Andrews, Roepke Get Last Lap, Last Corner Passes For Attica FAST Wins; Markham Concurs Late Models; Foos Claims 1st Truck Win
By Brian Liskai
Image(Attica, OH) The Burns Electric/Smith Family Foods Mid-Season Championship Night at Attica Raceway Park Friday produced two last lap, last corner passes for wins.
Sandusky, Ohio’s Chris Andrews executed a slider on Byron Reed in turns three and four on the last lap, also squeezing by a lapped car to get his first win of the season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 410 Sprints. Andrews, a former Attica champion, now has five career victories. The last three laps saw Andrews, Reed and Caleb Griffith exchanging sliders.
“I saw a hole and I knew I was faster than him (Reed) and I closed my eyes and hoped it would stick. Thankfully he was nice and let me go,” said Andrews beside his Lucas Oil/K&N Filters/Goofy Golf/Schiets Motorsports/Adkins Sanitation/Kistler Racing Products backed machine.
“I wasn’t good on the bottom in one and two and I knew I had to do something so I moved up top and I didn’t lose as much as Byron coming off two cause he was better then me. I drove it in pretty hard in three and four and that’s where we made up our ground. I can’t thank Mikey, Rollie and Tommy and Rod and Paul Kistler is building us a pretty good motor right now. We needed this,” continued Andrews. “Going back to Byron…I might have screwed him a little bit but it was for the win.”
Then in the Foster’s Auto Body 305 Sprints, Elmore, Ohio’s Alvin Roepke also used a lapped car to squeeze around Tyler Gunn exiting turn four on the last lap to earn his first win of the season at Attica. It was Roepke’s second career 305 sprint win at the track.
“I was just patient. I had a problem getting off turn four down by that tire…you had to be patient and get out on the straight-away before you hit it. The lapped cars played in our favor. If Gunn might have went high he might have won. He was out in the black stuff coming off and I knew I had to be patient and gas it right up there, said Roepke beside his Crown Battery/Bobby’s Truck and Bus Repair/Joe and Fran Darmofal/American Sprint Repair/Third World Space Cargo backed #7A.
“We’ve been lucky. This is the second race we’ve won this year on the last lap. It’s exciting. I want to thank my brother Danny, he’s been wrenching on this thing and my other brother Dave was here tonight
Besides double points on the line for Attica, it was a Kistler Racing Products FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) Championship Series point night for the 410 sprints and a JLH General Contractor FAST Championship Series point night for the 305 sprints.
Andrews became the seventh different FAST winner in seven events with Roepke becoming the fifth different 305 FAST winner in five events. And with Craig Mintz being involved in four car crash in Friday’s feature, his point lead with the series took a huge hit.
And while the sprint car features were incredibly exciting, so was the Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Model event. Ashland, Ohio’s Ryan Markham scored his third win of the season at Attica, but it wasn’t easy as he had to hold off John Henry on a last lap restart. Markham, who now has four career wins at Attica, has recorded 10 overall feature wins in 2014.
“Start of that race I wanted to get out and go. The car was just phenomenal. Going through lapped cars…it was a good ride,” said Markham beside his H & T Demolition/AccuForce Shocks/Fultz Fabrication backed #5m.
“I was just concentrate on what I was doing and I didn’t want see those last couple of cautions. I was trying to keep momentum going,” added Markham.
In the Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks, Fremont, Ohio’s Matt Foos nursed his machine home ahead of Art Ball for his first career Attica win. Foos indicated he lost a cylinder early in the feature.
“I think this thing lost a cylinder on the first lap…I don’t know what happened. The motor was junk. I felt like Dale Blaney…I detuned the hell out of it,” said Foos beside his Fremont Fence/M&L Excavating/Level performance/Pit Stop Convenience Stores/Automatic Fire Protection/Buckshot Farms/Axcel Sportswear backed #2.
“I looked up on the board on that caution (with two laps to go) and saw the 01 there….Art is a legend. The motor wasn’t running and I was like ‘aw man.’ But we held on to it…finally,” added Foos.
Dean Jacobs and Caleb Griffith brought the field to the green for the 30-lap 410 sprint feature. But after a lap was completed the action ground to a halt as Craig Mintz, Brandon Martin, Brandon Wimmer and Stuart Brubaker all tumbled in turns one and two with Travis Philo spinning to avoid the crash. All drivers were okay though Mintz was a little banged up.
