Macedo dominates in Attica 410 sprints; Markham survives for late model victory; Foos nabs 305 win

Friday, Aug. 20, 2021

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio – Cole Macedo and his Ray Brooks Racing team have been fast all year but little mechanical issues or bad luck has limited the victories. Friday, Aug. 20 the team put that all behind them and the Lemoore, California driver dominated the 410 sprint feature at Attica Raceway Park, winning by nearly five seconds on American Car Wash Systems/Ferguson Waterworks/Morgan Stanley Night presented by Integrity Auto and Truck Sales.

It was Macedo’s second victory of the year at Attica in the Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprints and the fifth overall for him in 2021 and was worth $4,000. It also edges him closer to DJ Foos in the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products 410 Attica Fremont Championship Series (AFCS) presented by the Baumann Auto Group standings.

“That just shows how good my car is. We’ve been this fast all year long and just had little things that happened that we’ve learned from and made our car better and it paid off. It’s a dream come true coming here this year and racing for these guys…they treat me so well and give me a great race car every night. I’m just having fun with these guys every night. Even when we don’t win…even when our car breaks we still go home and we have fun. Also wanted to dedicate this win to Jackie Verda…we lost her this week. Hopefully Mike and Chris and the whole family are doing alright,” said Macedo beside his Fremont Auto Parts, T&T Laser Alignments, Grant Decker Construction, Linder’s Speed Equipment, Gill Construction, CK Mechanical, ML Graphics, Diversified Builders backed #18.

It was a good thing the Dirt Nerds Podcast/Propane.com UMP Late Model A-main was only 25 laps. Ashland, Ohio’s Ryan Markham survived a one lap battle to the checkers following a caution after the white flag had flown, and held off Ryan Missler for his third victory of the season at Attica and the 19^th of his career at the track. After taking the checkers something in the drive line or transmission let loose.

“There’s been a lot of back and forth going on out there this year that’s for sure. That caution came out there when we were coming to get the checkers and I was like oh man. We wouldn’t have made it 25 and half laps…she broke. She free-revved right at the line,” said Markham of his B&B Drain Service, Beer Barrel Drive Thru, Clear Detail, Accu Force, Matco Tools by Jimmy, Innovative Graphics backed #5M.

After a thrilling battle early in the Fremont Fence 305 A-main, Fremont’s Matt Foos took the lead from Macedo on lap five and held off a late race charge from both Jamie Miller and Paul Weaver to score his second win of the season at Attica. It was the fourth of his career in the division at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant.

Foos, Miller and Weaver are locked in a great point battle for the title in the NAPA of Bryan 305 AFCS presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales as well.

“We had a lot of top caliber guys out here tonight. I had Cole (Macedo) in front of me…obviously he’s pretty good. He stepped into my world though. We were too good too soon and started falling apart there at the end but it allowed me to get away from everybody and put some distance between us. We had enough to hang on. This is the most wins I’ve had in a year so that’s awesome. We’ve been consistent but were slowly getting there. I screwed myself in qualifying early this year…think we had like eight hard chargers but wins are way cooler. I have to thank Jamie and Renee Adams….they do a ton for me as the car owners. Brian Mitten just came on board this year and Fremont Fence, 818 Club, Stuart Williams at Elite Wings, Doug Berryman with our shocks does a hell of a job, Dave Rohrbacher and Kear’s Speed Shop,” said Foos.

Byron Reed jumped into the early lead of the 410 A-main with Cole Duncan, Macedo, Nate Dussel, Stuart Brubaker and Craig Mintz in pursuit. Macedo grabbed second a lap later before a caution flew for Jamie Miller. On the restart Macedo drove around Reed for the lead and pulled away until a caution for fourth running Brubaker on lap seven.

With a clear track Macedo once again pulled away from Reed, Duncan, Dussel, Mintz and Trey Jacobs. The final caution fell for Sean Rayhall on lap 14, wiping out Macedo’s comfortable advantage. Once the green flew Macedo steadily pulled away while Reed battle with Duncan and Jacobs for second. Duncan slipped off of turn two on lap 20, losing a couple of positions.

