Dean Jacobs Wins at Fremont

#97 Dean Jacobs. - Action Photos
From Brian Liskai

Fremont, OH — (May 19, 2012) — Like last season, Dean Jacobs has passed a lot of cars this season, but has not scored a win. That changed Saturday on Ohio Logistics Night at Fremont Speedway as the Wooster, Ohio driver took the lead on lap 17 after a spirited battle with Mike Linder, and then held off a charging Bryan Sebetto to score his fourth career 410 sprint victory at The Track That Action Built.

“It’s been awhile…Fremont was a lot to my liking tonight. I think Larry (Helms) and Rich (Farmer) did a nice job with the race track as dry as it’s been. Last week it was pretty slick and we struggled a little bit. Tonight we had moisture on top, a little bit on the bottom, some holes…you had to really drive your race car. It was a lot of fun,” said Jacobs beside his Northwest Ohio Towing, NAPA Truck Center backed machine in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.

In 2011, Jacobs claimed the Attica Raceway Park championship and finished a very close second to Sebetto in the Fremont points and the Kistler Racing Products FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) Championship chase. He had to battle with Sebetto once again Saturday in a FAST championship event. A caution with six laps to go put Sebetto right on Jacobs’s rear bumper, but Sebetto slipped up off the cushion in turn two on the restart and Jacobs drove away to the win.

“I knew I should expect something on that restart. Aaron (Hammer, crew chief on Sebetto’s car) said something to me (after the checkered). I said ‘where you guys on my butt there?’ And he said ‘no.’ I wished I had known that because I was waiting for that slide job. Bryan’s a heck of a racer…he drives hard and he will win a lot of races,” added Jacobs. “It made a big difference to start up front. I don’t care where you race, the competition is tough…there’s 10 to 15 cars in this pit area every night that can win here. You just got to start close to the front…it’s just the way it is in racing now. There’s very few guys that can come from the back and win. But still, this was a race track you could race on tonight. It was a lot of fun. I want it just like this next week…I’d like to beat them All Stars (UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions)…it’s been a long time since I won an All Star race. And Joe and Diane Seeling (car owners) and my Ryan my crew chief deserve an All Star win and we’re going to get them one.”

In the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints, Fremont native D.J. Foos battled Jamie Miller for eight laps before taking the lead on lap 18 and held off a late race charge from Nate Dussel to score his second victory of the year at Fremont and his sixth overall (he has four at Attica). It was the second of 10 FAST events for the 305 sprints in 2012. Foos now has five career victories at The Track That Action Built.

“I busted my tail to win this thing. The curb was really hard to run and I was beating myself up on it but I wanted this one more than anyone here and I think I did a great job proving that. I got off the back side of turn two battling for the lead and I figured I’m ahead of him and I’m not lifting now because it’s hard to pass…everyone is so close. I saw the opportunity and went for it,” said Foos beside his Buckshot Farms, Automatic Fire Protection, Tender Turn Car Wash, Pit Stop Carryout, Schiets Motorsports, Crown Battery, JLH General Contractors, Level Performance backed machine.

Following a spat of cautions in the early going of the Fremont Fence Dirt Truck feature, the final 11 laps were exciting as Dustin Keegan, John Ivy and Bob Dible ran bumper to bumper. Coming down to the checker, Keegan, who would not budge off the bottom groove, saw Ivy jump to his outside and it was a drag race with Keegan earning his second career win and second this season by just .04 seconds.

“I wasn’t going to let Johnny psychic me out. I let Art Ball get me last week and I just had to get another one here. A lot of cautions again…just like the last time I won. I held on again,” said Keegan. “I have to thank Ted Foster of Foster’s Auto Body, Advanced Auto Parts, York Fabrication, Chuck Roelle Fabrication, Joe West and the entire crew.”

Broc Martin and Mike Linder would bring the field of 20 to the green of the 30 lap Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint feature. Martin would grab the lead with Linder racing to his outside and Jacobs making it a three car battle. Linder would drove around Martin into the top spot on lap four with Jacobs following into second a lap later. Chris Andrews would spin on the front stretch with a broken front axle on lap seven for the first of only two cautions in the event.

