From Brian Liskai, image courtesy of Mike Campbell
ATTICA, Ohio – Phil Gressman and Brock Mayes put on a slide-job clinic the last eight laps of the 410 sprint feature at Attica Raceway Park Friday night, trading the lead at every corner, drawing “oohs and aahs” from the large crowd. Gressman would ultimately prevail for his fifth career feature on Fisher Performance, Merrill Lynch Night.
Not to be outdone, the Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Models waged an exciting battle, with Dusty Moore inheriting the lead when on lap 19 when Rusty Schlenk experienced mechanical woes, and then held off a hard-charging Jon Henry for his first career super late model victory at “Ohio’s Finest” speedplant.
Bobby Clark held off several restart challenges from Paul Weaver to earn his second Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature victory of 2010.
“That’s what you people spend your hard-earned dollars to see…a race like that,” said Gressman beside his Genzman Enterprises, Level Performance backed #53. “I kept searching around for a place on the track and every time I did someone was there to slide up in front of me. That was as an exciting, fun race as I’ve battled in for a long time. I have to thank Dee and Marilyn Genzman for everything they’ve done for me and my crew, Bill and Jamie and my dad…they have worked their tails off. I told them we have passed a lot of cars this year and if we ever get to start up front we’ll have something for them.”
“We have dug ourselves a hole on this FAST (Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title) deal with some mechanical problems last week. And I can tell you the rest of these guys won’t lie down… this is some of the toughest competition you’ll find week in and week out. So we’ll have to keep working hard if we’re going to challenge for that championship,” added Gressman.
Gressman would grab the early lead of the 30-lap 410 sprint feature from his outside front row starting spot. But on lap five fifth starter Craig Mintz had moved into second and raced under Gressman to challenge for the lead. Gressman and Mintz would exchange slide jobs over the next six laps with Mintz gaining the upper hand with a move in turns three and four on lap 11. Gressman would return the favor in turns one and two and Mintz would follow suit in three and four over the next couple of laps. Gressman would regain the lead with a slide job of his own exiting turn four on lap 15, but Mintz wouldn’t give up and would continuously drive under Gressman.
Disaster struck for Mintz coming down to complete lap 21 when he smacked the outside concrete exiting turn four. He kept rolling, but Jody Keegan went up against the wall to bring out the yellow. Mintz would retire to the pits with a broken race car. On the restart, Brock Mayes, who had been in a tremendous battle for third with 12th starter Dean Jacobs and 9th starter Byron Reed, would get his elbows up and execute the slide job in turns one and two to take the top spot on lap 23. Gressman kept his composure and returned the favor the next lap and the excitement was boiling over in the stands. Mayes would again drive under and slide up in front of Gressman to lead laps 26 and 27. With three laps to go, Reed made it a three-car battle for the lead with the trio nearly hitting the front stretch wall exiting turn four. Gressman would slide in front of Mayes on lap 28 and would stay up top to take his fifth career victory at ARP. Reed would get by Mayes on the last lap with Mark Keegan and Bryan Sebetto rounding out the top five.
To start the 25-lap late model feature, first it was Wayne Maffett Jr., Moore and Rusty Schlenk, who came into the night the national UMP point leader, battling for the lead. Then it was Maffett and Schlenk who raced side-by-side from laps 4 through eight as a handful of cautions slowed the excitement. On a lap 9 restart Moore would execute the slider to take the lead and began to pull away, while Maffett, Moore, Henry, Rick DeLong, Ernie Hayes, Ryan Markham and Ryan Missler waged a torrid battle behind. After a caution for Missler who slid off the banking in turns 3 and 4 on lap 13. Maffett began to once again pressure Schlenk for the lead. But, with 9 laps to go, Maffett would pull into the infield with mechanical woes, moving Moore into second and Henry up to third. Schlenk was then on cruise control, but he too would slow with problems on lap 19, handing the lead to Moore.
Moore was not out of the woods yet, as Henry would drive to his inside as the two raced side-by-side over the final five laps. As the pair exited turn four for the checkers, Henry would drive off the bottom right beside Moore. Moore would get the win by a nose over Henry with DeLong, Ken Hahn and Haynes rounding out the top five.
