From Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio (May 13, 2017) – Russiaville, Indiana’s Dustin Smith held off a hard-charging Kody Swanson Saturday, May 13 to claim the Rick’s Truck & Equipment Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series (BOSS) win at Fremont Speedway. After several second and third place finishes at “The Track That Action Built,” Smith led the final 22 laps for his first career victory at Fremont Speedway.
Smith, the 2012 BOSS champion, now has six career series wins to tie Thomas Meseraull atop the standings. Swanson challenged the last hand full of laps and had one last shot at Smith when the caution flew with just two laps remaining. Smith drove his Lou Gagliardi owned, Dom’s Gulf, Awesome Signs and Shirts, Lynn Cook “a racer’s friend”, and Forman Sheet Metal backed #77 to the cushion and edged Swanson by a car length for the win on Fremont Federal Credit Union Night.
“They are all hard to earn…there’s no such thing as an easy win. I’ve run well here year after year but always keep coming in second or third. To finally get one…I’m so happy. I want to thank Lou…he’s not feeling well this weekend. We went to Eldora last night (Friday) and put it in the show but we wanted to come here and support BOSS. I like racing here…I’ve always done pretty well. It was a little treacherous getting into one there. I thought I really messed up on that last lap. I biked it pretty good. I had to cut down on Kody to block him but I had to do what I had to do,” Smith said.
“A lot of the BOSS drivers don’t get the recognition they deserve. We may not be the biggest funded teams but we put on a good show and we can compete with the big dogs here and there. Kody Swanton…what more can you ask for? A driver that wins the Silver Crown championship a couple of years ago and he was right there last year too. He’s a top notch driver,” added Smith.
Fremont, Ohio’s John Ivy and defending track champion Nate Dussel put on a terrific battle throughout the final 10 laps of the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature. Ivy, aboard his CN Construction Supplies; Ginnever Trucking; Sonny’s Machine & Welding; Kistler Racing Products; Rohr Lawn Care; Mr. Appliance; MRE; Sipes Oceola Garage; Dave Story Equipment; L&R Farms; S&S Racing; Kercher Engines; Linder’s Speed Equipment; Tiffany’s Furniture; Seagate Sandblasting; Keller Hardware; Johnson Hunting & Fishing backed #71i would pick his way through traffic to score his 53rd career victory at Fremont Speedway. He is one win away from tying the great Herbie Robinson for fifth on the track’s all-time win list.
“We’ve been struggling here a little bit. Maybe this is a turn-around for us. I would forget to breathe there a couple of laps and I had to remind myself to breath again. I’m worn out. I want to thank everyone on this deal, Kercher Engines, Ronnie and Guy and Darren and the Sipes family. I’m dedicating this one to Randy (Beckley). He was pretty special to all of us,” said Ivy of Fremont Speedway Promoter Rich Farmer’s brother who passed away Saturday morning.
Delta, Ohio’s Ky Harper battled with John Brooks from lap 4 to the finish before earning his second McCullough Industries 602 Late Model win of the year at Fremont. It was his 11th career victory at the track.
“We definitely have some good competition here with John Brooks and Chester Fitch…everyone has a shot. We actually changed chassis manufactures to a MastersBuilt and it seems to be going our way. I have to thank all my crew and all my sponsors and all the fans for coming out and supporting us,” said Harper beside his B&R Powdercoating; H&H Environmental; Twist-T-Feez; Gibraltah Excavating; VA Risk Services; AM Transport; Track Side Truck & Trailer Repair; Childress Collision; Warpaint Graphics backed #34.
Dustin Keegan and defending track champion Keith Sorg battled hard throughout the last half of the Burmeister Trophy Dirt Truck feature before Keegan drove to his fifth career Fremont win.
“This thing is starting to come around pretty good. I wish Valenti (Shawn) was here so we could actually see how good we are. I want to thank Shelluke’s Bar and Hoppe, LST Excavating, Kevin Walby, Green Creek Lawn Care and my crew. They bust their butts all week. My dad, Dabby, Denny, LJ and Carol, Noah, my son Jackson and my daughter Ellie,” Keegan said.
Carmen Perigo and Dustin Ingle brought the field to green for the 25-lap BOSS feature with Perigo jumping into the lead. After a lap was scored the caution flew for Brandon Spithaler with the running order Perigo, Ingle, Dustin Smith, Drew Rader and Luke Hall. On the restart Smith immediately began pressuring Ingle for second and when Perigo bobbled on lap four, Smith vaulted into the lead.
