By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio – It’s often said sprint car drivers have to have a short memory. Well, Gibsonburg, Ohio’s Craig Mintz was able to rebound from a Friday night crash to take his second win in a row at Fremont Speedway Saturday, Aug. 7 on Burger King Night.
Mintz took the lead from Mark Keegan on lap 16 and pulled away for his fifth career victory at “The Track That Action Built.” The win also keeps his hopes alive for a second consecutive Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series title.
“I have to give all the credit to my crew. These guys were up all night rebuilding this car, took a quick nap and were right back at it first thing this morning,” said Mintz beside his Bobby’s Truck and Bus Repair, Reel Geese Decoys, Erie Shore Propane, KS Sales and Service backed #20x. “The track was awesome tonight. I like it when it slicks off and is smooth. You have room to move around and pass.
In the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints, John Ivy took the lead on lap 13 and drove off to his second victory of the season. It marked Ivy’s 29th career win at Fremont Speedway moving him to 12th on the track’s all-time win list.
“We’re finally getting this car figured out. And I love this type of track. You have to learn how to peddle the car..it’s not all just mash on the gas,” said Ivy beside his Wendy’s Restaurants, Adkins Fence, Tailgator’s Sports Pub, Sonny’s Machining and Welding backed #94.
The Fremont Fence Dirt Truck feature was a dandy as Steve Endicott, Cory Ward, Jim McGrath Jr., and Jim McGrath Sr. duked it out the last 9 laps. The last four laps, McGrath Jr. and Endicott literally raced side-by-side and as they came down to the checkered, McGrath Jr. won by a nose, his fourth victory of the season and second in a row.
“That was fun racing. Neither Steve or myself new who won,” said McGrath in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Tower Driving Academy, J&F Miller Farms, Winesburg Barbecue, B&K Auto Service backed #5jr. “I can’t believe we’ve won four features…it’s about time after all the struggles the past couple of years.”
In the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint feature, nine-time Fremont champion Mark Keegan jumped into the lead with Todd Heller, Mike Linder, Brandon Martin and Byron Reed in pursuit. In a race that saw only one caution, Keegan began to pull away from Heller as Bryan Sebetto moved from his sixth place starting spot to third by lap three. As Keegan ran in clean air, and Heller comfortably in second, Sebetto had his hands full with Linder, Martin and Reed. By lap 8, Mintz had only gained two spots to sit in sixth place.
On lap 10, the running order was Keegan, Heller, Sebetto, Linder, Martin and Mintz. However, Mintz began to make his move a lap later, following Martin around Linder. Then on lap 12, Mintz would drive into fourth and then under Sebetto to take third on lap 13. Meanwhile Keegan was beginning to catch the back of the field with Heller still running in second. Mintz would drive under Heller as the crossed flags indicated the race was only half over. Mintz quickly closed in on Keegan as the two raced side-by-side with Heller trying to hold off Sebetto for third.
Mintz would drive under Keegan exiting turn four to take the lead on lap 17 and began to pull away. Meanwhile, Sebetto took third with Martin moving into fourth. The running order did not change through lap 24 when the only caution flew for Brandy Bower who stopped on turn two. On the restart Mintz had two lapped machines between himself and Keegan. Mintz used the clear track to pull away the remaining fix laps for the win. Keegan would garner another second place run with Sebetto, Heller and Martin rounding out the top five.
In the 25-lap 305 sprint feature, Steve Rando grabbed the early lead over Bill Kraylek, Bobby Clark, Ivy and D.J. Foos. A caution for debris on lap two bunched up the field, followed by another caution a lap later when sixth place runner Paul Weaver spun in turn two. On the restart, Rando continued to lead as Clark drove to the outside of Kraylek to take second with Ivy into fourth. Rando, Clark, Kraylek and Ivy waged a torrid battle up front. Ivy would drive under both Kraylek and Clark into second on lap five and stalked Rando. With 10 laps in, Ivy raced under Rando as they battled side-by-side for the lead. Ivy would grab the top spot on lap 12 and began to pull away.
