A collection of shots from track photographers Elaine & Jim Collum of Action Photos. See more of their shots here: actionphotosfremont.smugmug.com
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Greg Wilson kept his eyes on the sign in front of the treadmill in his gym all winter…”Never, Never, Never Give Up!” The 2006 All Star Champion followed that advice Friday to kick off Attica Raceway Park’s 20th season with his first victory of the year.
When Lee Jacobs drove the Burmeister #16 around Wilson on a lap 9 restart, it brought Wilson to his senses.He got up on the wheel of his All-Star Plumbing, Heating and Cooling sponsored W20 and hunted Jacobs down, passing the Homlesville youngster with 10 laps remaining. Wilson, from Benton Ridge, Ohio, would drive the Verl Warnimont owned J&J to the 15th win of his career at Attica on HD Supply Night.
“When Lee drove around me, I gotta be honest, it scared the crap out of me. But I remember the plaque in front of that treadmill I was on all winter…”Never, Never, Never Give Up,” and this team won’t,” said Wilson in victory lane. “I told my crew I was going to win at least 20 this season and Verl gives us everything we need to get there.”
Fremont’s Bryan Sebetto would come alive in the last four laps of the 305 sprint feature, charging from fourth into the lead with two laps remaining and hanging on for the win.
Image”I kind of got mad at myself and put this thing up on the rim…as far as I could go without slipping off the edge, and held it to the floor,” said Sebetto beside his XXX chassis #01. “I have to thank Josh Meggitt for putting this deal together and his business Hot Shots Painting, Sandblasting and Powder Coating and Legendz Sports Bar, Frosty’s Bar and TJ’s Heater Storage for all their help. We’re probably the only ones in the 305s running one of these XXX cars and boy is it fast.”
Sandusky’s Larry Kingseed started the defense of his 2006 track championship in the Fultz Fabrications & Speedshop Attica Late Models by taking advantage of lapped traffic to sneak around early race leader Ryan Missler with just two laps remaining to score the feature victory.
Cool temperatures but sunny skies greeted the huge crowd on opening night at “Ohio’s Finest Racing Venue, with 25 of the World Auto Parts of Huron and Cleveland 410 Sprints, 40 of the 305 sprints and 24 of the Fultz Fabrications and Speedshop Attica Late Models signed into the pits.
The 30-lap feature for the 410 sprints was the first main of the night and it got off to a rocky start, as Ryan Grubaugh, Ed Neumeister, Dustin Daggett and Gus Wasson got together in turn 1, with Grubaugh getting upside down. Rookie Chris Andrews, the 305 co-champion at ARP in 2006, spun a lap into the race, with John Ivy leading Dale Blaney, Wilson and Craig Mintz. Ivy, Blaney and Wilson would stage a torrid battle the next two circuits before Wilson would slingshot into the lead around the high side of turn 2 on lap 4, only to see the yellow fly, giving the lead back to Ivy.
ImageThe red would fly on lap five for Caleb Griffith, who got upside down in turns one and two (he was unhurt).Blaney would go pitside with mechanical woes, making the running order Ivy, Wilson, Mintz, Jacobs and Brock Mayes. On the restart, Wilson would blast around the high side of Ivy for the lead with Jacobs moving into third. A lap later and the yellow would fly for a spinning Mayes.
By lap 7, Wilson lead over Ivy, Jacobs and Mintz, with Byron Reed working his way through the pack after being involved in an early yellow. Jacobs would slip around Ivy for second on lap 9, with another yellow slowing the action a lap later. On the restart, Jacobs slid around Wilson in turns 3 and 4 for the lead. At the halfway mark the running order was Jacobs, Wilson, Ivy, Reed, Paul Weaver and Mintz. By lap 19, Wilson had pulled in on the rear bumper of Jacobs and executed a perfect slide job for the lead with 10 laps remaining. Mayes would battle his way back from the rear to take second with 8 laps left as Wilson began to lengthen his lead. Jacobs would regroup and slide around Mayes back into second where he would finish. Rounding out the top five were Mayes, Reed and Weaver.
ImageIn the 25-lap 305 A-main, a nasty crash on the front stretch on the start saw seven cars involved. While no one was injured, Dustin Dinan, Ricky Williams, Duane Zablocki and Jim Taddeo were through for the night.
When the race got underway, Benny Bowman jumped into the early lead with Stuart Brubaker, Sebetto and Kevin Lee in tow. Brubacker would take the top spot on lap three and would build a big lead as Lee moved into second with Bowman and Sebetto duking it out for third. Brubaker would hit lapped traffic at the halfway mark, with Lee, Sebetto, Bowman and Steve Rando following.
