By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio – Byron Reed is quickly becoming the driver to beat for the Fremont Speedway 410 sprint car championship in 2017. The Monclova, Ohio driver held off Parker Price-Miller following a restart with just five laps to go to score his second straight win at “The Track That Action Built” during the Open Wheel Shoot Out Saturday, July 1. There were 86 winged sprint cars in three divisions that battled on Willie’s Sales and Service Night at Fremont Speedway. And the huge crowd was treated to very exciting features in all of them.
In the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 sprint feature Brian Smith led the first 15 laps but Reed drove under him on lap 16 and the pair got together in turn two with Reed continuing in the lead. Reed, a six time Fremont track champion, survived two late race cautions for his third victory of 2017 at the track. It was his 35th career placing him alone in the 12th spot on Fremont Speedway’s all-time win list
“A long time ago one of my mentors Jack Hewitt told me there’s moisture in the bottom of them holes…you get traction from the. I do want to apologize to Brian Smith. We got together…I don’t like to run into people. I was ahead of him and he came up and I bounced and hit him. I have to wish my crew member Kevin Meyer a get well soon. He’s been in the hospital all week and we missed him tonight,” said Reed beside his Crown Batter backed #5.
The win will certainly elevate Reed in the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads FAST 410 Championship Series presented by Ohio Logistics standings, which he has won the past three straight years. However, D.J. Foos, who came into the race leading the FAST points, charged from 16th to a sixth place finish while Chris Andrews and Brian Lay – who were second and third in the series points – finished fifth and third respectively to really tighten up the point battle.
Gibsonburg, Ohio’s Nate Dussel has quite the resume when it comes to 305 sprint car racing, complete with a Fremont track title and championships with the JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Sprint Championship Series presented by Engine Pro. Now he can add a 360ci sprint car win. Dussel led all 25 laps of the K&L Ready Mix NRA Sprint Invaders/Great Lakes Super Sprints (GLSS) feature to claim his first career claim his 22nd career victory at “The Track That Action Built.”
“It wasn’t easy…I was getting pretty whooped that at the end. But man, Craig and Bobby and Mike and all the guys back there just had this thing on rails. We were a little flustered after the dash but after I looked at the times I knew we were there. I knew the bottom would go away eventually. I have so many people to thank. We’ve made like five trips to Bellefontaine (Ohio) to pick this car up and we get rained out every time. Thankful for Al Davis for going down and picking this car up and obviously Ron Hammons and JR Stewart for giving me the opportunity. This is unbelievable, that’s a top notch caliber of drivers in this division,” said Dussel beside his K&L Ready Mix; Texas Roadhouse; Radio Hospital; Tim Hogan’s Carpet; Alan Davis Insurance; Wolf Motorsports; Biggie’s Coast to Coast; Northwest Physical Therapy; Kear’s Speed Shop; Sander Engineering; Pampered Pets; Lima Powdercoating; Gressman Powersports backed #6s.
It looked like Dussel would make it two feature wins on the night as he led late in Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature. With three laps to go Dussel spun while battling with Steve Rando in heavy lapped traffic. Rando then held off last week’s winner John Ivy for his second feature win of 2017 at Fremont Speedway. It is the 11th career victory at the track for Rando.
“I tried running the top of one and two and my car was not good up there. The top of three and four I was good but just maintained…I was much better on the bottom and someone could slide me if I moved up. We started throwing the book at this car and something stuck,” said Rando in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Davis Fabricators; North Coast Sealing; North Coast Asphalt, Attitude Hair Salon backed #19R.
Paul Weaver came into the night leading the JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Championship Series presented by Engine Pro points. A fourth place feature finish will keep him ahead of the pack going into the July 1 event at WaynesfieldMotorsportsPark. However, John Ivy, who came into the night third in the FAST points, scored a runner-up feature finish to close the gap.
For the 30-lap 410 sprint feature Smith and Adam Kekich brought the field to green with Smith gaining the advantage over Price-Miller, Kekich, Brian Lay, Stuart Brubaker, Chris Andrews, Byron Reed and Jody Keegan. As Smith pulled away, Lay drove into third on lap three, bringing Brubaker to fourth. On the next lap Reed drove from seventh to fourth while Smith held a comfortable lead over Price-Miller.
