Patience Pays Off for T.J. Michael in Route to First Career 410 Victory at Attica

T.J. Michael. (Dan McFarland/SprintFun photo)

From Brian Liskai

ATTICA, Ohio (June 24, 2022) — Patience paid off for TJ Michael Friday, June 24 at Attica Raceway Park. The Plano, Texas native led the first 15 laps of the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by the Baumann Auto Group 410 A-main, lost it to Tyler Street, then used a restart with a hand full of laps remaining to his advantage and drove back out front to take his first ever Attica 410 win.

Michael, who admitted his team has struggled this season, credited the hard work of his two crew members, the support of his sponsors and a never-give-up attitude to propel him to the $4,000 pay day on Burns Electric/Metal Master Fabrication Night.

“It’s a lot more fun when you’re running up front and not in the back I can tell you that. I struggled trying to figure out where I needed to be on the race track. I felt okay…I really didn’t feel good at the beginning. Once Tyler got up…I thought he was a lot better than me there towards the middle of the race. I started playing with my wing and moving around and I realized I had been running in the wrong part of the race track. We had a really good car,” said Michael beside his Advanced Cast Stone/Crown Battery/Fremont Fence/Pro-Tech Services/Viva Los Healthy/North Central Services/Kistler Engines backed #8M.

“I have to thank everybody on this car. We’ve struggled all year and they’ve stuck around. And my guys, Jacob and Glenn. If you would have told me pulling into the gate tonight we had a chance to win I would have told you you were funny just the way we’ve been running. But you have to stay positive, gotta stay digging and hopefully we can come back tomorrow and repeat,” added Michael.

McClure, Ohio’s Rusty Schlenk blasted into the lead of the Dirt Nerds Podcast/Propane.com UMP Late Model A-main on lap 10 and drove to his third victory of the season at Attica. It was the 34th of his career in the division, leading all drivers. It hadn’t been a good week for Schlenk as he had transporter problems, blew a race engine and even busted his own teeth with a tire iron while racing with the UMP Summer Nationals.

“That was a sketchy patch coming out of four…that one made the butt pucker a little bit. That was a fun race. I knew I was going to have to get up front early or Devin (Shiels) would be gone. I took a chance and squeezed between the wall and the 50 car there early in the race and made it work and that let us get around Devin early and kind of get out there and cruise. I was kind of nervous starting sixty,” said Schlenk beside his Velicita Fire Suits/VP Fuels/Dominator Race Products/ Bilstein Shocks/Lendrum Springs/Tom Finch Auto backed #91.

“We do this on a very, very small budget. We went out and tried running some Summer Nationals stuff this week and got our butt kicked. Broke the hauler, broke the motor…had all sorts of trouble. I broke my tooth…hit myself in the face with a tire iron…so it wasn’t a good week. It’s awesome to be back here. I love this place. It’s always racy…we don’t have too many tracks here in Ohio where we can get up and rip the cushion. It’s good to get up there and show the people what we’re made of,” added Schlenk.

Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller held off challenges early from Larry Kingseed Jr. and a late race charge from Matt Foos to score his third Fremont Fence 305 sprint A-main win of the year at Attica. It’s his 34th career 305 win at the track for the three time and defending division champion. It’s the fifth win overall for Miller in 2022 including a win at Fremont Speedway and Waynesfield Motorsports Park. The win also keeps him in the hunt for the NAPA of Bryan AFCS presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales title.

“It was loose the entire race. I just sucked it up and drove the hell out of it and hoped I could hang on up there. Not a whole lot of cushion left up there in the middle of three and four. We used up every bit that was there,” said Miller beside his Kenny Kalb Farms/JLH General Contractor/Roberts & Sons Contracting/Sonic Hauling/Queen of Clean/Sloppy’s Sports Café/Smitty’s Pizza/Crown Battery/Rohr Total Lawn Care/Schreinder Farms/Reedtown Tavern/Fostoria Mod Shop/Flooring Outlaw/Phil Rister/Carpenter Creative backed #26.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, July1 for Smith Family Foods/Sutton Bank Fan Appreciation Night. For just $10 general admission, fans will get to see 410 and 305 sprints and UMP late models and hot dogs are only $1 and pop corn is just 50 cents!
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
Attica, Ohio
Friday, June 24, 2022