With five laps remaining, the battle for second began to really heat up with Lee, Bowman and Sebetto running side by side. Lee began putting pressure on Brubaker with four laps to go, as the leader tangled with Shawn Colvin as he tried to lap him, sending Colvin into a flip in turn three.
On the restart, Sebetto, who had moved into second on lap 21, blasted around the high side of Brubaker who fought back on the bottom. Sebetto would grab the top spot on lap 23 and would hold on for the win. Brubaker, Bowman, Lee and Rando would round out the top five.
ImageRyan Missler would grab the quick lead in the Fultz Fabrications and Speedshop Attica Late Model main, with Mike Marteney and John Mayes Jr. in tow. Mayes would slip around Marteney a lap later, with 10th starting Kingseed moving into third by lap 3.The top five would remain the same – Missler, Mayes, Kingseed, John Mayes Sr. and Mike Bores until lap 8 when Marteney stopped with a flat tire. At the half-way mark, the running order was Missler, Kingseed, Mayes Jr., Mayes Sr., and Ken Hahn.
The battle for the lead began on lap 13 as Missler continued to utilize the bottom and Kingseed the top. The son and father Mayes duo would follow. With the laps winding down, Missler was in heavy lapped traffic, and unfortunately for him, they were on the bottom of the track. The veteran Kingseed used one of those lapped machines as a pick to slingshot around Missler with two laps remaining as he would fly to his 23rd career Attica victory. Missler, Mayes Jr., Mayes Sr. and Hahn would round out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7 as the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions open their northern season with the traditional Coors Light Spring Nationals.
For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com
Attica Raceway Park (3-30-07)
World Auto Parts of Huron & Cleveland 410 Sprints
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 16-Lee Jacobs; 2. 11B-Brock Mayes; 3. 53-John Ivy; 4. OO-Ryan Grubaugh;
5. 11N-Ed Neumeister; 6. O-Gus Wasson; 7. 97-Cory Seeling; 8. 59-Kirk Jeffries
Heat 2 – Friendship Food Stores (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 11M-Brandon Martin; 2. X-Mark Keegan; 3. O9-Craig Mintz; 4. 15-Chris
Andrews; 5. 31-Chuck Wilson; 6. 4N-Niel Shepard; 7. 3L-Mike Linder; 8.
91-Aaron Middaugh
Heat 3 – Tin Lizzy Collision of Tiffin (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 2-Dale Blaney; 2. 5R-Bryon Reed; 3. W20-Greg Wilson; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver;
5. 12-Caleb Griffith; 6. 48-Mike Burkin; 7. 35-Ron Blair
B-main – Computer Man Inc. (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 4N-Niel Shepard; 2. 48-Mike Burkin; 3. 35-Ron Blair; 4. O-Gus Wasson; 5.
2M-Dustin Daggett; 6. 97-Cory Seeling; 7. 59-Kirk Jeffries; 8. 91-Aaron
Middaugh; 9. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 10. 3L-Mike Linder
A-main Starting Position [#]
