Last Friday Night Show of 2007 Preview

By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Legendz Sports Bar & Grill Night will be the last Friday show of the 2007 season at Attica Raceway Park on Aug. 3. “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speedplant will then take a week off for the Attica Independent Fair before switching to Saturday night racing for the remainder of the 2007 season.

“We have just a few races left and the points battles for all four divisions are close,” noted Rex LeJeune, Operations Manager at ARP. “We move to Saturday nights to give race fans a place to go while Fremont Speedway is down for the Sandusky County Fair.”

LeJeune noted Attica’s champion in the World Auto Parts of Huron & Cleveland 410 Sprints will not only share in cash prizes, but will receive a new Eagle chassis thanks to Attica Raceway Park and Kear’s Speed Shop. Also, the track champion in the 305 sprints will receive a new XXX Chassis thanks to Revolution XXX Chassis and Kear’s Speed Shop, while the champion in the Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop Attica Late Models will receive a free Rayburn chassis thanks to Service Drive Solutions and Rayburn Race cars.

In the 410 sprint, three-time ARP champion (2003, 2005 and 2006) Byron Reed – who has 3 feature wins at ARP in 2007 – holds a slim 63 point advantage over Lee Jacobs, who always seems to catch fire at the end of the season. Third place driver Paul Weaver is only 89 points back, while Mike Linder is 92 points behind.

In the 305 sprints, defending co-track champion Andy Shammo – who has three feature victories this season – holds a 47-point lead over Bryan Sebetto who has recorded six feature wins. In fact, the only other driver to win a feature at ARP in 2007 is Mike Linder who raced in the division only one night! Dustin Dinan is third in the standings, 77 points out.

The battle in the late model division couldn’t be closer. Five-time ARP champion (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006) Larry Kingseed – with 2 feature wins in 2007 – holds a slim five point advantage over Ken Hahn who has three checkered flags at Attica this season. Ryan Missler is only 31 points back in third, with Ernie Haynes and Mike Marteney just 38 points behind.

Defending dirt truck track champion Art Ball holds a narrow 11-point advantage over Cory Ward in that division. Ball and Ward each have two victories at Attica in 2007. Bob Dible, who has won the last two features, is just 49 points back, while Shawn Valenti is 50 points behind and Steve Endicott is 83 points back.

Saturday night racing begins Aug. 18, with World Auto Parts of Huron & Cleveland Night featuring the winged 410 sprints, 305 sprints, ARP late models and the dirt trucks. Attica Raceway Park will honor its champions from the past 19 years.

On Saturday, Aug. 25, Kistler Engines Season Championship Night features not only the “Fast and Furious Four” divisions, but the vintage cars will also be on hand.

The 20th season at Attica will wrap up on Saturday, Sept. 1, with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions making their fourth appearance of 2007 on Baumann Auto Group Night. Brock Mayes scored his first career All Star victory on May 4 at Attica, while Dale Blaney has scored the other two victories. The Attica Late Models and dirt trucks will also be in action.

Fans are reminded times move up a half hour for Saturday races – gates open at 4:30 p.m. with racing action heating up at 7:30 p.m.

For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com or call 419-680-5606.

Rain Forces Postponement of World of Outlaws Late Models

By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Persistent rain showers forced the postponement of Wednesday’s World of Outlaws Late Models presented by World Auto Parts of Huron/Cleveland at Attica Raceway Park.

“We got a pretty good shower around four and with the constant drizzle and forecast of the possibility of further rain…it would have been a very late night. We didn’t want to put the fans and teams through that on a Wednesday night,” said Attica Operations Manager Rex LeJeune.

World of Outlaw officials and ARP management are working toward a make-up date to be announced in the very near future. Keep an eye on the Attica website at www.atticaracewaypark.com for information.

Buzz Building For 7.25.07 World of Outlaws Late Model Race

By Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director

(Attica, OH) Traditionally a home for open-wheel racing, the high-banked, one-third-mile oval will become a full-fender haven on Wednesday night (July 25) when the World of Outlaws Late Model Series makes its first-ever visit. World Auto Parts of Huron & Cleveland will present the evening’s 40-lap, $7,000-to-win event, which is being touted as the biggest dirt Late Model show in the history of Attica Raceway Park.

