From Brian Liskai
ATTICA, Ohio (August 24, 2018) – Kistler Racing Products/John Wright’s Custom Chrome Plating Presents the Mark Keegan Classic Championship Night at Attica Raceway Park lived up to all the hype and then some!
Waterville, Ohio’s Travis Philo and Gibsonburg, Ohio’s Craig Mintz tangled coming to the checkers in the Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprint feature with Philo flipping across the line for his second consecutive victory at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant. For Philo the win was tempered by the fact his destroyed car sat in victory lane attached to a wrecker. The victory was his fourth career win at Attica.
“I’m pissed because we just destroyed a really good race car. We still won so part of me is happy. A couple of those late cautions I knew Craig got around Brubaker and he could run the bottom so that last restart I went to the bottom. I don’t know if we were counting laps for fuel but was spittering and sputtering that last lap so I went to the bottom…we should have had a fuel stop. The top was the dominate line in three and four and I went to the bottom and didn’t get a good run and we came together at the wall. Not his fault, not my fault, just hard racing,” said Philo beside his Control Design Solutions, Banshee Graphics, Tire Slick, Interior Supply, Slade Shocks, Classic Ink USA, Kistler Engines, Kistler Racing Products Advanced Industrial Services, Bohmer Rentals backed machine.
“I have to thank all my guys, Keith, Red and my dad, my grandparents. We’ll be back next week to hopefully get an All Star win,” Philo added.
While that the ending was wild in the feature, the battle for the track championship was also exciting as eight time champion Byron Reed came into the night with a one point advantage over Stuart Brubaker. Brubaker battled in the top three throughout the feature and when the caution flew with 12 laps to go, Reed was right on Brubaker’s rear bumper. The pair waged an all out war until Reed spun with eight laps to go. Brubaker, from Helena, Ohio, drove to a third place finish and scored his first ever 410 track championship to go with his 305 sprint track title of 2008.
“I kept looking up at the board and every time we went by it was like 10th place car (Reed)…okay we’re alright. Then the next caution I look up and he’s fifth and I’m in third and I’m like crap there’s two cars between us. I was more nervous before the heat. I don’t know if we touched and he spun…he knows I don’t race that way. We came out at the beginning of the year strong with this car and that’s what got us here. We had a slump for a couple of weeks but I think we’re similar to those guys if I hit my marks. I’ve worked a lot to get a track championship. We’ve run four or five years in a 410 and this is my first one,” said Brubaker of his Dave Story Equipment, Pit Stop carry out, JC Tire, Gary Holland Trucking, Brubaker Auctions, KS Sales & Service, Finish Line Fuels backed #35.
Fremont, Ohio’s Paul Weaver held off a late race charge from Jamie Miller to not only win the Fremont Fence 305 feature but the division track title. It is the third straight track championship for Weaver and his fourth overall Attica title in the 305 sprints. The victory is the fourth win of the year at Attica for Weaver and the 47th of his career in the division to lead all drivers. Weaver has six total victories in 2018.
“I did everything wrong tonight. I took gear out and the track had too much bite and the thing wouldn’t take off. I had to throw it in the corners and hope it got slick and it kind of did. I wanted to be on the top where Jamie was but it was too tight up there and I didn’t want to bobble. I’ve had all these health issues this year so this track championship is nice,” said Weaver beside his Hampshire Engines, M&L Excavating, Seagate Sandblasting, Miller Rigging, Weaver Performance Center backed #1W.
The mini-sprints made only their fifth ever appearance at Attica Raceway Park and Cincinnati, Ohio’s Brad Strunk put on a dominating performance to take the feature win.
“I raced motorcycles for a living until I was 28…until 2002. With age comes the cage so I got into the Lightening Sprints. I just drove as hard as I could for 20 laps. It was awesome. What a great facility and great program you put on here. I hope Attica has us back next year and we can bring some more cars,” said Strunk beside his Parsons Construction, NRL Mortgage, Priority National Title, Pen Station, Bowling Carpets, Hud Racing Engines, Viper Racing Products backed machine.