Todd Heller would stop on lap six for the fist caution. On the restart Smith continued to lead Price-Miller as Reed got around Lay for third. Price-Miller began pressuring Smith for the lead with Reed edging closer to the front. Cap Henry brought out the caution on lap 14 just as the leaders were preparing to enter heavy lapped traffic. When the green flew Reed drove into second and immediately pressured Smith for the lead.
On lap 16 Smith and Reed would bang wheels in turn two with Smith getting sideways, losing four positions as Reed inherited the lead. With 10 laps to go Reed now led Price-Miller, Lay, Brubaker, Andrews, Smith, Trey Jacobs (from 20th) and Foos. Bobby Distel stopped on the speed with seven laps to go. Reed now had his hands full with Price-Miller on the restart as the pair ran side by side over the next three laps before something broke on Smith’s car, causing him to stop on lap 25.
Reed got an excellent restart and drove away for the victory over Price-Miller, Lay, Brubaker and Andrews.
Mitch Brown and Dussel paced the field for the NRA/GLSS 25 lap feature with Dussel grabbing the lead over Brown, Chase Ridenour, Devin Dobie, Gary Taylor and Todd Heuerman. The event’s only stoppage came on lap four when Shawn Dancer and Tyler Hendricks tangled, sending both flipping. Both drivers were not injured.
On the restart Dussel powered away from Brown, Ridenour, Dobie and Taylor. Dussel quickly built a sizeable lead while Brown ran comfortably in second with Ridenour and Taylor battling for third. Dussel raced into heavy lapped traffic with 12 laps to go allowing Brown to close while Ridenour and Taylor continued their fantastic battle for third. Lapped traffic kept the field close but Dussel was able to pick his way through to maintain the lead.
Dussel sliced through the lapped cars to take the win over Brown, Taylor, Ridenour, and Dobie.
In the 25 lap 305 sprint feature Dustin Rall and Alvin Roepke paced the field with Rall taking the lead when the green flew over Roepke, Dussel, Weaver and Rando. Dussel drove into second on lap two and quickly pressured Rall for the lead while Roepke and Rando battled for third. Dussel was able to drive under Rall for the top spot on lap five with Rando taking third from Roepke two laps later.
Heavy lapped traffic awaited the leaders by lap 10 as Rando took second and closed on Dussel. Meanwhile a tremendous battled ensued for third involving Rall, Roepke, Ivy and Weaver. With eight laps to go the running order was Dussel, Rando, John Ivy, Roepke, Rall and Weaver. On lap 22 as they battled with each other and in lapped traffic, Dussel spun bringing out the feature’s only caution as Rando had got around him for the lead.
Rando held off Ivy the last three laps for the $1,000 win with Roepke, Weaver and 17th starter Jamie Miller rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, July 8 on Crown Battery Night with the 410 and 305 sprints, dirt trucks and 602 late models in action.
For more information about Fremont Speedway go to www.fremontohspeedway.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FremontSpeedway or on Twitter https://twitter.com/FremontSpeedway.
Those who are seeking additional information regarding the 2017 All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads FAST Series presented by Ohio Logistics, or the 2017 JLH General Contractors FAST ‘305’ Series presented by Engine Pro, can do so by logging on to the official online home of the FAST Series at www.fastondirt.com. Be sure to stay updated on everything FAST related and ‘Like’ FAST on Facebook at fb.com/fastondirt and follow FAST on Twitter at @FASTseries.
FAST On Dirt, Inc. would like to thank the following contributors to the 2017 FAST Series point fund: All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, Ohio Logistics, JLH General Contractors, Engine Pro, Kistler Racing Products, Engler Machine & Tool, CP-Carillo Pistons, Design Graphics Group Inc., SCS Gearbox, Reebar Die Casting, Hoseheads.com, Level Performance, Young’s RV Centers, Gressman Powersports, Hoserville Ohio, Jon Wright’s Custom Chrome Plating, Fremont Fence, Baumann Auto Group, Fricker’s, Goofy Golf, NAPA Auto Parts, Hoosier Tire, UNOH, Welty Financial Services, EZ Shop, US Army, Darmofal Racing, Weld Racing Wheels and Pub 400.
