August 31st 2019 Results

Zearfoss earns 1st Brad Doty Classic victory at Attica; Roepke takes 305 victory
Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019
Contact: Brian Liskai – [email protected]

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio – Brock Zearfoss took advantage when leader Aaron Reutzel suffered mechanical issues with 12 laps to go and the Jonestown, Pa. driver earned the $10,000 payday at Attica Raceway Park for the 31st Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics for the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions Presented by Mobil 1.

It was Zearfoss’ biggest payday on All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Night. It was his third career All Star win – all coming this season – and the first career checkers at Attica in the 125th appearance of the series at the track.

And big picture, Reutzel’s misfortune coupled with Dale Blaney’s fourth place finish moved “The Low Rider” back into command of the All Star points.

“This is bad ass. I’ve been talking Brad (Doty) I’ve wanted to come to this race for three of four years and finally had a chance to make it out this year and it got rained out (in July) and I’m just thankful Tony (Stewart) and the All Stars put this show together with Brad’s help. What an honor…Brad was a bad ass back in the day. It’s just an honor to win a race in his name,” said Zearfoss beside his Heavy Equipment Loaders and Parts/Moose’s LZ/Meckley’s Limestone/Berkebile Oil backed #70.

“Noisey (Shane Bowers) and Tye (Wolfgang) gave me a bad ass car here both nights. I wish we would have been able to start a little further toward the front last night…I think we might have had a chance to win that one too. It went our way tonight. It got real tight with Aaron there in traffic and I think we touched a little bit…going for the lead there that’s what you have to do. I don’t know what happened to him there but I saw him slow up. I can’t say enough about this team. It’s such an honor to drive for these guys…they’ve been busting their asses all year long. Earlier in the year I just wasn’t getting it done in the seat. They’ve been giving me great cars and I was messing up on the track. I’ve been working hard to get better,” added Zearfoss.

For the second consecutive night, four time All Star champion Tim Shaffer finished in the runner-up spot after leading the first 10 laps.

“We were too good too early. Hats off to Ron Gorby and his wife who’s here tonight. They are having fun watching and that’s what it’s all about…having a good time. Cody Jacobs and Ron’s guys coming over to help and we’re all enjoying it. Zearfoss had a great car and could move around and that’s what it takes here. I had to re-learn how to do those slide jobs…these young kids do it all the time so I had to give it back to them. It was a lot of fun. As long as everyone races and respects each other it’s a pretty awesome deal and I feel like we had that tonight,” said Shaffer beside his Howard Johnson of Lima/Fast Signs backed #G1.

Also for the second straight night Penngrove, California’s Buddy Kofoid found the podium at Attica Raceway Park.

“To be able to race with those guys is really cool…with Brock and Aaron…it’s a shame his motor let go. For awhile there it was just the three of us nose to tail. Racing with Tim is always really cool. Hats off to Brock and his crew. They did a really good job and none of us figured out the middle to bottom of one and two like he did until it was too late. We got a little free and I think our tires went away a little more than some. I was kind of just hanging out but could make a couple of charges to second. I can’t thank the Linders and Ed Neumeister and Ray Brooks enough for the opportunity. Two podiums at Attica in a row with the All Stars is pretty cool and I think we’ve been on the podium every time here this year with the All Stars. We have good momentum going heading to Wayne County where I got my first All Star win and a win there last week and I seem to go good there. Hopefully we can get a couple more wins,” said Kofoid beside his Gill Construction/CK Plumbing/Linders Speed Equipment/DMI backed #11N.

In the 305 feature, Elmore, Ohio’s Alvin Roepke – ironically the 2002 Attica 410 track champion and 2002 Brad Doty Classic winner – took the lead with eight laps to go and drove to the $1,000 pay day. Roepke, who owns five career 410 wins at the track, now has three 305 victories.

