From Scott Porter – FAST Public Relations
MAUMEE, OH (6-28-10) — The 2010 edition of the Ohio Sprint Speedweek can be chalked up as one of the most grueling weeks in the 28-year history of the annual race across the Buckeye State. Over a dozen teams made the over 1,100-mile trek to all 9 events zig-zagging across Ohio, but only one Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) team braved the grueling hours behind the wheel of their rig and early morning maintenance to make it to all 9 of the shows.
Kevin Lee, a Green Springs, Ohio native, out ran current FAST Kistler Cup points leader Byron Reed by 71-points to collect FAST’s $500 Ohio Sprint Speedweek Cash Bonus presented by Fremont Speedway & Attica Raceway Park. The bonus money was offered up to any FAST Series driver who had competed in every FAST points event in 2010. If on one of those drivers were to win the Ohio Speedweek points title, the FAST Bonus Cash would have paid $1000, but All Star David Gravel was the victor. Lee picked up the $500 bonus as the highest finishing FAST Series driver at the end of the week.
In just his second year behind the wheel of the 800+ horsepower beasts known as 410 sprint cars, Kevin and the 3J Motorsports team put up an impressive 12th place finish in the Ohio Sprint Speedweek point standings with the help of qualifying for 7 of the 9 feature events. The grueling week for the team was capped off with an 11th place finish at Fremont Speedway on Saturday night. As Tim Shaffer & Stevie Smith put on a show up front, the JD Automotive, Papa Jimmie’s BBQ & Pizza, A.S.E. LLC Industrial Fabrication, King’s Den #3J Gressman Powersports powered Maxim was a fixture in the Top-10 for nearly the entire 50-lap finale. Lee would loose the tenth position late to Reed, but would hold on to collect his best finish of the week.
The driver formerly known as “The Leezard” was affectionately dubbed “The Sulfur City Outlaw” after an incident at Limaland on Friday night after an on track incident with another driver following a heat race crash that sent both drivers back to the pits on a hook. (Kevin’s home town of Green Springs, OH is famous for having the world’s largest natural sulfur springs.) That was only the second time during Speedweek where Lee failed to make it into the main event, the other coming at Waynesfield.
“It took a lot of work to make all 9-shows from driving home each night, washing the car and doing general maintenance before loading the rig back up and head off to the next stop. Luckily we were able to push it back into the trailer on most nights,” said Kevin Lee of his time on the road, “It certainly wouldn’t have been possible without having an owner like Jason Deel (of 3J Motorsports) who let us run the entire week and turned the wrenches day & night to get me on the track. Also Jason Hill, Kurt Humbert, Darrin Morrison, Mark Harger, Mike Day & “Q” all did their part in a what was a pretty successful week for us.”
The team looks to use some of the knowledge gained on the road to help them in their climb in the FAST Kistler Cup point standings. Currently the team finds themselves in 6th place knocking on the door at the Top-5 with just 24-points separating them from the defending FAST Champion Craig Mintz. Earlier this season, Lee collected his best finish of 4th place at Fremont Speedway and is coming off a 6th place run at Attica Raceway Park during the last Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series event.
“You know this week was important to me because of the amount of seat time I got. Plus getting to see everything from a 1/4-mile bullring to 3/8-mile high bank oval and add in the dry-slick conditions to wet and cowboy-up racing – plus the talent your racing against makes each lap a learning experience,” commented Lee on what he and the team learned from more than a week on the road, “That along with the trust we gained in each other’s abilities as a team and improving on the communication between me and Jason will only help us from here on out.”
Fifteen FAST Series drivers made their mark on the 28th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek by towing to at least a few new tracks outside the confines of Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway. Notable drivers included Byron Reed who defended the clay at Attica Raceway Park once again and picked up the opening night feature win. The win marked his second O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions victory of the season at Attica and his first during Ohio Speedweek since 2002. Other impressive showings during the week were Top-10 finishes by Reed, Dean Jacobs & Mike Linder at Limaland Motorsports Park. Brock Mayes, Brandon Martin & Lee Jacobs also collected several Top-10 finishes throughout the week of racing. The week ended with “The Gasman” Phil Gressman leading the majority of the 50-lap finale at “The Track That Action Built” (Fremont Speedway) only to have the lead and the $10,000 check slip from the grasp of the Genzman Racing Enterprises #53 in the final laps.
