Shaffer Steals F.A.S.T. Show With Win at Fremont, Mintz Comes Out Atop of F.A.S.T. Points

Shaffer Steals The Show With Win, Mintz Comes Out Atop of FAST Points
By Brian Liskai – Fremont Speedway Public Relations
(Fremont, OH) Tim Shaffer iced the field to open Fremont’s Speedway’s 62nd year of racing Saturday.

The Aliquippa, Pa. driver waged a great battle the first half of the race with defending track champion Craig Mintz, but pulled away late to capture his 13th career 410 sprint car win at “The Track That Action Built” on JRC Transportation Night. It was also the season opener for the Kistler Racing Products FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) Championship Series, a separate point fund from both race tracks that will pay the season-ending champion $10,000.

In the Fremont/Attica Sprint Title 410 Sprint feature, Shaffer would race side by side with Mintz from lap 6 through10 before driving under Mintz exiting turn four on lap 11 to take the lead for good.

“Hats off to these fans…it’s way too damn cold. Farmer (Rich, track promoter) and the guys did a great job…they gave us a great track. I could move all over the place. I had a great car. The CH Motorsports team has been awesome and it’s good to get a rebound and go for another championship,” said Shaffer beside his Aaron Call/Janet Holbrook owned machine in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.

“The car was amazing…I could go top bottom through the middle…it makes my job a lot easier,” continued Shaffer about his Kistler Engines/VRP Shocks/J&J Auto/Weld Wheels/FK Rod Ends/Champion Oil/KSE Steering backed #83. “Wish we could get it like that every night. It would be a lot easier to drive.”

Mintz and Byron Reed would bring the field to the green in the 30-lap 410 sprint feature. Mintz would grab the lead while third place starter Shaffer shot into second while Reed, Chris Andrews, Stuart Brubaker, Duane Zablocki, Caleb Griffith and Caleb Helms gave chase. After two laps were scored, Brubaker would spin in turn four to bring out the caution with the running order now Mintz, Shaffer, Reed, Andrews, Zablocki, Griffith, Helms and Danny Holtgraver.

On the restart Mintz had his hands full with Shaffer who drove to the leader’s inside. Reed ran comfortably in third while Andrews, Griffith, Zablocki, Helms and Holtgraver waged a terrific battle for fourth. With four laps in, Cole Duncan would spin after making contact with Paige Polyak, bringing out the caution.

This time on the restart Mintz got a fantastic jump and pulled away slightly from Shaffer who had his hands full with Reed. But with seven laps in the books, Shaffer had regained his lost ground on Mintz and again raced to his inside while Reed was left to battle with Andrews and Griffith for third. Mintz and Shaffer ran side by side until lap 11 when Shaffer drove under Mintz exiting turn four to steal the lead. Shaffer would pull away slightly as Mintz and Reed now battled for second with Griffith, Andrews and Holtgraver mixing it up for fourth. Just as Shaffer was getting into lapped traffic on lap 13, Griffith took a tumble on the front stretch halting the action.

Now with a clear track, Shaffer would pull away on the restart as Mintz, Reed, Andrews, Holtgraver, Zablocki, Bryan Sebetto, D.J. Foos and Helms gave chase. The final caution would fly on lap 16 for Helms with the running order Shaffer, Mintz, Reed, Holtgraver, Andrews, Zablocki, Sebetto and Foos. When the green reappeared, Shaffer was gone with Mintz, Reed, Holtgraver and Andrews battling for second. Andrews would retake fourth on lap 18 and would drive into third on lap 20.

With seven laps remaining, Shaffer had found lapped traffic, but was able to maneuver the car through to maintain his lead with Mintz comfortably in second. Shaffer would drive to the win over Mintz, Andrews, Holtgraver and Reed.

=====================================

Night #2: Kistler Racing Products F.A.S.T. Championship Series presented by KS Sales & Service
Fremont Speedway – 4/20/12 – 410 Sprints (20 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Qualifying
1. 40-Caleb Helms, 12.553; 2. 45L-Brian Lay, 12.657; 3. 40DD-Caleb Griffith, 12.761; 4. 45-Danny Holtgraver, 12.797; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 12.830; 6. 35-Stuart Brubaker, 12.859; 7. 16-Chris Andrews, 12.908; 8. 83-Tim Shaffer, 12.920; 9. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.988; 10. O9-Craig Mintz, 13.034; 11. 24H-Bryan Sebetto, 13.083; 12. 9-Dean Jacobs, 13.138; 13. 53-DJ Foos, 13.194; 14. 94-Jack Sodeman, 13.245; 15. 2+-Brian Smith, 13.289; 16. 5T-Travis Philo, 13.304; 17. 46AU-Stuart Williams, 13.385; 18. 55-Brad Bowman, 13.538; 19. 27P-Paige Polyak, 14.138; 20. 29-Cole Duncan, 99.990

Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 7 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 5T-Travis Philo[1] ; 2. O9-Craig Mintz[3] ; 3. 16-Chris Andrews[4] ; 4. 53-DJ Foos[2] ; 5. 45-Danny Holtgraver[5] ; 6. 27P-Paige Polyak[7] ; 7. 40-Caleb Helms[6]

Heat 2 (8 Laps – Top 7 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 94-Jack Sodeman[2] ; 2. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[3] ; 3. 46AU-Stuart Williams[1] ; 4. 83-Tim Shaffer[4] ; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[5] ; 6. 45L-Brian Lay[6] ; 7. 29-Cole Duncan[7]

Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 7 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 2+-Brian Smith[2] ; 2. 5R-Byron Reed[4] ; 3. 55-Brad Bowman[1] ; 4. 40DD-Caleb Griffith[6] ; 5. 35-Stuart Brubaker[5] ; 6. 9-Dean Jacobs[3]

A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 83-Tim Shaffer[3]; 2. O9-Craig Mintz[1]; 3. 16-Chris Andrews[4]; 4. 45-Danny Holtgraver[7]; 5. 5R-Byron Reed[2]; 6. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[11]; 7. 53-DJ Foos[13]; 8. 9-Dean Jacobs[12]; 9. 29-Cole Duncan[20]; 10. 45L-Brian Lay[10]; 11. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[6]; 12. 2+-Brian Smith[15]; 13. 27P-Paige Polyak[19]; 14. 94-Jack Sodeman[14]; 15. 55-Brad Bowman[18]; 16. 40-Caleb Helms[9]; 17. 5T-Travis Philo[16]; 18. 46AU-Stuart Williams[17]; 19. 40DD-Caleb Griffith[8]; 20. 35-Stuart Brubaker[5]

Hard Charger: 29-Cole Duncan[+11]