“This is for the old guys. It’s pretty cool to win this on the night of the Brad Doty Classic. To beat Paul Weaver…he’s as good as they come in this sport so if you can beat him that’s doing something. We kind of guessed and went with it. We thought we had a bar go bad and we changed it and it made a big difference.These things come few and far between…they don’t just give them away,” said Roepke beside his NAPA Auto Parts backed #99.

For the 40 lap All Star feature, Shaffer and Kofoid brought the field to green but Caleb Griffith would coast to a stop to necessitate a second start. When the green flew Shaffer, Kofoid, Zearfoss and Reutzel battled for the lead with Cap Henry within striking distance. Gio Scelzi would do a 360 spin with three laps scored to tighten the field. Shaffer pulled away slightly on the restart while Kofoid and Reutzel battled for second, trading sliders the next two laps.

With nine laps in,Kofoid had taken command of second closed quickly on Shaffer and the pair exchanged sliders with Kofoid taking the lad just as the caution flew for Travis Philo and DJ Foos. When the green flew Reutzel grabbed second from Shaffer who had his hands full holding off Zearfoss. Kofoid began to inch away from Reutzel but lapped traffic loomed ahead.

Reutzel quickly closed the gap on Kofoid and threw a slider for the lead on lap 19. As the leaders battled into heavy lapped traffic on lap 22, the running order was Reutzel, Kofoid, Zearfoss, Shaffer, Dale Blaney, Henry and Parker Price-Miller. Zearfoss used the lapped cars to take second on lap 23 and closed on Reutzel, actually grabbing the lead by a nose on lap 26 only to see Reutzel return the favor the following circuit.

Reutzel’s car let out a puff of smoke on lap 28 as he coasted to a stop, handing the lead to Zearfoss. On the restart Shaffer battled Kofoid for second, taking the position on lap 30. Zearfoss pulled away to a 1.8 second lead with eight laps to go while Shaffer and Kofoid continued to battle for second with Blaney, Price-Miller and Henry in pursuit.

With three laps to go Zearfoss encountered heavy lapped traffic but was able to move around and pick them off to drive to the win over Shaffer, Kofoid, Blaney, Price-miller and Cory Eliason.

Justin Adams grabbed the lead in the 25 lap 305 feature but Bobby Clark and Jamie Miller applied heavy pressure with Luke Griffith and Roepke in pursuit. Clark utilized the high line to take the lead on lap four but Adams continued to race to his inside. By lap five Clark, Adams and Miller were three wide battling for the lead.

Following a caution for Brandon Riehl on lap seven, Miller drove into the lead but Clark returned the favor as the pair of veterans raced side by side for the next three laps. Clark finally was able to pull away slightly before a caution for Justin Lusk with 15 laps to go. When the green flew Clark was able to fend off a challenge from Miller and once again pulled away slightly as Roepke applied pressure to Miller for second, taking the position on lap 16.

A caution for Tad Peck on lap 17 gave Roepke the shot he needed as he drove under Clark on the restart to grab the lead while Paul Waver had moved into third. Adams brought out the caution with six laps to go but Roepke got a tremendous restart to pull away from Clark, Weaver, Steve Rando and Miller. Riehl made hard contact with the front stretch wall with four laps to go to bring out the red…he was uninjured. On the ensuing restart Roepke once again hit his marks while Weaver shot past Clark.

After taking the white flag, Kasey Ziebold would stop to set up a one lap shoot out. Roepke once again got a tremendous restart and drove to the win as Clark rallied on the final lap to take second over Weaver, Rando and Jimmy McGrath.

Attica Raceway Park Promoter John Bores would like to thank all the great fans, race teams, marketing partners, track staff, push truck and wrecker operators who supported the track in 2019.

For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.
Continue reading

August 30th 2019 Results

Reutzel uses late restart to drive to Attica All Star win; Drown wraps up late model title with victory
Friday, Aug. 30, 2019
Contact: Brian Liskai – [email protected]

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio – Aaron Reutzel used a restart with three laps to go to slide past race-long leader Buddy Kofoid and drove to the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions Presented by Mobile 1 victory at Attica Raceway Park to open the 31st Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics weekend. Reutzel’s victory on Baumann Auto Group Night is his 10th series win of 2019 and really tightens the point battle with Dale Blaney.