FremontSpeedway
July 1, 2017
Willie’s Sales & Service Night
Starting position [*]
410 Sprints – FortBallPizzaPalace
Qualifying
1.68G-Tyler Gunn, 13.204; 2.5-Byron Reed, 13.486; 3.60-Jody Keegan, 13.558; 4.35-Stuart Brubaker, 13.596; 5.9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.611; 6.16-Chris Andrews, 13.628; 7.45L-Brian Lay, 13.651; 8.2-Parker Price-Miller, 13.678; 9.5K-Adam Kekich, 13.820; 10.2+-Brian Smith, 13.845; 11.1st-Gary Taylor, 13.884; 12.97-Broc Martin, 13.950; 13.4-Cap Henry, 14.018; 14.14H-Todd Heller, 14.364; 15.27L-Brad Lamberson, 14.420; 16.0-Steve Irwin, 14.424; 17.23-DJ Foos, 14.523; 18.7-Shawn Valenti, 14.671; 19.22M-Dan McCarron, 14.813; 20.16N-Austin Nemire, 15.001; 21.18D-Bobby Distel, 15.439; 22.3J-Trey Jacobs, 17.518; 23.14-Daryl Daugherty, 85.000;
Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 4-Cap Henry[2] ; 2. 45L-Brian Lay[4] ; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker[5] ; 4. 0-Steve Irwin[1] ; 5. 2+-Brian Smith[3] ; 6. 3J-Trey Jacobs[8] ; 7. 22M-Dan McCarron[7] ; 8. 68G-Tyler Gunn[6]
Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 14H-Todd Heller[2] ; 2. 1st-Gary Taylor[3] ; 3. 2-Parker Price-Miller[4] ; 4. 5-Byron Reed[6] ; 5. 23-DJ Foos[1] ; 6. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[5] ; 7. 16N-Austin Nemire[7] ; 8. 14-Daryl Daugherty[8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps. Top 5 to A)
1. 7-Shawn Valenti[1] ; 2. 97-Broc Martin[3] ; 3. 16-Chris Andrews[5] ; 4. 5K-Adam Kekich[4] ; 5. 60-Jody Keegan[6] ; 6. 18D-Bobby Distel[7] ; 7. 27L-Brad Lamberson[2]
B-Main 1 (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 68G-Tyler Gunn[1] ; 2. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[2] ; 3. 22M-Dan McCarron[4] ; 4. 3J-Trey Jacobs[7] ; 5. 18D-Bobby Distel[6] ; 6. 27L-Brad Lamberson[3] ; 7. 14-Daryl Daugherty[8] ; 8. 16N-Austin Nemire[5]
A-Main 1 (30 Laps)
1. 5-Byron Reed[8] ; 2. 2-Parker Price-Miller[3] ; 3. 45L-Brian Lay[4] ; 4. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6] ; 5. 16-Chris Andrews[5] ; 6. 23-DJ Foos[16] ; 7. 3J-Trey Jacobs[20] ; 8. 60-Jody Keegan[7] ; 9. 97-Broc Martin[10] ; 10. 68G-Tyler Gunn[11] ; 11. 1st-Gary Taylor[9] ; 12. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[12] ; 13. 22M-Dan McCarron[18] ; 14. 0-Steve Irwin[15] ; 15. 7-Shawn Valenti[17] ; 16. 2+-Brian Smith[1] ; 17. 5K-Adam Kekich[2] ; 18. 18D-Bobby Distel[19] ; 19. 4-Cap Henry[13] ; 20. 14H-Todd Heller[14]
Hard Charger: 3J-Trey Jacobs +13
NRA/GLSS 360 Sprints –
Qualifying