Brubaker and Philo brought the field to green for the 30-lap 410 A-main with Phil jumping into a commanding lead over Brubaker, Mintz, Broc Martin, DJ Foos, Michael Kofoid, Jared Horstman and Chris Andrews. Philo was on a rail as he pulled away while Brubaker and Mintz battled hard for second. Action ground to a halt on lap six when Shawn Dancer took a tumble and was uninjured. On the restart Lee Jacobs spun and Chris Andrews jumped Kofoid’s right rear, causing Andrews’ front axle to snap and ending his night.
When the green flew again so did Philo, pulling away for a comfortable lead while Brubaker and Mintz continued their war for second with Kofoid, Horstman and Reed in pursuit. Mintz took the second spot at the half way point as the leaders prepared to race into heavy lapped traffic. Kofoid shredded a right rear tire to bring out the caution on lap 18 just as Mintz was applying pressure to Philo for the lead. The restart order was Philo, Mintz, Brubaker, Reed (from 10th), Horstman, Foos, 20th starter Cap Henry and TJ Michael. Philo got a great restart and pulled away about four car lengths from Mintz as Brubaker and Reed battled not only for third but for the track championship.
Again, Mintz began to slowly eat away at Philo’s lead and just as he dove under to challenge the caution flew when Reed spun while battling with Brubaker. A lap later another caution as Michael and Tyler Gunn tangled. When the green flew Philo and Mintz ran nose to tail with Brubaker holding onto third with Horstman, Foos, Henry and Jacobs in pursuit. With three laps to go Mintz was diving high and low, looking for a way around Philo. Coming to the checkers Mintz tried the outside and Philo and he banged wheels with Philo flipping across for the win.
Mintz, Brubaker, Horstman and Foos rounded out the top five. Henry, whose team had to change an engine after his heat, stormed from last to sixth with Jacobs coming from the tail after his early race spin in seventh, Jordan Ryan from 16th to eighth, Ricky Peterson ninth and Kofoid coming back for a top 10 run.
In the 25 lap 305 sprint A-main, Steve Rando and Paul Weaver brought the field to green with Rando gaining the advantage. Action soon ground to a halt with four laps in when Matt Ferrell took a wild ride off turns three and four. While shaken, he was not injured.
On the restart Rando pulled away from Weaver while Kyle Capodice, Brandon Moore, Jason Keckler, Stuart Williams, Jordan Ryan and Kyle Peters gave chase. Rando encountered lapped traffic by lap 11 and Weaver began to close while Capodice, Moore and Jamie Miller put on an entertaining show for third. Weaver used a lapped car as a pick and threw a slider on Rando to take the lead with seven laps to go.
But now it was Weaver’s turn to deal with the traffic which allowed Jamie Miller, who had grabbed second on lap 20, to close quickly. With two laps to go Miller was glued to Weaver’s rear bumper. Racing through traffic Weaver and Miller battled for the lead but Weaver was able to use the bottom to get around the lapped cars and hold off Miller for the win. Rando, Capodice and Williams rounded out the top five.
In the 20-lap mini-sprint feature the only thing that slowed Strunk down were a couple of cautions early in the race as he drove to a dominating win over Nick Daugherty, Austin Powell, Brad Racer and Ryan Barr.
Attica Raceway Park will wrap up its 31st year of racing on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 with the Attica Ambush featuring two nights of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champion Sprints. The Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Models will race for double points to crown their track champion on Friday with the 305 sprints joining the card on Saturday.
The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions have appeared at Attica 119 times in the track’s 30 year history. In 2018 All Star winners have been Jac Haudenschild, Cale Thomas and Paul McMahan.
For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.
