Jon Henry Wins at Attica in 2nd Night In Late Model; Sebetto Roars From 17th to Win 305s; Wiechman Gets 1st Truck Win
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Jon Henry’s learning curve was quick…as fast as his late model Friday at Attica Raceway Park. The Ada, Ohio driver, who had driven modifieds to nine feature wins this season, took the feature win in only his second night behind the wheel of a late model on Underground Utilities Night.
Fremont’s Bryan Sebetto destroyed his 305 sprint last weekend. His team worked all week to put together another car, and after a brief period of adjustment, he stormed from 17th starting spot to claim his first win of the year at Attica, avoiding near disaster on the last lap after tangling with a lapped machine.
Oak Harbor’s Alex Wiechman held off a last corner charge to claim his first career feature win in the dirt trucks by less than a bumper at the checkers.
In the 25-lap feature for the Service Drive Solutions UMP Attica Late Models, Henry, piloting the Halcomb racing entry, passed Curtis Diesenroth on lap 14 and then held him off on the last lap for his first career Attica victory.
“It was a huge adjustment coming from the modifieds to the late models and it showed last week. These things are so much more powerful and it took me awhile to figure out the throttle control,” said the 22-year-old Henry beside his Jegs, Professional Drywall, Flexaust, Subway backed late model. “I have to thank Shane and Jennifer Halcombs for giving me this opportunity. This is only my second time at Attica and what a great place and great fans.”
ImageSebetto steadily worked his way through the field to pass early leader Stuart Brubaker on the 19th lap and then avoided disaster after making contact with a lapped car on the last lap, sending him off the race track. Sebetto came back on the track just in front of Brubaker and held him off for his 11th career Attica win.
“I can’t say enough about my crew…these guys busted their butts all week to build this car. It is a long wheel base car and I’m not used to those and it showed in the heat. We had motor problems in hot laps and Scott Gressman came down and fixed that and then we through a set-up on this thing and it was a bunch better in the B,” said Sebetto beside his R&R Auto Wrecking, Gressman Powersports, Schiets Motorsports, American Auto Sales backed sprinter.
“On that last lap….DJ (Foos) is a teammate….if he would have taken us out that wouldn’t have been good,” said Sebetto about the last lap mishap.
Wiechman led the first eight laps of the 15-lap truck feature, only to watch Paul Brown Jr. drive by for the lead. However, Brown encountered a flat tire during a yellow on lap 11, handing the lead back to Wiechman. Wiechman then battled side by side with Cory Ward the remaining four laps before taking the win by a bumper at the line.
“Wow! That was as close as you can get. I saw Cory under me and I just pushed the peddle to the floor. I probably have a dent in the floor board I was pushing so hard,” said an excited Wiechman beside his Deco-Crete, Blue Eagle Inn, Trans All, Bad Bob’s Barbecue backed truck.
At the drop of the green for the late model main, Michael Stiltner grabbed the early lead with Diesenroth, Ryan Missler, Wayne Maffett Jr. and Jim Fleming in tow. Diesenroth grabbed the top spot on lap six while Stiltner and Missler raced hard for second. Missler would move into the runner-up soot on lap 8, but would spin a lap later, moving Stiltner back into the runner-up position with sixth starting Henry up to third.
Diesenroth continued to lead as Maffett moved into second on lap 10. Henry would slide under Maffett on lap 12 and below Diesenroth for the lead on lap 14. Henry could not shake Diesenroth who continued to drive to his outside lap after lap. The action halted on lap 19 when John Bores got upside down. He was okay, but it set up a six lap dash to the finish.
Henry would not budge from the bottom as Diesenroth continued to battle him hard utilizing the high side of the fast track. Behind those two, Maffett and 12th starter Dusty Moore battled hard for third. All eyes were on Rusty Schlenk, who had arrived late and had to come from the tail of the B-main an 16th starting spot in the A. By lap 18, he was up to fifth and moved into fourth by lap 23.
As Henry and Diesenroth took the white flag, they raced nose to tail down the back stretch. Diesenroth drove his car into turn three hard and to the outside of Henry and the two raced door to door to the checkered flag with Henry taking the win by half a car length. Diesenroth, Moore, Schlenk and Maffett would round out the top five.
