By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio – All it took was one very little mistake by Dale Blaney on a restart with four laps to go Friday at Fremont Speedway and Bryan Sebetto was there to pounce. Sebetto executed a perfect slide job in turns three and four to take the lead and went on to score his 22nd career win at “The Track That Action Built.” While the win against the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions is the third of his career, it was the first for Sebetto’s car owners Randy and Lisa Hammer.
Blaney came into the weekend at Fremont having won all four of the UNOH All Star events at the track in 2012. But, Sebetto gave notice in the dash that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with on the opening night of the Jim Ford Classic weekend presented by All Pro Cylinder Heads. Sebetto hounded Blaney the entire distance of the six lap race and Blaney knew come feature time he would have his hands full with Fremont Speedway’s 2011 champion and the recently crowned Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) champion.
The victory was the second straight at Sebettto’s hometown track. Overall Sebetto has nine wins in 2012 – 4 at Attica Raceway Park.
“I was winning Gressman (Scott, the engine builder) an All Star race. That was my mind on that restart…I’m not running second,” said Sebetto beside his Hammer Pallets/Crown Batter/Gressman Powersports/Meggit Powder Coating/OC Shocks backed machine. “I told Blaney he wasn’t winning all the All Star shows at Fremont this year. I say the same thing every time…this team is just so freaking awesome. We’ve had such awesome luck and I have such great people behind me. It was a great honor to win the Jim Ford Classic last year. I knew Jim Ford personally and I want to make it two in a row. I know we’ll have our hands full tomorrow night, but this team can get it done.”
For Blaney, who has nine UNOH All Star wins in 2012, he was pleased with his car.
“I just made a mistake on that restart. We were really maneuverable and traffic was really good for us. If we don’t get into open area those last four laps we’re probably okay. I didn’t catch it real good down in one and two and I should have protected myself going down into three. I thought half way down the back straight away I should have turned left and drive across. I had a feeling he was probably coming but I thought if I got it in there hard and beat him into four I’d be okay. I didn’t do it…I just made a mistake and he ran a good race,” said Blaney beside his Ti22 Performance #2.
David Gravel, who finished second with the UNOH All Stars last week at Port Royal Speedway, would come home third, and was happy with how he is progressing at Fremont.
“We usually qualify here really well but have trouble in the heat race or B-main or something happens in the feature. But, it was a smooth night. I’m excited about 50 laps tomorrow because we got a lot better towards the end of that race. I want to get good consistently here and I think we’re getting closer to that,” said Gravel beside his P&M Transportation/Musco Fuel Services/Model Craft backed #89G.
The Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints would run two features – the final 23 laps of the rained out Aug. 4 event and the night’s regular program. In the make-up feature, Fremont’s Zack Kramer would hold off Alvin Roepke to claim his second win of the season and the fifth of his career.
“The yellows helped me out a lot. There were a lot of times I started getting tired. My adrenaline was pumping and I was breathing hard…I was excited. I fogged up my lens quite a bit,” said Kramer beside his Young’s Breading and Batter Mix/McDonald’s Restaurant/Fremont Fence/B&L Plumbing and Heating/Tackle Box 2 backed #8k. “Vick and Josh and Barney and Shane put a fast race car on the track every night. I have to thank my grandpa, Kenny Clark, Al Davis and all the guys…without them the car wouldn’t be on the track every week.”
In the night’s regular feature, John Ivy would take the lead from Kramer on lap seven and survived a couple of late race restarts to claim his second win of the season in the division. For Ivy, it was career win #34 at Fremont, tying him with Al Franks for ninth on the track’s all-time win list.
“We were kind of bad in that first feature but we got to start up front and Kenny (Clark) finally got to get his picture taken with me,” said Ivy beside his Fremont Fence/Jenny’s Copper Penny/B&L Plumbing/Kear’s Speed shop/Sonny’s Machining backed #8i. “Sonny wrenched on Al (Franks) cars all those years and he’s been helping us out so that’s pretty cool. I want to get ahead of him now. We’re having a lot of fun. Kenny gives us great equipment and Joey (Pasch) and my brother have this thing figured out and we’re just clicking.”
In the Fremont Fence Dirt Truck feature, when Dan Roepke Jr. and Cory Ward both got sideways battling for the lead, bringing out a caution, it was Fostoria, Ohio’s Kent Brewer who was there to take advantage. Brewer would hold off a hard challenge from Curt Inks, Bob Dible and Ivy the last seven laps to score his second career Fremont Speedway win.
“I got lucky. We got a lucky break tonight. We’ve had bad luck before while leading so we’ll take it. It’s a lot of fun to come out here and race and finally get to the front,” said Brewer beside his Kent’s Transmissions/Oleana Sales/Rich Hummel’s Auto Service backed #8kb. “I have to thank my wife most of all. She’s here every week. And Rob Kramer and Rich Hummel…and my whole family.”
