Henry defends home turft, defeats All Stars to open Ohio Speedweek at Attica
Friday, July 3, 2020
Contact: Brian Liskai
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By Brian Liskai
ATTICA, Ohio – Cap Henry defended home turf Friday at Attica Raceway Park. The Republic, Ohio driver regained the lead on lap 35 and drove to his third win of the season at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant, defeating the invading Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions to open the Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek Presented by Hercules Tires.

It was Henry’s eighth career win at Attica and his second All Star victory coming on the 126th appearance of the series at the track on Ohio CAT/Baumann Auto Group/Ohio Laborers Night.

“I was really nervous leading on that restart (on lap 20). Wasn’t really sure what I was doing before hand was right. I knew them guys were real good. Buddy (Kofoid) got by and kind of pulled me a little bit and we kind of kept creeping in and creeping in. Traffic was so hard to pass…you couldn’t find any where to get around them. I had to wait with Buddy and when I got next to him I had to go. I couldn’t give him the opportunity to take my line away,” said Henry beside his Dragon’s Milk White/Beer Barrel Bourbon/Pro Auto Wraps/FK Rod Ends backed machine.

So far this season at Attica, Henry has three wins, a third and a ninth place finish to lead the track points. He picked up an extra $1,000 from the track for defeating the All Stars.

“Brett and Patty Lane gave me a great opportunity here and we continue to make the most of it. Zack (Meyers) came on board last year and this is incredible. I’ve come so close to winning one of these speedweek races here and to finally knock one off is so cool,” said the former All Star rookie of the year.

Defending All Star champion Aaron Reutzel jumped out to the early lead of the 40-lap feature with Buddy Kofoid and fifth starter Henry staying close. Henry took second on lap three and began to close on Reutzel as the leaders raced into heavy lapped traffic by lap 10.

Henry took the lead with a low move on lap 12 with Reutzel now having his hands full with Kofoid while Cale Thomas stayed within striking distance. Kofoid was able to wrestle the runner-up spot away on lap 15 and closed on Henry. The only caution fell on lap 20 when a lapped car spun right in front of the battle for second involving Kofoid, Thomas and Reutzel. Thomas made contact but kept going.

On the restart Kofoid made his move, driving into the lead. The California native began to pull away but with eight laps to go, Henry started to close the gap. Henry was able to sneak the nose of his car under Kofoid on lap 35 to take the lead. Henry was patient with the lapped cars, never pushing the issue the final five laps to score the win over Kofoid, Reutzel, Thomas and Cale Conley.

Britton, Michigan’s Devin Shiels, Attica’s 2017 late model champion, hung around the top five throughout the first 13 laps of the Propane.com/Dirt Nerds Podcast late model feature before making his move to take the lead. A caution with three laps to go and another with just one lap remaining gave Jon Henry a couple of shots at Shiels but he was too strong on the bottom of the track and scored his seventh career Attica win.

“I wish I’d have flipped my nose under that tractor tire and got it off the track sooner to stay green. I want to thank my dad and son and Denny for coming down and helping us every week here. Dirt Nerds Pod Cast, Rally’s Hamburgers, Dundee Products, Magic Fountain Auto Wash and Mini Storage…thanks. And all the guys that help us, Denny, Braden to my dad…everybody,” said Shiels.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, July 10 with the late models, 305 sprints and dirt trucks in action.

Keep tabs on the ongoing race schedule at www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park. For those who can’t attend the races, DirtVision.com carries all the action on pay per view.
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Henry scores 2nd Attica 410 win; Irey dominates late models, Weaver earns another 305 victory

Friday, June 26, 2020

By Brian Liskai

 

ATTICA, Ohio – Cap Henry has picked right up where he left off the past two seasons – winning races in Ohio. The Republic, Ohio driver scored his second win of the season Friday, June 26 at Attica Raceway Park, leading all 30 laps of the 410 sprint feature on Burns Electric, Edward Jones of Clyde, Smith Paving Night presented by Integrity Auto and Truck Sales.

Henry, driver of the Lane Racing machine carrying sponsorship from  Dragons Milk White, New Holland Spirits, Beer Barrel Bourbon, FK Rod Ends, Wings Unlimited, Kistler Engines, J&J Racing, Linder Shocks, Simpson, Ballistic Designs, Lead Head Water Fowl, Geck Electric and Nemesis Designs, has won three races in the past three weeks, including one at Wayne County Speedway. It was Henry’s 7^th career win at Attica.

The victory kicked off the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship 410 Series Presented by the Baumann Auto Group and was worth $4,000 thanks to Spanky’s Pizza of Carey.

“This just shows how good the Lane guys have this thing…Zack (Meyers) has this thing real fast and that puts a lot of pressure on me to do the right things,” said Henry.

