By Brian Liskai
ATTICA, Ohio – For the first time since Attica Raceway Park opened in 1988, Mark Keegan will not be vying for a track championship. The track’s all-time feature winner retired prior to the 2011 season. However, “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speedplant will pay tribute to Keegan Saturday, Aug. 27 with the running of the Mark Keegan Classic on Kistler Racing Products/All Pro Heads Season Championship Night.
The drivers in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 410 Sprints; Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Models; Fremont Fence 305 Sprints; and Computer Man Dirt Trucks will be competing for double points. And, for the 410 sprints, the possibility of a lot of money is on the line as it is the next-to-last race in the Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series and its $10,000 prize.
In the 410 sprints, Dean Jacobs holds a narrow 21 point advantage over Brandon Martin while Bryan Sebetto is only 30 points out in third and six-time and defending track champion Byron Reed sits 92 points out. Jacobs holds a slim five-point lead in the FAST standings over Sebetto, who claimed his first Attica win of the season last Saturday. Defending FAST champion Reed is only 27 points back in the quest for the Kistler Cup. The 2009 FAST champion Craig Mintz sits fifth just 109 points out.
If Martin were to win Saturday, Jacobs would need to finish fourth or better to earn the track championship. If Brandon were to win then Dean would need to finish 4th to get the track championship. If Sebetto can win his second straight feature, Jacobs would need at least a sixth place finish to lock up the title.
And while the FAST champion will earn $10,000, if the same driver wins both Attica’s point title and Fremont’s championship he will earn a $3,000 bonus in addition to each track’s championship money!
Saturday’s 410 feature will pay $3,000 to win and will start 22 cars.
Also, Hoserville Ohio is going to pay $100 to the driver finishing 17th in both the 410 sprint and 305 sprint features in tribute to Ohio being the 17th state. Hoserville Ohio will also put up $100 for the driver advancing the most positions in the late model and dirt truck features.
In the late model point battle, Ryan Missler is trying to make it three track championships in a row. Though he is winless in 2011, his consistent top 10 finishes has him 108 points ahead of five-time Attica champion Larry Kingseed while Mike Bores is 144 points back in third and former track champion Ken Hahn is 146 points out in fourth.
If Kingseed would win Saturday’s feature, Missler would need to start the A-main in order to capture the track championship.
Nate Dussel’s two feature wins has him 42 points ahead of former track champion Stuart Brubaker in the 305 sprint division. Defending track champion D.J. Foos has recorded two wins in 2011 and sits third in the points, just 91 out of first. Paige Polyak is 119 points out in fourth place while Dustin Dinan rounds out the top five.
If Brubaker would pick up the win Saturday, Dussel would need to finish ninth or better to claim the track championship – a Brubaker win and a Dussel 10th place finish would mean a tie.
In the dirt truck points battle, Bob Dible’s three feature wins has given him a 32-point edge over former track champion Art Ball while defending track champion Brian Arnold is just 51 points back. Steve Endicott sits fourth just 66 points back while Dwight Walterneier is fifth, just 68 points back.
If Ball would win Saturday, then Dible would need to finish 7th or better to wrap up the track title. If Arnold wins, then Dible would need a 9th or better finish.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing under way at 7 p.m. Saturday.