Linder would rocket away in the lead on the restart with Jacobs remaining within striking distance with Martin waging a torrid battle with Brian Lay, Dale Blaney, Craig Mintz and Sebetto for third. Lay would move into the third spot on lap nine as Sebetto would ride the outside rim into fourth. As they raced into lapped traffic on the 13th circuit, Jacobs was now racing side-by-side with Linder with Sebetto closing. At the halfway point, it was a tremendous three car battle for the lead with Linder, Jacobs and Sebetto and behind them a good race for fourth with Lay, Blaney and Mintz. Jacobs would rocket under Linder exiting turn two on the 17th lap to take the lead with Sebetto using lapped traffic to grab second a lap later.

With 10 laps to go, Jacobs found himself in heavy lapped traffic and Sebetto was on the charge with Linder and Blaney locked in a spirited battle for third. Brandon Martin would bring out the caution on lap 24 as he spun in turn two. The restart order was Jacobs, Sebetto, a lapped machine, Linder, Blaney, another lapped car and Mintz. Jacobs and Sebetto would run nose to tail on the restart as Sebetto searched for a way to take the lead. Just after completing the 26th lap, Sebetto would slide off the high side of turn two and Jacobs rocketed away to win by half a straight away. Sebetto, Linder, Blaney and Mintz would round out the top five.

Caleb Griffith and Jamie Miller would bring the field to the green for the 25-lap 305 sprint feature. But, before a lap could be completed a multi-car spin in turn three involving Steve Rando, Tyler Gunn, Jason Keckler and Paige Polyak would necessitate a complete restart. When the green flew, Griffith would rocket into he lead over Alvin Roepke, Miller, Foos, John Ivy, Nate Dussel and Dustin Dinan. The caution would fly again for a Dinan spin and once again Griffith would pull away on the restart while Roepke, Miller and Foos battled for second.

Miller would take second on lap five and closed on Griffith, but Jess Stiger would tip over on the back stretch to bring out the red. On the restart, Miller executed a slide job on Griffith in turns three and four to take the lead. The caution would fly for debris on the track on lap nine with Miller leading Griffith, Foos, Roepke, Dussel, Paul Weaver and Ivy. Miller would continue to lead as Foos moved into second when the green came back out with Dussel grabbing third on lap 11. Foos began closing on lap 13 and with 11 laps to go was racing under Miller for the lead as they raced into traffic. Miller and Foos ran nose to tail the next two circuits before Foos would execute his winning move exiting turn two on lap 18.

Miller would slip up the track on lap 19 allowing Dussel and Griffith to get by. No one was going to catch Foos as he drove to the checkered flag over Dussel, Griffith, Miller and John Ivy. Polyak, after her opening lap mishap, would score the hard-charger award, driving from 22nd to a sixth place run.

In the 20-lap Fremont Fence Dirt Truck main, Steve Endicott and Craig Holland would bring the field to the green with Holland taking charge over Endicott, Chuck Roelle, Dan Roepke Jr., Dustin Keegan, Kent Brewer and Bob Dible. Roepke would charge into second on the second circuit, bringing Keegan into third. Holland, Roepke and Keegan would begin a three truck battle for the top spot until the first of several early race cautions flew on lap four for a Cory Ward spin. A lap and another caution for a Jeff Wank spin as the caution would fly on the restart for an Endicott mishap.

This time on the restart Keegan would make his move inside of Holland to take the lead on lap six, bringing John Ivy into second and Holland back to third. The caution would fly again on lap 7 when Roelle coasted to a stop. A lap and another caution when Roepke spun in turn four, collecting Kent Brewer.

The remaining 12 laps would go caution free.

Keegan would lead on the restart with Ivy applying pressure as well as Dible while Art Ball and Willie Keegan in pursuit. Keegan would not budge off the bottom as Ivy raced glued to his rear bumper while Dible searched for a way around both. That fantastic battle would continue to the white flag. As they raced off turn four to the checkered, Ivy drove to Keegan’s outside with Dible trying to go to the bottom. Keegan won by a nose over Ivy, Dible, Ball and Willie Keegan.

Fremont Speedway will host a big double-header weekend on Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27 (rain date of Monday for the May 27 event if needed) with the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions invading. The 305 sprints and dirt trucks will also be in competition on Kear’s Speed Shop and Bud Light nights.