Blaney and Sebetto would bring the field to the green for the 30-lap UNOH All Star feature, but before they could exit turn two, third place starter Stevie Smith would take a tumble, ending his night. On the complete restart, Sebetto would drive into the lead with Blaney, Brad Bowman, Gravel, Chris Bell, Tim Shaffer and Cole Duncan in tow. Sebetto and Blaney would pull away from the pack, setting a blistering pace, encountering lapped traffic by the fifth circuit.
It was in traffic that Blaney would make his move, driving under Sebetto to take the lead on lap eight. Bell would drive around Gravel on the second lap and then would take third from Bowman on lap 10, but one circuit later, he would spin in turn three. On the restart, again Blaney and Sebetto showed they were the class of the field, pulling away from Bowman, Gravel and 11th starter Rob Chaney, but the caution would fly again on lap 13 when Shaffer stopped in turn one. The running order was now Blaney, Sebetto, Gravel, Bowman, Chaney, Jody Keegan and 22nd starter Dean Jacobs.
With 12 laps to go, Sebetto began really putting pressure on Blaney while Gravel was comfortably in third with a tremendous battle ensuing for fourth involving Bowman, Chaney, Keegan and Jacobs. Chaney would move into fourth on lap 20. The action slowed on lap 24 when Craig Mintz stopped on the speedway. Now, Blaney and Sebetto had a four lapped car cushion back to third place running Gravel with Chaney and Jacobs rounding out the top five. Keegan’s good run would come to an end on lap 26 when he encountered trouble.
On the restart, Sebetto would drive to Blaney’s outside in turns one and two, but the “Low Rider” would slam the door. But, Sebetto kept up his momentum and drove into turn three extremely aggressive and executed the slide job for the lead. Gravel would pull away in third while Chaney, Jacobs, Bowman and 18th starter Brandon Martin were locked in a fantastic race for fourth. Sebetto would pull away the final three laps for the win with Blaney, Gravel, Chaney and Jacobs rounding out the top five.
With two laps scored on Aug. 4, the 305 sprints would run the final 23 laps of their feature. On the start, Dustin Stroup would spin, and on the ensuing restart attempt, Jim Sipe would get upside down in turn two. When the green finally waived, it was Kramer who continued to lead over Dustin Dinan, D.J. Foos, Ivy, Jimmy Colvin and Jamie Miller. Jeremy Duposki would spin on lap five with the running order Kramer, Dinan, Foos, Alvin Roepke, Ivy, Colvin and Nate Dussel.
Foos would catch Dinan on lap seven and would take second a lap later as they raced into lapped traffic. Roepke would move into third on lap nine and would fight with Foos for second two laps later. With 10 laps remaining Roepke would move into second as the caution flew for Brandon Moore. On the restart, Kramer had his hands full with Roepke with Foos, Dinan, Colvin, Miller and Dussel in pursuit. Foos would take a tumble on lap 17, collecting Colvin. Again with a clear track, Kramer was able to pull away slightly from Roepke with Dinan, Dussel, Miller and Jason Keckler in tow.
Kramer would encounter lapped traffic with three laps to go, but he threaded his way through and went on to the win over Roepke, Dinan, Dussel and Miller.
Despite his problems in the feature, Foos would wrap up the 2012 FAST championship.
“We have a lot of great competition in this division. And to be able to run as good as we have at both tracks to win this deal is very cool,” said Foos.
Ivy and Kramer would bring the field to the green in the night’s regular 25-lap feature for the 305 sprints, with Kramer gaining the advantage over Ivy, Dinan, Steve Rando, Foos, Paul Weaver and Tyler Gunn. Ivy would drive into the lead on lap seven as the leaders drove into heavy lapped traffic by lap nine. Kramer would bobble on lap nine, handing second to Dinan with Foos moving into third. However, Foos would make contact with a lapped car on lap 10, causing mechanical problems and ending his night. On the restart, Paige Polyak and Jimmy Colvin would experience problems with Colvin tumbling in turn three.
On the restart Ivy would pull away slightly from Dinan, Steve Rando, Kramer, Matt Merrill, Weaver, Nate Dussel and Mike Dussel. Ivy would catch the back of the field with six laps to go with Dinan, Rando, Kramer and Merrill in pursuit. The final caution would fly for Roger Shammo who suffered a broken front end. Ivy would again pull away from Dinan on the restart and drove to the victory as the caution flew with the checkered with a car slowing in turn one. Dinan, Merrill, Kramer and Weaver would round out the top five.