“Don’t every let anyone tell you luck doesn’t mean anything. I mean I was cruising there in third and was content to go home with that. Then all of a sudden I’m getting covered with oil from Maffett and Schlenk. Hey, you have to be there to take advantage of that. Then I saw Henry on the bottom and I wasn’t going to let him get me,” said Moore beside his WD 40, Markey Ambulance Rental, Dominator Race Products, Warpaint Graphics backed #WD40.
Nate Dussel would grab the early lead in the 305 sprint main with Dustin Stroup, Clark and Weaver in tow. On lap two Clark and Weaver would drive around Stroup, with D.J. Foos entering the fray on lap three. Dussel and Clark would race side-by-side over the next two laps with Clark executing the slide job for the lead exiting turn 4 on lap 6. Weaver would do the same to take second a lap later, bringing Foos up to third.
Following a couple of cautions, Weaver would attempt the slide job on Clark on the restart, but Clark was too strong up top and continued to lead. Just as the leaders were getting ready to hit heavy lapped traffic on lap 14, the caution would fly. Clark would again hold of Weaver on the restart with Foos having his hands full with Zack Kramer, Steve Rando and 15th place starter Matt Merrill. With a clear track ahead, Clark would drive away for his 13th career 305 sprint victory with Weaver second, followed by Rando, Kramer and Foos.
“The car wasn’t as good as I like it here. The trick was to get to the top and keep it there. I have to thank my owner Al Davis and all my crew…they worked their tails off tonight to make the car better,” said Clark beside his Fremont Fence, Crown Battery, Jenny’s Copper Penny, Erlin Trader, B&L Plumbing backed #40.
Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, May 7 for the 305 Engine Builder’s Challenge on R&R Auto Wrecking Night. The UMP late models and dirt trucks will be in action. For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com
Attica Raceway Park – 4/30/2010
Fisher Performance / Merrill Lynch Night
410 Sprints
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 97-Dean Jacobs; 2. 27-Scott Euler; 3. 4K-Kody Kinser; 4. 11B-Brock Mayes; 5. 28-Shawn Valenti; 6. 2+-Brian Smith; 7. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 8. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 9. 11N-Ed Neumeister
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. X-Mark Keegan; 2. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 3. 28K-Todd Kane; 4. 11M-Brandon Martin; 5. 3J-Kevin Lee; 6. 26-Cody White; 7. 14H-Todd Heller; 8. 47-Caleb Helms; 9. 5T-Travis Philo; 10. 312-Mike Linder
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 20X-Craig Mintz; 4. 53-Phil Gressman; 5. 15C-Chris Andrews; 6. 60-Jody Keegan; 7. 10-David Harrison; 8. 45-Rob Chaney; 9. O-Bill Morrison
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 10-David Harrison; 2. 14H-Todd Heller; 3. 60-Jody Keegan; 4. 45-Rob Chaney; 5. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 6. 47-Caleb Helms; 7. 5T-Travis Philo; 8. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 9. 26-Cody White; 10. 11N-Ed Neumeister; 11. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 12. O-Bill Morrison; 13. 2+-Brian Smith
A-Main – (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 53-Phil Gressman[2]; 2. 5R-Byron Reed[9]; 3. 11B-Brock Mayes[1]; 4. X-Mark Keegan[10]; 5. 16-Bryan Sebetto[8]; 6. 11M-Brandon Martin[3]; 7. 10-David Harrison[16]; 8. 24H-Lee Jacobs[11]; 9. 15C-Chris Andrews[15]; 10. 4K-Kody Kinser[7]; 11. 3J-Kevin Lee[14]; 12. 14H-Todd Heller[17]; 13. 27-Scott Euler[4]; 14. 91-Aaron Middaugh[20]; 15. 28-Shawn Valenti[13]; 16. 97-Dean Jacobs[12]; 17. 20X-Craig Mintz[5]; 18. 60-Jody Keegan[18]; 19. 45-Rob Chaney[19]; 20. 28K-Todd Kane[6]
