From Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio (August 24, 2021) – Shawn Valenti has won a lot of races at Fremont Speedway. In fact, he has won 66 features at “The Track That Action Built” to sit second on the speedway’s all-time win list. However, he hadn’t ever won a 305 sprint car feature – all of his victories have come in dirt trucks including four this year. That all changed Tuesday as the Fostoria, Ohio driver led from start to finish in the region’s highest paying 305 sprint event to help kick off the 169th Sandusky County Fair on Fremont Fence Night.
Thanks to the speedway and great support from area businesses and extra bonuses put together by the NAPA Auto Parts of Bryan 305 Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales, Valenti took home nearly $5,000 for his winning effort. It wasn’t easy for Valenti, as several restarts including one with just four laps to go, put 410 sprint veteran DJ Foos right on his bumper. Valenti held off the challenges to take the win.
“I started struggling getting into one and that’s where I was losing most ground and I knew if it was coming it would be on a restart. I just kept trying to inch my way close to the flag stand that way he (Foos) couldn’t get a good enough run to slide me. I knew he was going to make it interesting the last couple of laps. Hats off to him for running me clean. This one’s been a long time coming….I’ve got all these wins but never got one in a sprint car. I’ve have a couple of them get away from me. This one here is special. I have to thank Jeff, Rick, Noah…they bust their butts on this thing good and bad. A Plus Auto Center…Adam Jones told me we weren’t coming here with junk tires and we bolted two fresh ones on and I’m sure that was part of the key to being here in victory lane. Hats off to Duane Hancock and all his group…awesome money and the fairgrounds…pretty cool to win nearly five grand,” said Valenti beside his A Plus Auto Center, Concrete Material Supply, Real Geese Decoys backed #28.
A total purse of over $15,000 was offered up to the 37 Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 sprint teams. Valenti and Seth Schneider brought the field of 24 to green with Valenti taking the point over Schneider, DJ Foos, Larry Kingseed and Paul Weaver. Foos immediately challenged Schneider for second as Valenti pulled away steadily. Foos took the runner-up spot on lap five and began to eat into Valenti’s lead.
Just as Valenti was set to enter heavy lapped traffic the caution flew. It took three more cautions to reach the half way point and Valenti executed perfect restarts each and every time. The car on the move following those cautions was Paul Weaver who waged a various battle with Foos for second until a caution came out on lap 18.
Once again Valenti got a great restart and built a two second lead with just 10 laps to go. That was wiped out with four laps to go when debris brought out another caution. This time Foos was up to the challenge and threw several hay-makers at Valenti the final four laps. Valenti was able to maintain his rhythm and drove to the win over Foos, Weaver, Schneider and Steve Rando.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, Sept. 11 on Iron Workers Local 44 Night with the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads-Kistler Racing Products 410 AFCS presented by the Baumann Auto Group in action along with the AFCS 305 championship night and the Burmeister Trophy Dirt Trucks in action.