For more information go to www.fremontohspeedway.com .

Fremont Speedway – 5/19/2012

Ohio Logistics Night

Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints (25 Cars)

[#]-Starting Position

Qualifying – Callie’s Performance

1. 24H-Bryan Sebetto, 12.571; 2. 16-Chris Andrews, 12.660; 3. 40-Caleb Helms, 12.668; 4. 2-Dale Blaney, 12.716; 5. 45L-Brian Lay, 12.750; 6. O9-Craig Mintz, 12.787; 7. 97-Dean Jacobs, 12.789; 8. 12-Jarred Ridge, 12.796; 9. 3-Mike Linder, 12.886; 10. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.901; 11. 4-Danny Smith, 12.912; 12. 83M-Broc Martin, 12.948; 13. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.000; 14. 53-Phil Gressman, 13.033; 15. 14H-Todd Heller, 13.050; 16. 55-Brad Bowman, 13.051; 17. 9X-Brandon Martin, 13.065; 18. 35-Stuart Brubaker, 13.119; 19. 14-Chad Wilson, 13.182; 20. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 13.232; 21. 60-Jody Keegan, 13.348; 22. 2+-Brian Smith, 13.446; 23. 5T-Travis Philo, 13.471; 24. 17-Marty Perovich, 13.765; 25. O6-Brandy Bower, 14.116

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 97-Dean Jacobs[4] ; 2. 55-Brad Bowman[1] ; 3. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[2] ; 4. 2-Dale Blaney[5] ; 5. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[6] ; 6. 5R-Byron Reed[3] ; 7. 2+-Brian Smith[8] ; 8. 14-Chad Wilson[7] ; 9. O6-Brandy Bower[9]

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 9X-Brandon Martin[1] ; 2. 53-Phil Gressman[2] ; 3. 45L-Brian Lay[5] ; 4. 12-Jarred Ridge[4] ; 5. 5T-Travis Philo[8] ; 6. 16-Chris Andrews[6] ; 7. 44W-Austen Wheatley[7] ; 8. 4-Danny Smith[3]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 35-Stuart Brubaker[1] ; 2. 3-Mike Linder[4] ; 3. O9-Craig Mintz[5] ; 4. 83M-Broc Martin[3] ; 5. 14H-Todd Heller[2] ; 6. 17-Marty Perovich[8] ; 7. 40-Caleb Helms[6] ; 8. 60-Jody Keegan[7]

B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 40-Caleb Helms[2] ; 2. 16-Chris Andrews[1] ; 3. 5R-Byron Reed[3] ; 4. 2+-Brian Smith[8] ; 5. 4-Danny Smith[4] ; 6. 44W-Austen Wheatley[6] ; 7. 17-Marty Perovich[9] ; 8. 60-Jody Keegan[7] ; 9. O6-Brandy Bower[10] ; 10. 14-Chad Wilson[5]

A-Main – (30 Laps)

1. 97-Dean Jacobs[4]; 2. 24H-Bryan Sebetto[8]; 3. 3-Mike Linder[2]; 4. 2-Dale Blaney[7]; 5. O9-Craig Mintz[5]; 6. 53-Phil Gressman[14]; 7. 4-Danny Smith[12]; 8. 45L-Brian Lay[6]; 9. 5R-Byron Reed[11]; 10. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[13]; 11. 40-Caleb Helms[10]; 12. 12-Jarred Ridge[3]; 13. 83M-Broc Martin[1]; 14. 5T-Travis Philo[20]; 15. 9X-Brandon Martin[17]; 16. 14H-Todd Heller[15]; 17. 2+-Brian Smith[19]; 18. 35-Stuart Brubaker[18]; 19. 55-Brad Bowman[16]; 20. 16-Chris Andrews[9]

Hard Charger: 53-Phil Gressman[+8]

Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints (23 Cars)

[#]-Starting Position

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 39-Matt Merrill[2] ; 2. 4M-Jamie Miller[3] ; 3. 67M-Matt Ferrell[1] ; 4. 40-Caleb Griffith[6] ; 5. 9-Jimmy Colvin[8] ; 6. 19R-Steve Rando[5] ; 7. 10S-Roger Shammo[4] ; 8. 25-Jason Keckler[7]