Meanwhile the battle for second between Rando, Kraylek and Clark was awesome. Kraylek would take second on lap 16 and Clark would move into third on lap 17 as Ivy raced into lapped traffic. Ivy would cruise around the bottom as Kraylek and Clark ran side by side over the remaining eight laps. Ivy would take the checkers over Kraylek, Clark, Rando and 18th place starter Alvin Roepke.
Steve Sabo grabbed the early lead of the 20-lap dirt truck main with Endicott, Ward, McGrath Sr. and McGrath Jr. right on his rear bumper. Endicott, who scored two feature wins at Fremont the previous week, would drive under Sabo into the lead on lap three. You could cover the top five with a blanket as Endicott continued to lead with Ward taking second on lap 5. The first caution would fly for a stalled Bob Dible on lap 7 with the running order Endicott, Ward, Sabo, McGrath Sr. and McGrath Jr. On the restart, Endicott still could not shake Ward as the McGraths both drove around Sabo. At the halfway point, Endicott led Ward while McGrath Jr. moved into third.
The caution would fly on lap 10 for debris, followed by another caution for a stalled Paul Brown Jr. the following lap. On the restart the top five still battled side by side with McGrath Jr. taking second from Ward on lap 13. With five laps to go, Endicott still led with McGrath Jr. and Ward side by side for second and McGrath Sr. right on their rear deck lids.
McGrath Jr. would drive to the outside of Endicott on lap 17 and they raced door to door the remaining three laps with Ward and McGrath Sr. right on their tails. As the white flag flew, Endicott would have the slight advantage on the bottom of turns one and two, but McGrath Jr. would drive to his outside in turns three and four and it was a drag race to the checkered. McGrath would win by a nose with Endicott, Ward, McGrath Sr. and Kent Brewer rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, Aug. 14 in an all-sprint car spectacular, featuring the 410 sprints and the annual 305 sprints verses NRA 360 sprints shootout.
For more information log onto www.fremontohspeeday.com
Fremont Speedway – 8/7/2010
Burger King Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints (25 Cars)
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 22-Cole Duncan, 13.47; 2. 20X-Craig Mintz, 13.57; 3. 16-Bryan Sebetto, 13.62; 4. 53-Phil Gressman, 13.74; 5. 1X-Matt Linder, 13.76; 6. 7K-Kyle Sauder, 13.84; 7. 3J-Kevin Lee, 13.88; 8. 45-Rob Chaney, 13.97; 9. 4K-Kody Kinser, 14.10; 10. 28-Shawn Valenti, 14.17; 11. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 14.20; 12. 97-Dean Jacobs, 14.28; 13. 11M-Brandon Martin, 14.36; 14. 5R-Byron Reed, 14.37; 15. 14H-Todd Heller, 14.39; 16. 312-Mike Linder, 14.48; 17. X-Mark Keegan, 14.51; 18. O6-Brandy Bower, 14.56; 19. 27-Scott Euler, 14.63; 20. 9-Ryan Myers, 14.65; 21. 4M-Jamie Miller, 14.78; 22. 36-Brent Coffman, 15.05; 23. 40-Mark Imler, 15.07; 24. 47-Caleb Helms, 15.19; 25. 11-Josh Harrison, 15.69
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 11M-Brandon Martin; 2. 312-Mike Linder; 3. 28-Shawn Valenti; 4. 3J-Kevin Lee; 5. 53-Phil Gressman; 6. 22-Cole Duncan; 7. 27-Scott Euler; 8. 11-Josh Harrison; 9. 36-Brent Coffman