“We normally have about three or four Sunoco American Late Model Series races a year,” said Rex LeJeune, the operations manager of Attica Raceway Park. “We usually get a great field of cars for every show, so we thought it might be time to run a few more Late Model races.”

With ARP already the host of a World of Outlaws Sprint Car event in 2007, it was a natural fit for the track to add the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to its schedule as well. Serving as the opener of the well-known national Late Model tour’s four-race ‘National Interstate Speedweek’ was a bonus that gives the inaugural event a little more cache.

“We think this race will be one of the most exciting events in the 20- year of Attica Raceway Park,” said LeJeune.

The star-studded field of dirt Late Model racers expected for Wednesday’s action is what has fans talking. The pit area will be filled with more talent than any dirt Late Model event has ever attracted to Attica.

Points leader Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., will lead the WoO LMS contingent to Attica. He holds a slim 32-point lead on Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., who finished second in weekend series events at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway and Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.

Other WoO LMS travelers expected include Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who won his second feature of the season on Friday night at Virginia Motor Speedway; Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who enters Wednesday’s program riding a two-race win streak; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; Rookie of the Year contenders Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill.; and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., whose four wins in 2007 is tied with Frank for the most on the tour.

Returning to the WoO LMS for a special appearance at Attica will be 2004 tour champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., who has never before competed at the central Ohio track. He has two big-time WoO LMS victories this season – the $50,000 Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and the $30,000 Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.

Other featured drivers at Attica will be the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, and Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., who won last month’s UMP DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

A strong group of drivers have announced plans to make Attica their first stop in an assault on the entire National Interstate Speedweek.

The list includes Moran; Jeep Van Wormer of Pinconning, Mich., who won two Sunoco ALMS events at Attica last year; Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio; Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va.; Aaron Scott of Newark, Ohio; Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, W.Va.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.; Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa.; and Chad Ruhlman of Bemus Point, N.Y.

One driver who will get plenty of attention is Duane Chamberlain of Richmond, Ind., who swept a pair of ALMS events on June 22 at Attica.

Drivers and teams from the Buckeye State will be attracted to the event by the incentive program made available to them by National Interstate Insurance, the Richfield, Ohio-headquartered company that is the title sponsor of the WoO LMS Speedweek activities.

The three highest-finishing Ohio-based drivers or teams in each Speedweek event will receive bonuses of $500, $300 and $200, respectively, for their efforts, and an additional $1,000 bonus will be presented to the Ohio-based driver or team that finishes highest in the Speedweek points standings.

In addition, all drivers who are not ranked among the top 12 in the current WoO LMS points standings and have never won a WoO LMS A-Main will be eligible to collect the WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ at Attica. A $500 check goes to the highest-finishing driver who fits the criteria.

Attica Raceway Park’s pit gates will open at 4 p.m. and grandstand gates at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, with racing at 8 p.m. The dirt Late Models will be the only division on the program.

Adult general admission is $25, with students (11-15) $15 and kids 10 and under admitted free. Pit passes cost $35.

For more information, call the track office at 419-680-5606 or visit atticaracewaypark.com.

Attica Raceway Park To Honor Fallen Marine

By Brian Liskai: Attica, OH) On Wednesday, July 25, during the World Auto Parts of Huron/Cleveland Presents the World of Outlaws Late Models at Attica Raceway Park, the 50/50 raffle will pay tribute to a local Marine who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Half of the total money collected will be presented by the Attica Fair Association to the Jeremy Shock Foundation. Shock, a 2002 Clyde High School graduate and native of Green Springs, Ohio, was killed Nov. 19, 2006, while serving in Iraq.

Shock’s parents have established the foundation in memory of their son to help pay for a new lighting system at the Green Springs baseball field. His parents have indicated Jeremy enjoyed baseball and they wanted future generations to have the opportunity of playing under the lights.

The $7,000 to win event will feature some of the best late model drivers in the country such as “Kid Rocket”, Steve Francis, Shannon Babb, Darrell Lanigan, Clint Smith, and Chub Frank. Also competing will be “The Million Dollar Man” Donnie Moran, the 2007 Dream winner Steve Casebolt, and making his first ever appearance at Attica Raceway Park is Scott Bloomquist.

Pit gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing at 8 p.m. Adult General Admission is $25, 11-15 $15, 10 and under FREE, and pits $35. Call the track office at 419-680-5606 or visit atticaracewaypark.com.