FREMONT, Ohio – The difference was .045 seconds. Fremont, Ohio’s Bryan Sebetto edged two-time and defending All Star Circuit of Champions titlist Tim Shaffer for the biggest win of his career Saturday at Fremont Speedway.
Sebetto, who has now won over $25,000 in the past two weeks, banged wheels with Shaffer as they came down the front stretch to the checkered and was able to win the Jim Ford Classic and its $10,000 prize. It was Sebetto’s fourth win of the year at “The Track That Action Built” and came after a second place finish the previous night to Shaffer.
“Was that exciting?” yelled Sebetto over the roar of the hometown crowd after he climbed down from scaling the front stretch fence.
“I didn’t know whether to just follow the lapped car through three and four and keep my line or push the issue and pull off the line. I could hear someone back there…I knew he (Shaffer) was coming. We banged wheels…I hope he’s not mad because that was for $10,000. We’re buddies but this is for the win,” continued Sebetto in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Burmeister Racing/JLH Contractors/Stephen Mapus Tools/Schiets Motorsports/Wendy’s Restaurant/R&R Auto Wrecking/Big D’s Pizza backed machine.
“This is amazing. This team deserves this more than any team in the pits. They work so hard on this thing…they put their heart and soles and life savings into this to keep it on the race track. There’s just so many people that have made this possible…my racing career from the time I was a kid,” added Sebetto of his 17th career win at Fremont, which moves him into a tie for 30th on the all-time win list with Jack Hewitt and Jim Ward.
Two weeks ago, Sebetto crashed his mount at Attica Raceway Park. The car was taken to local legend Mark Keegan who had to weld and fix the frame. And it was good enough to give Sebetto the biggest win of his young career – his second All Star victory in as many years.
“I’m ready for the World of Outlaw race (on Oct. 15)…bring them on,” said Sebetto. “There’s no better chassis than a Maxim in my opinion…no matter what we do to it it’s fast. Mikey Summer works his butt off and he deserves every bit of thanks he gets. And Mango and Jay and Rollie and Tommie and the whole crew…they do so much.”
Shaffer was just as excited as Sebetto with the outcome.
“I was inching up on him little by little and if I had a chance I knew it would be in one and two and I hit it right…boy I nailed it that time and got a run on him down the back straight away. And then it got kind of funneled down and got tight and I was like ‘man I got underneath him but I pushed up the track. It was just a great race and a lot of fun. Bryan and his guys did a great job…hats off to them,” said Shaffer beside his Kistler Engines/Kistler Racing Products backed #83. “If anyone had to beat me I’m glad it was him…he’s a good friend. We gave him a shot at it. These guys have been doing a great job here all year.”
But looking at the bigger picture, the weekend gives Shaffer a big advantage in the chase for his third consecutive All Star national title and the $20,000 Ohio Region championship.
And while the crowd was abuzz about the tremendous battle for the win, they were also treated to another back to front charge as Greg Wilson sliced his way from dead last – 24th – to a third place finish.
“I knew if we could just get in the race – we haven’t been timing worth a darn and we hurt our real good engine last night. I have to thank Paul Kistler for helping us out with this engine. It isn’t the stoutest thing but the damn thing just keeps on trucking. Daniel Smith had this car awesome. I have to thank the good Lord above for looking out for us. We’ve had a couple of rough weeks here. But my wife and my dad and everyone that’s been helping…they’ve stuck by me,” said Wilson beside his All Star Plumbing and Heating/DNC Hydraulics/Ohio Logistics backed machine.
And if that 410 sprint feature wasn’t exciting enough, the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints was just as good. Race-long leader Caleb Griffith was attempting to make it a clean sweep of the weekend when D.J. Foos caught him with three laps to go. As the pair raced into the final two turns on the final lap, they made contact, sending both spinning off the track. That gave the lead to the 2010 rookie of the year Jason Keckler.