Winged 410 Sprint Cars

Qualifying
1.68G-Tyler Gunn, 13.004
2.16-DJ Foos, 13.119
3.09-Craig Mintz, 13.136
4.18-Cole Macedo, 13.146
5.22S-Brandon Spithaler, 13.168
6.23-Chris Andrews, 13.204
7.8M-TJ Michael, 13.291
8.25R-Jordan Ryan, 13.321
9.33W-Caleb Griffith, 13.325
10.3J-Trey Jacobs, 13.395
11.8-Zach Ames, 13.397
12.5T-Travis Philo, 13.416
13.14H-Zane DeVault, 13.419
14.2-Ricky Peterson, 13.455
15.2+-Brian Smith, 13.467
16.9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.480
17.14R-Sean Rayhall, 13.561
18.5-Byron Reed, 13.578
19.35-Stuart Brubaker, 13.584
20.4*-Tyler Street, 13.587
21.41-Thomas Schinderle, 13.622
22.97-Greg Wilson, 13.642
23.7N-Darin Naida, 13.696
24.65-Jordan Goldesberry, 13.727
25.12-Kyle Capodice, 13.733
26.49I-John Ivy, 13.919
27.10-Justin Adams, 13.967
28.75-Jerry Dahms, 15.032

Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 4*-Tyler Street[1]
2. 23-Chris Andrews[4]
3. 8-Zach Ames[3]
4. 97-Greg Wilson[5]
5. 2+-Brian Smith[2]
6. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[6]
7. 12-Kyle Capodice[7]

Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 5T-Travis Philo[1]
2. 3J-Trey Jacobs[2]
3. 25R-Jordan Ryan[3]
4. 8M-TJ Michael[4]
5. 41-Thomas Schinderle[5]
6. 75-Jerry Dahms[7]
7. 10-Justin Adams[6]

Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 18-Cole Macedo[4]
2. 14R-Sean Rayhall[1]
3. 14H-Zane DeVault[3]
4. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[2]
5. 5-Byron Reed[5]
6. 49I-John Ivy[7]
7. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6]

Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 09-Craig Mintz[2]
2. 68G-Tyler Gunn[4]
3. 22S-Brandon Spithaler[1]
4. 16-DJ Foos[3]
5. 7N-Darin Naida[7]
6. 33W-Caleb Griffith[5]
7. 2-Ricky Peterson[6]

B-Main (10 Laps)
1. 5-Byron Reed[3]
2. 2+-Brian Smith[1]
3. 33W-Caleb Griffith[8]
4. 41-Thomas Schinderle[2]
5. 2-Ricky Peterson[12]
6. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[5]
7. 12-Kyle Capodice[9]
8. 49I-John Ivy[7]
9. 35-Stuart Brubaker[11]
10. 7N-Darin Naida[4]
11. 10-Justin Adams[10]
12. 75-Jerry Dahms[6]

A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 8M-TJ Michael[1]
2. 4*-Tyler Street[4]
3. 3J-Trey Jacobs[3]
4. 09-Craig Mintz[5]
5. 16-DJ Foos[7]
6. 25R-Jordan Ryan[12]
7. 97-Greg Wilson[15]
8. 18-Cole Macedo[10]
9. 14R-Sean Rayhall[2]
10. 5-Byron Reed[17]
11. 33W-Caleb Griffith[19]
12. 5T-Travis Philo[9]
13. 68G-Tyler Gunn[6]
14. 8-Zach Ames[11]
15. 14H-Zane DeVault[13]
16. 22S-Brandon Spithaler[14]
17. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[16]
18. 23-Chris Andrews[8]
19. 41-Thomas Schinderle[20]
20. 2+-Brian Smith[18]

