Attica, OH – (July 17, 2002) – Elmore’s Alvin Roepke took one home for the regular Attica Raceway Park racers, winning the 14th Annual Brad Doty Classic, presented by Wirtgen America. The Attica points leader’s win was worth $14,000. Roepke passed Butch Schroeder on lap six and dominated the remainder of the race. Dean Jacobs came from a tenth place start to finish second over a late-charging Dale Blaney.
“I was just happy when we made the feature tonight, but I tell you, this was a race”, were the sentiments of Roepke. “When you beat these guys, you have done something. This is really special because a few years back we won the Brad Doty Sportsmanship Award here at Attica and this just finishes it off nice.” Roepke’s win came aboard the R&F Racing Maxim with sponsorship from Mountain Dew and PMI.
“We were fast enough but I got caught behind two lapped cars running side by side. Alvin did a great job and didn’t make any mistakes so he deserved to win”, stated a happy Dean Jacobs.
The 25 car field came to the green flag with Roepke and Butch Schroeder sharing the front row. Schroeder ran the cushion to the lead before the first caution flew for a Kasey Kahne spin on lap one. Back under green, Schroeder sped away while Roepke was in his patented bottom groove with Greg Wilson, Mark Keegan, and Chad Kemenah rounding out the top five. Roepke’s bottom groove then started to pay off as he quickly closed on Schroeder. By lap four, Roepke was even with Schroeder and then grabbed the lead exiting turn two on lap six.
Schroeder then tried to hang tough in the top groove and Kemenah passed Keegan for the fourth spot. Roepke pulled away from the field and caught lapped traffic by lap nine. Roepke made quick work of the slower traffic while Kemenah continued his run forward. Kemanah passed Wilson for third by lap 11 and then began to challenge Schroeder for the second spot.
The race for second was then a great battle between Kemenah and Schroeder while Roepke continued to build his lead. A caution at lap 18, for Todd Kane, slowed the action and Roepke had the lapped car of John Ivy between himself and Schroeder for the restart. Roepke again ran away from the field and Kemanah swiped the second spot. Schroeder grabbed the second spot back at the halfway point with Kemenah, Wilson, and Rob Chaney rounding out the top five.
The second half of the race is when Dean Jacobs and Dale Blaney mounted their charge forward. Jacobs cracked into the top five on lap 25 and then began to pressure the cars in front by running the bottom groove. With ten laps to go, Roepke still held a commanding lead and Jacobs was in third behind Schroeder with Blaney still back in the seventh spot.
Jacobs passed Schroeder with five laps to go but had too much ground to make up on Roepke. Blaney’s final charge found him passing Schroeder for third with two laps to go. Schroeder would finish fourth over Kemanah, Rob Chaney (started 12th), Wilson, Kahne, Kenny Jacobs, and Shane Stewart.
Chad Kemenah set fast time which was good for $100 from Baumann Automotive, $100 from Bruno Brothers Pizza, and a Weld Wheel. Heat race winners were Kahne, Todd Kane, Tony Kennedy, and Stewart. Each heat race winner received $100 from L&L Paving and a case of oil from MAR Technology. The B Main was won by Wilson.
Qualifying: 1. Chad Kemenah, 15, 11.873; 2. Kenny Jacobs, 6, 11.954; 3.Greg Wilson, 63, 11.986; 4. Mark Keegan, 92, 12.014; 5. Butch Schroeder, 9X, 12.027; 6. Alvin Roepke, 99, 12.066; 7. Jac Haudenschild, 9H, 12.145; 8. Byron Reed, 5, 12.285; 9. Jason Dukes, 3, 12.298; 10. Jody Keegan, K60, 12.380; 11. Dale Blaney, 72, 12.380; 12. Dean Jacobs, 34, 12.386; 13. Kasey Kahne, 51, 12.391; 14. Rob Chaney, 29, 12.473; 15. Phil Gessman, 2, 12.490; 16. Shane Stewart, 8H, 12.509; 17. Paul McMahan, U2, 12.558; 18. Terry McCarl, 24, 12.586; 19. Rodney Duncan, 22, 12.587; 20. Tim Hunter, 2H, 12.616; 21. David Harrison, 44, 12.716; 22. Todd Kane, 78, 12.730; 23. Tony Kennedy, 14K, 12.921; 24. Eric Hysong, 70, 12.924; 25. Jeff Shepard, 92, 12.963; 26. Lance Dewease, 77, 12.970; 27. Shawn Chaney, 27C, 13.041; 28. Mike Hogan, 75, 13.152; 29. Travis Rilat, 1A, 13.185; 30. Brandon Martin, 11, 13.255; 31. Andrew Palker, 57X, 13.260; 32. John Ivy, 20, 13.292; 33. Jim Dayton, 2X, 13.311; 34. Kelly Kinser, 4K, 13.428; 35. Danny Smith, 51, 13.437; 36. Ed Neumeister, 11N, 13.542; 37.Chad Blonde, 5, 13.828; 38. Chad Levingston, 74L, 14.349; 39. Duffy Smith, 38K, 14.556; 40. Bryan Sabetto, 1, 14.957; 41. Paul Kish, 1, 15.680
Heat #1: Kahne, McMahan, Kemenah, Shepard, Rilat, Harrison, Blonde, Schroeder, Dayton, Dukes, Kish
Heat #2: Kane, McCarl, Roepke, K. Jacobs, Dewease, Kinser, R. Chaney, Levingston, J. Keegan, Martin
Heat #3: Kennedy, Gressman, Blaney, Haudenschild, Duncan, Wilson, S. Chaney, Da. Smith, Palker, Du. Smith
Heat #4: Stewart, Reed, D. Jacobs, M. Keegan, Ivy, Hogan, Hysong, Sabetto, Neumeister, Hunter
B Main: Wilson, R. Chaney, Kinser, Schroeder, Blonde, S. Chaney, J. Keegan, Hogan, Hunter, Dayton, Du. Smith, Neumeister, Palker, Kish, Da. Smith, Levingston, Sabetto, Martin, Hysong
Brad Doty Classic: Alvin Roepke, Dean Jacobs, Dale Blaney, Butch Schroeder, Chad Kemenah, Rob Chaney, Greg Wilson, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Jacobs, Shane Stewart, Kelly Kinser, Mark Keegan, Lance Dewease, Paul McMahan, Phil Gressman, Jac Haudenschild, Jeff Shepard, Tony Kennedy, Jody Keegan, Byron Reed, John Ivy, Terry McCarl, Travis Rilat, Todd Kane, Rodney Duncan