Andrews Rockets To First FAST Feature Win Of The Season
By Brian Liskai – Fremont Speedway Public Relations
(Fremont, OH) Chris Andrews isn’t a very big, physical person. But, the Sandusky, Ohio driver muscled his way into the lead with seven laps to go to take his first win of the season at Fremont Speedway Saturday Night.
The track was very heavy following rains all morning and early afternoon which made for difficult passing. Andrews, who picked up his first UNOH All Star win at Attica a month ago, started fifth and was part of a terrific three car battle throughout the race with Jody Keegan and Australian Stuart William. And when Williams opened the bottom groove ever so slightly on lap 23, Andrews pounced and lead by a nose at the flag stand when the caution flew for fourth running Stuart Brubaker who made contact with an infield tire barrier, moving it onto the track, necessitating a caution. Once out front and no traffic to deal with, Andrews ran away for his sixth career Fremont win in the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints
“Muscle is not the word…pulled something out of my you-know-what is what that was. Wow…that was probably the most work I’ve ever done in an A-main. Stuart ran me pretty clean and he’s a fun guy to run with,” said Andrews beside his Burmeister Racing/K&N Filters/Lucas Oil/Adkins Sanitation/Fremont Applebee’s Restaurant/Goofy Golf backed #16.
“I’m probably not the first person to want to race on a track like this but once we got out front in the clean air the car did what ever I wanted it to do. Rich Farmer (track promoter) and the guys worked their butts off to give us a chance to race today. This Kistler motor is running awesome and Sonny and Sharon (Burmeister)…I appreciate they put me in their car and give me everything that I need. I have to thank Mikey and Tommy and Rollie for all they do.”
With just a few races remaining in the Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series Presented by KS Sales and Service, Craig Mintz was able to score another top five finish to add to his point lead. Mintz, Fremont’s defending track champion and a former FAST champion, would come home third in the feature.
Devon Dobie and Jody Keegan brought the field of 20 to the green but Dobie would spin in turn two, necessitating a complete restart as Stuart Williams moved to the pole. When the green reappeared, Keegan would blast into the lead with Williams, Andrews, Broc Martin, Mike Linder, Stuart Brubaker and Todd Heller in pursuit. Keegan stretched his lead while Williams and Andrews ran nose to tail.
Keegan would set a blistering pace, catching the rear of the field on lap five. The heavy lapped traffic held Keegan up and Williams and Andrews closed as Martin, Brubaker, Linder and Craig Mintz gave chase. Keegan would put his sprint car up on its nose in turn one on lap seven, allowing Williams to scoot by for the lead. Keegan regained his composure and immediately pressured Williams for the top spot with Andrews, Martin, Brubaker, Linder and Mintz waiting to pounce.
At the half-way point it was Williams, Keegan, Andrews, Brubaker, Martin and Mintz. As the leaders tried to negotiate traffic on lap 18, Andrews was racing under Keegan for second which he would take a lap later. With 10 laps to go Andrews was right on Williams’ rear bumper with Keegan, Brubaker, Martin and Mintz in tow. Keegan would rally to make it a three car battle for the lead with just 9 laps remaining as Brubaker also closed.
With seven laps to go Williams missed his marks entering turn three every so slightly and Andrews dove to his inside and muscled his way into the lead with Keegan and Brubaker within striking distance. As they exited turn two, Brubaker would catch one of the infield tractor tires, throwing it onto the track to bring out the caution.
With a seven lap battle to the finish looming, Andrews now held the point and a clear track. He would power away as Williams and Keegan battled for second. Andrews would take the checkered with about a 7 car length lead over Williams, Keegan, Mintz and Martin.
Night #18: Kistler Racing Products F.A.S.T. Championship Series presented by KS Sales & Service
Fremont Speedway – 6/15/13 – 410 Sprints (25 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 60-Jody Keegan[2] ; 2. 312-Mike Linder[1] ; 3. O9-Craig Mintz[5] ; 4. 16-Chris Andrews[3] ; 5. 97-Dean Jacobs[8] ; 6. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[7] ; 7. 39M-Matt Merrill[4] ; 8. 2+-Brian Smith[6] ; 9. 96AU-Bruce White[9]
Heat 2 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 83M-Broc Martin[4] ; 2. 23D-Devon Dobie[2] ; 3. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[7] ; 4. 35-Stuart Brubaker[8] ; 5. 40DD-Caleb Griffith[5] ; 6. 45L-Brian Lay[6] ; 7. 53-DJ Foos[9] ; 8. 97X-Rodney Hurst[1] ; 9. 81-Paige Polyak[3]
Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 5T-Travis Philo[2] ; 2. 14H-Todd Heller[1] ; 3. 5R-Byron Reed[4] ; 4. 46AU-Stuart Williams[5] ; 5. O-Phil Gressman[7] ; 6. 17-Scott Euler[3] ; 7. 7C-Max Stambaugh[8] ; 8. 787-Jimmy Pooler[6]
B-Main (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 45L-Brian Lay[2] ; 2. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[1] ; 3. 7C-Max Stambaugh[6] ; 4. 17-Scott Euler[3] ; 5. 2+-Brian Smith[7] ; 6. 53-DJ Foos[5] ; 7. 96AU-Bruce White[10] ; 8. 787-Jimmy Pooler[9] ; 9. 39M-Matt Merrill[4] ; 10. 97X-Rodney Hurst[8]
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 16-Chris Andrews[5]; 2. 46AU-Stuart Williams[3]; 3. 60-Jody Keegan[2]; 4. O9-Craig Mintz[9]; 5. 83M-Broc Martin[4]; 6. 97-Dean Jacobs[13]; 7. 5T-Travis Philo[11]; 8. 312-Mike Linder[7]; 9. 45L-Brian Lay[16]; 10. 5R-Byron Reed[10]; 11. O-Phil Gressman[15]; 12. 53-DJ Foos[20]; 13. 14H-Todd Heller[6]; 14. 7C-Max Stambaugh[18]; 15. 2+-Brian Smith[19]; 16. 35-Stuart Brubaker[8]; 17. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[12]; 18. 40DD-Caleb Griffith[14]; 19. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[17]; 20. 23D-Devon Dobie[1]
Hard Charger: 53-DJ Foos[+8]