Fultz Fabrication & Speed Shop – UMP Late Models
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5M-Ryan Markham; 2. 27-Ken Hahn; 3. 99-Steve Sabo; 4. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 5. 51-Devin Schiels; 6. 666-Chester Fitch; 7. 41-Randy Pollock; 8. 92-Brandon Perkins; 9. 30-Nate Potts; 10. 22-Mike Stiltner
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 50Y-Ryan Missler; 2. X3-Dan Wallace; 3. 48-John Bores; 4. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 5. 29-Rocky Owens; 6. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth; 7. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 8. 92S-Cody Scott; 9. 12-Michael Stiltner Ii; 10. 77-Steve Kester
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. WD40-Dusty Moore; 2. 91-Rusty Schlenk; 3. 3-Rick Delong; 4. 15-Jon Henry; 5. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 6. 1-Jeff Babcock; 7. 21-Larry Kingseed; 8. 15B-Mike Bores; 9. 12M-Bobby Michaels
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth; 2. 666-Chester Fitch; 3. 1-Jeff Babcock; 4. 21-Larry Kingseed; 5. 92S-Cody Scott; 6. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 7. 92-Brandon Perkins; 8. 12-Michael Stiltner Ii; 9. 41-Randy Pollock; 10. 77-Steve Kester; 11. 12M-Bobby Michaels; 12. 15B-Mike Bores; 13. 22-Mike Stiltner; 14. 30-Nate Potts
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. WD40-Dusty Moore[1]; 2. 15-Jon Henry[4]; 3. 3-Rick Delong[6]; 4. 27-Ken Hahn[9]; 5. 5H-Ernie Haynes[7]; 6. 5M-Ryan Markham[8]; 7. 21-Larry Kingseed[19]; 8. 2D-Curtis Deisenroth[14]; 9. 1-Jeff Babcock[16]; 10. 50Y-Ryan Missler[11]; 11. 29-Rocky Owens[12]; 12. 99-Steve Sabo[10]; 13. 51-Devin Schiels[13]; 14. 91-Rusty Schlenk[5]; 15. 666-Chester Fitch[17]; 16. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.[2]; 17. 23C-Jeremy Canada[15]; 18. 92S-Cody Scott[18]; 19. X3-Dan Wallace[20]; 20. 48-John Bores[3]
Fremont Fence 305 Sprints
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 19R-Steve Rando; 2. 8K-Zack Kramer; 3. 83X-Nate Reeser; 4. 51-Brad Bowman; 5. M28-Josh Muntz; 6. 14-Chad Wilson; 7. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 8. 25-Jason Keckler; 9. 55-Benny Bowman
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 40-Bobby Clark; 2. 1W-Paul Weaver; 3. 94-John Ivy; 4. 41-Dustin Dinan; 5. 13-Junior Felver; 6. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 7. 22D-Dan Hammond; 8. 8J-Jess Stiger
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 2. 27-Paige Polyak; 3. 1-Nate Dussel; 4. 11F-D.J. Foos; 5. 39-Matt Merrill; 6. 31-Chuck Wilson; 7. 23-James Page; 8. 87-Ryan Hetrick
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. 14-Chad Wilson; 3. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 4. 23-James Page; 5. 31-Chuck Wilson; 6. 25-Jason Keckler; 7. 8J-Jess Stiger; 8. 22D-Dan Hammond; 9. 55-Benny Bowman; 10. 87-Ryan Hetrick
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 40-Bobby Clark[4]; 2. 1W-Paul Weaver[3]; 3. 19R-Steve Rando[6]; 4. 8K-Zack Kramer[9]; 5. 11F-D.J. Foos[7]; 6. 39-Matt Merrill[15]; 7. 1-Nate Dussel[2]; 8. 94-John Ivy[8]; 9. 41-Dustin Dinan[12]; 10. 27-Paige Polyak[11]; 11. 10X-Dustin Stroup[1]; 12. 31-Chuck Wilson[20]; 13. 35-Stuart Brubaker[16]; 14. M28-Josh Muntz[13]; 15. 83X-Nate Reeser[10]; 16. 51-Brad Bowman[5]; 17. 23-James Page[19]; 18. 9-Jimmy Colvin[18]; 19. 14-Chad Wilson[17]; 20. 13-Junior Felver[14]