It was Reutzel’s 19th career All Star win and his second career win at Attica Raceway Park for the Clute, Texas driver. It was the 124th visit to Ohio’s Finest Racing speed plant by the All Stars.

“I was going to try to get a run on the top but he blocked the top and I thought he was going to take off earlier than that and not leave us anything. But, he waited a long time to take off and I knew if we had any chance that’s what it was going to be. He let me get to the moisture too and he kind of pushed out a little bit and I got a run. Then he knew he made a little bit of a mistake and he tried to block but left the door open just enough for me. We had a great race car. I was points racing a little bit racing with the 4 (Cap Henry) and it was getting a little hairy there. I had to think about points because Blaney (Dale) had to start in the back and I didn’t know where he was. I got by the 4 and ran Buddy back down. He was setting a hellacous pace around the top…I tried to slide him a few times but I knew I wasn’t going to clear him. On that restart I knew we had no momentum built up yet and that was my only shot. When I went with that slider I said screw points I want to win,” said Reutzel of his Folkens Brothers Trucking/Fisher Body Shop/Precision Catalyst/Dissolvalloy/Hollywood Coating backed #87.

“I wanted to go through traffic but when we got there they had my lane blocked up and Buddy could set his own pace so traffic wasn’t going to win it for us. That late caution was what won us the race. It’s nice to get a win when we’ve been having either really good luck or really bad luck…we’ve had no in between. It’s nice to get a win and close these points back up a little bit. It was a great night for all my guys, John, Steve Folkens, Curt, Devin Fisher, Mike, Josh, Tad Baughman, and everyone else and everyone on this car…can’t thank them enough,” added Reutzel.

Tim Shaffer, in his first time in the Ron Gorby G1 sprint car, also used the late restart to grab second and was right on Reutzel’s rear bumper at the checkers.

“We’re learning the car. Cody (Jacobs) is doing a great job. Earlier in the race I couldn’t get the wing back far enough, it was so in the track and tight on the right rear. I was hoping the track would keep slicking off and it finally got slicked up where I could get the wing back and we could get leverage into the corner. I could get through the middle of three and four and it was really working. On that last restart I thought I had a shot at it but I missed the bottom in one and two…you really had to open it up to get there. I have to thank Ron…he’s an awesome guy and makes it fun,” said Shaffer beside the Howard Johnson of Lima/Fast Signs backed machine. “I have a lot of confidence with Cody having my back. We’ve worked together a long time and it makes it a lot of fun.”

A dejected Kofoid said his engine stumbled a little on the restart and that cost him the victory. He earned an extra $500 from the Baumann Auto Group for being the highest finishing Attica Fremont Championship Series member.

“The motor didn’t take off and I guess I need to do my job better on restarts. There were four or five before that and I was doing the same thing…trying to turn down and come across the moisture so I wouldn’t wheelie up to the fence. I thought I was doing the same thing over and over and it seemed to be working. The motor wouldn’t take off and I guess I need to do things a little different. The lappers were pretty good on the bottom and when you get to them they are throwing all the dirt to the top and it’s crazy what lap does. You go from a clean top and then you get behind them and it’s all dirty. It’s kind of you stay with them and I never saw second so I got around a lapper and had him behind me and you hope he’s blocking the guys behind me. The yellow just came at the wrong time. My plan was to just do what I had been and it just didn’t work,” said Kofoid beside his Gill Construction/CK Plumbing/Linders Speed Equipment/DMI backed #11N.

Wooster, Ohio’s Doug Drown dominated the 25 lap feature for the Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Models, winning his fourth feature of the season at Attica to wrap up his second track championship. It was his 28th career victory at the track to stay atop the all-time win list for the division.

