By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, OHIO – Brock Mayes has passed a lot of cars so far this racing season, but had yet to reach the Engine Pro Victory Lane at Fremont Speedway. That changed Sunday, as the Bucyrus, Ohio driver drove under Todd Heller on lap 16 and went on to claim his first Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint victory on Helms & Son Excavating Night.
“I knew the bottom was the only place to be. I saw that parts were taking a little rubber and when Todd slipped up I got under him and I wasn’t moving,” said Mayes of his 9th career Fremont victory. “I wouldn’t have believed the track would slick off this much, but I was here till 2:30 in the morning and Farmer (speedway promoter Rich Farmer) and the boys tilled it up and dumped water into it. I’ll give them an A for effort…they tried but this heat and stuff. I’ll take this win…I’ve gotten beat on the rubber before.”
Ryan Missler dominated the late model feature, lapping up to 10th place to get his third career Fremont Speedway win.
“I was getting kind of impatient there with lapped traffic. I hated to root those guys out of the way…I didn’t know how close second was,” said Missler in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Taze DJ, Terry McConnell Excavating, Quality Welding, Keizer Wheels backed #50.
“I watched the 410 feature race and saw one car try the high side and go backwards so I figured I’d keep it on the bottom. My wife drew me a number 1 pill and that’s how we got it done tonight…starting on the pole,” added Missler.
Defending Fremont Fence Dirt Truck track champion Steve Endicott was able to drive around rookie Jeff Wank on lap 10 and went on to score his eighth career Fremont victory.
“I just was patient and kept trying him on the bottom and finally he slipped a little and I was able to drive around him,” said Endicott of his winning move. “I have to thank Crown Battery, Fostoria Bait and Tackle and Bob’s Machine Shop and all Bob’s (Dible) crew for working on this thing.”
In the 30-lap 410 sprint feature, Mayes grabbed the early lead with Todd Heller, Mark Keegan and Phil Gressman in tow. Heller would drive under Mayes entering turn three and take the lead on lap 3. Mayes would stay close while Gressman would take third on lap five. The entire field ran single file over the next few laps before Heller would slip off the bottom of turn three and Mayes would pounce, driving into the lead.
Mayes would hit the back of the field and was content to follow as Gressman would slide into second on lap 17 and then pressured Mayes on lap 19. Gressman would try to drive to the outside, allowing Heller to sneak back into second and Keegan into third. Craig Mintz would drive into the third spot on lap 22 while Heller attempted to close on Mayes. Mayes stayed glued to the bottom and would take the checkered over Heller, Mintz, Gressman and Lee Jacobs.
“I have to thank my crew, Daniel (Smith) and Keith (Kramer). They keep the car here in Fremont all week because my family business is so busy, and they work on it and I just show up and drive. I have to thank my dad and mom, my wife and our business, J&F Construction and Kear’s Speed Shop, Kinn Brothers Heating and Cooling and Mansfield Cement for all their help,” said Mayes.
Missler would drive away from the field in the late model feature, with Josh Scott, Steve Kester, Ernie Haynes, Ryan Markham and Wayne Maffett Jr. battling for second. Missler would enter lapped traffic by lap seven, but Scott could not close. Meanwhile a heck of a race for third was underway with Kester, Haynes, Markham, Ron Miller and Maffett. Missler would pick his way through the traffic with Scott not being able to close with Kester now comfortably in third and Haynes and Markham racing side by side for fourth.
The caution-free feature would wind down with Missler a half track ahead at the checkers over Scott, Kester, Markham and Haynes.
Rookie Jeff Wank would take the lead at the drop of the green for the dirt truck feature with Dible, Endicott and Loren Schwochow and Art Ball in pursuit. Wank would look like a veteran as he would not budge off the bottom while Dible and Endicott ran side-by-side right on his rear bumper. A couple of early yellows would keep the field tight, but Wank would continue to lead. Endicott would drive around Dible for second on lap 8 and begin hounding Wank. Two laps later Endicott drove to Wank’s outside in turn three and would steal the lead.