Brubaker, who scored his first career Attica win on June 20, grabbed the early lead of the 305 sprint feature from his outside front row starting spot with Coty Runion, Zack Kramer, Cap Henry and Mark Pridemore falling in line. Brubaker built a sizeable lead with Runion comfortably in second while Kramer and Henry battled hard for third. When the yellow flew on lap 12 for a spinning Dustin Dinan, problems developed for the rookie Kramer, whose fuel tank had come loose, sending him from third to the pits.
Meanwhile, the crowed were on the edge of their seats watching Sebetto run through the pack slamming against the outside cushion. By lap three he had moved from 17th to 10th and was fourth by lap six. He moved into third on lap 13 and grabbed second from Runion a lap later. While Brubaker used the bottom groove to maintain his lead, Sebetto began to challenge. The pair raced side by side around the track on lap 18 before Sebetto would take the top spot a lap later.
Sebetto would stretch his lead while Brubaker ran comfortably in second, Runion, Henry and a closing Shawn Valenti. Valenti, a rookie who had came through the dirt truck ranks, found the high line to his liking as well, as he moved from fifth to third on lap 21.
As Sebetto took the white flag, he raced down the back stretch with lapped cars racing all over the track just ahead of him. As he attempted to drive around D.J. Foos, the two touched, sending Sebetto off the track and allowing Brubaker once last shot. Sebetto kept his composure and came back on the track in front of Brubaker entering turn three. Sebetto ducked down to the bottom and cruised to the win. Brubaker, Valenti, rookie Nate Dussel and Runion rounded out the top five.
ImageIn the 15-lap dirt truck feature, Wiechman and Brown ran side by side the first 10 laps with Wiechman holding the slight advantage at the line. Brown would drive around him for the lad on lap 9, and lead until the yellow appeared on lap 11. That’s when Brown lost the air pressure in his right rear tire, sending him pitside and giving the lead back to Weichman.
But, Wiechman’s worries weren’t over, as four-time feature winner Cory Ward had worked his way up from 11th and was challenging Wiechman each lap. As the pair entered the final turns on the last lap they were side by side, with Ward on the bottom and Wiechman against the cushion. They raced door to door to the checkered with Wiechman winning by no more than a bumper. Ward, Dan Henning, Art Ball and Brian Arnold would round out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, July 18, as Kear’s Speedshop night features the 410 sprints, 305 sprints, Service Drive Solutions UMP Attica Late Models and the dirt trucks. Gates open at 5 pm with racing heating up at 8 pm.
For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com
Attica Raceway Park (7-11-08)
Underground Utilities Night
305 Sprints
Heat 1 – All Pro Heads (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 28-Shaun Valenti (R); 2. 49-Coty Runion; 3. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 4. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 5. O1-Bryan Sebetto; 6. 29-Chris Lang; 7. 13-Larry Felver Jr.; 8. 19R-Steve Rando
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. M28-Josh Muntz; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 3. 5-Dustin Dinan; 4. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 5. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 6. 3X-Brad Keckler; 7. 22D-Dan Hammond; 8. 9Z-Duane Zablocki
Heat 3 – Bell Racing (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 8K-Zack Kramer (R); 2. 11F-D.J. Foos (R); 3. 11-Shawn Colvin; 4. 15H-Mitch Harble; 5. 40-Bobby Clark; 6. X-Dustin Stroup (R); 7. 65-Mark Lang
