Greg Wilson[11]; 5. 11M-Brandon Martin[12]; 6. X-Mark Keegan[13]; 7. 15C-Chris Andrews[1]; 8. O-Gus Wasson[15]; 9. O9-Craig Mintz[3]; 10. 2M-Dustin Daggett[10]; 11. 16-Lee Jacobs[6]; 12. 12-Caleb Griffith[14]; 13. 3T-Tony Beaber[18]; 14. 96AU-Bruce White[7]; 15. 69-Scott Curren[16]; 16. 98-Bruce Robenalt[9]; 17. 91-Aaron Middaugh[20]; 18. 10S-Roger Shammo[17]; 19. 3L-Mike Linder[4]; 20. 11N-Ed Neumeister[21]; 21. 5T-Travis Philo[19]
305 Sprints
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 55S-Benny Bowman; 2. 49-Coty Runion; 3. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 4. 25P-Mark Pridemore; 5. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 6. 25-Chris Pifher; 7. 51S-John Taylor; 8. 67M-Matt Ferrell
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 48S-Andy Shammo; 2. O1-Bryan Sebetto; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 4. 29-Chris Lang; 5. 18-Todd Heuerman; 6. 66L-Brad Bowman; 7. 4T-Jim Taddeo; 8. 12-Brett Lane
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores – Tin Lizzy Collision of Tiffin (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 5-Dustin Dinan; 2. 21-Scott Kraylek; 3. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 4. 40-Bobby Clark; 5. 23-Kevin Lee; 6. 65-Mark Lang; 7. 311-Aaron Moloney
Heat 4 – Pepsi (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. O4-Cap Henry; 2. 1A-Matt Lucius; 3. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh; 4. 13-Larry Felver Jr.; 5. 15H-Mitch Harble; 6. M28-Josh Muntz
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 18-Todd Heuerman; 2. 66L-Brad Bowman; 3. 23-Kevin Lee; 4. 15H-Mitch Harble; 5. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 6. M28-Josh Muntz; 7. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 8. 4T-Jim Taddeo; 9. 71-Bill Kraylek; 10. 311-Aaron Moloney; 11. 25-Chris Pifher; 12. 12-Brett Lane; 13. 65-Mark Lang; 14. 51S-John Taylor
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. 48S-Andy Shammo[3]; 2. O1-Bryan Sebetto[4]; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker[7]; 4. 49-Coty Runion[1]; 5. 55S-Benny Bowman[8]; 6. O4-Cap Henry[11]; 7. 21-Scott Kraylek[5]; 8. 40-Bobby Clark[15]; 9. 5-Dustin Dinan[2]; 10. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[12]; 11. 1A-Matt Lucius[10]; 12. 18-Todd Heuerman[17]; 13. 36X-Dustin Keegan[6]; 14. 29-Chris Lang[14]; 15. 66L-Brad Bowman[18]; 16. 23-Kevin Lee[19]; 17. 25P-Mark Pridemore[13]; 18. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh[9]; 19. 13-Larry Felver Jr.[16]; 20. 15H-Mitch Harble[20]
Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop Late Models
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (8 laps)
1. 21-Larry Kingseed; 2. 63-Randy Scott; 3. 7H-Hans Gross; 4. 51-Devin Shiels; 5. 50-Ryan Missler; 6. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 7. 45-Mike Marteney; 8. 15B-Mike Bores; 9. 8K-Ernie Haynes
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps)
1. 55-Chuck Hummer; 2. 48-John Bores; 3. 27-Ken Hahn; 4. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth; 5. 99-Steve Sabo; 6. 1-Jim Fleming; 7. 12P-Jeff Pelton; 8. 12-Michael Stiltner; 9. 77C-Craig Corfman
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. 50-Ryan Missler[2]; 2. 63-Randy Scott[11]; 3. 27-Ken Hahn[9]; 4. 69-John Mayes Jr.[1]; 5. 7H-Hans Gross[6]; 6. 1-Jim Fleming[10]; 7. 21-Larry Kingseed[12]; 8. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth[3]; 9. 45-Mike Marteney[13]; 10. 51-Devin Shiels[4]; 11. 48-John Bores[7]; 12. 8K-Ernie Haynes[17]; 13. 12P-Jeff Pelton[14]; 14. 77C-Craig Corfman[18]; 15. 99-Steve Sabo[8]; 16. 12-Michael Stiltner[16]; 17. 55-Chuck Hummer[5]; 18. 15B-Mike Bores[15]
Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (8 laps)
1. 18W-Corey Ward; 2. 3R-Chuck Roelle; 3. 33-Brian Arnold; 4. 92-Loren Schwochow; 5. 3X-Darrin Dukeshire; 6. 4X-Brian Sorg; 7. 55B-Bill Bruen
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps)
1. 83B-Jeff Borys; 2. O1-Art Ball; 3. 8-Steve Endicott; 4. 30-Dave Gibbs; 5. 34M-Kevin Miller; 6. 99-Jesse Worcester
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores – Tin Lizzy Collision of Tiffin (8 laps)
1. 17-Bob Dible; 2. 28-Shawn Valenti; 3. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 4. 29-Dan Hennig; 5. 37-Eric Devanna; 6. 56-Alex Wiechman; 7. 4-Donald Fitch
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. 28-Shawn Valenti[9]; 2. 17-Bob Dible[4]; 3. 3R-Chuck Roelle[2]; 4. 8-Steve Endicott[11]; 5. 18W-Corey Ward[10]; 6. 55B-Bill Bruen[19]; 7. 56-Alex Wiechman[18]; 8. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[3]; 9. 29-Dan Hennig[6]; 10. 30-Dave Gibbs[7]; 11. 37-Eric Devanna[15]; 12. 4-Donald Fitch[20]; 13. 99-Jesse Worcester[17]; 14. 4X-Brian Sorg[16]; 15. 92-Loren Schwochow[8]; 16. 3X-Darrin Dukeshire[13]; 17. O1-Art Ball[5]; 18. 83B-Jeff Borys[1]; 19. 34M-Kevin Miller[14]; 20. 33-Brian Arnold[12]