By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio – Byron Reed has served notice – he IS the sprint driver to beat in 2010 in Northwest Ohio. The Monclova, Ohio driver passed hall-of-famer Mark Keegan with just three laps to go to claim the 410 sprint feature to open the 59th season for Fremont Speedway Saturday on Bauman Auto Group/Fort Ball Pizza Palace Night.
Not to be out done, Fremont’s Paul Weaver passed Stuart Brubaker with five laps to go to claim the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature victory.
Clyde, Ohio’s Jimmy McGrath Jr. held off his dad, Jim McGrath to score his first career feature win at the “Track That Action Built” in the Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks.
Reed, who only posted one feature win in 2009 as he finished second in the points at Fremont, Attica Raceway Park and in the Kistler Racing Products FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) Championship series, has come out of the gates hot in 2010. Having already won at Attica, his win at Fremont will add to his point lead in the FAST title hunt.
Reed followed Keegan from lap 8, pulling under him a few times to challenge for the lead. Following a yellow on lap 21, Reed let Keegan get some distance on the restart, and then hunted him down and made the pass on lap 27 and went on for his 19th career Fremont victory.
“A couple of restarts earlier I tried to tuck right up under him and I wheelied real bad because of the dirty air so I gave myself a little more space so I wouldn’t upset my car. I really wasn’t sure how to go through three and four so I finally just went to the top and tried as hard as I could. I was probably about the same as Mark down there but I was beating him in one and two. It’s a privilege to run against Mark..he’s a legend around here and one of the guys I really look up to,” said Reed in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Schoenfeld Mufflers, Weld Wheels, Reebar Die-casting backed #5.
Former 305 sprint track champion Brubaker would lead laps 1-19, with Weaver hounding him from lap three on. Then, with five laps to go, Weaver was shot out of a cannon, diving low in turns one and two and into the lead. Weaver would go on to take his 26th career Fremont victory, tying him for 14th on the all-time win list at the track, with his car owner, Dee Genzman.
“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow if Dee parks the car,” joked Weaver. “I didn’t find anything on the bottom of one and two, I think he got tired and I got tired. We’re off to a good start I just hope we can keep it up all summer. I have to thank Dee Genzman, Level Performance, Schiets Motorsports, M&L Excavating, and my wife.”
Jimmy McGrath Jr. battled Cory Ward for the lead early in the dirt truck feature, and finally took the top spot on lap 6. It looked like he would cruise to the victory, but his dad, who started eighth, had other plans. McGrath Sr. would move into third on lap six and began hounding Ward for second, taking the runner-up position on lap 14. During a caution with five laps to go, senior pulled up beside junior to let him know the former track champion was on his bumper. It didn’t faze the younger McGrath, as he fought off several challenges from senior to get the win.
“I think dad was toying with me a little bit…I was getting kind of scared. I was waiting for him to hit me a little bit,” said McGrath Jr. “I’d like to thank Winesburg Barbecue, Tower Driving Academy, JF Miller Farms and B&K Auto.”
At the drop of the green in the 410 sprint feature, Rob Chaney grabbed the lead with Todd Kane, Keegan, Reed and Bryan Sebetto in tow. A caution would bunch up the field on lap 7 for Sheldon Haudenschild. A lap and another yellow for Jody Keegan. As the field came back to the yellow flag, Chaney and Kane tangled, ending the night for Chaney and handing the lead to Keegan with Reed, Phil Gressman, Sebetto, Kevin Lee and Mike Linder following. Keegan would pull away on the restart with Reed comfortably in second while Gressman, Sebetto and Lee waged a great battle for third.
At the half-way point, Reed had closed on Keegan as they raced side by side in turns three and four. Behind them Gressman and Sebetto also raced side by side for third as the lead pack hit lapped traffic. The final caution flew on lap 21 and on the restart Reed would let Keegan pull away slightly for the clean air. Meanwhile Gressman would have to fight through traffic in third while Lee would drive around Sebetto for fourth with 13th starter Craig Mintz moving into sixth.
It looked like Keegan would get his 60th career Fremont victory, but Reed had other intentions as he began to close as they got the five-to-go. Reed would drive under Keegan in turns one and two to steal the lead on lap 26 and power away for the victory. Keegan, Gressman, Lee and Mintz would round out the top five.
“It feels good…everything is clicking. Crew’s working hard, motors are working great and the car is working good,”’ said Reed in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.