Keckler, who a few years ago crashed hard, injuring his neck in his first ever night of racing, would hold off his uncle Paul Weaver in the one lap dash to the finish to claim his first ever feature win at Fremont.
“I thought I was going to get third…I hate to see guys get torn up like that, but it’s racing,” said Keckler beside his Tiffany’s Furniture/Meggitt Farms backed machine. “I knew exactly who was behind me on that restart. My plan was to try not to mess up and if he got in front of me I’d run into him.”
“I want to thank my mom and dad, my sister, Paul and Andrea Weaver and Level Performance,” added Keckler.
In the Fremont Fence Dirt Truck feature, Jimmy McGrath Jr. and Cory Ward raced side-by-side over the last half of the race, with McGrath taking the win by a nose. It was his third victory of the year at Fremont and eighth career victory.
“I tried to keep this thing down and when he got under me I thought he had me. I just drove a little harder and held on,” said McGrath beside his JF Miller Farms/Tower Driving Academy/Winesburg Barbecue backed truck. “We broke our fifth rear-end last night and had to work all night to get back out here tonight. I have to thank Finishline Racing Fuels, my mom and dad and my girlfriend and everyone who helps out.”
In the 50-lap All Star feature, Sebetto and Todd Heller would lead the field to the green. Sebetto would bolt into the lead while Jac Haudenschild would steal second with Heller, Cole Duncan, Shaffer and Brad Haudenschild in tow. Shaffer would drive the bottom groove into third on lap four as Sebetto pulled away.
The caution would fly for a Cap Henry spin on lap 8 with the running order Sebetto, Haudenschild, Shaffer and Duncan. Sebetto was just ready to hit lapped traffic when the caution came out and Haudenschild had been closing. With a clear track, Sebetto again pulled away, as he set a blistering pace, encountering lapped traffic by the 15th circuit.
As the leaders raced through traffic, Shaffer quickly closed on Haudenschild, taking the runner-up spot on lap 20. Shaffer immediately starting reeling in Sebetto as they ran nose to tail until the caution flew on lap 26 for a Dale Blaney spin. Sebetto again had a clear track with a lapped car separating him and Shaffer while four lapped cars back it was Haudenschild in third, followed by Holtgraver, David Gravel and last place starter Greg Wilson.
Sebetto would pull away again from Shaffer slightly as Haudenschild now had his hands full with Gravel and Wilson. Shaffer began slowly inching closer to Sebetto, and when they raced back into lapped traffic with 15 circuits to go, the pair again ran nose to tail. The final caution would fly on lap 41, again handing Sebetto with a clear track, which he used on the ensuing restart to pull away slightly. Meanwhile Wilson had moved into third.
However, with two laps to go, Shaffer had quickly closed the game and raced to Sebetto’s inside. As they took the white flag, they raced into turns one and two with Sebetto up top and Shaffer on the bottom. The pair raced side by side into turn three with a lapped car right in front of Sebetto. Shaffer pounced, driving to the inside as Sebetto diamonded off the corner and charged at Shaffer. The pair banged wheels down the front stretch with Sebetto winning by a bumper.
In the 305 sprint feature, Griffith would charge into the early lead with Foos, Keckler, Dustin Dinan, Nate Dussel and Paul Weaver in tow. Foos would immediately challenge for the lead, but Griffith was too strong up top. Meanwhile, Keckler was locked into a great battle for third with Dussel and Weaver.
The first caution flew on lap 7 with the running order Griffith, Foos, Keckler, Weaver, Dussel and Stuart Brubaker. When the green came back out, Keckler was able to drive around Foos into second. The caution would fly again on lap 11 for debris with the running order Griffith, Keckler, Foos, Weaver, Dussel, Brubaker and Paige Polyak.
