Macedo becomes another first time Attica winner; Irey wins late model thriller; Miller takes 305 point lead with victory

Friday, April 16, 2021

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio – Lemoore, California’s Cole Macedo has been so close to winning a 410 sprint car feature at Attica Raceway Park only to suffer bad luck. He tossed that all aside Friday, April 16 and scored his first ever win at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speedplant on Advanced Drainage Systems/Erie Blacktop Night. Macedo became the fourth different first time winner in the Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprints in five events in 2021.

Macedo took the lead from Brian Smith at the half-way point of the 30-lap feature and mastered lapped traffic for the victory aboard the Ray Brooks Racing #18.

“I love racing for these guys. They’ve been working their tails off and I’ve been making mistakes and we’ve just been trying to put nights together and it finally paid off. I knew if I kept my nose clean my car was good enough to keep pulling away from guys. I could run the middle, the top, the bottom…everywhere. After five laps my car really came in. I played with the wing a little but my guys did a really good job,” said Macedo beside his Fremont Auto Parts, Grant Decker Construction, Linder’s Speed Equipment, Gill Construction, CK Mechanical, ML Graphics, Diversified Builders backed machine.

“I have to thank Steven, Mike and Stephanie Linder and all the guys that work on this thing, Cody Jarrett, Braden (Finsel)…Ray Brooks…he took a big risk this year and started a team and I hope we’re making him proud,” added Macedo.

In another fantastic Propane.com/Dirt Nerds Podcast UMP Late Model feature, Mansfield, Ohio’s Matt Irey held off a late race charge from the previous week’s winner Ryan Markham and near catastrophe with two laps to go when a lapped car spun right in front of him to score his first win of the season. It was Irey’s sixth career Attica victory.

“My mom says my ADD kicks in…I look too far ahead. I started to see him spin out and I was just hoping he would catch it or I could turn down enough. I guess I turned down enough. I think he got me but it wasn’t that much. I knew on that restart I had to start a little early. When I passed Devin (Shiels) I went to the middle then I started protecting the bottom and then I came out of four and I felt like I got into Ryan (Markham) a little bit. Luckily that caution came out and I knew I was better in the middle so I took that lane away from him and got the job done,” said Irey of his Accu-Force, Rod Eddleblutes Garage, Dalton Garage Door, Robin Jakubic, NuGen LED Solutions, Artizian Concrete, RL Bond Septic, Specialty Tree Service, Kilgore and Harring CPA, Shagalees backed machine.

A two-time Attica 305 champion, Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller has been knocking on the door for a win all season. He utilized the new qualifying format to perfection, started on the pole of the 25 lap Fremont Fence feature and led every lap for his 28^th career victory in the division aboard the Ryan French owned #26.

“It’s a lot easier when you are in clean air and qualifying helps us. You can run quicker lap times…it’s good so you have the whole track pretty much to yourself. We were pretty good tonight. I didn’t even have to lean on the cushion. I could run a groove off. The car was locked down. It was going to take someone pretty good on the bottom to get around me. Everything fell into place tonight,” 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, Kenny Kalb Farms backed machine.

Gary Taylor and Brian Smith brought the field to green for the 30-lap 410 sprint feature with Taylor gaining the advantage over Smith, Macedo, Travis Philo, Cale Conley, Trey Jacobs and Brandon Spithaler. Taylor set the early pace but by leap eight Smith was closing and took the lead two circuits later, Macedo took second on lap 11 just before the event’s only caution flew.

On the restart Smith maintained the advantage though Macedo was applying the pressure with Taylor locked in a fight with Philo, Spithaler and Jacobs for third. Macedo led lap 15 by half a car length but then began to pull away. The leader encountered lapped traffic with eight laps to go but was able to maneuver through while Smith comfortably ran in second with Philo and Spithaler battling for third. Spithaler, who picked up his first ever Attica win last week, took third on lap 23 and quickly closed on Smith.

Macedo drove to the checkers while Smith was able to hold off Spithaler for the runner-up finish with Philo and Jacobs rounding out the top five. Buddy Kofoid drove from 17^th to a sixth place finish to earn the hard charger honors.

In the late model feature Chester Fitch and Rich Ruff brought the field to green but it was third starter Devin Shiels, the track’s defending division champion, grabbing the lead. Fitch would spin in turn two after the first lap, collecting six other cars. On the restart Shiels led Eric Wilson, Larry Bellman, Irey and Markham.

A caution on lap eight after a car moved an infield tire barrier on the track saw Shiels leading Irey, Wilson, Markham and Bellman. When the green flew Shiels and Irey waged a battle for the lead with Irey taking the top spot on lap 11. Meanwhile Markham was on the move, taking third on lap 14. Another debris caution on lap 16 created a fantastic battle up front when the green came back out. Irey, Shiels and Markham battled nose to tail and side by side and Markham, who took second on lap 19, raced to Irey’s outside. As the pair battled side by side exiting turn two on lap 23, a lapped car spun and both had to take quick evasive action to avoid catastrophe.

Irey executed a perfect restart and drove away the final two laps for the win. Markham, Shiels, Wilson and Bellman rounded out the top five.

Miller and Justin Lusk paced the field for the 305 A-main with Miller immediately grabbing the lead with third starter Jimmy McGrath Jr. taking second while Brandon Riehl, Lusk, Paul Weaver and Logan Riehl battling for third. Miller could not shake McGrath until lapped traffic came into play on lap 10. Miller maneuvered through the traffic to pull away with McGrath. Brandon Riehl, Lusk, Larry Kingseed Jr., Weaver and Zeth Sabo giving chase.

With 10 laps to go Miller held a big lead  but that all evaporated when the only race stoppage happened with five laps to go when Lusk tangled with Steve Rando. But a clear track gave Miller all he needed as he drove away for the win while the battle for second was entertaining with Kingseed taking it over McGrath, Sabo and Weaver.

Attica Raceway Park will be in action Friday, April 23 on Craig Miller Trucking Night with the 410 and 305 sprints along with the UMP late models in action. 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.

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