“We aren’t sure if we are going to follow the AFCS. We have a couple of things going on with Dragon’s Milk and Beer Barrel Bourbon…we have some stuff we have to commit to them so we will see what happens,” added Henry.

Mansfield, Ohio’s Matt Irey, Attica’s 2016 track champion, has been knocking on the door of victory lane all season, recording a pair of runner-up finishes and a third. It all came together Friday as he led all 25 laps for his fourth career Attica victory. The win kicked off the Attica-Oakshade Raceway Late Model Series Challenge for 2020 as well.

“We’ve been fast all year. Last year we brought a back-up car out and won. This is a brand new car again and I can’t beat it. The driver gave one up two weeks ago and I knew I couldn’t give another one up. I want to thank all my guys…Chris, my dad, my mom, my fiancée, Dustin, my fiancée’s uncle Doug…we’ve busted our butts and we got something for them this season,” said Irey beside his Mid-Ohio Graphics, Rod Eddleblute’s Garage, Robin Jakubick Realtor, Artisan Concrete, Flenner Water Well & Excavating, Kilgore & Harring CPA backed #36.

Three time Attica 305 sprint champion Paul Weaver took the lead on lap 17 and drove to his second straight win and 51^st of his career at the track. Coupled with a win last Saturday at Fremont Speedway, Weaver has won three features in a row.

Weaver’s win makes him a top contender for the NAPA of Bryan AFCS 305 Sprint Series Presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales title. The victory was worth $1,000 thanks to Gressman Powersports.

“You never want to see Jamie Miller coming. The bottom was pretty good. I don’t run bleeders and I was worried about building up too much air and that yellow helped me cool the tires down and run the middle,” said Weaver beside his B&B Drain Services, M&L Excavating, Hampshire Racing Engines, Seagate Sandblasting backed machine. “I want to thank Pam and Steve Brown and if it weren’t for Dave Rice and Bob Hampshire I wouldn’t even been here.”

Henry and Caleb Griffith brought the field to green for the Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprint feature but Chris Andrews took a tumble necessitating a restart. When the green flew again so did Henry, pulling away from the field while Griffith battled with Nate Dussel with Brock Martin, Craig Mintz, Max Stambaugh, Cale Conley and Chad Kemenah giving chase.

A caution on lap four wiped out a big lead for Henry but once again on the restart he was able to pull away with Griffith and Dussel comfortably rounding out the top three while Martin, Conley and Mintz battled for fourth.

Shawn Dancer flipped on lap nine (he was uninjured) again wiping out a big lead for Henry. The car on the move was Tyler Gunn, charging from 18^th to eighth. When the race resumed Henry pulled away from Griffith but when the leaders encountered lapped traffic with just 10 laps to go, Griffith started to close with Dussel, Conley, Mintz and Kemenah in pursuit.

Henry split two lapped cars on lap 23 and drove away to the victory over Griffith, Mintz, Dussel and Conley.

Larry Bellman and Mike Bores brought the field to green for the 25 lap Propane.com/Dirt Nerds Podcast Late Model A-main but fourth starter Irey immediately served notice he was the car to beat, driving into the lead. A multi-car crash on lap two bunched the field up with Bellman, Rusty Schlenk, Bores, Jon Henry and last week’s winner Matt Miller right on Irey’s tail.

Irey was able to pull away while Schlenk moved into second and after a tremendous battle between Henry, Bellman, Bores, Devin Shiels and Miller, Miller was able to finally wrestle the third spot on lap 11. Lapped traffic came into play with 11 laps to go but Irey did not make a mistake and in fact made a brilliant move splitting two lapped cars on lap 18.

Irey drove to the win over Schlenk, Miller, Henry and Shiels.

The front row of the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature saw Shawn Valenti and Kody Brewer race to the green with Valenti taking the lead over fourth starter Steve Rando, Brewer, Kyle Peters and Weaver. Rando charged into the lead on lap two and was pulling away before a rash of cautions.

When the green flew again, Weaver jumped from fourth to second with Valenti battling Brewer, Seth Schneider and Brandon Moore for third. At the half-way point Weaver was closing the gap on Rando and by lap 17 drove under him for the lead. Jamie Miller was now on the move from his 12^th starting spot and racing up to third with Schneider and 18^th starter Matt Foos giving chase.

A caution with three laps to go gave Rando and Miller another shot at Weaver. Miller took second on the restart but could not catch Weaver who drove to the win. Miller, Rando, Foos and Schneider rounded out the top five.

Attica Raceway Park will kick off Ohio Sprint Speedweek with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions on Friday, July 3 on Baumann Auto Group, Ohio Laborers, Ohio Cat Night. The late models will also be in action. There is a $1,000 bonus for any driver in the top 20 in Attica’s points to defeat the All Stars and win the feature.

Keep tabs on the ongoing race schedule at www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park. For those who can’t attend the races, DirtVision.com carries all the action on pay per view.

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