By Brian Liskai – UNOH All Star Championship Racing PR (Camargo, IL) The battle for the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions championship in the Ohio Region – and its $20,000 top prize – is heating up with just a handful of races remaining in 2012. And the pressure will mount as the teams prepare for a big Labor Day Weekend triple-header.
The teams will head to Sarver, Pa. to the Lernerville Speedway on Friday, August 31st. The following day they will help Attica Raceway Park close out its 2012 season on Saturday, September 1st, followed the next day, Sunday, September 2nd, with the second appearance of the series at the NAPA Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway near Orrville, Ohio.
Three-time UNOH All Star champion Dale Blaney currently leads three-time series champion Tim Shaffer by just 73 points in the Ohio Region. Shaffer looks to become only the third driver in the history of the UNOH All Stars to win his fourth straight national title. Blaney had eight series wins in 2012 to run his career total to 92, just six away from tying hall-of-famer Kenny Jacobs atop the all-time win list. Shaffer has five series wins in 2012 and now has 50 for his career.
When the UNOH All Stars head to Attica on Saturday, they will again be faced with tackling the track’s tough weekly competition. Earlier this year, Craig Mintz, who looks to become the track’s champion for 2012 and has three wins this season, passed Blaney on the last lap to score his first ever All Star win. Blaney got a late race pass of Stevie Smith the previous night during the Spring Nationals, to score the win. Then, to open the Ohio Sprint Speedweek, Danny Holtgraver took the win when race-long leader Cap Henry crashed with a lapped car late in the race. The night’s sponsor – the Baumann Auto Group – is putting up extra cash for the event as well. Three lucky fans will walk out of the gates at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant $200 richer.
Shaffer has picked up the Attica Ambush win the past two seasons, with Blaney and Stevie Smith winning in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Throw in Bryan Sebetto, who has four wins at Attica in 2012; six-time track champion Byron Reed; Phil Gressman; former track champion Chris Andrews; Mike Linder, Travis Philo; 2011 champion Dean Jacobs; two time All Star champion Greg Wilson and a host of other contenders, and the UNOH All Stars will have their hands full.
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