On the restart Jacobs pulled away from Griffith with Duane Zablocki, Rob Chaney, D.J. Foos, Reed and Andrews giving chase. On lap six the red flew when Philo got sideways in turn three, collecting Jared Horstman who tipped over. A lap later and Mitch Harble made contact with the front stretch wall to bring out the caution. On the restart Dain Naida drove off the back stretch for another caution.
Each time on the restart Jacobs would steadily pull away from Griffith. Reed and Andrews used the restarts to get by Zablocki as Reed now ran third with Andrews getting by Zablocki into fourth. Just when it looked like Jacobs was on cruise control, he spun in turn two on lap 12, handing the lead to Reed.
When the green flew again Reed led Griffith, Andrews, Zablocki, Chaney, Danny Smith (up from 17th), Foos and Stuart Williams. On lap 15 Andrews would drive around Griffith for second. Reed seemed to have the race in hand as Andrews couldn’t make up any ground until they prepared to hit lapped traffic. With seven laps to go Andrews had sliced into Reed’s lead with Griffith also making up ground. Andrews tried a couple of fliers on Reed in turns three and four over the next three laps but Reed would drive back under in turns one and two to maintain the lead.
With four laps to go the leaders were now in heavy lapped traffic with Reed working the bottom and Andrews and Griffith blasting away around the top. As they raced to the white flag Andrews again tried a slider on Reed but couldn’t complete the pass. Griffith tried to squeeze Andrews up the track in turns one and two on the last lap but Andrews was able to hold his ground. As the trio flew into the last two turns, a lapped car was on the bottom and Andrews pounced, sliding between the lapped machine and Reed as they touched wheels. Griffith would blast around the high line and it was a drag race to the checkers.
Andrews would get the last corner pass for the win over Reed, Griffith, Zablocki and Smith.
In the 25-lap late model feature, Mike Bores and Matt Irey would pace the field and when the green flew immediately it was three wide for the lead with Bores, Irey and fourth starter Markham. Irey would lead the first lap over Markham, Bores, Jon Henry, Cody Scott and Rocky Owens before Ky Harper would stop to bring out the caution.
On the restart Irey and Markham ran side by side which they would continue to do over the next three laps. Markham was able to pull away slightly by lap five with Bores and Henry battling for third. Markham would race into lapped traffic by lap 7 but Irey would not close as Henry, Bores, Owens, Larry Kingseed, Ryan Missler gave chase.
While Markham seemed to have things in hand as the race stayed green from lap one through lap 22, Henry was pressuring Irey for second. Henry finally took the runner-up position on lap 16 with Bores, Missler and a closing Jeff Babcock in tow. Irey’s great run would come to an end with mechanical issues on lap 22 as he brought out the caution. With three laps remaining the running order was Markham, Henry, Bores, Babcock and Missler.
On the restart Henry and Bores were trading paint and that ended in disaster as they took the white flag. The pair made contact and Bores got into the front stretch wall and into Babcock and both were done. That set up a one lap battle to the checkered and when the green flew Markham protected the bottom groove and went on to the win. Henry, Missler, Owens and Kingseed would round out the top five.
In the 25 lap 305 sprint feature Gunn and Steve Rando would bring the field to green with Gunn gaining the advantage over John Ivy, Rando, Dustin Dinan, Paul Weaver, Brandon Moore, Nate Dussel and T.J. Michael. Ivy would use the bottom grove to blast into the lead on lap two but Gunn used the high line in three and four to stay close.
Ivy would catch heavy lapped traffic by the eighth circuit with Gunn continually trying to make the pass for the lead exiting the high side of turn four. Dinan would move into third and also closed with Rando in tow. The car on the move was Roepke who started seventh but once he got his rhythm on the bottom, he steadily picked off cars and was up to fifth by lap 10.
Jim Taddeo brought out the caution on lap 10 with Ivy leading Gunn, Dinan, Rando and Roepke. When the green flew Gunn continued his assault on Ivy utilizing the top grove. With 10 laps to go Ivy showed his veteran knowledge and moved to the high side of turns three and four, blocking Gunn’s advance with Dinan, Roepke and Rando staying close.
Gunn would finally swing by Ivy to take the lead on lap 18 as Roepke and Rando both snuck by Ivy as well. No the race was between Gunn, Roepke and Rando. Gunn would have the advantage on the high side of three and four and Roepke was much better on the bottom of one and two. With five to go it was Gunn, Roepke, Rando, Dussel, Dinan and Ivy.
