Peck stays hot, claims All Star win at Attica
Saturday, April 3, 2021
By Brian Liskai
ATTICA, Ohio – Justin Peck continued his impressive early season success Saturday by earning his first ever Attica Raceway Park victory and his second career Flo Racing All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 win during the Core & Main Spring Nationals. Peck, from Monrovia, Indiana, came into the first All Star point race having won two events against the tough Pennsylvania Posse already this season aboard the Tom Buch Motorsports #13.
Peck took the lead from Zeb Wise utilizing the extreme high line exiting turn two on lap 28 and drove his Coastal Race Parts.com/DMI/RPM Chassis/HP Engines backed machine to a convincing win.
“If you would have told me this last year I would have told you you are crazy because I didn’t win a race all year last year. To win the All Star opener going into an entire 58 race long point schedule is freaking awesome. I just can’t say enough about this Tom Buch Motorsports team and Sean and Kurt give me an outstanding race car every time I hit the race track. Really when we started off the night we were just okay I felt like. We were more or less a fifth place race car in my opinion and I just kept talking to my guys and they kept giving me what I wanted and here we are standing on the front stretch,” said Peck.
Peck was one of the very few cars to utilize the high line in turns one and two and he felt that was the winning recipe. “It kind of curbed up there and as long as you could feather it off of two and have your motor detuned you could really kind of move it up through there. I just stuck to what I knew and that’s pound the boards. I told my guys before the feature if we get to lapped traffic we had the best shot because my car worked up there,” he said.
Zeb Wise, who led laps six through 27, scored a solid runner-up finish. “Can’t say enough about Wayne and my dad and everyone on this team. It’s only our second race and we are up here on the podium tying my best finish with the All Stars. Me and Wayne are still learning each other and I’m pretty happy with how things are going,” said Wise beside his Sun Dollar Restoration/Quick Pits Auto/Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales/Bill’s Towing backed #10.
Attica season opener winner Hunter Schuerenberg drove his TK Concrete/Maxim Trucking/Logan Contractors/Eddie Gilstrap Motors #55 to a third place finish.
“I think we maybe could have gotten there a little bit sooner. I was convinced it was going to take rubber and it kind of did and I might have saved a little bit too long. It got us there at the end but I probably could have pushed it a bit more early. All and all happy…we’re close. I couldn’t be more happy with the opportunity I’ve been blessed with in this Vermeer Motorsports team,” said Schuerenberg.
At the drop of the green for the 40 lap All Star feature, pole sitter Cory Eliason jumped into the lead with Wise, Ian Madsen, Peck, Schuerenberg, Cale Conley, Craig Mintz and Caleb Griffith in tow. Wise began pressuring Eliason by lap three just before a caution flew two circuits later. On the restart another caution flew and when the green reappeared Wise drove under Eliason for the lead. Peck took third on lap seven as Wise pulled away from the field.
Wise built a two second lead by lap 10 over Eliason, Peck, Madsen, Schuerenberg, Griffith and Mintz. Just as Wise entered heavy lapped traffic on lap 15 the race’s final caution flew as Peck drove into second. On the restart Wise pulled away from Peck with Eliason, Madsen, Schuerenberg, Mintz and Brent Marks in pursuit. By lap 21 Wise had found lapped traffic again and Peck began to close. Racing through traffic, Peck blasted the thin cushion in turn two and drove into the lead on lap 28 and quickly pulled away.
With six laps to go Peck had put two lapped cars between himself and Wise while Eliason battled with Schuerenberg and Marks for third. Schuerenberg took third on lap 38, bringing marks into fourth. Peck drove to the win over Wise, Schuerenberg, Marks and Eliason.
Fremont, Ohio’s Paul Weaver also continued his early season dominance, taking the lead in the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature on lap five and holding off a charging Jamie Miller for his third consecutive feature win at Attica. The 2020 track champion now has 59 career 305 wins at Attica Raceway Park.
“The lapped cars were up there and I didn’t want to venture too far up. Basically I got them and found the rubber first and got lucky. I
have to thank Bob Hampshire and Dave Rice, and Daniel for not over-wrenching it,” said Weaver beside his B&B Drain Service/Adkins Motorsports/M&L Excavating backed #1W.
Miller grabbed the early lead at the drop of the green for the 25 lap 305 A-main with Chris Verda, Weaver, Kasey Jedrzejek, Tyler Shullick and Larry Kingseed in tow. Weaver moved into second on lap two and used the bottom of turn two to take the lead on lap five.
Just as Weaver encountered very heavy lapped traffic, the race’s only caution flew on lap nine. When the green flew Weaver drove to a sizeable lead over Miller while Verda, Jedrzejek, Kingseed, Brandon Moore, Shullick and 15th starter Dustin Stroup putting on an entertaining battle for third. Jedrzejek took third on lap 15 with Stroup moving into fourth on lap 18.
Miller had one more shot at Weaver as they raced into very heavy lapped traffic with three laps to go. Entering the final two turns on the last lap Miller was right on Weaver’s rear bumper but Weaver held him off for the win, Jedrzejek, Stroup and Steve Rando rounded out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Saturday, April 9 with the 410 sprints, UMP late models and 305 sprints.
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.