Curt Inks and Brad Mitten would pace the field in the 20 lap dirt truck feature, with Mitten grabbing the lead over Inks, Jim McGrath Sr., and Jimmy McGrath Jr. After a lap was scored, a multi-truck pile-up brought out the caution. On the restart McGrath Sr. would drive around Inks and Mitten to take the lead. After seven laps were scored, McGrath Sr. would experience mechanical woes, retiring to the pits, handing the lead to Inks with Roepke, Ward and Brewer challenging. Roepke would drive into the lea don lap 10 with Inks and Ward battling side-by-side with Brewer and Bob Dible ready to pounce. Ward would take second on lap 11 and as he and Roepke battled for the lead exiting turn two on lap 12, the par would get side ways in front of the field, bringing out the caution.
That would hand the lead to Brewer with Inks, Dible, McGrath Jr., Ivy, Art Ball and Andy Keegan in pursuit. Brewer would drive the final eight laps to perfection for the win with Inks, Ivy, Dible and Ball rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway – 9/14/2012
All Pro Cylinder Head Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints (31 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 55-Brad Bowman, 12.317; 2. 29-Rob Chaney, 12.501; 3. 2-Dale Blaney , 12.545; 4. O9-Craig Mintz, 12.612; 5. 24H-Bryan Sebetto, 12.624; 6. 3L-Mike Linder, 12.657; 7. 89G-David Gravel, 12.700; 8. 19-Stevie Smith, 12.754; 9. 83-Tim Shaffer, 12.792; 10. O-Chris Bell, 12.794; 11. 7K-Cole Duncan, 12.800; 12. 16-Chris Andrews, 12.819; 13. 60K-Jody Keegan, 12.820; 14. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 12.892; 15. 54-Cap Henry, 12.894; 16. 45-Paul McMahan, 12.901; 17. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.904; 18. 9X-Brandon Martin, 12.927; 19. 53-Phil Gressman, 12.931; 20. 2M-Dallas Hewitt, 12.936; 21. 40-Caleb Helms, 12.948; 22. 97-Dean Jacobs, 12.975; 23. 35-Stuart Brubaker, 13.001; 24. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.038; 25. 70-Derek Hagar, 13.142; 26. 4-Danny Smith, 13.145; 27. 5K-Adam Kekich, 13.154; 28. O8-Dan Kurriger, 13.175; 29. 2+-Brian Smith, 13.187; 30. 8-Mike Lutz, 13.190; 31. 10J-Jarrod Delong, 13.886
Heat 1 Kear’s Speed Shop – (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 45-Paul McMahan[1] ; 2. O-Chris Bell[3] ; 3. 60K-Jody Keegan[2] ; 4. 89G-David Gravel[4] ; 5. 55-Brad Bowman[6] ; 6. 53-Phil Gressman[7] ; 7. 97-Dean Jacobs[8] ; 8. 70-Derek Hagar[9] ; 9. 10J-Jarrod Delong[11] ; 10. O9-Craig Mintz[5] ; 11. O8-Dan Kurriger[10]
Heat 2 All Pro Cylinder Heads – (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 5R-Byron Reed[1] ; 2. D4-Danny Holtgraver[2] ; 3. 19-Stevie Smith[4] ; 4. 7K-Cole Duncan[3] ; 5. 35-Stuart Brubaker[8] ; 6. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[5] ; 7. 2M-Dallas Hewitt[7] ; 8. 4-Danny Smith[9] ; 9. 2+-Brian Smith[10] ; 10. 29-Rob Chaney[6]
Heat 3 Dragon Race Fuels – (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 9X-Brandon Martin[1] ; 2. 54-Cap Henry[2] ; 3. 83-Tim Shaffer[4] ; 4. 16-Chris Andrews[3] ; 5. 2-Dale Blaney [6] ; 6. 3L-Mike Linder[5] ; 7. 40-Caleb Helms[7] ; 8. W20-Greg Wilson[8] ; 9. 8-Mike Lutz[10] ; 10. 5K-Adam Kekich[9]
Dash – Outerwears Performance Products (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature
1. 2-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[2] ; 3. 19-Stevie Smith[3] ; 4. 55-Brad Bowman[4] ; 5. 89G-David Gravel[5] ; 6. 3L-Mike Linder[6]
