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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Spithaler gets 1st career Attica 410 win; Markham earns late model thriller; Sabo nabs 1st career 305 sprint win

Friday, April 9, 2021

Contact: Brian Liskai

[email protected]

 

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio – Renfrew, Pennsylvania’s Brandon Spithaler held of a charge the final two laps to score his first ever Attica Raceway Park 410 sprint win Friday, April 9 on Underground Utilities Inc. Night. In arguably the best late model feature ever at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant, Ashland, Ohio’s Ryan Markham edged Matt Irey and Rusty Schlenk for his second win of the season. Fremont, Ohio’s Zeth Sabo survived a late race restart to record his first ever 305 sprint win.

Spithaler, 29, held off a charging Cole Macedo after a caution with three laps to go to earn his $3,000 pay day in the 30 lap Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprint feature.

“The last two or three restarts I knew he (Macedo) was back there but I didn’t see his nose until the end. Every restart I tried to take my time and get through one and two smooth. I knew I hung coming out of four the first lap through and I needed to make some speed and sure as shit I saw him. This feels great. We tend…whether it was a good idea or bad idea…we tend to only come here for the All Star shows and never come for a local show. There’s a strong field of cars out here in Ohio,” said Spithaler.

“I need to thank my new wife Nikita, Tom Burke, Dave for everything he does on the car, Tony, Dana, Travis, Ryan Prosser and his crew guys for helping out tonight and my sponsors Ravens Trailers, Superior Tank and Trailer…without Tom I wouldn’t be here…we couldn’t do it without him, Write Way VA, Tony Burke Trucking, Sugar Creek Towing…it’s a group effort,” added Spithaler, the 2013 Lernerville Speedway track champion.

For the entire 25 laps of the Propane.com/Dirt Nerds Podcast UMP Late Model feature, Markham, Schlenk and Irey battled nose to tail and three wide on several occasions. Markham, the track’s 2018 late model champion, led the first 14 laps before Schlenk edged ahead from laps 15-19 with Markham regaining the lead the final six laps. The final six laps also featured three wide racing for the lead and during the middle stages of the feature the lead trio were slicing and dicing through lapped traffic.

Markham’s win was the 18^th of his career at Attica and places him third in the late model division’s all-time win list.

“I was having a little trouble breathing there. Something broke in the steering shaft…it was flopping up and down and the car was darting around. There’s no quit in me…we just keep going. Rusty and I…I kind of got in a little too hard down there and he gave me room…we had a hell of race and never touched each other. I want to thank Pam…it’s her birthday, my daughter Emma drew me that good pill tonight. Last year we were fast and didn’t have any luck go our way and this year we’re having a little luck and we’re fast and it’s paying off,” said Markham beside his B&B Drain Service, Beer Barrel Drive Thru, Clear Detail, AccuForce, Matco Tools by Jimmy, Innovative Graphics backed #5M.

Sabo, 18, took the lead on lap seven of the 25 lap Fremont Fence 305 Sprints feature and pulled away on several restarts, but one with just two laps to go had him nervous.

“I looked up on the scoreboard during that red and seen that 26 (Jamie Miller) sitting in third and I’m like man he’s coming. I can’t thank Rich Farmer, my dad and my crew enough for this. We’ve been wanting this so bad. We’ve been pretty good this season but something just clicked tonight. We finally did it!” said Sabo beside his NAPA of Fremont, BLT Farms, Kiser Sound backed #1H.

Nate Dussel and Spithaler brought the field to green for the 410 A-main with Dussel gaining the advantage over Spithaler, Macedo, Cap Henry, Jordan Ryan, Gary Taylor, John Ivy, Stuart Brubaker and Henry Malcuit. Dussel held a slim advantage over Spithaler while Macedo and Henry battled for third Spithaler got under Dussel for the lead on lap eight but Dussel returned the favor the next circuit as they prepared to race into heavy lapped traffic.

Spithaler used the traffic to retake the lead on lap 10 just before a caution flew for debris. On the restart Dussel encountered some sort of problem and fell back to fourth as Macedo and Henry went by. Dussel regained his composure and moved back into third on lap 13. At the half-way point Spithaler led Macedo, Dussel and Henry while tremendous battle ensued for fifth involving Brubaker, 14^th starter Trey Jacobs and Malcuit.

Spithaler was able to put a little distance between himself and Macedo as they raced into lapped traffic with 10 circuits remaining. Spithaler survived a very close call with nine laps to go when a lapped car made contact and spun. When the green flew so did Spithaler, pulling to a commanding lead but a caution for Dussel with three laps to go gave Macedo the opportunity he needed.

On the restart Macedo dove under Spithaler as the two raced side by side to the white flag. Spithaler was able to keep his momentum and drove to the win over Macedo, Henry, Malcuit and Brubaker.

Markham and Casey Noonan brought the field to green for the UMP late model A-main but three caution flags early kept the field close with Markham leading Schlenk, Irey, Noonan, Doug Drown and Devin Shiels. Following the spat of cautions, the action for the lead immediately heated up involving Markham, Schlenk and Irey. Once heavy lapped traffic came into play by lap 11 the lead trio kept the crowd on their feet battling through the lapped cars.

Following a caution on lap 14, Schlenk pounced to take the lead but Markham and Irey stayed close and with six laps to go the trio were three wide all the way around the track. Markham drove around Schlenk back into the lead on lap 20 but Schlenk and Irey continued to race to his inside. Markham held on for the win over Irey who got around Schlenk on the last lap with Drown and Shiels rounding out the top five.

In the 305 A-main, Logan Riehl, last year’s rookie of the year, and Brandon Riehl brought the field to green with Logan gaining the advantage over Brandon with Sabo, Chris Verda, Kasey Ziebold and Steve Rando in pursuit. Following a caution with just two laps scored and another on the restart, Logan Riel would face a challenge from Sabo. Sabo drove into the lad following a restart on lap seven. Another caution on lap 10 wiped out a sizeable advantage for Sabo.

When the green flew again Sabo pulled away while Logan Riel had competition from Rando for the runner-up spot. Another caution on lap 18 wiped out another big lead for Sabo who was able to pull away again when the green flew while Logan Riel was fending off Rando and 11^th starter Jamie Miller. Miller moved into third on lap 21 and when the race went red on lap 23 was poised to make a late race challenge.

Sabo hit his marks perfectly on the restart and drove to the win over Miller, Logan Riehl, Rando and Kody Brewer.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, April 16. The track has opted to not utilize the April 17 rain date should it be needed.

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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