While Macedo built a nearly five second lead and Reed running comfortably in second, a tremendous battle for third ensued involving Mintz and Jacobs. Macedo powered to the win over Reed, Jacobs, Mintz and DJ Foos.

Markham grabbed the lead from the drop of the green of the 25 lap late model feature but Mike Bores and Ryan Missler pressured him constantly until a caution on lap nine. On the restart Bores dove under Markham to lead lap 10 but Markham drove back by a lap later. Markham, Bores and Missler ran nose to tail lap after lap with  Missler taking second on lap 14.

Missler looked to Markham’s inside a hand full of times but could not make the pass as Markham hit the thin top ledge to perfection. Matt Irey joined the front trio for a fierce battle  with six laps to go. A caution as the leaders were coming to the checkers set up a one-lap battle royale with Markham hitting his marks on the top shelf perfectly for the win over Missler, Irey, Bores and Devin Shiels.

Kasey Jedrzejek grabbed the early lead of the 305 sprint feature but only by a narrow margin over Macedo and Foos. Macedo edged into the top spot on laps three and four only to see Foos take it away a lap later. Foos, Jedrzejek and Macedo put on a fantastic show the first five laps.

Once in the lead Foos drove away while Jedrzejek, Macedo, Paul Weaver, Bryce Lucius and Jamie Miller battled behind him. Jedrzejek’s great run came to a half on lap 12 and on the restart Weaver drove under Macedo to grab second with Miller getting by a lap later.

With five laps to go Foos was mired in heavy lapped traffic and both Weaver and Miller closed quickly. Weaver bounced off the front stretch wall exiting turn four on lap 22 allowing Miller to take second. Miller was within a car length of Foos who did not flinch and drove to the win over Miller, Weaver, Lucius and Macedo.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, Aug. 27 on Columbus Equipment/Central Ohio Farmers Night presented by Integrity Auto and Truck Sales of Bucyrus featuring the 410 and 305 sprints and the Attica/Oakshade Raceway Challenge Series UMP Late Models.

Continue reading

Trey Jacobs finally gets 410 win at Attica; Schlenk earns thrilling late model win; Miller nabs 4th 305 victory

Friday, July 30, 2021

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio (Friday, July 30, 2021) – Trey Jacobs has finished second at Attica Raceway Park three times this season, including being nipped last week by .084 seconds. This Friday Jacobs, who came into the night leading the 410 sprint points at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” facility, took the lead late in the race to earn his first career win at Attica on Kear’s Speed Shop/True Alpha Wealth Management Night.

Jacobs, whose father Dean won Attica’s track title in 2011, became the seventh different first time 410 sprint winner in 15 events at the track in 2021. Attica’s 2016 rookie of the year also won last Saturday at Wayne County Speedway.

“I’ve run second here too many times. Finally it seems like we’re really getting rolling after coming about as close as you could possibly get last week. We had that restart there with not very many laps to go (six laps) and I knew the bottom was really good and I was able to make it work. As soon as I cleared Stewie (Stuart Brubaker) I knew I couldn’t let this one get away from me. I started over driving entry a little bit and got hung out in the middle…with a couple to go I told myself to calm down. I knew I was fast enough on the bottom to get by those guys so they would have to really come on and rip the curb to get a run on me to get by. It’s a huge relief to finally get that first one at Attica. I’ve been down on this horse track countless times with my dad and I’ve always dreamed of getting down here. I hope this is the start to many to come,” said Jacobs beside his Performance Foot & Ankle, Thrifty Muffler, VIB-ISO, All Overstock, Tim Yerian, Integrity Auto and Trucks Sales backed #3J.

In a fantastic UMP Late Model A-main, McClure, Ohio’s Rusty Schlenk used a late race restart to drive around Ryan Missler to score his third victory of the year at Attica. It’s his 31^st career win at the track as he sits atop the all-time win list for the division. The 25-lap A-main saw Schlenk, Missler and Doug Drown battle throughout. Schlenk was leading last week at Attica and jumped the cushion and smacked the front stretch wall which injured his hand.