A couple of laps and another caution. On the ensuing restart Foos would drive back by Keckler into second as Griffith pulled away. As the race began to wind down, Foos inched closer and closer to Griffith until he was on his rear bumper with two laps to go. They raced side by side to the white flag and through one and two and then down the back stretch. As they hit turn three, Foos dove under Griffith who tried to block…the two touched and spun off the track with Griffith’s machine lying on its side.
That handed the lead to Keckler who held off Weaver, Brubaker, Polyak and Jordan Ryan in the one lap shoot out to the checkered.
In the 20 lap dirt truck main, it was Daniel Roepke Jr. grabbing the early lead over McGrath, Ward, Bob Dible and Art Ball. Roepke’s run would end a lap later as he coasted to a stop, handing the lead to McGrath while Dible had taken second from Ward. When the green came back out it was a barn-burner up front between McGrath, Dible, Ward, Ball and Kent Brewer.
The caution would fly on lap 7, but when the green came back out the battle resumed. Ward would take second from Dible and then pressured McGrath and took the lead on lap 11. When the caution flew on lap 12, McGrath would use the restart to his advantage to retake the top spot. Following another caution on lap 14, Ward would drive back to McGrath’s inside as they battled for the lead.
McGrath,, Ward, Ball, Dible and Brewer would all battle for the lead over the remaining six laps. McGrath was able to hold off the challenges to win by a bumper over Ward, Ball, Dible and Brewer.
Fremont Speedway will be off the next two weeks, but will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 8 for the season championship on Kistler Racing Products Night for the 410 and 305 sprints and dirt trucks.
For more information – including how to reserve seats for the Oct. 15 World of Outlaws race – go to www.fremontohspeedway.com
Fremont Speedway – 9/17/2011
Ludwing Propane Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints (31 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 45-Rob Chaney, 12.77; 2. 16-Bryan Sebetto, 12.79; 3. O9-Craig Mintz, 12.90; 4. 10-Brad Haudenschild, 12.93; 5. 7K-Cole Duncan, 12.94; 6. 70-Jac Haudenschild, 12.94; 7. 14H-Todd Heller, 12.97; 8. 83-Tim Shaffer, 12.98; 9. 3T-Tony Beaber, 12.99; 10. 3-Pete Miller, 12.99; 11. 89G-David Gravel, 13.00; 12. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 13.02; 13. 78-Todd Kane, 13.03; 14. 2-Dale Blaney, 13.05; 15. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.14; 16. 53-Phil Gressman, 13.15; 17. 4-Danny Smith, 13.16; 18. 2+-Brian Smith, 13.18; 19. 9X-Brandon Martin, 13.22; 20. 1X-Matt Linder, 13.24; 21. 5R-Byron Reed, 13.24; 22. 4K-Kody Kinser, 13.24; 23. 97-Dean Jacobs, 13.29; 24. O-Lee Jacobs, 13.30; 25. 312-Mike Linder, 13.32; 26. 60-Jody Keegan, 13.33; 27. O4-Cap Henry, 13.38; 28. 312X-Chris Andrews, 13.40; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.49; 30. 40-Mark Imler, 13.96; 31. 40H-Caleb Helms, 99.00