Endicott would pull away for the win with Wank, Dible, Dan Hennig and Jim McGrath rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, June 5 on Jon Wright’s Custom Chrome Plating Night with the 410 sprints, 305 sprints and dirt trucks in action. The second class of the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame will be inducted prior to the night’s racing at 3 p.m. in the covered grandstands and all fans are welcome to attend. It will also be a Kistler Racing Products FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) Championship Series night for the 410 sprints and a FAST Title Night presented by Cleveland Golf and Kear’s Speed shop for the 305 sprints.
For more information go to www.fremontohspeedway.com
Fremont Speedway – 5/30/2010
Helms & Son’s Excavating Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints (28 Cars)
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 60-Jody Keegan, 13.86; 2. 27-Scott Euler, 14.07; 3. O-Brandon Wimmer, 14.09; 4. 24H-Lee Jacobs, 14.21; 5. 11M-Brandon Martin, 14.32; 6. 14H-Todd Heller, 14.34; 7. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.50; 8. 20X-Craig Mintz, 14.51; 9. 5R-Byron Reed, 14.53; 10. 53-Phil Gressman, 14.56; 11. 16-Bryan Sebetto, 14.59; 12. 312-Mike Linder, 14.65; 13. 3J-Kevin Lee, 14.67; 14. 26-Cody White, 14.70; 15. 15C-Chris Andrews, 14.72; 16. 11B-Brock Mayes, 14.73; 17. X-Mark Keegan, 14.78; 18. 51-Craig Keel, 14.80; 19. 47-Caleb Helms, 14.84; 20. 28-Shawn Valenti, 14.92; 21. 9X-Rob Chaney, 15.02; 22. O4-Cap Henry, 15.08; 23. 45-Brian Lay, 15.43; 24. 5M-Jamie Miller, 15.54; 25. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 15.80; 26. 1B-Keith Baxter, 15.88; 27. 11-Josh Harrison, 16.60; 28. 10-David Harrison, 99.99
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 11B-Brock Mayes; 2. 53-Phil Gressman; 3. 3J-Kevin Lee; 4. W20-Greg Wilson; 5. 60-Jody Keegan; 6. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 7. 47-Caleb Helms; 8. O4-Cap Henry; 9. 9Z-Duane Zablocki
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 20X-Craig Mintz; 2. X-Mark Keegan; 3. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 4. 45-Brian Lay; 5. 11M-Brandon Martin; 6. 1B-Keith Baxter; 7. 26-Cody White; 8. 28-Shawn Valenti; 9. 27-Scott Euler
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 14H-Todd Heller; 2. 15C-Chris Andrews; 3. 5R-Byron Reed; 4. O-Brandon Wimmer; 5. 5M-Jamie Miller; 6. 51-Craig Keel; 7. 312-Mike Linder; 8. 9X-Rob Chaney; 9. 11-Josh Harrison
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 2. 312-Mike Linder; 3. 27-Scott Euler; 4. 26-Cody White; 5. 28-Shawn Valenti; 6. 9X-Rob Chaney; 7. 1B-Keith Baxter; 8. O4-Cap Henry; 9. 51-Craig Keel; 10. 11-Josh Harrison; 11. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 12. 47-Caleb Helms
A-Main – (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 11B-Brock Mayes[2]; 2. 14H-Todd Heller[6]; 3. 20X-Craig Mintz[5]; 4. 53-Phil Gressman[4]; 5. 24H-Lee Jacobs[10]; 6. X-Mark Keegan[1]; 7. 5R-Byron Reed[13]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson[12]; 9. O-Brandon Wimmer[9]; 10. 16-Bryan Sebetto[14]; 11. 11M-Brandon Martin[11]; 12. 3J-Kevin Lee[16]; 13. 28-Shawn Valenti[18]; 14. 5M-Jamie Miller[20]; 15. 26-Cody White[17]; 16. 312-Mike Linder[15]; 17. 15C-Chris Andrews[3]; 18. 45-Brian Lay[19]; 19. 60-Jody Keegan[7]; 20. 27-Scott Euler[8]