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 5-Dustin Dinan[1] ; 2. 10X-Dustin Stroup[4] ; 3. 11F-D.J. Foos[6] ; 4. 8J-Jess Stiger[2] ; 5. 1W-Paul Weaver[8] ; 6. 13-Junior Felver[7] ; 7. 36-Seth Schneider[3] ; 8. 27-Paige Polyak[5]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 1-Nate Dussel[1] ; 2. 8K-John Ivy[2] ; 3. 5R-Jordan Ryan[4] ; 4. OO-Alvin Roepke[5] ; 5. 68G-Tyler Gunn[3] ; 6. 10-Josh Harrison[7] ; 7. 22D-Dan Hammond[6]

A-Main – (25 Laps)

1. 11F-D.J. Foos[5]; 2. 1-Nate Dussel[6]; 3. 40-Caleb Griffith[1]; 4. 4M-Jamie Miller[2]; 5. 8K-John Ivy[4]; 6. 27-Paige Polyak[22]; 7. 1W-Paul Weaver[14]; 8. 5-Dustin Dinan[7]; 9. 10X-Dustin Stroup[8]; 10. 5R-Jordan Ryan[10]; 11. 9-Jimmy Colvin[11]; 12. 25-Jason Keckler[19]; 13. 10S-Roger Shammo[17]; 14. 39-Matt Merrill[12]; 15. 22D-Dan Hammond[20]; 16. 68G-Tyler Gunn[13]; 17. 10-Josh Harrison[18]; 18. OO-Alvin Roepke[3]; 19. 19R-Steve Rando[16]; 20. 13-Junior Felver[15]; 21. 8J-Jess Stiger[9]; 22. 67M-Matt Ferrell[21]

Hard Charger: 27-Paige Polyak[+16]

Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks (24 Trucks)

[#]-Starting Position

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 94-John Ivy[6] ; 2. 8KB-Kent Brewer[4] ; 3. 88-Dan Roepke Jr.[8] ; 4. 8-Steve Endicott[3] ; 5. 95-Keith Sorg[1] ; 6. 4X-Brian Sorg[7] ; 7. 23M-Brad Mitten[5] ; 8. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[2]

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 17-Bob Dible[2] ; 2. D1-Dustin Keegan[3] ; 3. O9-Jeff Wank[5] ; 4. 18W-Cory Ward[7] ; 5. 9-Curt Inks[4] ; 6. 115-Ben Good[1] ; 7. 22J-Josh Kiser[6] ; 8. 45-Brian Melnek Jr.[8]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 71-Craig Holland[1] ; 2. 33C-Kyle Cline[2] ; 3. O1-Art Ball[5] ; 4. 3R-Chuck Rolle[6] ; 5. P51-Willie Keegan[3] ; 6. 16-Steve Sabo[8] ; 7. 99X-Gene Potridge[4]

B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature)

1. 4X-Brian Sorg[1] ; 2. 16-Steve Sabo[3] ; 3. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[7] ; 4. 23M-Brad Mitten[4] ; 5. 115-Ben Good[2] ; 6. 22J-Josh Kiser[5] ; 7. 99X-Gene Potridge[6]

A-Main – (20 Laps)

1. D1-Dustin Keegan[7]; 2. 94-John Ivy[9]; 3. 17-Bob Dible[6]; 4. O1-Art Ball[8]; 5. P51-Willie Keegan[15]; 6. 18W-Cory Ward[11]; 7. 16-Steve Sabo[17]; 8. 88-Dan Roepke Jr.[3]; 9. 9-Curt Inks[14]; 10. 95-Keith Sorg[13]; 11. 23M-Brad Mitten[19]; 12. O9-Jeff Wank[10]; 13. 33C-Kyle Cline[12]; 14. 4X-Brian Sorg[16]; 15. 3R-Chuck Rolle[4]; 16. 8-Steve Endicott[1]; 17. 115-Ben Good[20]; 18. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[18]; 19. 8KB-Kent Brewer[5]; 20. 71-Craig Holland[2]

Hard Charger: P51-Willie Keegan[+10]

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