1. W20-Greg Wilson[2]; 2. 16-Lee Jacobs[5]; 3. 11B-Brock Mayes[8]; 4.
5R-Bryon Reed[9]; 5. 1W-Paul Weaver[12]; 6. X-Mark Keegan[11]; 7. O9-Craig
Mintz[4]; 8. 11M-Brandon Martin[10]; 9. 48-Mike Burkin[17]; 10. 35-Ron
Blair[18]; 11. 31-Chuck Wilson[14]; 12. 15-Chris Andrews[6]; 13. 53-John
Ivy[1]; 14. 4N-Niel Shepard[16]; 15. 11N-Ed Neumeister[13]; 16. 2M-Dustin
Daggett[20]; 17. 2-Dale Blaney[3]; 18. 12-Caleb Griffith[15]; 19. O-Gus
Wasson[19]; 20. OO-Ryan Grubaugh[7]
Attica Raceway Park
305 Sprints
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (Top 4 to the A-main)
1. 21-Scott Kraylek; 2. 11W-Rickey Williams; 3. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 4.19R-Steve Rando; 5. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 6. 65-Mark Lang; 7. O7-Scott Mominee; 8. 15H-Mitch Harble; 9. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 10. M28-Josh Muntz
Heat 2 – Friendship Food Stores (Top 4 to the A-main)
1. 5D-Dustin Dinan; 2. 55-Benny Bowman; 3. 14-Chad Wilson; 4. 71-Bill Kraylek; 5. 49-Coty Runion; 6. 93-Dave Saxer Jr.; 7. 18C-Jason Crispen; 8. 92-Brandon Perkins; 9. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath; 10. 311-Aaron Moloney
Heat 3 – Tin Lizzy Collision of Tiffin (Top 4 to the A-main)
1. O2-Kevin Lee; 2. 10-Brad Haudenschild; 3. 4T-Jim Taddeo; 4. 11C-Shawn Colvin; 5. 13-Junior Felver; 6. 22-Evan Helle; 7. 25P-Mark Pridemore; 8. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 9. 1A-Matt Lucius
Heat 4 – Pepsi (Top 4 to the A-main)
1. 48S-Andy Shammo; 2. O1-Bryan Sebetto; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 4. 1B-Brad Bowman; 5. 18-Todd Heuerman; 6. 3J-Bobby Foster; 7. 29F-Rich Farmer; 8. 66L-Ryan Lowe; 9. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh; 10. 6-Ryan Dickey
B1 Main (Top 2 to the A-main)
1. 49-Coty Runion; 2. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 3. O7-Scott Mominee; 4. 65-Mark Lang; 5. 18C-Jason Crispen; 6. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath; 7. 93-Dave Saxer Jr.; 8. 92-Brandon Perkins; 9. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 10. 15H-Mitch Harble; 11. 311-Aaron Moloney; 12. M28-Josh Muntz
B2-Main (Top 2 to the A-main)
1. 18-Todd Heuerman; 2. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 3. 66L-Ryan Lowe; 4. 3J-Bobby Foster; 5. 1A-Matt Lucius; 6. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh; 7. 13-Junior Felver; 8. 29F-Rich Farmer; 9. 22-Evan Helle; 10. 6-Ryan Dickey; 11. 25P-Mark Pridemore
A-main Starting Position [#]
1. O1-Bryan Sebetto[8]; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[1]; 3. 55-Benny Bowman[4]; 4. O2-Kevin Lee[5]; 5. 19R-Steve Rando[13]; 6. 14-Chad Wilson[9]; 7. 48S-Andy Shammo[11]; 8. 71-Bill Kraylek[14]; 9. 1B-Brad Bowman[16]; 10. 49-Coty Runion[17]; 11. 36X-Dustin Keegan[19]; 12. 10-Brad Haudenschild[3]; 13. 21-Scott Kraylek[12]; 14. 18-Todd Heuerman[18]; 15. 67M-Matt Ferrell[20]; 16. 11C-Shawn Colvin[15]; 17. 5D-Dustin Dinan[2]; 18. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[6]; 19. 11W-Rickey Williams[7]; 20. 4T-Jim Taddeo[10]
Attica Raceway Park
Fultz Fabrications & Speed Shop Late Models
Heat 1 – Bell Helmets (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 48-John Bores; 2. 25-Chuck Hummer; 3. 15B-Mike Bores; 4. 23-Ben Elliott;
5. 9-Roger Inks; 6. 78-Terry Statton; 7. 12-Michael Stiltner
Heat 2 – Friendship Food Stores (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 21-Larry Kingseed; 2. 45-Mike Marteney; 3. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 4. 99-Steve
Sabo; 5. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 6. 4U-Chris Elling; 7. 41-Steve Fultz; 8. 12P-Jeff Pelton
Heat 3 – Tin Lizzy Collision of Tiffin (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 50-Ryan Missler; 2. 99M-John Mayes Sr.; 3. 101-Chester Fitch; 4. 27-Ken Hahn; 5. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth; 6. O5J-Joel Wildermuth; 7. 77-Steve Kester
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (Top 5 to the A-main)
1. 4U-Chris Elling; 2. 12-Michael Stiltner; 3. 41-Steve Fultz; 4. 78-Terry Statton; 5. 77-Steve Kester; 6. 12P-Jeff Pelton; 7. O5J-Joel Wildermuth
A-main Starting Position [#]
1. 21-Larry Kingseed[10]; 2. 50-Ryan Missler[3]; 3. 69-John Mayes Jr.[2]; 4. 99M-John Mayes Sr.[4]; 5. 27-Ken Hahn[8]; 6. 5H-Ernie Haynes[14]; 7. 99-Steve Sabo[7]; 8. 25-Chuck Hummer[11]; 9. 15B-Mike Bores[12]; 10. 12-Michael Stiltner[17]; 11. 41-Steve Fultz[18]; 12. 77-Steve Kester[20]; 13. 78-Terry Statton[19]; 14. 101-Chester Fitch[6]; 15. 4U-Chris Elling[16]; 16. 45-Mike Marteney[5]; 17. 9-Roger Inks[13]; 18. 48-John Bores[9]; 19. 23-Ben Elliott[1]; 20. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth[15]
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Billboards are being hung, new pit bleachers have been installed, the new track lights have been adjusted…everything is in preparation for the season opening night of racing action at Attica Raceway Park, Friday, March 30 (rain date of Saturday, March 31).