1.10-Mitch Brown, 13.172; 2.23-Devon Dobie, 13.306; 3.47X-Dylan Westbrook, 13.514; 4.67X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.519; 5.B20-Butch Schroeder, 13.531; 6.22H-Randy Hannagan, 13.565; 7.1-10-Jake Brown, 13.604; 8.11R-Chase Ridenour, 13.622; 9.17T-Channin Tankersley, 13.624; 10.6S-Nate Dussel, 13.663; 11.17-Jared Horstman, 13.693; 12.2-Kyle Sauder, 13.781; 13.18-Todd Heuerman, 13.822; 14.49T-Gregg Dalman, 13.852; 15.1X-Gary Taylor, 13.857; 16.12R-Nick Roberts, 13.859; 17.85-Dustin Daggett, 13.860; 18.49-Shawn Dancer, 13.864; 19.38-Tyler Hendricks, 13.971; 20.28-Phil Gressman, 14.153; 21.11A-Tim Allison, 14.160; 22.5X-Ryan Coniam, 14.276; 23.48-Michael Burkin, 14.440; 24.27J-Jared Lamberson, 14.440; 25.11-Trey Smith, 14.559; 26.10J-Jarrod Delong, 14.730; 27.22R-Kevin Roberts, 14.852; 28.16B-Ryan Ruhl, 14.956; 29.23G-Joe Geibe, 15.009; 30.22D-Aaron Robnolte, 15.090; 31.78-Mark Widderhold, 16.180; 32.3T-Ralph Brakenberry, 16.504; 33.17H-Hud Horton, 17.470; 34.11N-Ed Neumeister, 99.992; 35.51-Jay Dunham, 99.993;
Heat 1, Group A – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 18-Todd Heuerman[1] ; 2. 10-Mitch Brown[4] ; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder[3] ; 4. 85-Dustin Daggett[5] ; 5. 11A-Tim Allison[6] ; 6. 17T-Channin Tankersley[2] ; 7. 11-Trey Smith[7] ; 8. 23G-Joe Geibe[8] ; 9. 17H-Hud Horton[9]
Heat 2, Group A – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 6S-Nate Dussel[2] ; 2. 23-Devon Dobie[4] ; 3. 22H-Randy Hannagan[3] ; 4. 49-Shawn Dancer[5] ; 5. 10J-Jarrod Delong[7] ; 6. 49T-Gregg Dalman[1] ; 7. 5X-Ryan Coniam[6] ; 8. 22D-Aaron Robnolte[8] ; 9. 11N-Ed Neumeister[9]
Heat 3, Group A – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 1X-Gary Taylor[1] ; 2. 17-Jared Horstman[2] ; 3. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[4] ; 4. 1-10-Jake Brown[3] ; 5. 38-Tyler Hendricks[5] ; 6. 22R-Kevin Roberts[7] ; 7. 48-Michael Burkin[6] ; 8. 51-Jay Dunham[9] ; 9. 78-Mark Widderhold[8]
Heat 4, Group A – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 2-Kyle Sauder[2] ; 2. 11R-Chase Ridenour[3] ; 3. 16B-Ryan Ruhl[7] ; 4. 28-Phil Gressman[5] ; 5. 12R-Nick Roberts[1] ; 6. 27J-Jared Lamberson[6] ; 7. 3T-Ralph Brakenberry[8] ; 8. 67X-Parker Price-Miller[4]
Dash – (6 Laps, sets A-Main line-up)
1. 10-Mitch Brown[1] ; 2. 6S-Nate Dussel[2] ; 3. 11R-Chase Ridenour[6] ; 4. 23-Devon Dobie[3] ; 5. 1X-Gary Taylor[5] ; 6. 18-Todd Heuerman[8] ; 7. 2-Kyle Sauder[7] ; 8. 17-Jared Horstman[4]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 2 to A)
1. 11A-Tim Allison[1] ; 2. 38-Tyler Hendricks[2] ; 3. 22R-Kevin Roberts[4] ; 4. 17T-Channin Tankersley[3] ; 5. 11-Trey Smith[5] ; 6. 48-Michael Burkin[6] ; 7. 23G-Joe Geibe[7] ; 8. 51-Jay Dunham[8] ; 9. 17H-Hud Horton[9] ; 10. 78-Mark Widderhold[10]
B-Main 2 – (10 Laps, top 2 to A)
1. 49T-Gregg Dalman[3] ; 2. 10J-Jarrod Delong[1] ; 3. 5X-Ryan Coniam[5] ; 4. 67X-Parker Price-Miller[8] ; 5. 27J-Jared Lamberson[4] ; 6. 12R-Nick Roberts[2] ; 7. 22D-Aaron Robnolte[7] ; 8. 3T-Ralph Brakenberry[6] ; 9. 11N-Ed Neumeister[9]