On the white flag lap, Roepke drove under Gunn in one and two but Gunn maintained the lead heading into the final turns. Gunn got off the top and dove low but had to stay a groove off the extreme bottom due to a lapped car. When Gunn slid up the track Roepke drove by to his inside to steal the win. Gunn, Rando, Dussel and Ricky Peterson (up from 18th) would round out the top five.
In the 15-lap dirt truck feature, Brad Keckler and Dustin Keegan would pace the field but it was third place starter Foos who drove by both to steal the lead. As Foos stayed glued to the bottom and pulled away slightly there was a tremendous battle for second involving Keegan, Kyle Cline, Eric Devanna, Keckler and Art Ball.
Cline would take second on lap three with Ball moving around Keegan for third on lap six just as the caution flew for Brandon Stuckey. On the restart Foos led Cline as Ball tried to hold off Keegan, a closing John Ivy, Devanna, Keckler and Shawn Valenti, who had come into the night as the only truck winner at Attica.
Ball would drive under Cline for second on lap 11 just before the final caution would fly on lap 13. Foos was able to keep his truck straight on the restart as Ball stayed glued to his rear bumper while Ivy took third from Cline with Valenti moving into sixth.
Foos would hold off Ball for the win with Ivy, Cline and Valenti rounding out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will kick off the 32nd Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek with the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions on Friday, June 20th on Ohio Caterpillar Night. The late models will also be running as part of the Attica Wayne County Challenge Series.
For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com
Attica Raceway Park – 6/13/2014
Burns Electric / Smith Family Foods Night
O’Reilly Auto Parts 410 Sprints (24 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 9X-Rob Chaney, 12.695; 2. 16-Chris Andrews, 12.698; 3. O9-Craig Mintz, 12.790; 4. 9-Dean Jacobs, 12.820; 5. 5T-Travis Philo, 12.831; 6. 46AU-Stuart Williams, 12.852; 7. 53-DJ Foos, 12.854; 8. 45L-Brian Lay, 12.893; 9. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 12.911; 10. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.916; 11. 40DD-Caleb Griffith, 12.918; 12. 35-Stuart Brubaker, 12.961; 13. 15H-Mitch Harble, 12.971; 14. 17-Jared Horstman, 12.989; 15. O7X-Dain Naida, 13.033; 16. 11X-Brandon Martin, 13.066; 17. 60-Jody Keegan, 13.109; 18. 4-Danny Smith, 13.112; 19. 24H-Brandon Wimmer, 13.129; 20. 59-Bryan Nuckles, 13.598; 21. 59J-Kirk Jeffries, 13.623; 22. 7K-Kyle Pitts, 13.727; 23. 96AU-Bruce White, 13.999; 24. 5H-Jordan Harble, 14.061
Heat 1 – Nitro Black Performance by Engine Pro (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[2] ; 2. 5T-Travis Philo[3] ; 3. 9X-Rob Chaney[4] ; 4. 24H-Brandon Wimmer[6] ; 5. 15H-Mitch Harble[1] ; 6. 17-Jared Horstman[5] ; 7. 5H-Jordan Harble[8] ; 8. 7K-Kyle Pitts[7]
Heat 2 – Summit Racing Equipment (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 53-DJ Foos[1] ; 2. 16-Chris Andrews[4] ; 3. O9-Craig Mintz[3] ; 4. 46AU-Stuart Williams[2] ; 5. 35-Stuart Brubaker[5] ; 6. O7X-Dain Naida[6] ; 7. 60-Jody Keegan[7] ; 8. 59J-Kirk Jeffries[8]