“The car was talking to me…I was hearing all kinds of things. Devin (Shiels) had a bad race here last week and we gained some points but this is so nerve racking when you have double points…you can lose a lot. Hats off to my guys…Cody preparing the car and making sure everything was checked over and just perfect. Couldn’t do this without Ely Road Reel, ABR Farms, 89 Homes, Wooster Glass, Black Diamond Chassis, Chubb Frank Racing, Keith Berner from AccuForce and all the knowledge he passes on and coaches me…I probably wouldn’t be rolling through the middle if not for him. We were talking last night and he said he used to kick some butt doing that. I love this place. That’s all you can ask is to have a race track you can race all over and we had that tonight. Hats off to the whole track group and everyone here. The staff is amazing and that’s why we love racing here,” said Drown in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.

In the 40-lap All Star A-main, Kofoid and Cap Henry brought the field to green with Kofoid bolting into the lead while Reutzel and Henry battled for second. Kofoid pulled away slightly with Henry, Reutzel, Skylar Gee, Shaffer, Brandon Spithaler and Chad Kemenah giving chase. With seven laps scored Danny Mumaw caught an infield tire and tumbled just as the leaders were prepared to get into heavy lapped traffic.

On the restart Kofoid jumped right back to the cushion while Reutzel slid in front of Henry for second but Henry returned the favor a lap later. Kofoid’s lead was 2.5 seconds as he once again prepared to hit the back of the field with 12 laps scored but Greg Wilson coasted to a stop. Once again on the restart Kofoid was able to hit his marks and pull away as Henry and Reutzel stayed within striking distance. Shaffer and Gee were locked in a tight battle for fourth with 11th starter Brock Zearfoss and Kemenah battling for sixth.

Gary Taylor spun in turn four and Caleb Griffith drove off the high side of turn two on lap 16 to bring out the caution. Again on the restart Kofoid was able to fend off the challenges to lead over Henry, Reutzel, Shaffer, Zearfoss, Cory Eliason, Gee, Paul McMahan and Jac Haudenschild. Kofoid built up a nearly two second lead as the laps ticked away.

However, with 16 laps to go Kofoid was struggling with a lapped car and that allowed Henry and Reutzel to close. Kofoid moved to the bottom to try and get around the lapped car but could not get the pass and Reutzel used it to his advantage, driving around Henry and right to the rear bumper of the leader. With seven laps to go Kofoid was finally able to get around the lapped car. Meanwhile, Shaffer moved into third, bringing Zearfoss to fourth.

Kofoid seemed to have the race in control but DJ Foos stopped on the back stretch with three laps to go to set up the dramatic finish. On the ensuing restart Kofoid drove across the bottom, getting on the gas late and when he slid up ever so slightly into turn one, Reutzel turned under him and slid up in front as Shaffer drove under Kofoid as well. Coming to the white flag, Reutzel held a narrow advantage over Shaffer as Zearfoss got around Kofoid for third.

Reutzel blasted around the cushion to drive to the win over Shaffer as Kofoid rallied on the last lap to edge Zearfoss for third while Henry rounded out the top five. Eliason and McMahan each advanced seven position to finish sixth and seventh while Wilson rallied to eighth to earn the hard charger award with Gee and Justin Peck rounding out the top 10.

In the 25 lap late model feature, Chris Keller and Drown paced the field to green with Drown jumping into the lead. Only a caution on lap six stopped Drown’s domination. And while he pulled away , Keller ran comfortably in second but the battle for third was a dandy involving Ken Hahn, Ryan Missler, Mike Bores, Ryan Markham and Matt Irey.

Drown built his lead to 4.5 seconds with five laps to go and drove to the win over Keller, Hahn, Missler and Bores.

Attica Raceway Park will wrap up the 2019 season with the 31st Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics on All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Night as the All Star sprints battle for $10,000 to win. The Fremont Fence 305 Sprints will also be in action racing for $1,000 to win.

For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.
Continue reading