Winged 305 Sprint Cars

Qualifying
1.5K-Kasey Jedrzejek, 14.104
2.31-Paul Weaver, 14.170
3.12F-Matt Foos, 14.240
4.X-Mike Keegan, 14.282
5.19R-Steve Rando, 14.306
6.5-Kody Brewer, 14.437
7.9R-Logan Riehl, 14.473
8.34-Jud Dickerson, 14.588
9.21-Larry Kingseed Jr, 14.591
10.26-Jamie Miller, 14.593
11.5JR-Jim McGrath Jr., 14.596
12.7M-Brandon Moore, 14.604
13.5M-Mike Moore, 14.644
14.3V-Chris Verda, 14.646
15.20I-Kelsey Ivy, 14.653
16.22-Justin Lusk, 14.666
17.15K-Creed Kemenah, 14.701
18.27-Caleb Crispen, 14.729
19.11W-Shawn Wolford, 14.732
20.3X-Brandon Riehl, 14.761
21.2-Brenden Torok, 14.805
22.51M-Haldon Miller, 14.969
23.10TS-Tyler Schiets, 14.992
24.3M-Logan Mongeau, 15.079
25.13-Jeremy Duposki, 15.135
26.92-Kevin Hawk, 15.169
27.5AU-Mitch Smith, 15.200
28.16-Lee Sommers, 15.259
29.77X-Jamin Kindred, 15.343
30.78-Austin Black, 15.400
31.86-Zack Miller, 15.455
32.32-Bryce Lucius, 99.999

Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 26-Jamie Miller[2]
2. 12F-Matt Foos[4]
3. 34-Jud Dickerson[3]
4. 11W-Shawn Wolford[1]
5. 92-Kevin Hawk[6]
6. 51M-Haldon Miller[5]
7. 16-Lee Sommers[7]
8. 32-Bryce Lucius[8]

Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. X-Mike Keegan[3]
2. 5K-Kasey Jedrzejek[4]
3. 5JR-Jim McGrath Jr.[1]
4. 3X-Brandon Riehl[6]
5. 3V-Chris Verda[5]
6. 2-Brenden Torok[7]
7. 13-Jeremy Duposki[8]
8. 9R-Logan Riehl[2]

Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 5-Kody Brewer[4]
2. 5M-Mike Moore[3]
3. 5AU-Mitch Smith[5]
4. 3M-Logan Mongeau[1]
5. 86-Zack Miller[8]
6. 78-Austin Black[7]
7. 77X-Jamin Kindred[6]
8. 15K-Creed Kemenah[2]

Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 21-Larry Kingseed Jr[2]
2. 7M-Brandon Moore[1]
3. 31-Paul Weaver[4]
4. 19R-Steve Rando[3]
5. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[5]
6. 22-Justin Lusk[6]
7. 10TS-Tyler Schiets[8]
8. 27-Caleb Crispen[7]

B-Main #1 – (8 Laps)
1. 86-Zack Miller[2]
2. 32-Bryce Lucius[7]
3. 92-Kevin Hawk[1]
4. 16-Lee Sommers[5]
5. 78-Austin Black[4]
6. 77X-Jamin Kindred[6]
7. 51M-Haldon Miller[3]
8. 15K-Creed Kemenah[8]

B-Main #2 (8 Laps)
1. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[2]
2. 22-Justin Lusk[4]
3. 2-Brenden Torok[3]
4. 3V-Chris Verda[1]
5. 13-Jeremy Duposki[5]
6. 10TS-Tyler Schiets[6]
7. 27-Caleb Crispen[7]

A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 26-Jamie Miller[1]
2. 12F-Matt Foos[5]
3. 31-Paul Weaver[9]
4. 21-Larry Kingseed Jr[3]
5. 7M-Brandon Moore[4]
6. 5-Kody Brewer[8]
7. X-Mike Keegan[10]
8. 5K-Kasey Jedrzejek[7]
9. 5JR-Jim McGrath Jr.[11]
10. 32-Bryce Lucius[19]
11. 3X-Brandon Riehl[14]
12. 19R-Steve Rando[16]
13. 86-Zack Miller[17]
14. 5M-Mike Moore[6]
15. 92-Kevin Hawk[21]
16. 3M-Logan Mongeau[15]
17. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[18]
18. 2-Brenden Torok[22]
19. 22-Justin Lusk[20]
20. 34-Jud Dickerson[2]
21. 5AU-Mitch Smith[12]
22. 11W-Shawn Wolford[13]