By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio – Last year the Jim Ford Classic at Fremont Speedway became a two-day event for the first time, and the fan reaction was huge. This is quickly becoming one of the “must see” events of the racing season in the Midwest, and as the O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champions get ready to invade on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 17 and 18, plans are in the making for a great weekend of entertainment.
Fans will have a chance to see the All Star drivers like Knoxville Nationals Champion Tim Shaffer, two-time All Star champion Greg Wilson, Ohio Sprint Speedweek champion and Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year David Gravel, along with rookies Cap Henry and Jared Ridge and veteran Bill Rose, battle local stars like Craig Mintz, Byron Reed, Dean Jacobs, Mark Keegan, Bryan Sebetto and more. And once the roar of the racing engines are silent Friday, fans will be treated to a free rock concert!
Following Friday night’s racing Ford Fest will crank out the tunes in the campground north of the track. Local rock band “Quickshine” will knock out songs ranging from Shinedown and Pearl Jam…and reach back for classics from bands like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC…giving fans and campers a great reason to stay at the track and celebrate another great season at the speedway.
In an effort to make this event even more appealing for the race fan, the Sandusky County Fair Board has decided to waive camping fees for the entire weekend. hat’s right, FREE camping for those wishing to spend the weekend at the historic fairgrounds.
The show will take place in the campground area on the north side of North Street and will start immediately after the conclusion of the evening’s feature event for the All Stars. The show is “open ended”…so fans can plan on staying long after the roar of the engines has subsided and instead listen to the roar of well played rock musics.
“Quickshine” is a recently formed trio based in the Fremont area featuring musicians from several different bands who came together with the idea of playing great music…and having fun while doing it.
For frontman Mike Risner, Quickshine is one of many ongoing musical projects including the bands 9Fire and Soul Burn…and weekly solo acoustic gigs at Tiffin’s Clover Club.
Bassist Randy “RC” Cress and drummer Jimi Hilt have been playing together for over two decades dating back to their days with The Wuzz Band…and more recently with Sneaky Pete and Geezer Rampage.
All three musicians have a love for the classics…and a soft spot for the more modern hard rock acts…so race fans of all ages will find something to like in the sounds of Quickshine.
As for the racing action? Last year, with the largest purse in the 59-year history of “The Track That Action Built” on the line for the two-day show, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Stevie Smith opened on Friday with a victory after earning the pole starting spot in the exciting King of the Hill competition. He took home the $4,000 top prize and was eligible for a $6,000 if he could win the following night, for a possible $20,000 weekend. However, on Saturday, Shaffer, the 2009 All Star Champion, executed a daring pass of Smith in lapped traffic on lap 37 to claim the $10,000 victory in the 50-lap affair, with Smith having to settle for second.
It promises to be a fun-filled weekend of racing and rock and roll as the summer draws to an end.
For further information about the 2010 Jim Ford Classic, please visit the Fremont Speedway website at www.fremontohspeedway.com .