Fremont Speedway
Fremont, Ohio
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Qualifying
1.26-Jamie Miller, 13.394
2.28-Shawn Valenti, 13.431
3.5M-Mike Moore, 13.529
4.16-DJ Foos, 13.558
5.21-Larry Kingseed JR, 13.612
6.36-Seth Schneider, 13.670
7.7M-Brandon Moore, 13.675
8.19R-Steve Rando, 13.690
9.32-Bryce Lucius, 13.700
10.X-Mike Keegan, 13.701
11.9R-Logan Riehl, 13.708
12.47-Matt Lucius, 13.709
13.12F-Matt Foos, 13.711
14.20i-Kelsey Ivy, 13.740
15.1W-Paul Weaver, 13.764
16.75-Jerry Dahms, 13.765
17.29-Cap Henry, 13.769
18.29X-Cole Macedo, 13.769
19.10X-Dustin Stroup, 13.786
20.99-Alvin Roepke, 13.806
21.61-Tyler Shullick, 13.808
22.34-Jud Dickerson, 13.811
23.1H-Zeth Sabo, 13.814
24.51-Garrett Craine, 13.821
25.11G-Luke Griffith, 13.843
26.z10-Chris Verda, 13.856
27.63-Stuart Brubaker, 13.857
28.5-Kody Brewer, 13.882
29.3X-Brandon Riehl, 13.942
30.X15-Kasey Ziebold, 13.979
31.18R-Sean Rayhall, 14.053
32.5Jr-Jimmy McGrath Jr, 14.112
33.6-Jimmie Ward, 14.224
34.48M-Mike Burkin, 14.255
35.13-Jeremy Duposki, 14.304
36.B15-Brad Reber, 14.522
37.17X-Dustin Keegan, 14.729;
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 19R-Steve Rando[1]
2. 36-Seth Schneider[2]
3. 16-DJ Foos[3]
4. X-Mike Keegan[5]
5. 29-Cap Henry[7]
6. 99-Alvin Roepke[9]
7. 5M-Mike Moore[4]
8. 10X-Dustin Stroup[8]
9. 75-Jerry Dahms[6]
10. 18R-Sean Rayhall[10]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 12F-Matt Foos[2]
2. 21-Larry Kingseed JR[4]
3. 29X-Cole Macedo[5]
4. 20i-Kelsey Ivy[1]
5. 63-Stuart Brubaker[8]
6. 5-Kody Brewer[9]
7. 47-Matt Lucius[3]
8. 34-Jud Dickerson[6]
9. 51-Garrett Craine[7]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[1]
2. 7M-Brandon Moore[4]
3. 9R-Logan Riehl[2]
4. 5Jr-Jimmy McGrath Jr[6]
5. 32-Bryce Lucius[3]
6. 11G-Luke Griffith[5]
7. 13-Jeremy Duposki[8]
8. 48M-Mike Burkin[7]
9. 17X-Dustin Keegan[9]
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 26-Jamie Miller[4]
2. 28-Shawn Valenti[3]
3. z10-Chris Verda[5]
4. 6-Jimmie Ward[8]
5. 3X-Brandon Riehl[6]
6. 61-Tyler Shullick[2]
7. 1H-Zeth Sabo[1]
8. B15-Brad Reber[9]
9. X15-Kasey Ziebold[7]
B-Main #1(10 Laps)
1. 29-Cap Henry[1]
2. 32-Bryce Lucius[2]
3. 11G-Luke Griffith[4]
4. 99-Alvin Roepke[3]
5. 5M-Mike Moore[5]
6. 10X-Dustin Stroup[7]
7. 13-Jeremy Duposki[6]
8. 48M-Mike Burkin[8]
9. 17X-Dustin Keegan[10]
10. 75-Jerry Dahms[9]
11. 18R-Sean Rayhall[11]
B-Main #2 (10 Laps)
1. 1H-Zeth Sabo[6]
2. 63-Stuart Brubaker[1]
3. 5-Kody Brewer[3]
4. 3X-Brandon Riehl[2]
5. 34-Jud Dickerson[7]
6. 51-Garrett Craine[9]
7. 47-Matt Lucius[5]
8. B15-Brad Reber[8]
9. 61-Tyler Shullick[4]
10. X15-Kasey Ziebold[10]
A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 28-Shawn Valenti[1]
2. 16-DJ Foos[3]
3. 1W-Paul Weaver[5]
4. 36-Seth Schneider[2]
5. 19R-Steve Rando[6]
6. 12F-Matt Foos[7]
7. 7M-Brandon Moore[8]
8. X-Mike Keegan[10]
9. 29-Cap Henry[17]
10. 9R-Logan Riehl[12]
11. 11G-Luke Griffith[21]
12. 5Jr-Jimmy McGrath Jr[15]
13. 63-Stuart Brubaker[20]
14. z10-Chris Verda[13]
15. 20i-Kelsey Ivy[14]
16. 6-Jimmie Ward[16]
17. 1H-Zeth Sabo[18]
18. 26-Jamie Miller[9]
19. 21-Larry Kingseed JR[4]
20. 3X-Brandon Riehl[23]
21. 5-Kody Brewer[22]
22. 51-Garrett Craine[24]
23. 29X-Cole Macedo[11]
24. 32-Bryce Lucius[19]