Kyle Larson dominates Ohio Speedweek opener at Attica Raceway Park

Friday, June 14, 2019

Contact: Brian Liskai

[email protected]

 

By Brian Liskai

 

ATTICA, Ohio – There’s just something about Ohio Sprint Speedweek that Kyle Larson loves. The NASCAR Monster Energy Series driver dominated the second half of the 37th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek opener at Attica Raceway Park Friday, June 14 to score his 9th career Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions Presented by Mobil 1 – all coming during speedweek events.

 

It was the Elk Grove, California driver’s second career win at Attica, his other coming during the 2016 speedweek event. However, it was the misfortune of early leader and defending All Star Aaron Reutzel that handed the lead to Larson on lap 16 of the 40-lap feature. Reutzel got collected when two cars he was about to lap tangled and ended upside down, ending his night and handing the lead to “Young Money” Larson who would drive away to a nearly eight second victory. Larson’s victory was also redemption from the 2018 speedweek event at Attica as he hit the front stretch wall while leading.

 

“I obviously caught a big break there and not getting collected in that wreck and then it falling in the right time when I slid off the track. A little bit lucky tonight but I felt like my car was really really good there. It’s tough when you are in second, the track’s so dirty. Aaron was a little bit better than me but when I was the leader I felt like I was quite a bit better than I had been behind him. I could see Buddy (Kofoid) keep getting to my inside in the beginning when I was in second. When I was the leader I kept peaking inside every corner waiting for him to show a nose. I felt good through traffic and felt like I did a good job, stayed patient. Either it started to clean off or take a little bit of rubber through three and four up top…it made it pretty technical. I felt like at times I needed to cheat it and run below it to stay in clean track but needed to be in rubber at the same time. It was a fun track. I haven’t ran Attica too much but this is the slickest Attica I’ve been on…pretty neat to get a win,” said Larson.

 

“Thanks to Chevy, Finley Farms…we had Jason Finley here tonight and we always give him crap that he’s bad luck…so it was cool to get a win with him here. Also McDonald’s and all you fans. Ohio Speedweek is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Obviously getting to race six nights in a row….packed stands at every track and great race tracks we get to go to,” Larson added of his $5,000 victory.

 

Six time All Star champion Dale Blaney and current Attica point leader Buddy Kofoid had a great battle through much of the race for second with Blaney crossing in the runner-up spot at the checkers.

 

“Sam and Mike and Kevin have been working really hard and we’ve been coming up with a little bit different stuff and it’s got me feeling really good and where I feel like I can attack cars now instead of being attacked. Tonight was a huge boost for us. I love this place when it gets like this. It was almost back to old school Attica right there. It kind of cleaned off and you could run every where. We needed to start this week like this and hopefully continue on,” said Blaney beside his Mike McGhee and Associates/AL Drivelines/Brilex LLC/Cards to Plaques/NASCAR Low Teams backed #11.

 

For Kofoid, a Pengrove, California native, it was another podium finish at Attica. In fact, the teenager has only finished out of the top three at Attica once – last week when he was collected in a crash while leading.

 

“We’ve been really good at Attica and a lot of other places we’ve been getting a lot better. I think we were just as fast as Kyle in the beginning and I was able to move around to judge what I was doing off what he was doing. We were pretty consistent for awhile and then we just fell off. We were just way to free and didn’t have a lot of drive. The last 15 or 20 laps I was just surviving. Thanks to Ed Neumeister Racing, Ray Brooks at Gill Construction, CK Plumbing, the Linders, Linder’s Speed Equipment, AL Driveline, DMI…without them I wouldn’t be standing here,” said Kofoid.

 

Britton, Michigan’s Devon Shiels, a former Summit Racing Equipment UMP late model champion at Attica, battled with five time former Attica champion Ryan Missler throughout the 25 laps of the feature event before earning his sixth career victory at the track. The feature event went non-stop and took less than eight minutes to complete. The win on a double-points night vaulted Shiels into point lead at Attica and was good for a $2,000 payday.

 

“We have made some changes to the car lately and it’s a lot better. I was not going to come off that bottom…there was some moisture down there and it came to me,” said Shiels beside his Magic Fountain Auto Wash/Rally’s Hamburgers/Dundee Products/Good Lifts/Performance Machining backed #51.

 

At the start of the 40-lap All Star feature on Ohio CAT/Kistler Engines/Ferguson Waterworks Night, Larson and Reutzel battled for the lead with Reutzel gaining the advantage. The caution flew on lap four when Tony Stewart slid off the high side of turn four with Reutzel leading Larson, Kofoid, TJ Michael, Blaney and Bill Balog. When the green flew so did Reutzel, pulling away from Larson as the leaders raced into traffic by the eighth circuit just before the caution would fly when Chris Andrews dropped off the high side of turn two.