Smith began to pull away slightly as Ingle and Perigo battled for second while Hall and Shane Cottle closed. Hall drove into third on lap six as Smith continued to hold a comfortable lead. By lap nine Smith continued to lead but the battle for second was entertaining involving Perigo, Hall and Cottle. Cottle and Hall would tangle on the front stretch a lap later, ending the night for both.
Smith could not pull away on the restart and soon faced a challenge from Perigo, Rader and Kody Swanson. Swanton grabbed third on lap 12 and took second a lap later then quickly closed on Smith. Swanson got the break he needed with 10 laps to go when the caution flew. When the green reappeared Smith and Swanson raced side by side and nose to tail while Perigo, Rader, Chad Wilson, Ingle, Holley and Brian Smith (up from 18th) gave chase.
With four laps to go Swanson was knocking on the door to take the lead with Perigo, Wilson, Smith, Ingle and Michael Fischesser within striking distance. The caution flew with two laps to go with the running order Smith, Swanson, Rader, Perigo, Wilson and Brian Smith. Dustin Smith got a fantastic restart but Swanson hounded him to the white flag. Entering the final two turns, Swanson took a dive under Smith but the leader was too strong and took the victory. Perigo, Rader and Brian Smith rounded out the top five.
In the 25-lap 305 sprint feature Dustin Rall and Kyle Capodice would bring the field to green with Capodice gaining the advantage over Rall, Chase Baker, John Ivy, Nate Dussel and Seth Schneider. Capodice began pulling away as Ivy pressured Rall for the runner-up spot, taking it on lap five. A caution two laps later put Ivy right on Capodice’s rear bumper and Ivy used the opportunity to grab the lead when the green flew.
Meanwhile Dussel worked his way into second on lap 11 with Capodice, Paul Weaver, Alvin Roepke, Bobby Clark, Brandon Moore and Tony Beaber giving chase. At the half-way point Dussel was showing Ivy the nose of his car and the pair raced side by side over the next three laps. As the leaders raced into heavy lapped traffic with nine laps to go, Ivy held a slim lead over Dussel, Capodice, Weaver, Roepke, Clark and Moore.
Ivy used the lapped cars to give himself a little breaking room as he drove to the win over Dussel, Capodice, Weaver and Roepke. Dussel would later be credited with an 11th place finish after failing to go to the scales following the feature.
In the late model feature the front row starters of John Brooks and Jamie Miller battled for the early lead while Harper, Steve Sabo, Chester Fitch and Dustin Keegan gave chase. Harper moved into second on lap four and quickly closed on Brooks. At the half-way point a spat of cautions slowed the action but once green again Harper drove under Brooks for the lead. Harper drove away for the win over Brooks, Fitch, Keegan and Kyle Dukeshire.
After a few cautions at the start of the 20-lap dirt truck feature that saw Eric Devanna lead the first two laps, Keith Sorg took the lead while Dustin Keegan grabbed second on lap four. Following a couple of cautions on laps eight and nine, the race would go to the end under green.
Keegan used a restart with 11 laps to go to grab the lead. Sorg would apply pressure throughout the final 10 laps as Brad Mitten joined in the fun. Keegan found the middle of the track to his liking as he pulled away for the win over Mitten, Sorg, Brad Stuckey and Cory McCaughey.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, May 20 on Root’s Poultry Night. It will be a point event for the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads FAST 410 Championship Series presented by Ohio Logistics as well as the JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Sprint Series presented by Engine Pro. The dirt trucks and late models are also on the racing card. All military members both past and present who present a military identification card will get into the night’s racing for just $5.