Heat 3 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 40DD-Caleb Griffith[1] ; 2. 5R-Byron Reed[2] ; 3. 9-Dean Jacobs[4] ; 4. 11X-Brandon Martin[5] ; 5. 45L-Brian Lay[3] ; 6. 4-Danny Smith[6] ; 7. 59-Bryan Nuckles[7] ; 8. 96AU-Bruce White[8]
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 17-Jared Horstman[1] ; 2. 4-Danny Smith[3] ; 3. O7X-Dain Naida[2] ; 4. 60-Jody Keegan[5] ; 5. 59J-Kirk Jeffries[8] ; 6. 59-Bryan Nuckles[6] ; 7. 5H-Jordan Harble[4] ; 8. 7K-Kyle Pitts[7] ; 9. 96AU-Bruce White[9]
A-Main – (30 Laps)
1. 16-Chris Andrews[6]; 2. 5R-Byron Reed[8]; 3. 40DD-Caleb Griffith[2]; 4. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[4]; 5. 4-Danny Smith[17]; 6. 9X-Rob Chaney[5]; 7. 9-Dean Jacobs[1]; 8. 45L-Brian Lay[15]; 9. 53-DJ Foos[3]; 10. 46AU-Stuart Williams[11]; 11. O7X-Dain Naida[18]; 12. 60-Jody Keegan[19]; 13. 59J-Kirk Jeffries[20]; 14. 15H-Mitch Harble[13]; 15. 5T-Travis Philo[9]; 16. 17-Jared Horstman[16]; 17. O9-Craig Mintz[7]; 18. 11X-Brandon Martin[12]; 19. 24H-Brandon Wimmer[10]; 20. 35-Stuart Brubaker[14]
Hard Charger: 4-Danny Smith[+12]
Summit Racing Equipment Late Models (21 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Heat 1 – Nitro Black Performance by Engine Pro (8 Laps – Top 9 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 36-Matt Irey[1] ; 2. 5M-Ryan Markham[7] ; 3. 92-Cody Scott[3] ; 4. 15B-Mike Bores[4] ; 5. 48B-John Bores[5] ; 6. 53-Steve Sabo[2] ; 7. 69R-Doug Baird[6]
Heat 2 – Summit Racing Equipment (8 Laps – Top 9 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 34-Ky Harper[1] ; 2. 21-Larry Kingseed[3] ; 3. 29-Rocky Owens[6] ; 4. 14-JR Gentry[7] ; 5. 45-Nate Potts[5] ; 6. 23C-Jeremy Canada[4] ; 7. O3-Jim Gingery[2]
Heat 3 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 9 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 51-Devin Shiels[1] ; 2. 50Y-Ryan Missler[4] ; 3. 1-Jeff Babcock[6] ; 4. 25-Jon Henry[5] ; 5. OO7-Rick Bond[2] ; 6. 12-Bobby Michaels[7] ; 7. 88-Brandon Perkins[3]
A-Main – (25 Laps)
1. 5M-Ryan Markham[4]; 2. 25-Jon Henry[6]; 3. 50Y-Ryan Missler[12]; 4. 29-Rocky Owens[5]; 5. 21-Larry Kingseed[8]; 6. 92-Cody Scott[3]; 7. 51-Devin Shiels[7]; 8. 14-JR Gentry[10]; 9. 45-Nate Potts[14]; 10. 15B-Mike Bores[1]; 11. 1-Jeff Babcock[11]; 12. 34-Ky Harper[9]; 13. OO7-Rick Bond[15]; 14. 48B-John Bores[13]; 15. O3-Jim Gingery[20]; 16. 53-Steve Sabo[16]; 17. 69R-Doug Baird[19]; 18. 12-Bobby Michaels[18]; 19. 36-Matt Irey[2]; 20. 88-Brandon Perkins[21]; 21. 23C-Jeremy Canada[17]
Hard Charger: 50Y-Ryan Missler[+9]
Foster Auto Body 305 Sprints (28 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 6-Dustin Dinan, 13.750; 2. 19R-Steve Rando, 13.765; 3. 9-Jimmy Colvin, 13.798; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver, 13.892; 5. 1-Nate Dussel, 13.919; 6. 8-Bobby Clark, 13.965; 7. 8I-John Ivy, 13.983; 8. 68G-Tyler Gunn, 13.989; 9. 7A-Alvin Roepke, 14.010; 10. 5R-Jordan Ryan, 14.014; 11. 36-Seth Schneider, 14.020; 12. 8M-T.J Michael, 14.022; 13. 12-Kyle Capodice, 14.036; 14. 3J-Trey Jacobs, 14.119; 15. 2-Ricky Peterson, 14.170; 16. 22M-Dan McCarron, 14.170; 17. 4T-Jim Taddeo, 14.171; 18. 7M-Brandon Moore, 14.220; 19. 25-Jason Keckler, 14.289; 20. 11G-Luke Griffith, 14.348; 21. 13-Jeremy Duposki, 14.359; 22. 7-Troy Kingan, 14.408; 23. 22D-Dan Hammond, 14.418; 24. 32-Dan Hennig, 14.428; 25. 4G-Bill Griffith, 14.550; 26. 94K-Kurt Huber, 14.921; 27. 15-Gary Benjamin, 14.953; 28. 29-Kyle Farmer, 14.986
