Reed gets last lap, last corner 410 win after 2 year drought at Attica
Friday, June 4, 2021
By Brian Liskai
ATTICA, Ohio – It was a veteran move by 48-year-old Byron Reed. Stalk the young driver and use lapped cars to make your move. Reed passed Cole Macedo in the last corner of the last lap to score his 43rd career 410 sprint victory at Attica Raceway Park Friday on Edward Jones of Clyde/Mike Neill Financial Advisor Night presented by Integrity Car and Truck Sales. It was Reed’s first victory at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant since 2019.
“In that situation it’s always better to be in second. There wasn’t many cars here tonight…usually in the feature lapped traffic comes into
play but I really wasn’t sure with this few of cars. Right at the end there was just enough lapped traffic…it got to where the lapped cars were going good around the bottom. They were almost the same speed as I was running the top. I think he abandoned the top probably feeling the same way and he got kind of blocked a little bit and I went where he wasn’t,” said Reed of his Kistler Engines backed #5.
“This feels pretty good. I still feel like…I love Attica first of all…I still feel like I can do it here and at Fremont. I wish my mom and dad could have been here tonight but my son’s here and rest of my crew, Kurt and Kevin and Kent so that’s good,” added the track’s eight time champion.
Big picture for Macedo though, as he came into the night leading the Attica points and a second place run on Mid-Season Championship Night pads his lead. He also is in contention for the All-Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products 410 Attica Fremont Championship Series Presented by the Baumann Auto Group.
Wooster, Ohio’s Doug Drown needed a change of luck. So, he changed his late model’s number to 777, the number his grandfather and dad carried. It worked as the former Attica champion drove to his 29th career late model victory.
“I never carried that family thing on and our season has been crap since Florida. It’s been a struggle. We bought this car off Matt Irey a couple of months ago and I have it for Charlie Duncan to drive and he said basically just go ahead and put 777 on it and maybe we’ll change our luck and sure enough it worked,” said Drown beside his Ely Road Reel, Joyride Transport, 89 Homes, ABR Farms, Wooster Glass, Malcuit Racing Engines backed machine.
“I really wasn’t pushing it too hard…I didn’t know how hard I could even push this thing. When we had that purple Swartz car we pretty much dominated here. We put that same set-up on this thing and obviously it got the job done. My guys worked their tails off because we actually didn’t decide to race this. I sold my Rocket on Wednesday and everybody had late nights on Thursday and today all day. So my Uncle Scott, Charlie, Danny, DJ Miller, my dad, Marvin…definitely happy for everyone that helps us,” added Drown.
Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller knew he had a good car at the drop of the green flag for the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature. Miller, a two time Attica champion, charged from eighth to third on the opening lap utilizing the extreme high line and took the lead on lap three. Though five time track champion Paul Weaver drove from 11th top second and closed the final two laps, Miller was too strong and scored his third victory of the season and the 30th of his career at Attica.
“This thing was a rocket ship. To go from eighth to the lead in just a few laps…I could tell on the car as soon as I got on it that it squatted and went. We found a couple of things we kind of got away from last year and we’re kind of getting back that way and this car likes it. We will see what happens tomorrow at Fremont…we’re going to get the new car out and try it,” said Miller beside 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, Maxim Chassis, Keizer Wheels, Kenny Kalb Farms backed #26.
Miller’s win coupled with Weaver’s second place finish tightens up the battle for title of the NAPA of Bryan 305 AFCS Presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales. And with double points on the line, Miller pads his advantage in the track’s points as well.
Macedo and Reed brought the field to green for the 30-lap Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprint feature and Macedo established his domination early, pulling to a commanding lead over Reed, Craig Mintz, Chris Andrews and Kyle Capodice. Macedo’s lead was nearly three seconds when Andrews had a tire let go on lap 16. On the restart Macedo blasted the cushion and drove away once again from Reed, Mintz, Capodice and Stuart Brubaker.
With five laps to go Macedo encountered a pair of cars battling side by side at the rear of the field. It appeared Macedo was having some sort of mechanical issue and that allowed Reed to close. Coming to the checkers Reed got under Macedo and drove to the win. Mintz, Brubaker and Travis Phil rounded out the top five.
Drown and Devin Shiels paced the field for the 25-lap A for the Dirt Nerds Podcast/Propane.com UMP Late Models and the pair raced side by side the first give laps until a caution. That battle resumed once the green came back out and continued until another caution with 10 laps to go. On the restart Drown pulled away.
The battle for second was entertaining with Mike Bores wrestling away the spot from Shiels on lap 21. Irey and Rusty Schlenk rounded out the top five.
Luke Griffith and Tyler Shullick battled for the lead at the drop of the green for the 25-lap Fremont Fence 305 A-main but it was Miller who jumped to the track’s extreme high line and vaulted from eighth to third. Miller took second on lap two and drove around Griffith for the lead on lap three just prior to a caution.
On the restart Miller checked out while Dustin Stroup moved into second and Shullick grabbing third. A caution on lap 10 saw the running order of Miller, Stroup, Shullick, Mike Keegan and Seth Schneider. Back to back cautions on lap 16 and 17 prevented Miller from driving away from the field. One of the cautions was for second running Stroup. On the restart, Miller pulled away from Keegan with 11th starter Weaver in third.
While Keegan and Weaver battled hard for second, Miller continued to hold a five car length advantage. Weaver finally took second with two laps to go and closed on Miller but ran out of time. Miller took the win over Weaver, Keegan, Schneider and Shullick.
Attica Raceway Park will kick off the Ohio Sprint Speedweek with the FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions Presented by Mobil 1 on Friday, June 11. The UMP Late Models will also be in action. Should inclement weather hit, Attica will host the speedweek show on Sunday, June 13 (no late models).
Fans and race teams should visit www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.