Attica Raceway Park
Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
Kistler Racing Products/Custom Chrome Plating Night
Starting position [*]
410 Sprints – Callies Performance Products
Qualifying
1.09-Craig Mintz, 12.548; 2.4-Cap Henry, 12.639; 3.11N-Michael Kofoid, 12.655; 4.23-DJ Foos, 12.662; 5.35-Stuart Brubaker, 12.662; 6.5T-Travis Philo, 12.704; 7.81-Lee Jacobs, 12.759; 8.17-Jared Horstman, 12.793; 9.22B-Ryan Broughton, 12.804; 10.16-Chris Andrews, 12.824; 11.97-Broc Martin, 12.830; 12.20I-Kelsey Ivy, 12.838; 13.8M-TJ Michael, 12.878; 14.5R-Byron Reed, 12.902; 15.2-Ricky Peterson, 12.923; 16.7J-Joe Swanson, 12.944; 17.9Z-Duane Zablocki, 12.977; 18.9-Jordan Ryan, 13.025; 19.22M-Dan McCarron, 13.100; 20.53-Brayden Fox, 13.151; 21.2+-Brian Smith, 13.195; 22.68G-Tyler Gunn, 13.207; 23.49-Shawn Dancer, 13.344; 24.23B-Chase Baker, 13.375; 25.8J-Jess Stiger, 13.427; 26.2L-Landon LaLonde, 13.437;
Heat 1, Group A – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 16-Chris Andrews[2] ; 2. 5R-Byron Reed[1] ; 3. 23-DJ Foos[4] ; 4. 68G-Tyler Gunn[7] ; 5. 8J-Jess Stiger[9] ; 6. 49-Shawn Dancer[8] ; 7. 53-Brayden Fox[6] ; 8. 7J-Joe Swanson[5] ; 9. 22B-Ryan Broughton[3]
Heat 2, Group B – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 5T-Travis Philo[1] ; 2. 09-Craig Mintz[4] ; 3. 11N-Michael Kofoid[3] ; 4. 35-Stuart Brubaker[2] ; 5. 8M-TJ Michael[7] ; 6. 9-Jordan Ryan[8] ; 7. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[6] ; 8. 81-Lee Jacobs[5] ; 9. 2+-Brian Smith[9]
Heat 3, Group C – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 97-Broc Martin[2] ; 2. 17-Jared Horstman[3] ; 3. 22M-Dan McCarron[6] ; 4. 2-Ricky Peterson[1] ; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[5] ; 6. 2L-Landon LaLonde[8] ; 7. 23B-Chase Baker[7] ; 8. 4-Cap Henry[4]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 9-Jordan Ryan[2] ; 2. 49-Shawn Dancer[1] ; 3. 81-Lee Jacobs[8] ; 4. 2L-Landon LaLonde[3] ; 5. 4-Cap Henry[9] ; 6. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[5] ; 7. 53-Brayden Fox[4] ; 8. 23B-Chase Baker[6] ; 9. 2+-Brian Smith[11] ; 10. 7J-Joe Swanson[7] ; 11. 22B-Ryan Broughton[10]
A-Main 1 – (30 Laps)
1. 5T-Travis Philo[2] ; 2. 09-Craig Mintz[4] ; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker[1] ; 4. 17-Jared Horstman[9] ; 5. 23-DJ Foos[3] ; 6. 4-Cap Henry[20] ; 7. 81-Lee Jacobs[18] ; 8. 9-Jordan Ryan[16] ; 9. 2-Ricky Peterson[13] ; 10. 11N-Michael Kofoid[8] ; 11. 8J-Jess Stiger[14] ; 12. 5R-Byron Reed[10] ; 13. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[15] ; 14. 22M-Dan McCarron[7] ; 15. 8M-TJ Michael[12] ; 16. 68G-Tyler Gunn[11] ; 17. 2L-Landon LaLonde[19] ; 18. 97-Broc Martin[6] ; 19. 16-Chris Andrews[5] ; 20. 49-Shawn Dancer[17]
Hard Charger: 4-Cap Henry +14