For more information about Fremont Speedway go to www.fremontohspeedway.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FremontSpeedway or on Twitter https://twitter.com/FremontSpeedway
Fremont Speedway
Fremont Federal Credit Union Night
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Starting position [*]
B.O.S.S Non-Wing Sprint Cars
Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 4 to the A)
1. 22-Brandon Spithaler[2] ; 2. 2DI-Dustin Ingle[6] ; 3. 32M-Derek Hastings[4] ; 4. 44-Michael Fischesser[9] ; 5. 4J-Justin Owen[1] ; 6. 53-Steve Little[8] ; 7. 19-Matt Cooley[3] ; 8. 14K-Trevor Kobylarz[7] ; 9. 59J-Kirk Jeffries[5]
Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 4 to the A)
1. 21K-Kody Swanson[4] ; 2. 86-Rick Holley[1] ; 3. 41-Brad Wyatt[2] ; 4. 3-Joe Butera[6] ; 5. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh[3] ; 6. 31L-Buddy Lowther[5] ; 7. 18D-Bobby Distel[7] ; 8. 97-Scott Hardman[8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 4 to the A)
1. 21-Carmen Perigo[2] ; 2. 57-Shane Cottle[6] ; 3. 9G-Cody Gardener[7] ; 4. 11-Brian Smith[8] ; 5. 2-Mike Galajda[3] ; 6. 5-Bob McMillen[1] ; 7. 1M-Dustin Stroup[4] ; 8. 5M-Mike Moore[5]
Heat 4 (8 Laps, top 4 to the A)
1. 14-Chad Wilson[2] ; 2. 74-Drew Rader[1] ; 3. 87-Paul Dues[4] ; 4. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6] ; 5. 96-Riley Vanhise[5] ; 6. 08-Andy Feil[7] ; 7. 7M-Brandon Moore[8] ; 8. 26-John Watson[3]
Heat 5 (8 Laps, top 4 to the A)
1. 9N-Luke Hall[2] ; 2. 77-Dustin Smith[4] ; 3. 20I-Matt Foos[7] ; 4. 91x-Aaron Middaugh[5] ; 5. 27-Zachary Morrow[8] ; 6. 82-Mike Miller[3] ; 7. 51-Curtis Muhlenkamp[1] ; 8. 13-Ian Hunter[6]
B-Main 1 (10 Laps, top 2 to the A)
1. 4J-Justin Owen[1] ; 2. 27-Zachary Morrow[3] ; 3. 2-Mike Galajda[2] ; 4. 08-Andy Feil[5] ; 5. 1M-Dustin Stroup[7] ; 6. 97-Scott Hardman[9] ; 7. 31L-Buddy Lowther[4] ; 8. 19-Matt Cooley[6] ; 9. 51-Curtis Muhlenkamp[8] ; 10. 59J-Kirk Jeffries[11] ; 11. 26-John Watson[10]
B-Main 2 (10 Laps, top 2 to the A)
1. 53-Steve Little[3] ; 2. 18D-Bobby Distel[6] ; 3. 14K-Trevor Kobylarz[8] ; 4. 1J-Jeremy Shambaugh[1] ; 5. 82-Mike Miller[5] ; 6. 96-Riley Vanhise[2] ; 7. 7M-Brandon Moore[7] ; 8. 5-Bob McMillen[4] ; 9. 13-Ian Hunter[10] ; 10. 5M-Mike Moore[9]
A-Main 1 (25 Laps)
1. 77-Dustin Smith[5] ; 2. 21K-Kody Swanson[8] ; 3. 21-Carmen Perigo[1] ; 4. 74-Drew Rader[4] ; 5. 11-Brian Smith[18] ; 6. 14-Chad Wilson[7] ; 7. 44-Michael Fischesser[16] ; 8. 2DI-Dustin Ingle[2] ; 9. 86-Rick Holley[3] ; 10. 41-Brad Wyatt[12] ; 11. 4J-Justin Owen[21] ; 12. 53-Steve Little[22] ; 13. 87-Paul Dues[14] ; 14. 9G-Cody Gardener[13] ; 15. 91x-Aaron Middaugh[20] ; 16. 18D-Bobby Distel[24] ; 17. 3-Joe Butera[17] ; 18. 20I-Matt Foos[15] ; 19. 32M-Derek Hastings[11] ; 20. 22-Brandon Spithaler[10] ; 21. 27-Zachary Morrow[23] ; 22. 9N-Luke Hall[6] ; 23. 57-Shane Cottle[9] ; 24. 35-Stuart Brubaker[19]
Hard Charger: 11-Brian Smith +13
305 Sprints – Fremont Federal Credit Union
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 36-Seth Schneider[1] ; 2. 8-Bobby Clark[3] ; 3. 9R-Dustin Rall[2] ; 4. 18R-Tony Beaber[6] ; 5. 2-Ricky Peterson[8] ; 6. 19R-Steve Rando[9] ; 7. 94K-Kevin Mingus[4] ; 8. 2L-Landon Lalonde[7] ; 9. 5J-Jake Hesson[5]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps)