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 53-Phil Gressman[1] ; 2. 78-Todd Kane[2] ; 3. 3-Pete Miller[3] ; 4. 14H-Todd Heller[4] ; 5. 10-Brad Haudenschild[5] ; 6. 45-Rob Chaney[6] ; 7. 312X-Chris Andrews[10] ; 8. 312-Mike Linder[9] ; 9. 4K-Kody Kinser[8] ; 10. 9X-Brandon Martin[7]
Heat 2 – Heat 2 (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 2-Dale Blaney[2] ; 2. 83-Tim Shaffer[4] ; 3. 4-Danny Smith[1] ; 4. 16-Bryan Sebetto[6] ; 5. 89G-David Gravel[3] ; 6. 7K-Cole Duncan[5] ; 7. W20-Greg Wilson[10] ; 8. 60-Jody Keegan[9] ; 9. 1X-Matt Linder[7] ; 10. 97-Dean Jacobs[8]
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[2] ; 2. D4-Danny Holtgraver[3] ; 3. 2+-Brian Smith[1] ; 4. 70-Jac Haudenschild[5] ; 5. O-Lee Jacobs[8] ; 6. O4-Cap Henry[9] ; 7. O9-Craig Mintz[6] ; 8. 3T-Tony Beaber[4] ; 9. 40-Mark Imler[10] ; 10. 5R-Byron Reed[7]
Dash – R & R (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature
1. 16-Bryan Sebetto[2] ; 2. 14H-Todd Heller[1] ; 3. 70-Jac Haudenschild[5] ; 4. 7K-Cole Duncan[6] ; 5. 45-Rob Chaney[3] ; 6. 10-Brad Haudenschild[4]
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. O9-Craig Mintz[1] ; 2. W20-Greg Wilson[10] ; 3. 5R-Byron Reed[5] ; 4. 312-Mike Linder[7] ; 5. 3T-Tony Beaber[2] ; 6. 60-Jody Keegan[8] ; 7. 312X-Chris Andrews[9] ; 8. 4K-Kody Kinser[6] ; 9. 40-Mark Imler[11] ; 10. 1X-Matt Linder[4] ; 11. 9X-Brandon Martin[3] ; 12. 40H-Caleb Helms[12]
A-Main – (50 Laps)
1. 16-Bryan Sebetto[1]; 2. 83-Tim Shaffer[7]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson[24]; 4. 89G-David Gravel[9]; 5. 4-Danny Smith[17]; 6. D4-Danny Holtgraver[10]; 7. O9-Craig Mintz[11]; 8. 78-Todd Kane[13]; 9. 7K-Cole Duncan[4]; 10. 70-Jac Haudenschild[3]; 11. 14H-Todd Heller[2]; 12. 3T-Tony Beaber[12]; 13. 312-Mike Linder[21]; 14. 53-Phil Gressman[16]; 15. O4-Cap Henry[23]; 16. 45-Rob Chaney[5]; 17. 3-Pete Miller[8]; 18. 10-Brad Haudenschild[6]; 19. O-Lee Jacobs[20]; 20. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[15]; 21. 2-Dale Blaney[14]; 22. 2+-Brian Smith[18]; 23. 60-Jody Keegan[22]; 24. 5R-Byron Reed[19]
Hard Charger: W20-Greg Wilson[+21]
Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints (26 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 40-Caleb Griffith[5] ; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6] ; 3. 48-Mike Burkin[2] ; 4. 24-Dustin Dinan[7] ; 5. 22D-Dan Hammond[4] ; 6. 36-Seth Schneider[8] ; 7. 94-John Ivy[1] ; 8. 80-Jake Trevino[3]
Heat 2 – Heat 2 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[1] ; 2. 8K-Bobby Clark[4] ; 3. 27-Paige Polyak[2] ; 4. 8B-Zack Kramer[6] ; 5. 5R-Jordan Ryan[3] ; 6. 4M-Jamie Miller[8] ; 7. 10S-Roger Shammo[5] ; 8. 94K-Kurt Huber[9] ; 9. 1M-Mike Moore[7]