“We want to congratulate Kevin Lee and the 3J Motorsports team on a successful Ohio Speedweek,” stated FAST series organizer Bryan Autullo. “Nowhere else in the country can you go race 410 sprint cars for 9 straight nights against some of the best drivers in the land at 9 different tracks in a single state. Ohio Speedweek is a great tradition in our part of the world and we are proud of all the teams who got off the porch and traveled up and down the road this past week to show the rest of the Ohio dirt track fans who F.A.S.T. is.”
The race for the 2010 Kistler Cup Trophy and the champion’s $10,000 share of the FAST Series points fund heats up this coming holiday weekend as three features are on tap. First on Friday, July 2nd the teams will haul to Attica Raceway Park for Kear’s Speed Shop Fan Appreciation Night. Fans will be treated to a great night of racing for an affordable $10 general admission ticket price! Then on Saturday, July 3rd at Fremont Speedway the teams will first compete in the make-up feature from Night #10 before the regular night’s program begins. The month of July will separate the contenders from the pretenders as the series only takes off the July 16th-17th weekend for the running of the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway. This weekend also features point events for the FAST 305 Championship Series.
For more information on admission prices, start times and directions to either Northern Ohio track Visit www.atticaracewaypark.com or www.fremontohspeedway.com for more information. To find out more about the Kistler Racing Products F.A.S.T. Championship Series presented by SRP Pistons & Engine Pro, the drivers, the rules, the schedule, and to learn about the series’ sponsors visit www.fastondirt.com.
THEY’RE GOIN’ FAST… LESS THAN 200 REMAIN:
Don’t miss out on your chance of getting your hands on some Fremont / Attica Sprint Title merchandise before it is sold out! Fans can purchase the 2010 FAST Series T-Shirts (designed by Arizona Sport Shirts) FOR JUST $15.00 at the Action Photos booth at Attica and Fremont or order them online at www.fastondirt.com. Show your support for those who go FAST in Northern Ohio as all sales go right into the 2010 points fund! Other items that are still available include the Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series & FAST 305 Championship Series decals and the 2009 Season-In-Review DVDs, which includes 4 hours of racing action in a 2-DVD set for just $15.
FAST on Dirt, Inc. would like to thank the following contributors to the 2010 FAST Championship Series point fund:
Kistler Racing Products, Engine Pro, JE/SRP Pistons, Design Graphics Group, Inc, KS Sales & Service, Engler Machine & Tool, Oliver Rods, Henry MotorSports Inc., J&F Construction, Black Swamp Media Group, MyHeroCards.com, Kears Speed Shop, Computer Man, Inc., SCS Gearbox, RockAuto.com, Hoserville Ohio, Hoseheads.com, Level Performance, R&R Auto Wrecking, Reebar Diecasting, The King’s Den, FSR Radiator, Real Geese, Buckeye IT Services, High Vista Video, Racers Racing for a Cure, Gressman Powersports, NAPA (Bryan, OH), Gaerte Engines, Action Photos, PostNet (Fremont, OH), New York Life (Jeremy Shambaugh), Young’s RV Center, October Hills Farms, and OC Shocks
Also, a very special thanks to all of our contingency award sponsors:
R2C Filters, Hepfner Racing Products, TQ Fiberglass, Fuel Safe, Racing Optics, Rocket Headers, Wings Unlimited, VRP Shocks, Kinsler Injections, RAM Engineering Midwest, PRO Shocks, ButlerBuilt, Zemco Headers, Kinser Filters, Outerwears, Inc, DMI Race Components, Keizer Wheels, Linders Speed Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, XXX Race Components, Randy’s Racing Filters, Hinchman Indy Uniforms, King Racing Products, Golden Graphics, OC Shocks, Weld Wheels, KSE Steering, Competition Suspension, Inc, Ti22 Performance, All Pro Heads, FSR Radiator, Speed Meets Art, Productive Tools & Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts, and Fisher Performance