MAUMEE, OH (4-17-2012) by Scott Porter – F.A.S.T. Public Relations
Coming off the most competitive season to date, the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (F.A.S.T.) Championship Series presented by Engine Pro and KS Sales & Service is ready to push off its 2012 campaign. Drivers have their sights set on the $10,000 to win championship, but 20 grueling events lie ahead over the upcoming summer months to ultimately decide who will be named the 2012 F.A.S.T. Champion. The title hunt begins this weekend with events at Attica Raceway Park on Friday, April 20th with a $3,000 to win feature before making the haul to Fremont Speedway on Saturday, April 21st for the season opener at “The Track That Action Built”.
The Northern Ohio sprint car championship will combine points over the course of 20 nights between two of the premiere dirt racing facilities in the country and will ultimately reward its competitors with a cut from an independent point fund separate from the track’s season championship point funds. Entering its fourth season, the F.A.S.T. Series has handed out over $180,000 in cash, prizes, and contingency awards to local sprint car teams that compete at Attica and Fremont. Also increased exposure has been brought to the area through the hard work of a dedicated group of fans from the stands. “Its hard to believe we’re kicking off our 4th year with this deal,” said Bryan Autullo of the F.A.S.T. organization. “We sat around 5 years ago wondering what we could do to increase the payout and the level of competition at our two home tracks and Scott Porter, Chris Kettman, and I came up with this simple idea.
Some people thought we were crazy in the beginning, but what we’ve done here has put a lot of cash and prizes back into the local race shops. We’ve met our goal and we’ve seen some great point battles develop for that $10,000 top prize. We’re looking forward to another great season.” Bryan Sebetto captured the 2011 F.A.S.T. Kistler Cup in large part due to three consecutive wins that the Burmeister Racing team rattled off at season’s end to narrowly beat out Dean Jacobs by just 27-points for the title. 2010 F.A.S.T. Champion Byron Reed was just 62-markers back in third place with 2009 F.A.S.T. Champion Craig Mintz in fourth, while Phil Gressman rounding out the top-five. The series saw 8 different feature winners in 16 nights of racing last year, with Sebetto scoring the most wins with five. Byron Reed, Phil Gressman and Brandon Martin each collected two apiece, while Tim Shaffer, Danny Smith, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Brad Haudenschild each visited Engine Pro Victory Lane once.
Attica Raceway Park kick-offs the F.A.S.T. Championship Series season with a $3,000 to win feature on Friday, April 20th. John Bores has been gracious to schedule a total of four $3,000 to win events over the course of the season on various F.A.S.T. nights. “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant as already hosted three 410 sprint car events this season, which has set up Craig Mintz as an early title contender in the mind of many. The Gibsonburg, Ohio native scored his first career UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions feature win after he chased down “The Black Bandit” Stevie Smith and narrowly beat him to the line by just 0.146 of a second. Mintz also finished 2nd to Dale Blaney on the previous night in All Star competition. Dean Jacobs, who has not competed yet in 2012, will also be a contender for the title aboard the Seeling Motorsports #97. Jacobs proved to be the most consistent driver at the 1/3-mile high-banked clay oval in 2010 en route to winning his first track championship at Attica.
Fremont Speedway will host its first F.A.S.T. event of the season on Saturday, April 21st, which will also serve as the opening event for the speedway’s 61st year of racing. Bryan Sebetto put the icing on the cake at Fremont last season by picking up the track championship, as well as, an All Star feature win and podium finish with the World of Outlaws at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds to conclude his 2011 campaign. With the track’s opener rained out last weekend, drivers will have to fine-tune their machine’s setups for the tricky 1/3-mile clay oval on the fly in hopes of not putting themselves into a hole so early in the year. Many in the top-15 in points from last season are expected back to compete for the 2012 F.A.S.T. Championship along with the likes of Dean Jacob’s nephew Lee Jacobs who will pilot the famous Rick Ferkel owned #0, Avon, Indiana’s Miranda Throckmorton and Bowling Green, Ohio’s Travis Philo.
Some familiar faces to the series’ 2011 story lines find themselves in new places as the defending champion vacated the Burmeister Racing #16 in favor for a new endeavor in the Hammer Motorsports #24H. The Burmeister Racing team chose 2007 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Rookie of the Year and 2010 Attica Raceway Park Track Champion Chris Andrews to strap into their Adkins Radiator, Flooring America, K&N Filters, Lucas Oil #16 Maxim. Also 2011 F.A.S.T. Rookie of the Year Brad Haudenschild has a new ride for the 2012 campaign aboard the Pete Grove Racing #70.
For more information on admission prices, start times and directions to either Northern Ohio track visit www.atticaracewaypark.com or www.fremontohspeedway.com for more information.
To find out more about the Kistler Racing Products F.A.S.T. Championship Series presented by Engine Pro & KS Sales and Service visit www.fastondirt.com.