From Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio (August 22, 2017) – John Ivy was more than willing to kiss a cow Tuesday night at Fremont Speedway. After all, it’s a tradition at the Sandusky County Fair race for the feature winner to kiss the bovine and drink milk in victory lane.
Ivy, a Fremont native, scored his fourth win of the season at “The Track That Action Built” to open the Sandusky County Fair. It was his 56th career win at the track, leaving him just two shy of tying Jim Linder for fourth on the all-time win list.
“They did a heck of a job getting the track run in (after rains caused over a two hour delay) and I’m glad I got to start up front. I was trying real hard on those restarts to make that first lap count and hopefully we get into lapped traffic. I was pretty decent on the bottom so I was kind of running up towards the middle so I knew if I had to go to the bottom I was still going to be alright. I have to thank everyone behind this deal…all the Sipe family. I have to dedicate this one to Ron mom…it would have been her 95th birthday today. I get to sit in this thing and drive it but they make it a lot easier,” said Ivy.
“I grew up here. This win will rank right up there among the biggest. I’m glad everyone has done what they have to bring this race back to the fair,” added Ivy beside his CN Construction Supplies, Ginnever Trucking, Sonny’s Machine & Welding, Kistler Racing Products, North Coast Asphalt, 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 backed #77i
In the ladies powder puff dirt truck feature on Pub 400 Night, Clyde, Ohio’s Tammy McGrath scored her third career Fremont victory, earning $500 from Steve Klisz.
“That was a lot of fun. This truck hasn’t been raced in nearly three years,” said McGrath in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.
In the 30-lap sprint feature, Ivy and Matt Foos brought the field to green with Foos gaining the advantage over Ivy, Tyler Gunn, Bobby Clark and Steve Rando. Paul Weaver stopped to bring out the caution with two laps scored. When the green reappeared Foos pulled away from Ivy who battled with Clark for the runner-up position. Disaster struck for Foos on the next lap as his engine let go, handing the lead to Ivy.
Ivy couldn’t shake the great battle behind him with Gunn taking second while Clark continued to race to his outside while Alvin Roepke drove into fourth followed by Chris Andrews, Jimmy McGrath, Rando and Jamie Miller. Brandon Moore stopped with seven laps scored and on the restart McGrath spun. When the green flew so did Ivy as Gunn and Clark stayed within striking distance. Justin Adams coasted to a stop with 11 laps scored just as the leaders were preparing to encounter heavy lapped traffic.
Ivy once again executed a great restart and pulled away slightly as Clark drove around Gunn for second with Roepke, Andrews and Miller in pursuit. When Ivy encountered lapped traffic with 13 laps to go, Clark and Gunn closed. Gunn used a lapped machine to retake second on lap 18. With 10 laps to go Landon LaLonde stopped on the track to bring out the final caution. Once again Ivy executed a flawless restart and drove away from Gunn, with Clark, Miller, Roepke and Dustin Stroup in tow.
With three laps to go it looked like Gunn’s mount started to run out of fuel as he began falling off the pace. Ivy used the clear track and clean air to power to the win over Clark, Miller, Roepke and Stroup.
Race fans and several area businesses contributed over $2,200 additional funds for the race purse which was distributed to make sure all 25 cars in attendance ran the A-main with heat races and the dash also with monetary rewards.
“I want to thank Joe and Fran Darmofal for all they do for this fair race, the Pub 400 for the night sponsorship, the fair board for working with us on this event and all the fans and businesses that stepped up to help make this a really special kick off to the fair. Also a big thanks to all the push truck drivers for their hard work to get the track run in and the race teams for all their cooperation and for putting on an entertaining race. We encourage everyone to come out the rest of the week and enjoy the great weather and all the fun the Sandusky County Fair has to offer,” said Rich Farmer, Fremont Speedway Promoter.