A-Main 1 – (0 Laps)
1. 6S-Nate Dussel[2] ; 2. 10-Mitch Brown[1] ; 3. 1X-Gary Taylor[5] ; 4. 11R-Chase Ridenour[3] ; 5. 23-Devon Dobie[4] ; 6. B20-Butch Schroeder[9] ; 7. 18-Todd Heuerman[6] ; 8. 22H-Randy Hannagan[10] ; 9. 1-10-Jake Brown[15] ; 10. 2-Kyle Sauder[7] ; 11. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[11] ; 12. 28-Phil Gressman[16] ; 13. 16B-Ryan Ruhl[12] ; 14. 85-Dustin Daggett[13] ; 15. 49T-Gregg Dalman[18] ; 16. 22R-Kevin Roberts[21] ; 17. 10J-Jarrod Delong[20] ; 18. 11A-Tim Allison[17] ; 19. 49-Shawn Dancer[14] ; 20. 38-Tyler Hendricks[19]
Hard Charger: 1-10-Jake Brown +6
305 Sprints – Fremont Federal Credit Union
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, to 5 to A)
1. 19R-Steve Rando[1] ; 2. 10-Josh Harrison[2] ; 3. 99-Alvin Roepke[3] ; 4. 7M-Brandon Moore[8] ; 5. 2L-Landon Lalonde[4] ; 6. 94K-Kevin Mingus[5] ; 7. 66D-Chase Dunham[10] ; 8. 36-Seth Schneider[9] ; 9. 11X-George Englert[7] ; 10. 5-Brad keckler[6]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 9R-Dustin Rall[1] ; 2. 25-Jason Keckler[2] ; 3. 21-Dustin Stroup[3] ; 4. 77I-John Ivy[5] ; 5. 12-Kyle Capodice[7] ; 6. 4*-Tyler Street[9] ; 7. 66-Jamie Miller[8] ; 8. 09-Justin Adams[4] ; 9. 70-Rick Donovan[6]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 2-Ricky Peterson[1] ; 2. 1-Nate Dussel[4] ; 3. 1W-Paul Weaver[3] ; 4. 2F-Matt Foos[2] ; 5. 8-Bobby CLark[7] ; 6. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath[5] ; 7. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[9] ; 8. 47-Matt Lucius[6] ; 9. 14-Luke Daughtery[8]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 94K-Kevin Mingus[1] ; 2. 66-Jamie Miller[5] ; 3. 66D-Chase Dunham[4] ; 4. 36-Seth Schneider[7] ; 5. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[6] ; 6. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath[3] ; 7. 47-Matt Lucius[9] ; 8. 70-Rick Donovan[11] ; 9. 14-Luke Daughtery[12] ; 10. 09-Justin Adams[8] ; 11. 11X-George Englert[10] ; 12. 4*-Tyler Street[2] ; 13. 5-Brad keckler[13]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 19R-Steve Rando[4] ; 2. 77I-John Ivy[9] ; 3. 99-Alvin Roepke[2] ; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver[5] ; 5. 66-Jamie Miller[17] ; 6. 9R-Dustin Rall[1] ; 7. 7M-Brandon Moore[12] ; 8. 12-Kyle Capodice[14] ; 9. 2F-Matt Foos[6] ; 10. 21-Dustin Stroup[10] ; 11. 36-Seth Schneider[19] ; 12. 1-Nate Dussel[3] ; 13. 2-Ricky Peterson[7] ; 14. 8-Bobby CLark[15] ; 15. 2L-Landon Lalonde[13] ; 16. 66D-Chase Dunham[18] ; 17. 94K-Kevin Mingus[16] ; 18. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[20] ; 19. 25-Jason Keckler[11] ; 20. 10-Josh Harrison[8]
Hard Charger: 66-Jamie Miller +12