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 25-Jason Keckler[1] ; 2. OO-Alvin Roepke[2] ; 3. 1-Nate Dussel[4] ; 4. 11F-D.J. Foos[6] ; 5. 9-Jimmy Colvin[7] ; 6. 10X-Dustin Stroup[3] ; 7. 8J-Jess Stiger[8] ; 8. 77S-Jim Sipe[5]
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 4M-Jamie Miller[2] ; 2. 94-John Ivy[4] ; 3. 36-Seth Schneider[1] ; 4. 10S-Roger Shammo[5] ; 5. 10X-Dustin Stroup[3] ; 6. 8J-Jess Stiger[6] ; 7. 94K-Kurt Huber[8] ; 8. 77S-Jim Sipe[9] ; 9. 1M-Mike Moore[10]
A-Main – (25 Laps)
1. 25-Jason Keckler[3]; 2. 1W-Paul Weaver[6]; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker[8]; 4. 27-Paige Polyak[7]; 5. 5R-Jordan Ryan[14]; 6. 1-Nate Dussel[5]; 7. 8B-Zack Kramer[10]; 8. 94-John Ivy[17]; 9. OO-Alvin Roepke[12]; 10. 10S-Roger Shammo[19]; 11. 10X-Dustin Stroup[20]; 12. 22D-Dan Hammond[13]; 13. 36-Seth Schneider[18]; 14. 40-Caleb Griffith[1]; 15. 11F-D.J. Foos[2]; 16. 48-Mike Burkin[11]; 17. 24-Dustin Dinan[4]; 18. 9-Jimmy Colvin[15]; 19. 8K-Bobby Clark[9]; 20. 4M-Jamie Miller[16]
Hard Charger: 5R-Jordan Ryan[+9]
Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks (28 Trucks)
[#]-Starting Position
Heat 1 – Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[4] ; 2. OO-John Ivy[2] ; 3. 99-Art Howey Jr.[1] ; 4. 18W-Cory Ward[3] ; 5. 18-Alex Wiechman[6] ; 6. P51-Willie Keegan[7] ; 7. 30-Dave Gibbs[5] ; 8. 4S-Keith Sorg[9] ; 9. 115-Ben Good[8] ; 10. 6-Linda Sabo[10]
Heat 2 – Heat 2 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 88-Dan Roepke Jr.[5] ; 2. 8KB-Kent Brewer[1] ; 3. O1-Art Ball[3] ; 4. 8-Bob Dible[8] ; 5. 16-Steve Sabo[4] ; 6. O1X-Gary Ball[6] ; 7. 4-Dave Brewer[9] ; 8. 3R-Chuck Roelle[7] ; 9. 36X-Dustin Keegan[2]
Heat 3 – Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 32H-Dan Hennig[2] ; 2. 92-Loren Schwochow[4] ; 3. O-Andy Keegan[5] ; 4. 4X-Brian Sorg[1] ; 5. 23M-Brad Mitten[3] ; 6. 99X-Gene Potridge[8] ; 7. 22J-Josh Kiser[9] ; 8. 14-Scott Beard[7] ; 9. 21-Scott Fowler[6]
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. P51-Willie Keegan[1] ; 2. 3R-Chuck Roelle[8] ; 3. O1X-Gary Ball[2] ; 4. 4S-Keith Sorg[7] ; 5. 4-Dave Brewer[5] ; 6. 30-Dave Gibbs[4] ; 7. 22J-Josh Kiser[6] ; 8. 115-Ben Good[10] ; 9. 36X-Dustin Keegan[11] ; 10. 6-Linda Sabo[13] ; 11. 14-Scott Beard[9] ; 12. 99X-Gene Potridge[3] ; 13. 21-Scott Fowler[12]
A-Main – (20 Laps)
1. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[1]; 2. 18W-Cory Ward[3]; 3. O1-Art Ball[6]; 4. 8-Bob Dible[4]; 5. 8KB-Kent Brewer[5]; 6. 16-Steve Sabo[12]; 7. 32H-Dan Hennig[7]; 8. 92-Loren Schwochow[10]; 9. 4-Dave Brewer[16]; 10. 99-Art Howey Jr.[11]; 11. 23M-Brad Mitten[15]; 12. P51-Willie Keegan[14]; 13. 3R-Chuck Roelle[17]; 14. 4X-Brian Sorg[9]; 15. 18-Alex Wiechman[13]; 16. 4S-Keith Sorg[19]; 17. O-Andy Keegan[8]; 18. 30-Dave Gibbs[18]; 19. 88-Dan Roepke Jr.[2]
Hard Charger: 4-Dave Brewer[+7]