Brubaker would grab the early lead of the 305 sprint feature with Bill Kraylek, Weaver, Chad Wilson and Brad Haudenschild in line. Weaver would grab second on lap three, but was unable to pull close to Brubaker. The action would grind to a halt on lap 8 as Zack Kramer took a nasty tumble (he was uninjured). On the restart, Weaver would begin pressuring Brubaker for the lead. The two would race side by side for the lead while Wilson and Haudenschild battling for the third spot. Two quick yellows on laps 15 and 16 would again bunch up the field with Brubaker using the clear track to pull away slightly. Then, with six laps to go, Weaver began to close and dove under Brubaker in turn two for the lead.
The battle for third was awesome between Wilson, Haudenschild and Bryan Sebetto. Weaver would take the checkers over Brubaker, Sebetto, Brad Bowman and Wilson rounding out the top five.
Former track champion Cory Ward grabbed the early lead of the truck feature with McGrath Jr., Brad Mitten, Art Howey Jr. and Steve Sabo following. McGrath Jr. would pressure Ward for the lead on lap five and drive around him for the lead a lap later. Eighth starter McGrath Sr. moved into third on lap six. As junior hit lapped traffic on lap 11, Ward, senior, Steve Sabo, Steve Endicott and Art Ball racing hard behind.
Senior would drive around Ward into second on lap 14 and closed on his son before the caution flew on lap 15. On the restart father and son would battle for the lead while Ward, Sabo, Endicott and Dible raced hard for third. McGrath Junior would hold off his dad for the win with Ward, Sabo and Endicott rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, May 8 with the Sunoco American Late Model Series, 305 sprints and dirt trucks in action.
Go to www.fremontohspeedway.com for more information.
Fremont Speedway – 5/1/2010
Baumann Auto Group Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints (30 Cars)
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 27-Scott Euler, 12.43; 2. 53-Phil Gressman, 12.48; 3. 10-David Harrison, 12.49; 4. 3J-Kevin Lee, 12.50; 5. 15C-Chris Andrews, 12.53; 6. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.55; 7. 5T-Travis Philo, 12.59; 8. 16-Bryan Sebetto, 12.59; 9. X-Mark Keegan, 12.61; 10. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 12.61; 11. 312-Mike Linder, 12.62; 12. 60-Jody Keegan, 12.66; 13. 20X-Craig Mintz, 12.72; 14. 22-Cole Duncan, 12.74; 15. 9X-Rob Chaney, 12.76; 16. 2+-Brian Smith, 12.77; 17. 28K-Todd Kane, 12.78; 18. 24H-Lee Jacobs, 12.80; 19. 26-Cody White, 12.86; 20. 11M-Brandon Martin, 12.88; 21. 28-Shawn Valenti, 13.00; 22. 11B-Brock Mayes, 13.05; 23. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.07; 24. 4K-Kody Kinser, 13.10; 25. 14H-Todd Heller, 13.11; 26. O-Bill Morrison, 13.48; 27. 11-Josh Harrison, 13.79; 28. 26X-Rodney Hurst, 13.83; 29. 47-Caleb Helms, 99.00; 30. 5I-John Ivy, 99.01
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 28K-Todd Kane; 2. X-Mark Keegan; 3. 28-Shawn Valenti; 4. 20X-Craig Mintz; 5. 27-Scott Euler; 6. 14H-Todd Heller; 7. 15C-Chris Andrews
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 11B-Brock Mayes; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 53-Phil Gressman; 4. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 6. O-Bill Morrison; 7. 5I-John Ivy; 8. 22-Cole Duncan
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 26-Cody White; 2. 9X-Rob Chaney; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 4. 312-Mike Linder; 5. 10-David Harrison; 6. 5T-Travis Philo; 7. 11-Josh Harrison
Heat 4 – Heat 4 (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 60-Jody Keegan; 2. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 3. 11M-Brandon Martin; 4. 2+-Brian Smith; 5. 4K-Kody Kinser; 6. 26X-Rodney Hurst; 7. 3J-Kevin Lee
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 27-Scott Euler; 2. 3J-Kevin Lee; 3. 10-David Harrison; 4. 15C-Chris Andrews; 5. 14H-Todd Heller; 6. 4K-Kody Kinser; 7. 5I-John Ivy; 8. 22-Cole Duncan; 9. 47-Caleb Helms; 10. O-Bill Morrison; 11. 11-Josh Harrison; 12. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 13. 5T-Travis Philo; 14. 26X-Rodney Hurst