B-Main – MSD Ignitions (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 29-Rob Chaney[1] ; 2. O9-Craig Mintz[2] ; 3. 40-Caleb Helms[4] ; 4. 2M-Dallas Hewitt[3] ; 5. W20-Greg Wilson[6] ; 6. 97-Dean Jacobs[5] ; 7. 4-Danny Smith[8] ; 8. 70-Derek Hagar[7] ; 9. 5K-Adam Kekich[9] ; 10. O8-Dan Kurriger[10] ; 11. 8-Mike Lutz[12] ; 12. 10J-Jarrod Delong[13] ; 13. 2+-Brian Smith[11]
A-Main – (30 Laps)
1. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[2]; 2. 2-Dale Blaney [1]; 3. 89G-David Gravel[5]; 4. 29-Rob Chaney[11]; 5. 97-Dean Jacobs[22]; 6. 9X-Brandon Martin[18]; 7. 54-Cap Henry[15]; 8. 55-Brad Bowman[4]; 9. D4-Danny Holtgraver[14]; 10. 7K-Cole Duncan[9]; 11. 3L-Mike Linder[6]; 12. O-Chris Bell[8]; 13. 45-Paul McMahan[16]; 14. O9-Craig Mintz[12]; 15. 60K-Jody Keegan[13]; 16. 5R-Byron Reed[17]; 17. 35-Stuart Brubaker[23]; 18. 16-Chris Andrews[10]; 19. 40-Caleb Helms[21]; 20. 53-Phil Gressman[19]; 21. 2M-Dallas Hewitt[20]; 22. 83-Tim Shaffer[7]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson[24]; 24. 19-Stevie Smith[3]
Hard Charger: 97-Dean Jacobs[+17]
305 Make-up Feature from 8-4-2012
A-Main – (25 Laps)
1. 8K-Zack Kramer[2]; 2. OO-Alvin Roepke[6]; 3. 5-Dustin Dinan[1]; 4. 1-Nate Dussel[13]; 5. 4M-Jamie Miller[11]; 6. 25-Jason Keckler[9]; 7. 10S-Roger Shammo[12]; 8. 68G-Tyler Gunn[16]; 9. 19R-Steve Rando[4]; 10. 39-Matt Merrill[14]; 11. 8J-Jess Stiger[18]; 12. 13D-Jeremy Duposki[19]; 13. 7P-Brandon Moore[21]; 14. 11F-D.J. Foos[8]; 15. 9-Jimmy Colvin[3]; 16. 10-Josh Harrison[17]; 17. 4X-John Ivy[7]; 18. 10X-Dustin Stroup[10]; 19. 77S-Jim Sipe[20]; 20. 27-Paige Polyak[5]; 21. 22d-Dan Hammond[15]
Hard Charger: 1-Nate Dussel[+9]
Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints (30 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 5-Dustin Dinan[1] ; 2. 8K-Zack Kramer[2] ; 3. OO-Alvin Roepke[3] ; 4. 27-Paige Polyak[5] ; 5. 10X-Dustin Stroup[7] ; 6. 22D-Dan Hammond[8] ; 7. 88-Jake Trevino[4] ; 8. 10-Josh Harrison[6]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 10S-Roger Shammo[2] ; 2. MD1-Mike Dussel[5] ; 3. 11F-D.J. Foos[4] ; 4. 36-Seth Schneider[8] ; 5. 7P-Brandon Moore[3] ; 6. 35-Stuart Brubaker[7] ; 7. 5R-Jordan Ryan[6]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 39-Matt Merrill[1] ; 2. 68G-Tyler Gunn[2] ; 3. 9-Jimmy Colvin[4] ; 4. 1-Nate Dussel[3] ; 5. 40-Chris Bell[7] ; 6. 4M-Jamie Miller[5] ; 7. 25-Jason Keckler[6]
Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 19R-Steve Rando[4] ; 2. 8I-John Ivy[1] ; 3. 1W-Paul Weaver[6] ; 4. 13D-Jeremy Duposki[3] ; 5. 72C-Ross Moore[7] ; 6. 8J-Jess Stiger[5] ; 7. 4X-TJ Michael[2]
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 10X-Dustin Stroup[1] ; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6] ; 3. 40-Chris Bell[3] ; 4. 5R-Jordan Ryan[10] ; 5. 22D-Dan Hammond[5] ; 6. 8J-Jess Stiger[8] ; 7. 10-Josh Harrison[13] ; 8. 88-Jake Trevino[9] ; 9. 25-Jason Keckler[11] ; 10. 7P-Brandon Moore[2] ; 11. 4X-TJ Michael[12] ; 12. 4M-Jamie Miller[7] ; 13. 72C-Ross Moore[4]
A-Main – (25 Laps)
1. 8I-John Ivy[1]; 2. 5-Dustin Dinan[3]; 3. 39-Matt Merrill[9]; 4. 8K-Zack Kramer[2]; 5. 1W-Paul Weaver[7]; 6. MD1-Mike Dussel[11]; 7. 40-Chris Bell[18]; 8. 5R-Jordan Ryan[19]; 9. 10X-Dustin Stroup[16]; 10. 22D-Dan Hammond[20]; 11. 68G-Tyler Gunn[6]; 12. 1-Nate Dussel[14]; 13. 19R-Steve Rando[4]; 14. 10S-Roger Shammo[10]; 15. 36-Seth Schneider[13]; 16. 11F-D.J. Foos[5]; 17. 27-Paige Polyak[12]; 18. 9-Jimmy Colvin[8]; 19. 13D-Jeremy Duposki[15]; 20. 35-Stuart Brubaker[17]
Hard Charger: 40-Chris Bell[+11]