“We’ve had a rough couple of weeks. I made a joke on Facebook last week that I was washed up after putting it into the front stretch wall while leading. So I had to come back and prove to everybody that I have a little bit left in me. We lost power steering in the heat race…that’s why I went to the bottom and ran around the bottom the whole heat just trying to get a re-draw. I suffered it out in the heat race with one hand and no power steering and got a re-draw and that put us up front to have a chance to put on a show for everyone,” said Schlenk beside his Buckeye Concrete, VP Fuel, Tom Finch Auto, Bilstein Shocks, Landrum Springs, Dominator Race Products backed #91.

Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller, a two-time Attica 305 champion took the lead at the drop of the green for the non-stop 25 lap 305 feature and never looked back. Miller, who hasn’t finished out of the top four all season long at Attica, earned his fourth win of the year and 31^st of his career to sit second on the track’s all time win list for the division.

“I definitely have no complaints. This thing was fast. There was a little rubber up top there and that’s a little different for here but we’re really good up there and I just road it out and parked it. I was looking ahead and watching and all the lapped cars went to the bottom. I was like this can’t be happening,” said Miller of his : Smitty’s Pizza, JLH General Contractor, Queen of Clean, Rohr Total Lawn Care, Sonic Hauling, Phil Rister, Sloopy’s Pizza, Reedtown Tavern, Crown Battery, Schreiner Farms, Roberts & Sons Contracting, Fostoria Mod Shop, Kenny Kalb Farms backed #26.

In the 30-lap Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprint A-main, Nate Dussel grabbed the early lead but he and DJ Foos made contact while battling up front with Dussel flipping and Foos heading to the pits. That put Brian Smith into the top spot and he held it for a lap before Brubaker charged to the lead.

The caution flew on lap five, wiping out a huge lead for Brubaker. When the green flew Brubaker began to pull away from Chris Andrews while Travis Philo, Smith, Caleb Griffith and Jacobs battled hard for third. That war for third went on for several laps until lap 16 when Philo took a nasty crash off turn four; he was okay.

On the restart 11^th starting Jacobs drove under Andrews for second but Andrews fought back retaking the position on lap 19 with Jacobs returning the favor a lap later just before the red flew for Andrew Fike whose car caught fire; he was okay. Brubaker continued to lead but now Jacobs applied pressure to his inside when the green came back out. Brubaker and Jacobs ran side by side for the lead for three laps before Jacobs powered off the bottom into the top spot just before the final caution flew with six laps to go.

Jacobs was just too good on the low side of the track and drove away for the win over Brubaker, Andrews, Griffith and Cole Macedo.

Pole-sitter Doug Drown grabbed the lead at the drop of the green for the 25 lap Dirt Nerds Podcast/Propane.com late model feature with Devin Shiels, Missler and Schlenk right that to challenge. Missler moved into second on the second lap with Schlenk taking third a circuit later just before a caution. The next two green flag laps saw Drown challenged by Missler and Schlenk before another caution. When the green flew the battle was on. Missler grabbed the lead on lap eight but Drown continued to hound him with Schlenk, Ryan Markham and last week’s winner Mike Bores staying close.

Missler encountered lapped traffic by lap 14 and Drown and Schlenk were there to pounce. Schlenk moved into second on lap 17 just before a debris caution. Schlenk used the restart to drive to Missler’s outside and when the leader pushed up the track Schlenk pounced into the lead. Schlenk pulled away the final five laps to take the win over Missler, Bores, Matt Irey and JR Gentry.

Miller immediately grabbed the lead of the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint A and quickly used the cushion to build a sizeable lead over Steve Rando and Justin Lusk. Young Bryce Lucius came on strong with 10 laps to go and took third while Matt Foos charged into fourth. With five laps to go Miller had put three lapped cars between himself and Rando. Foos drove into third on lap 22 and when Rando made contact with the front stretch wall on the last lap Foos grabbed second. Miller drove to the win over Foos, Kasey Jedrzejek, Lucius and Rando.

Attica Raceway Park will take a couple of weeks off for the Attica Independent Fair and will get back to racing on Friday, Aug. 20 with the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products 410 Attica Fremont Championship Series Presented by the Baumann Auto Group, the UMP late models and the NAPA of Bryan 305 AFCS Presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales in action.

For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.

Continue reading