305 Sprints – Fremont Fence
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, top 4 toA)
1. 1BB-Jordan Ryan[1] ; 2. 26-Jamie Miller[5] ; 3. 12-Kyle Capodice[2] ; 4. 4T-James Taddeo[3] ; 5. 47-Matt Lucius[4] ; 6. 14-Luke Daugherty[7] ; 7. 29-Kyle Farmer[8] ; 8. 1H-Zeth Sabo[9] ; 9. 21-Larry Kingseed Jr[6]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[3] ; 2. 73-Joe Armbruster[2] ; 3. 46AU-Stuart Williams[8] ; 4. 39C-Scott Riley[1] ; 5. 9R-Dustin Rall[6] ; 6. 09-Justin Adams[4] ; 7. 36-Seth Schneider[5] ; 8. X-Mike Keegan[7]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[1] ; 2. 19R-Steve Rando[2] ; 3. 25-Jason Keckler[4] ; 4. 11G-Luke Griffith[8] ; 5. 77I-John Ivy[6] ; 6. 83-Shane Call[3] ; 7. Z10-Kevin Mingus[5] ; 8. 61-Chuck May[7]
Heat 4 – (8 Laps, top 4 to A)
1. 97-Kyle Peters[2] ; 2. 8-Bobby Clark[4] ; 3. 7M-Brandon Moore[7] ; 4. 4*-Tyler Street[3] ; 5. 67M-Matt Ferrell[8] ; 6. 75-Jerry Dahms[5] ; 7. 28-Tad Peck[1] ; 8. 88N-Frank Neill[6]
B-Main 1 – (8 Laps, top 3 to A)
1. 77I-John Ivy[2] ; 2. Z10-Kevin Mingus[6] ; 3. 47-Matt Lucius[1] ; 4. 29-Kyle Farmer[5] ; 5. 1H-Zeth Sabo[7] ; 6. 61-Chuck May[8] ; 7. 21-Larry Kingseed Jr[9] ; 8. 14-Luke Daugherty[3] ; 9. 83-Shane Call[4]
B-Main 2 – (8 Laps, top 3 to A)
1. 9R-Dustin Rall[1] ; 2. 36-Seth Schneider[5] ; 3. 67M-Matt Ferrell[2] ; 4. 09-Justin Adams[3] ; 5. X-Mike Keegan[7] ; 6. 75-Jerry Dahms[4] ; 7. 28-Tad Peck[6] ; 8. 88N-Frank Neill[8]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[2] ; 2. 26-Jamie Miller[9] ; 3. 19R-Steve Rando[1] ; 4. 12-Kyle Capodice[3] ; 5. 46AU-Stuart Williams[6] ; 6. 7M-Brandon Moore[4] ; 7. 1BB-Jordan Ryan[12] ; 8. 97-Kyle Peters[5] ; 9. 8-Bobby Clark[11] ; 10. 36-Seth Schneider[20] ; 11. 25-Jason Keckler[8] ; 12. 77I-John Ivy[17] ; 13. 4T-James Taddeo[13] ; 14. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[7] ; 15. 4*-Tyler Street[16] ; 16. 11G-Luke Griffith[15] ; 17. 9R-Dustin Rall[18] ; 18. 47-Matt Lucius[21] ; 19. Z10-Kevin Mingus[19] ; 20. 39C-Scott Riley[14] ; 21. 73-Joe Armbruster[10] ; 22. 67M-Matt Ferrell[22]
Hard Charger: 36-Seth Schneider +10
Mini Sprints –
Heat 1 – (8 Laps)
1. 14P-Nick Daugherty[2] ; 2. 22B-Brad Racer[1] ; 3. 81H-Anthony Haas[3] ; 4. 6-Jerry Inbody[4] ; 5. 4-Andrew Heitkamp[5] ; 6. 14B-Rohan Beasley[6]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps)
1. 23S-Brad Strunk[6] ; 2. 17X-Austin Powell[1] ; 3. 21B-Ryan Barr[5] ; 4. 17-Keith Inbody[3] ; 5. X-Andy Martin[4] ; 6. 88-Tayte Williamson[2]
A-Main 1 – (20 Laps)
1. 23S-Brad Strunk[2] ; 2. 14P-Nick Daugherty[4] ; 3. 17X-Austin Powell[3] ; 4. 22B-Brad Racer[1] ; 5. 21B-Ryan Barr[6] ; 6. 81H-Anthony Haas[5] ; 7. 6-Jerry Inbody[7] ; 8. 17-Keith Inbody[8] ; 9. X-Andy Martin[10] ; 10. 4-Andrew Heitkamp[9] ; 11. 14B-Rohan Beasley[11]