By Scott Porter – FAST Public Relations: (Maumee, OH) Just five events remain in the 2011 season for the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (F.A.S.T.) Championship Series presented by Engine Pro & PAC Valve Springs. Wooster, Ohio’s Dean Jacobs sits atop of the point standings by a slim 4-point margin over defending F.A.S.T. Champion Byron Reed with the young hot shoe Bryan Sebetto just 15-markers back in third. The battle for the Kistler Cup continues this weekend with the final double header of the season for 410 sprint car racing in Northern Ohio. The series first visits Attica Raceway Park on Friday, August 5th before making the trek to Fremont Speedway on Saturday, August 6th.
This past weekend had two late race passes turn out to be the determing factor in who visited Engine Pro Victory Lane. The first came at Attica where Sunnyvale, Texas invader Sam Hafertepe Jr used a late race restart to get past Bryan Sebetto to charge on to a $3,000 feature win. The following night at Fremont, Craig Mintz led the majority of the event unchallenged until Bryon Reed charged from his 13th starting spot to the rear bumper of Mintz while in lapped traffic. Reed would out run Mintz to the checkered flag to pick up his series leading 3rd feature win of the season.
Dean Jacobs picked up his seventh straight top-5 finish of the season (9th of the year) after charging from dead last in the field at Fremont. Consistency has been the key for Jacobs as he sits atop of the F.A.S.T. Kistler Cup point standings. The Northwest Ohio Towing and Recovery, NAPA Truck Center backed #97 has yet to visit victory lane on a F.A.S.T. night, but has only failed to finish inside the top-10 once.
Byron Reed avoided disaster at Attica last Friday when he would slide off the high side of turn one bringing out the caution flag near the halfway point of the race. Reed would settle back into his seat and rocket his Crown Battery, Reebar Die Casting, Black Swamp Media Group #5 back into the top-10 before the checkered flag flew. Reed would leap into second place in points after picking up his third win at Fremont, while tallying up his 9th top-5 finish to date. Calm, cool and collected the veteran of Northern Ohio’s clay ovals is looking to become the first two-time winner of the Kistler Cup.
After victory slipped through his grasp at Attica on Friday, Bryan Sebetto found himself in the thick of things on Saturday night. The Fremont, Ohio native charged up into the top-10 just as he made slight contact with Jacobs spinning out the Tailgators Bar, Adkins Fence, R&R Auto Wrecking backed #16. With Reed and Jacobs running near the front it was “hammer down” racing for Sebetto after starting dead last on the restart. Sebetto drove the high side of the 1/3-mile clay oval to bounce back with to 7th place finish.
Just a week before Phil Gressman closed in on the lead by just 100-points while in 4th place thanks to picking up his second feature win of the season back on July 2nd at Fremont Speedway. Driveline issues at Attica Raceway Park would end the night early for the Ludwig Propane, Kear’s Speed Shop backed #53, but they battled back at Fremont Speedway with a 3rd place finish.
2009 F.A.S.T. Champion Craig Mintz sits in 5th place thanks to a 10th place run at Attica Raceway Park and a podium finish at Fremont. The Ti22 Performance, DGGI, Reel-Geese backed #09 team found their stride late in the 2010 season around this time when the tracks turned dry and slick. Mintz could easily move up the ladder as he sits just 52-points back of Gressman.
Mike Linder, who sits in 6th place, had an impressive weekend with posting 5th and 6th place finishes at the two Northern Ohio speed plants while racing with a heavy heart after the passing of his mother, Carol, on Friday morning. Hot Shot Engine Heater F.A.S.T. Rookie of the Year points leader Brad Haudenschild sits in 7th with White House, Ohio’s Todd Heller in 8th place. Kevin Lee sits 9th with Brad Bowman rounding out the top-10. Bowman also used the misfortunate of Haudenschild not making the feature on Saturday night to move within 84-points of the rookie of the year title.
The series heads to Attica Raceway Park on Friday night where there has yet to be a repeat winner in the 410 sprint car division this season. The series returns to Fremont Speedway on Saturday night for the final time before the $3,000 to win F.A.S.T. Championship Night on Saturday, September 10th. For more information on admission prices, start times and directions to either Northern Ohio track visit www.atticaracewaypark.com or www.fremontohspeedway.com for more information.
Visit www.fastondirt.com to find out more about the F.A.S.T. Championship Series, the drivers, the rules, the schedule, the sponsors and more.
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, Productive Tools & Equipment, Hilton Garden Inn, Fat Fish Blue/Toledo Funny Bone, Ghostly Manor, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, African Safari & Monsoon Lagoon