Heat 1 – Nitro Black Performance by Engine Pro (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 6-Dustin Dinan[4] ; 2. 8M-T.J Michael[1] ; 3. 5R-Jordan Ryan[3] ; 4. 36-Seth Schneider[2] ; 5. 3J-Trey Jacobs[5] ; 6. 13-Jeremy Duposki[6] ; 7. 4G-Bill Griffith[7]
Heat 2 – Summit Racing Equipment (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 68G-Tyler Gunn[2] ; 2. 19R-Steve Rando[4] ; 3. 4T-Jim Taddeo[5] ; 4. 32-Dan Hennig[6] ; 5. 29-Kyle Farmer[7] ; 6. 9-Jimmy Colvin[3] ; 7. 2-Ricky Peterson[1]
Heat 3 – Ultra Shield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 8I-John Ivy[3] ; 2. 7M-Brandon Moore[1] ; 3. 8-Bobby Clark[4] ; 4. 12-Kyle Capodice[2] ; 5. 25-Jason Keckler[5] ; 6. 22D-Dan Hammond[6] ; 7. 15-Gary Benjamin[7]
Heat 4 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 7A-Alvin Roepke[2] ; 2. 1W-Paul Weaver[4] ; 3. 1-Nate Dussel[3] ; 4. 22M-Dan McCarron[1] ; 5. 11G-Luke Griffith[5] ; 6. 7-Troy Kingan[6] ; 7. 94K-Kurt Huber[7]
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 25-Jason Keckler[3] ; 2. 2-Ricky Peterson[10] ; 3. 3J-Trey Jacobs[1] ; 4. 11G-Luke Griffith[4] ; 5. 22D-Dan Hammond[7] ; 6. 7-Troy Kingan[8] ; 7. 13-Jeremy Duposki[5] ; 8. 29-Kyle Farmer[2] ; 9. 94K-Kurt Huber[12] ; 10. 4G-Bill Griffith[9]
A-Main – (25 Laps)
1. 7A-Alvin Roepke[7]; 2. 68G-Tyler Gunn[1]; 3. 19R-Steve Rando[2]; 4. 1-Nate Dussel[12]; 5. 2-Ricky Peterson[18]; 6. 6-Dustin Dinan[4]; 7. 5R-Jordan Ryan[9]; 8. 8I-John Ivy[3]; 9. 8M-T.J Michael[8]; 10. 12-Kyle Capodice[13]; 11. 36-Seth Schneider[11]; 12. 7M-Brandon Moore[6]; 13. 25-Jason Keckler[15]; 14. 11G-Luke Griffith[19]; 15. 3J-Trey Jacobs[17]; 16. 22M-Dan McCarron[16]; 17. 22D-Dan Hammond[20]; 18. 32-Dan Hennig[14]; 19. 4T-Jim Taddeo[10]; 20. 1W-Paul Weaver[5]
Hard Charger: 2-Ricky Peterson[+13]
Fremont Fence Co. Dirt Trucks (16 Trucks)
[#]-Starting Position
Heat 1 – Nitro Black Performance by Engine Pro (8 Laps – Top 8 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. O1-Art Ball[1] ; 2. 33C-Kyle Cline[5] ; 3. 4S-Keith Sorg[3] ; 4. 37-Eric Devanna[7] ; 5. 7-Dana Frey[8] ; 6. 22-Brandon Leighton[2] ; 7. 85S-Brandon Stuckey[6] ; 8. 22J-Josh Kiser[4]
Heat 2 – Summit Racing Equipment (8 Laps – Top 8 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 7B-Shawn Valenti[3] ; 2. 2-Matt Foos[5] ; 3. D1-Dustin Keegan[1] ; 4. 3X-Brad Keckler[4] ; 5. OO-John Ivy[8] ; 6. 69-Jeff Warnick[2] ; 7. 17-Steve Endicott[6]
A-Main – (15 Laps)
1. 2-Matt Foos[3]; 2. O1-Art Ball[7]; 3. OO-John Ivy[10]; 4. 33C-Kyle Cline[5]; 5. 7B-Shawn Valenti[8]; 6. D1-Dustin Keegan[2]; 7. 3X-Brad Keckler[1]; 8. 4S-Keith Sorg[6]; 9. 7-Dana Frey[9]; 10. 69-Jeff Warnick[12]; 11. 37-Eric Devanna[4]; 12. 22-Brandon Leighton[11]; 13. 22J-Josh Kiser[15]; 14. 40-Steve Pocock[14]; 15. 85S-Brandon Stuckey[13]
Hard Charger: OO-John Ivy[+7]