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. X-Mark Keegan; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 20X-Craig Mintz; 4. 45-Rob Chaney; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 6. 1X-Matt Linder; 7. 40-Mark Imler; 8. 9-Ryan Myers
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 14H-Todd Heller; 2. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 3. 4K-Kody Kinser; 4. 7K-Kyle Sauder; 5. O6-Brandy Bower; 6. 97-Dean Jacobs; 7. 4M-Jamie Miller
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 22-Cole Duncan; 2. 97-Dean Jacobs; 3. 1X-Matt Linder; 4. 27-Scott Euler; 5. 4M-Jamie Miller; 6. 9-Ryan Myers; 7. 47-Caleb Helms; 8. 40-Mark Imler; 9. 11-Josh Harrison; 10. 36-Brent Coffman
A-Main – (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 20X-Craig Mintz[8]; 2. X-Mark Keegan[1]; 3. 16-Bryan Sebetto[6]; 4. 14H-Todd Heller[3]; 5. 11M-Brandon Martin[5]; 6. 5R-Byron Reed[4]; 7. 312-Mike Linder[2]; 8. 22-Cole Duncan[7]; 9. 53-Phil Gressman[9]; 10. 97-Dean Jacobs[17]; 11. 7K-Kyle Sauder[11]; 12. 3J-Kevin Lee[12]; 13. 1X-Matt Linder[10]; 14. 28-Shawn Valenti[15]; 15. 4K-Kody Kinser[14]; 16. 45-Rob Chaney[13]; 17. 4M-Jamie Miller[20]; 18. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[16]; 19. 27-Scott Euler[19]; 20. O6-Brandy Bower[18]
Hard Charger: 20X-Craig Mintz[+7]
Fremont Federal Credit Union – 305 Sprints (31 Cars)
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 3. 11F-D.J. Foos; 4. 35L-Tony Beaber; 5. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 6. 3B-Tim Bottles; 7. 5-Jordon Ryan
Heat 2 – Bell Racing Products (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. M28-Josh Muntz; 2. 81-Bobby Clark; 3. 71-Bill Kraylek; 4. 22D-Dan Hammond; 5. 10S-Roger Shammo; 6. 80-Jake Trevino; 7. 312-Alvin Roepke; 8. 2N-Brian Neeb
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 94-John Ivy; 2. 25-Jason Keckler; 3. 19R-Steve Rando; 4. 8K-Zack Kramer; 5. 24-Jeremy Keegan; 6. 8J-Jess Stiger; 7. 24X-Tom Nichols; 8. 48-Mike Burkin
Heat 4 – Heat 4 (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 51-Brad Bowman; 2. 5X-Dustin Dinan; 3. 27-Paige Polyak; 4. 9-Jimmy Colvin; 5. 83X-Nate Reeser; 6. 30-Adam Ollom; 7. 87-Ryan Hetrick
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 2. 312-Alvin Roepke; 3. 80-Jake Trevino; 4. 83X-Nate Reeser; 5. 24-Jeremy Keegan; 6. 8J-Jess Stiger; 7. 55-Bryan Sebetto; 8. 48-Mike Burkin; 9. 30-Adam Ollom; 10. 5-Jordon Ryan; 11. 10S-Roger Shammo; 12. 3B-Tim Bottles; 13. 87-Ryan Hetrick; 14. 2N-Brian Neeb
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 94-John Ivy[6]; 2. 71-Bill Kraylek[2]; 3. 81-Bobby Clark[4]; 4. 19R-Steve Rando[1]; 5. 312-Alvin Roepke[18]; 6. 11F-D.J. Foos[3]; 7. 35-Stuart Brubaker[7]; 8. M28-Josh Muntz[9]; 9. 1W-Paul Weaver[8]; 10. 25-Jason Keckler[10]; 11. 9-Jimmy Colvin[16]; 12. 35L-Tony Beaber[13]; 13. 5X-Dustin Dinan[5]; 14. 80-Jake Trevino[19]; 15. 8K-Zack Kramer[15]; 16. 27-Paige Polyak[12]; 17. 10X-Dustin Stroup[17]; 18. 51-Brad Bowman[11]; 19. 83X-Nate Reeser[20]; 20. 22D-Dan Hammond[14]
Hard Charger: 312-Alvin Roepke[+13]