1. 77I-John Ivy[2] ; 2. 1W-Paul Weaver[3] ; 3. 12-Kyle Capodice[1] ; 4. 1-Nate Dussel[4] ; 5. 66D-Chase Dunham[6] ; 6. 4*-Tyler Street[5] ; 7. 25-Jason Keckler[7] ; 8. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[8] ; 9. 3x-Brad keckler[9]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 99-Alvin Roepke[2] ; 2. 66-Jamie Miller[3] ; 3. 7M-Brandon Moore[4] ; 4. 23-Chase Baker[6] ; 5. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath Jr[7] ; 6. 75-Jerry Dahms[1] ; 7. 47-Matt Lucius[8] ; 8. 09-Justin Adams[5]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 19R-Steve Rando[1] ; 2. 4*-Tyler Street[2] ; 3. 94K-Kevin Mingus[4] ; 4. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[8] ; 5. 25-Jason Keckler[5] ; 6. 47-Matt Lucius[6] ; 7. 5J-Jake Hesson[10] ; 8. 2L-Landon Lalonde[7] ; 9. 3x-Brad keckler[11] ; 10. 09-Justin Adams[9] ; 11. 75-Jerry Dahms[3]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 77I-John Ivy[6] ; 2. 12-Kyle Capodice[2] ; 3. 1W-Paul Weaver[10] ; 4. 99-Alvin Roepke[9] ; 5. 8-Bobby Clark[7] ; 6. 7M-Brandon Moore[8] ; 7. 66D-Chase Dunham[11] ; 8. 2-Ricky Peterson[13] ; 9. 18R-Tony Beaber[12] ; 10. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath Jr[15] ; 11. 1-Nate Dussel[5] ; 12. 25-Jason Keckler[20] ; 13. 94K-Kevin Mingus[18] ; 14. 4*-Tyler Street[17] ; 15. 36-Seth Schneider[3] ; 16. 66-Jamie Miller[14] ; 17. 9R-Dustin Rall[1] ; 18. 23-Chase Baker[4] ; 19. 19R-Steve Rando[16] ; 20. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[19]
Hard Charger: 1W-Paul Weaver +7
Dirt Trucks – Burmeister Trophy
Heat 1 (8 Laps)
1. 17x-Dustin Keegan[5] ; 2. 4s-Keith Sorg[4] ; 3. 23m-Brad Mitten[9] ; 4. 0-Andy Keegan[1] ; 5. 51W-Thomas Anderson[7] ; 6. 4X-Eddie Bryant[6] ; 7. 32-Dale Aikman[2] ; 8. 26-Kyle Lagrou[8] ; 9. 49X-Noah Wagner[3]
Heat 2 (8 Laps)
1. 36M-Cory McCaughey[1] ; 2. 16-Jim Holcomb[2] ; 3. 2-Matt Foos[6] ; 4. 37-Eric DeVanna[4] ; 5. 5s-Brad Stuckey[5] ; 6. 33-Jeff Ward[8] ; 7. 99-Gene Potridge[7] ; 8. 1H-Zeth Sabo[3] ; 9. 911-Mark Kachnmeister[9]
A-Main 1 (20 Laps)
1. 17x-Dustin Keegan[6] ; 2. 23m-Brad Mitten[7] ; 3. 4s-Keith Sorg[5] ; 4. 5s-Brad Stuckey[10] ; 5. 36M-Cory McCaughey[2] ; 6. 51W-Thomas Anderson[9] ; 7. 33-Jeff Ward[12] ; 8. 99-Gene Potridge[14] ; 9. 0-Andy Keegan[4] ; 10. 4X-Eddie Bryant[11] ; 11. 37-Eric DeVanna[1] ; 12. 911-Mark Kachnmeister[18] ; 13. 32-Dale Aikman[13] ; 14. 1H-Zeth Sabo[16] ; 15. 26-Kyle Lagrou[15] ; 16. 16-Jim Holcomb[3] ; 17. 2-Matt Foos[8] ; 18. 49X-Noah Wagner[17]
Hard Charger: 5s-Brad Stuckey +6
602 Late Models – McCullough Industries
Heat 1 (6 Laps)
1. 00-John Brooks[6] ; 2. 4M-Jamie Miller[2] ; 3. 101-Chester Fitch[5] ; 4. 6-Brad Mitten[1] ; 5. 12-Kyle Dukeshire[3] ; 6. 27K-Jay King[4]
Heat 2 (6 Laps)
1. 34-Ky Harper[2] ; 2. 17x-Dustin Keegan[1] ; 3. 16-Steve Sabo[3] ; 4. 43K-Louis Alan[4] ; 5. 5-Chester Fitch III[5]
A-Main 1 (15 Laps)
1. 34-Ky Harper[4] ; 2. 00-John Brooks[1] ; 3. 101-Chester Fitch[5] ; 4. 17x-Dustin Keegan[6] ; 5. 12-Kyle Dukeshire[9] ; 6. 16-Steve Sabo[3] ; 7. 6-Brad Mitten[7] ; 8. 5-Chester Fitch III[10] ; 9. 43K-Louis Alan[8] ; 10. 4M-Jamie Miller[2] ; 11. 27K-Jay King[11]