Fremont Speedway Fair
Aug. 22, 2017
Starting position [*]
305 Sprints – Fremont Federal Credit Union
Qualifying
1.21-Dustin Stroup, 15.134; 2.4T-Chris Andrews, 15.174; 3.19-Mitch Harble, 15.211; 4.5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr., 15.275; 5.20I-Kelsey Ivy, 15.372; 6.66-Jamie Miller, 15.494; 7.99-Alvin Roepke, 15.515; 8.8-Bobby Clark, 15.527; 9.44-Tyler Gunn, 15.549; 10.19R-Steve Rando, 15.560; 11.77I-John Ivy, 15.583; 12.2F-Matt Foos, 15.606; 13.7M-Brandon Moore, 15.613; 14.1-Nate Dussel, 15.662; 15.36-Seth Schneider, 15.737; 16.11X-Jordan Ryan, 15.741; 17.1W-Paul Weaver, 15.878; 18.2-Ricky Peterson, 15.895; 19.2L-Landon LaLonde, 15.898; 20.4*-Tyler Street, 16.059; 21.09-Justin Adams, 16.062; 22.25-Jason Keckler, 16.145; 23.47-Matt Lucius, 16.158; 24.12-Kyle Capodice, 16.527; 25.9R-Dustin Rall, 16.891;
Heat 1 – (8 Laps)
1. 99-Alvin Roepke[2] ; 2. 19R-Steve Rando[1] ; 3. 7M-Brandon Moore[5] ; 4. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[3] ; 5. 11X-Jordan Ryan[6] ; 6. 2L-Landon LaLonde[7] ; 7. 21-Dustin Stroup[4] ; 8. 9R-Dustin Rall[9] ; 9. 25-Jason Keckler[8]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps)
1. 8-Bobby Clark[2] ; 2. 77I-John Ivy[1] ; 3. 4T-Chris Andrews[4] ; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver[6] ; 5. 1-Nate Dussel[5] ; 6. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[3] ; 7. 4*-Tyler Street[7] ; 8. 47-Matt Lucius[8]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps)
1. 44-Tyler Gunn[2] ; 2. 2F-Matt Foos[1] ; 3. 66-Jamie Miller[3] ; 4. 2-Ricky Peterson[6] ; 5. 36-Seth Schneider[5] ; 6. 19-Mitch Harble[4] ; 7. 12-Kyle Capodice[8] ; 8. 09-Justin Adams[7]
Dash 1 – (6 Laps)
1. 77I-John Ivy[2] ; 2. 2F-Matt Foos[1] ; 3. 44-Tyler Gunn[4] ; 4. 8-Bobby CLark[5] ; 5. 19R-Steve Rando[3] ; 6. 99-Alvin Roepke[6]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 77I-John Ivy[1] ; 2. 8-Bobby Clark[4] ; 3. 66-Jamie Miller[9] ; 4. 99-Alvin Roepke[6] ; 5. 21-Dustin Stroup[13] ; 6. 4T-Chris Andrews[7] ; 7. 19R-Steve Rando[5] ; 8. 36-Seth Schneider[17] ; 9. 44-Tyler Gunn[3] ; 10. 2-Ricky Peterson[12] ; 11. 11X-Jordan Ryan[18] ; 12. 1-Nate Dussel[16] ; 13. 12-Kyle Capodice[24] ; 14. 4*-Tyler Street[20] ; 15. 9R-Dustin Rall[25] ; 16. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[15] ; 17. 25-Jason Keckler[22] ; 18. 2L-Landon LaLonde[19] ; 19. 47-Matt Lucius[23] ; 20. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[8] ; 21. 09-Justin Adams[21] ; 22. 7M-Brandon Moore[10] ; 23. 19-Mitch Harble[14] ; 24. 2F-Matt Foos[2] ; 25. 1W-Paul Weaver[11]
Ladies Powder Puff
A-Main 1 (10 Laps)
1. 5-Tammy McGrath[7] ; 2. 6-Shelly Liskai[2] ; 3. 23m-Nicole Albright[1] ; 4. 2-Teri Harrison[4] ; 5. 3-Lori Earnhart[8] ; 6. 49X-Carol Connors[3] ; 7. 4x-Alison Schepflin[6] ; 8. 37-Chelsea Molyet[5]