Heat 4 – Friendship Food Stores (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 1-Nate Dussel; 2. 25P-Mark Pridemore; 3. O4-Cap Henry; 4. 14-Chad Wilson; 5. 23-Willie Keegan; 6. 83X-Nate Reeser; 7. 61L-Adam Thacker
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. O1-Bryan Sebetto; 2. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 3. 40-Bobby Clark; 4. 3X-Brad Keckler; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 6. X-Dustin Stroup (R); 7. 29-Chris Lang; 8. 22D-Dan Hammond; 9. 19R-Steve Rando; 10. 13-Larry Felver Jr.; 11. 65-Mark Lang; 12. 23-Willie Keegan
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. O1-Bryan Sebetto[17]; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[2]; 3. 28-Shaun Valenti (R)[6]; 4. 1-Nate Dussel[9]; 5. 49-Coty Runion[1]; 6. O4-Cap Henry[4]; 7. 40-Bobby Clark[19]; 8. 36X-Dustin Keegan[12]; 9. 67M-Matt Ferrell[18]; 10. 25P-Mark Pridemore[3]; 11. 3X-Brad Keckler[20]; 12. M28-Josh Muntz[11]; 13. 11F-D.J. Foos (R)[10]; 14. 82-Travis Hoffbauer[14]; 15. 14-Chad Wilson[16]; 16. 15H-Mitch Harble[15]; 17. 11-Shawn Colvin[8]; 18. 5-Dustin Dinan[7]; 19. 8K-Zack Kramer (R)[5]; 20. 9-Jimmy Colvin[13]
Service Drive Solutions UMP Attica Late Models
Heat 1 – Tin Lizzy Collision (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main) 1. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 2. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth; 3. 1M-John Mayes Jr.; 4. 83-Noah Wagner (R); 5. 18-Jamie Reed; 6. 12C-Nate Potts; 7. 41-Randy Pollock; 8. 77C-Craig Corfman; 9. 12H-Joe Hartlaub (R)
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 1-Jon Henry; 2. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 3. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 4. 12-Michael Stiltner; 5. 88D-Larry Kingseed; 6. 92-Brandon Perkins; 7. 45-Mike Marteney; 8. 3R-Chuck Rolle (R)
Heat 3 – Bell Racing (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 40M-Dusty Moore; 2. 50-Ryan Missler; 3. 51-Devin Shiels; 4. 1F-Jim Fleming; 5. B4U-Brad Eitnear; 6. 99-Steve Sabo; 7. 27-Ken Hahn; 8. 48-John Bores
B-Main – Computer Man Inc.
1. 91-Rusty Schlenk; 2. 27-Ken Hahn; 3. 45-Mike Marteney; 4. 48-John Bores; 5. 92-Brandon Perkins; 6. 41-Randy Pollock; 7. 12C-Nate Potts; 8. 77C-Craig Corfman; 9. 99-Steve Sabo; 10. 3R-Chuck Rolle (R); 11. 12H-Joe Hartlaub (R)
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. 1-Jon Henry[6]; 2. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth[3]; 3. 40M-Dusty Moore[12]; 4. 91-Rusty Schlenk[16]; 5. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.[4]; 6. 23C-Jeremy Canada[8]; 7. 27-Ken Hahn[17]; 8. 51-Devin Shiels[11]; 9. B4U-Brad Eitnear[15]; 10. 5H-Ernie Haynes[9]; 11. 50-Ryan Missler[5]; 12. 83-Noah Wagner (R)[7]; 13. 88D-Larry Kingseed[14]; 14. 18-Jamie Reed[13]; 15. 45-Mike Marteney[18]; 16. 1F-Jim Fleming[1]; 17. 48-John Bores[19]; 18. 12-Michael Stiltner[2]; 19. 1M-John Mayes Jr.[10]; 20. 92-Brandon Perkins[20]
Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 – Tin Lizzy Collision (8 laps)
1. O1-Art Ball; 2. 8-Steve Endicott; 3. 18W-Cory Ward; 4. 33-Brian Arnold; 5. 17-Bob Dible; 6. 101-Chester Fitch; 7. 21R-Ryan Bloom; 8. 62-Dave Severs; 9. 8K-Kent Brewer
Heat 2 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 laps)
1. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 2. 56-Alex Wiechman; 3. 30-Dave Gibbs; 4. 4-Donald Fitch; 5. 91-Roger Inks; 6. 32H-Dan Hennig; 7. 4X-Brian Sorg; 8. 84-Russ Stahl
A-Main Starting Position [#]
1. 56-Alex Wiechman[2]; 2. 18W-Cory Ward[11]; 3. 32H-Dan Hennig[12]; 4. O1-Art Ball[6]; 5. 33-Brian Arnold[4]; 6. 101-Chester Fitch[7]; 7. 8K-Kent Brewer[15]; 8. 30-Dave Gibbs[9]; 9. 4-Donald Fitch[3]; 10. 91-Roger Inks[10]; 11. 84-Russ Stahl[16]; 12. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[1]; 13. 62-Dave Severs[13]; 14. 21R-Ryan Bloom[17]; 15. 4X-Brian Sorg[14]; 16. 8-Steve Endicott[5]; 17. 17-Bob Dible[8]