 

When the race got back to green, Reutzel and Larson pulled away as Kofoid ran comfortably in third while Blaney, Michael, Spencer Bayston, Justin Peck, DJ Foos and Tim Shaffer put on a show battling for fourth. Disaster struck for Reutzel on lap 15 as he prepared to enter heavy lapped traffic as Balog spun in front of the leader and Reutzel made contact and flipped. Reutzel was okay but done for the night.

 

On the ensuing restart Larson was able to hold off Kofoid and began pulling away as Blaney started to eat into Kofoid’s advantage while Bayston, Foos, Michael, Shaffer and Peck waged a tremendous battle for fourth. Larson raced into lapped traffic just past the half-way point and made a fantastic move splitting two lapped cars in turn three to maintain a big lead. Blaney would use the traffic to take second on lap 27 but was unable to close on Larson.

 

Larson just kept pulling away and at the checkers had a nearly eight second advantage. Blaney, Kofoid, last week’s Attica winner Foos and Shaffer rounded out the top five.

 

Shiels and Missler brought the field to green for the late model feature with Shiels leading the first lap but Missler grabbing the point the next lap. Missler, Shiels, Ryan Markham and Doug Drown ran nose to tail and side by side over the first 15 laps before encountering heavy lapped traffic. That’s when Shiels utilized the bottom line to grab the lead. Missler continued to race to the leader’s outside but could not make the pass as Shiels drove to the narrow win over Missler, Markham, Drown and Eric Spangler.

 

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, June 28on Kear’s Speed Shop/Carpenter’s Union Local 744 Night. It will be a Kistler Racing Products/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by the Baumann Auto Group point night for the 410 sprints, a KS Sales & Service AFCS presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales point night for the 305 sprints and a point night for the Attica/Oakshade Raceway Late Model Challenge Series. Kear’s Speedshop will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a lot of great prizes to be given away throughout the night.

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Foos capitalizes on opportunity for 410 AFCS win at Attica; Williams earns first 305 AFCS win; Brooks gets last corner last lap truck win
Friday, June 7, 2019
Contact: Brian Liskai
[email protected]

By Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio – D.J. Foos capitalized on the opportunity when it presented itself Friday at Attica Raceway Park to score his second career 410 sprint win on Gordon Lumber/Edward Jones Mike Neill Financial Advisor Night. When race leader Buddy Kofoid tangled with a car he was trying to lap with nine circuits remaining, Foos used the ensuing restart to power around Trey Jacobs and drove to the win.

Australian transplant Stuart Williams – in his first night of racing for 2019 – led all 25 non-stop laps in the Fremont Fence 305 Sprints to score his first career Attica win worth $1,000.

Kent Brewer looked on his way to the win in the dirt truck feature but a trio of lapped trucks held him up in the last corner of the final lap and Wayne, Ohio’s John Brooks snuck by for his first career Attica victory.

Foos, a former Attica 305 sprint champion, driving the Burmeister Racing machine, knew his team was on the verge of getting a win. It was also a big night for Foos in his bid to win an Attica Raceway Park season title as it was double points on the line for mid-season championship and it was an All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series (AFCS) Presented by the Baumann Auto Group point night as well.

“To be honest I thought I was moving up through there pretty good. I couldn’t see really and then I saw the Kofoid kid…it’s a shame what happened to him. Right now Buddy and the Linders…they are the car to beat. It’s a shame to see him taken out like that. I really thought if I got to him I had something for him. There at the end I could cruise in the middle, the bottom…where ever I needed to go. I was pretty good. I feel like we have had speed all year. We’ve just had bad starting spots. Tonight we started eighth. I fell back there pretty far at the beginning and I saw Cale (Conley) peak under me and I knew I had to get going. I can’t thank this Burmeister crew enough. These guys put everything they have into this deal. I texted Mikey, the crew chief today and said ‘dude we need to get a top three both nights this weekend so we can go into speedweek with some momentum.’ He said ‘why don’t you just win.’ I thought I was just being conservative but here we are…this is awesome. It feels so good to win at Attica. This is the toughest competition around,” said Foos beside his Jet Express/CR Juices/Crown Battery/Greer Automotive/Burmeister Trophy/KS Sales & Service/Kistler Engines/Kistler Racing Products/NAPA Auto Parts/Dave Story Equipment/Minor Customs backed machine.

Williams, who has called Fostoria, Ohio home for nearly eight years, battled early with Kyle Peters in the 305 feature before steadily pulling away. Heavy lapped traffic the final three laps allowed Brandon Moore to close but Williams didn’t make a mistake, driving to the victory aboard his Technique Roofing/KS Sales & Service/Reliable Sprayfoam Insulators/Nettie’s Trucking/DGGI/Elite Wings backed #46AU.