Hard Charger: 5R-Byron Reed[+6]
UMP Late Models (26 Cars)
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 2. 12-Michael Stiltner II; 3. 21-Larry Kingseed; 4. 77-Steve Kester; 5. 92-Brandon Perkins; 6. 48-John Bores; 7. 12M-Bobby Michaels; 8. 30-Nate Potts; 9. 84-Tim Sabo
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 2. 30JS-Josh Scott; 3. 5M-Ryan Markham; 4. 50Y-Ryan Missler; 5. 99-Steve Sabo; 6. 27-Bill Hahn; 7. 71JS-Joe Smith; 8. 1X-Allen Warner; 9. 15B-Mike Bores
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Ron Miller; 2. 5H-Ernie Haynes; 3. 25-Ryan Eddleblute; 4. 71-Rusty Smith; 5. 69-John Mayes Jr.; 6. 22-Michael Stiltner; 7. 18-Jim Gingery; 8. 22X-Kerry Rouse
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 27-Bill Hahn; 2. 48-John Bores; 3. 15B-Mike Bores; 4. 84-Tim Sabo; 5. 18-Jim Gingery; 6. 30-Nate Potts; 7. 22-Michael Stiltner; 8. 71JS-Joe Smith; 9. 1X-Allen Warner; 10. 22X-Kerry Rouse; 11. 12M-Bobby Michaels
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 50Y-Ryan Missler[1]; 2. 30JS-Josh Scott[7]; 3. 77-Steve Kester[2]; 4. 5M-Ryan Markham[8]; 5. 5H-Ernie Haynes[3]; 6. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.[10]; 7. 69-John Mayes Jr.[15]; 8. 35-Ron Miller[11]; 9. 15B-Mike Bores[18]; 10. 84-Tim Sabo[19]; 11. 99-Steve Sabo[14]; 12. 71-Rusty Smith[4]; 13. 27-Bill Hahn[16]; 14. 21-Larry Kingseed[12]; 15. 25-Ryan Eddleblute[9]; 16. 12-Michael Stiltner II[5]; 17. 48-John Bores[17]; 18. 92-Brandon Perkins[13]; 19. 18-Jim Gingery[20]; 20. 23C-Jeremy Canada[6]
Hard Charger: 15B-Mike Bores[+9]
Fremont Fence Co. Dirt Trucks (26 Trucks)
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (7 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 8-Steve Endicott; 2. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 3. 6-Steve Sabo; 4. 5-Jim McGrath; 5. 23M-Brad Mitten; 6. 32H-Dan Hennig; 7. 52-Will Tezak; 8. 8KB-Kent Brewer; 9. 9-Roger Inks
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (7 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 56-Alex Weichman; 2. O1-Art Ball; 3. 3R-Chuck Rolle; 4. 92-Loren Schwochow; 5. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 6. O-Andy Keegan; 7. 13-Jeff Wilber; 8. 14-Scott Beard; 9. 4X-Brian Sorg
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (7 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 17-Bob Dible; 2. O9-Jeff Wank; 3. 18W-Cory Ward; 4. 4S-Keith Sorg; 5. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.; 6. 71-Craig Holland; 7. 13S-James Saam; 8. 30-Dave Gibbs
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 32H-Dan Hennig; 2. 8KB-Kent Brewer; 3. 9-Roger Inks; 4. O-Andy Keegan; 5. 71-Craig Holland; 6. 52-Will Tezak; 7. 13S-James Saam; 8. 30-Dave Gibbs
A-Main – (20 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 8-Steve Endicott[4]; 2. O9-Jeff Wank[1]; 3. 17-Bob Dible[3]; 4. 32H-Dan Hennig[16]; 5. 5-Jim McGrath[6]; 6. O1-Art Ball[5]; 7. 18W-Cory Ward[8]; 8. 23M-Brad Mitten[13]; 9. 8KB-Kent Brewer[17]; 10. 56-Alex Weichman[11]; 11. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[10]; 12. 36X-Dustin Keegan[14]; 13. 92-Loren Schwochow[2]; 14. 6-Steve Sabo[7]; 15. 4S-Keith Sorg[9]; 16. O-Andy Keegan[19]; 17. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[15]; 18. 71-Craig Holland[18]; 19. 3R-Chuck Rolle[12]; 20. 9-Roger Inks[20]
Hard Charger: 32H-Dan Hennig[+12]