A-Main – (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 5R-Byron Reed[6]; 2. X-Mark Keegan[4]; 3. 53-Phil Gressman[8]; 4. 3J-Kevin Lee[10]; 5. 20X-Craig Mintz[13]; 6. 16-Bryan Sebetto[5]; 7. 11M-Brandon Martin[17]; 8. 11B-Brock Mayes[19]; 9. 27-Scott Euler[7]; 10. 312-Mike Linder[12]; 11. 15C-Chris Andrews[11]; 12. 24H-Lee Jacobs[15]; 13. 14H-Todd Heller[20]; 14. 2+-Brian Smith[14]; 15. 28K-Todd Kane[1]; 16. 26-Cody White[16]; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[18]; 18. 9X-Rob Chaney[2]; 19. 60-Jody Keegan[3]; 20. 10-David Harrison[9]
Fremont Federal Credit Union – 305 Sprints (28 Cars)
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 39-Matt Merrill; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 3. 71-Bill Kraylek; 4. 31-Chuck Wilson; 5. 41-Dustin Dinan; 6. 65-Doug Berryman; 7. 25-Jason Keckler; 8. 30-Adam Ollom; 9. 8J-Jess Stiger; 10. 22D-Dan Hammond
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 94-John Ivy; 2. 1-Nate Dussel; 3. 10-Brad Haudenschild; 4. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 5. 27-Paige Polyak; 6. 81-Bobby Clark; 7. 19R-Steve Rando; 8. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 9. 55-Benny Bowman
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver; 2. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 3. 14-Chad Wilson; 4. 51-Brad Bowman; 5. 11F-D.J. Foos; 6. 8K-Zack Kramer; 7. M28-Josh Muntz; 8. 87-Ryan Hetrick
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 81-Bobby Clark; 2. 8K-Zack Kramer; 3. 19R-Steve Rando; 4. M28-Josh Muntz; 5. 65-Doug Berryman; 6. 22D-Dan Hammond; 7. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 8. 25-Jason Keckler; 9. 55-Benny Bowman; 10. 87-Ryan Hetrick; 11. 8J-Jess Stiger; 12. 30-Adam Ollom
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[3]; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[1]; 3. 16-Bryan Sebetto[10]; 4. 51-Brad Bowman[9]; 5. 14-Chad Wilson[4]; 6. 94-John Ivy[11]; 7. 10-Brad Haudenschild[6]; 8. 81-Bobby Clark[16]; 9. 41-Dustin Dinan[13]; 10. 71-Bill Kraylek[2]; 11. 1-Nate Dussel[12]; 12. 39-Matt Merrill[8]; 13. M28-Josh Muntz[19]; 14. 11F-D.J. Foos[15]; 15. 19R-Steve Rando[18]; 16. 31-Chuck Wilson[7]; 17. 10X-Dustin Stroup[5]; 18. 27-Paige Polyak[14]; 19. 8K-Zack Kramer[17]; 20. 65-Doug Berryman[20]
Fremont Fence Co. Dirt Trucks (26 Trucks)
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (7 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 4X-Brian Sorg; 2. 18W-Cory Ward; 3. 16-Steve Sabo; 4. 8KB-Kent Brewer; 5. 84-Ron Kepling; 6. 14-Scott Beard; 7. 13S-James Saam
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (7 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.; 2. 52-Will Tezak; 3. 23M-Brad Mitten; 4. O1-Art Ball; 5. 17-Bob Dible; 6. 71-Craig Holland; 7. 72-Eric Potridge; 8. O9-Jeff Wank; 9. 32H-Dan Hennig
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (7 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5-Jim McGrath; 2. 8-Steve Endicott; 3. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 4. 99-Art Howey Jr.; 5. 92-Loren Schwochow; 6. 6-Linda Sabo; 7. 30-Dave Gibbs; 8. 4S-Keith Sorg
B-Main – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 71-Craig Holland; 2. O9-Jeff Wank; 3. 30-Dave Gibbs; 4. 72-Eric Potridge; 5. 4S-Keith Sorg; 6. 6-Linda Sabo; 7. 14-Scott Beard; 8. 13S-James Saam
A-Main – (20 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[4]; 2. 5-Jim McGrath[8]; 3. 18W-Cory Ward[2]; 4. 16-Steve Sabo[7]; 5. 8-Steve Endicott[11]; 6. 17-Bob Dible[14]; 7. O1-Art Ball[9]; 8. 4X-Brian Sorg[10]; 9. 52-Will Tezak[6]; 10. 84-Ron Kepling[13]; 11. 71-Craig Holland[16]; 12. 92-Loren Schwochow[15]; 13. 23M-Brad Mitten[5]; 14. 30-Dave Gibbs[18]; 15. 72-Eric Potridge[19]; 16. 8KB-Kent Brewer[3]; 17. 36X-Dustin Keegan[12]; 18. 4S-Keith Sorg[20]; 19. O9-Jeff Wank[17]; 20. 99-Art Howey Jr.[1]
©2010 – Results Provided by: Computer Man Inc. Fremont, OH