“Mother Nature has cooperated this week so far. She provided warm weather and plenty of wind to help dry out the grounds. The crew worked on the track for five hours the other night and its ready to go. We’re busy sprucing up the rest of the grounds and right now, all systems are go for Friday’s opener,” said ARP Operations Manager Rex LeJeune.
LeJeune said the weather forecast keeps improving for the rest of the week and he expects a large turn-out of World Auto Parts of Huron and Cleveland 410 Sprints, 305 sprints and Fultz Fabrications and Speedshop Attica Late Models on HD Supply Night Friday.
“The grassy parking lot near in the fairgrounds is a little soft yet, but it gets better everyday. We have the parking in the stone areas around the fairgrounds and the stone lot behind the grandstands and the school parking lot near by, so fans have plenty of dry areas to park,” said LeJeune. “John Bores and his crew have made a lot of improvements over the off-season in preparation for Attica’s 20th anniversary and we’re excited to show them off to the fans.”
LeJeune urges fans to keep an eye on the website for “Ohio’s Finest Racing” venue by logging onto www.atticaracewaypark.com or call the track office at 419-680-5606.
By Stephen J. Hartzell: (Tiffin, OH) The long off-season is nearly over, and there is no better way to ring in a new racing season than to come to the Tiffin Mall this weekend, March 23-25, for the annual Northern Ohio Sprint Car Show. The NOSCS is once again being made possible by the generous support of Fremont Speedway, Attica Raceway Park and Coors Light Beer. Local racing enthusiast Steve “Scoop” Hartzell is in his 5th year as NOSCS event promoter and organizer.
The 2007 NOSCS is already booked to capacity, featuring fire-breathing Sprint Cars as well as the ever-popular Dirt Trucks, Attica Late Models, Karts, vintage cars, vendors and events.
Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway will have displays at the show for the benefit of racers and fans throughout the weekend. Also presenting a display all weekend will be the All Star Circuit of Champions. The sound and feel of the sprint car experience will be ever-present as Tim Nickles brings his nationally famous Tim’s Sprint Car Simulators.
The show begins to take shape on Thursday night at 7:00 as set-up day welcomes this year’s field of cars to the Tiffin Mall. The NOSCS then officially opens on Friday during normal mall hours.
ImageSaturday will be the big day of the weekend, as the Buckeye Speed Zone kicks off the list of events. A special live 2 hour broadcast will begin at 12:30 in the Hoserville Ohio room, which is adjacent to center court in the old Osterman store. At 3:00, at the same location, the annual Hoserville Ohio Benefit Auction begins in an effort to raise funds for the very worthwhile Hoserville Ohio Injured Driver’s Fund.
Saturday evening will feature a Racing Season Kickoff Party at the Moose Lodge on the north edge of Tiffin on state route 53. This event will feature the very popular local rock band, the Mongrels, playing from 7:00 until midnight. Admission is just $2 per person, with abundant food and drink available at reasonable prices. This event is a Runion Racing Team production.
The 2007 NOSCS will culminate with the annual awards ceremony in center court on Sunday at 4:30. Trophy awards will be given to the Merchant’s Choice, the People’s Choice, and the coveted Racer’s Choice Award which is chosen by the racers themselves. Plaque awards will be given to the Dirt Truck of the Year, Attica Late Model of the Year and the Kart of the Year. Entries will be permitted to recieve just one award per car, with the Racer’s Choice considered to be the top priority award.
Come out this weekend and join us for one of the best mall-based sprint car shows in America.
By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) The 2007 World Auto Parts of Huron 410 Sprint track champion at Attica Raceway Park, along with the 305 sprint champion will each receive a new chassis.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Ohio’s Finest Racing’ venue, Attica Raceway Park and Kear’s Speed Shop of Tiffin are teaming up to provide a new Eagle chassis for the 410 sprint champion in 2007. Kear’s and XXX Revolution Chassis are teaming up to give the 305 sprint champion a new chassis.