“This has been a long time coming. We moved from the other side of the world to make this happen. My dad, my wife, my kids…everybody has put so much effort into this. It’s amazing,” said Williams.

In the 15-lap dirt truck feature, Brooks grabbed the early lead but surrendered the point to Kent Brewer on lap seven. Brewer was heading to the checkers when three lapped trucks got side ways and he had to take evasive action and Brooks drove to the bottom of turn four and powered to the win.

“I hate that for Brewer…he was faster than me. I guess you just have to be there. I just figured I’d go where he didn’t go…it worked out. Old man Babcock does a real good job helping me with my driving and setting the truck up. I got Chris who has been with me since day one…it’s been a lot of fun,” said Brooks beside his Best Performance/Craig Miller Trucking/KS Sales & Service/Turner Electric/Speedways Bar & Grill/Dave Story Equipment & Repair/Keyser Manufacturing/Bulk Material Lift backed #1.

Craig Mintz and Stuart Brubaker brought the field to green for the 30-lap Callie’s Performance Products 410 sprint feature but Mintz suffered a mechanical issue and slid off the high side of turns one and two and was towed to the pits while Ricky Peterson spun as well. On the second attempt for a start, Brubaker grabbed the lead with pressure from Cap Henry and Trey Jacobs. Henry took the top spot on lap two with Jacobs, who borrowed an engine to compete, utilized the track’s bottom groove to grab the lead on lap three over Henry, Brubaker, Nate Dussel, Kofoid, Byron Reed and Foos just as the caution flew for another Peterson spin.

When the green flew Jacobs began to pull away from Henry while Brubaker, Dussel, Kofoid and Reed waged a tremendous battle. Kofoid, who came into the night leading the AFCS and Attica point standings, moved into fourth on lap nine and took third from Dussel two circuits later. As Jacobs continued to lead, Kofoid was on a mission having started 10th and grabbed the second spot on lap 14 just as the leaders had caught the back of the pack.. With 12 laps to go, Kofoid had chopped Jacobs’ lead to four car lengths with Henry, Foos, Dussel, Brubaker and Reed in pursuit. Kofoid used the cushion to power into the lead on lap 19 with Henry and Foos locked in a great battle for third. With nine laps to go Kofoid used a lapped car to drive around Jacobs into the lead but disaster struck two circuits later as Stambaugh spun right in front of the leader, collecting him and causing damage, ending his night.

That gave the lead back to Jacobs but it was short-lived as Foos used the restart to blast away at the cushion to grab the lead. Foos drove away for the win with Jacobs, Henry, Dussel and Reed rounding out the top five.

Williams and Peters brought the field to green for the 305 A-main with Williams gaining the slight advantage over Peters, Paul Weaver, Brandon Moore and a great battle for fourth involving Mike Keegan, Jason Keckler, Bobby Clark and Seth Schneider.Williams began to pull away wile Peters held off Moore with Weaver comfortably in fourth as the battle for fifth intensified between Keckler, Keegan, Tyler Street, Schneider and Clark. As laps quickly ticked off, Williams caught the back of the field on lap 11 and four laps later he had three lapped machines between himself and Moore as Peters was locked in an entertaining race for third with Weaver, Keckler and Street.

With five laps to go Williams held a commanding lead over Moore, Peters, Weaver, Keckler, Street, Keegan, Schneider, Clark and Kyle Capodice. But, with three laps to go Williams was mired in heavy lapped traffic and Moore cut into his lead. Williams was able to maneuver around the lapped cars and drove to the win in a feature event that took just over eight minutes to complete. Moore, Peters, Keckler and Street rounded out the top five.

Brooks grabbed the lead in the dirt truck feature at the drop of the green, holding off Dustin Keegan, Noah Wagner, Cory McCaughey and Kent Brewer. Brewer moved into third on lap three and took second a circuit later. Brooks and Brewer battled side by side for the lead for the next two laps before Brewer was able to wrestle the top spot away. Meanwhile a great race for third was underway involving Jimmy McGrath Jr., Keegan, McCaughey, Brad Keckler and Jeff Ward.

Brewer seemed to have the win in the bag until coming through turns three and four to the checkers. Three lapped trucks were dicing it out and Brewer had to take evasive action and Brooks drove to the bottom and to the checkers. Brewer, McGrath, McCaughey and Shawn Valenti rounded out the top five.

Attica Raceway Park will kick off the Ohio Sprint Speedway with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions on Friday, June 14. The Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Models will also be in action battling for $2,000 to win and double points toward the Attica track championship.

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.

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