By T.J. Buffenbarger
ATTICA, Ohio (September 9, 2022) — D.J. Foos closed out the 2022 season at Attica Raceway Park by picking up the 410 sprint car victory Friday during the Mark Keegan Classic with the Attica Fremont Challenge Series. The victory was Foos second of the 2022 season and first of the year at Attica for the veteran driver from Fremont, Ohio.
In the 305 sprint car division Brandon Martin did not take long to shake off the rust after a five year layoff winning the feature event. The victory was Martin’s first of his career in the 305 sprint car division.
After the first attempt to start the main event was slowed by debris on the racetrack, Foos drove from the pole position into the lead as fellow front row starter Chris Andrews attempted to drive by in turn two unsuccessfully. This allowed Emerson Axsom to drive under Andrews and exchange the spot until Axsom secured the position in turn two.
Foos opened a sizeable advantage until entering slower traffic on lap six. This allowed Axsom, Andrews, and Cole Macedo to close in. As the battle for the lead started to heat up the caution flag appeared when Andrews slowed after packing his right rear wheel with mud. Andrews team was unable to make repairs in time to join the field for the restart.
Foos pulled away as Macedo started to pressure Axsom. Travis Philo briefly went from fourth to second with a slide job in turn four, only to lose momentum and drop back to fourth coming down the front stretch.
Macedo pressured Axsom for the second position on lap 22 and was able to make the pass two laps later and set out after Foos for the lead. Macedo quickly closed in and tried a slide job with two laps to go but was unable to make the pass. Just after the leaders took the white flag the final caution in the feature appeared when Zach Ames slid off the track in turn four.
This setup a one lap dash to the finish. Macedo drove to the inside of Foos through turns one and two, but Foos used the momentum on the cushion to drive to the victory. Philo was able to slide by Macedo for second on the final corner with Macedo holding onto third. Axsom and Tim Shaffer rounded out the top five.
Macedo’s third place finish was enough to secure the 2022 Attica Raceway Park track championship and will secure the Attica Fremont Challenge Series title by signing in for Saturday’s finale for that series at Fremont Speedway.
Kelsey Ivy and Martin exchanged the lead during the opening five laps of the 305 feature event before Martin took command. This allowed Mike Keegan and Kody Brewer to close in and create a four-car race for the lead when the red flag appeared with six laps in when Tyler Shiets slowed and several cars slid off turn three trying to avoid him. Steve Rando had nowhere to go, went over a wheel, and took a wild end over end tumble off the track.
After the restart Martin pulled away with Ivy and Keegan racing for second until they made contact. Keegan ended up with front end damage with his car rolling down the track in front of the field. Thankfully all the other drivers were able to avoid contact, but Keegan was unable to continue.
Martin pulled away during the restart as Jamie Miller started getting wound up on the top of the track. Martin was up to second around Ivy when his top wing supports broke on lap 9, causing him to spin in turn four. Miller was unable to make repairs for the restart.
After the restart Martin was able to open a sizeable lead while Kasey Jedrzejek started to roll the top driving up to fourth position and started to pressure Brewer and Ivy for a podium position. Jedrzejek drove by Brewer on lap 15 and started swapping second with Ivy. On lap 18 Brewer got by Ivy for third and challenged Jedrzejek for second.
Up front it was all Martin taking the improbable victory. Brewer, Jedrzejek, Brandon Moore, and Paul Weaver rounded out the top five. Weaver’s fifth place finish secured the 305 sprint car point championship.
Mark Keegan Classic
Attica Fremont Challenge Series
Attica Raceway Park
Attica, Ohio
Friday, September 9, 2022
Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Qualifying Flight A:
1. 16-D.J. Foos, 12.503
2. 68G-Tyler Gunn, 12.729
3. 2X-Stuart Brubaker, 12.831
4. 18-Cole Macedo, 12.869
5. 99-Skylar Gee, 12.975
6. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 12.981
7. 5-Byron Reed, 13.087
8. 7N-Darin Naida, 13.315
9. 28M-Conner Morrell, 13.761
Qualifying Flight B:
1. 29-Zeth Sabo, 12.825
2. 23-Chris Andrews, 12.958
3. 8-Zach Ames, 13.035
4. 12G-Corbin Gurley, 13.117
5. 49I-John Ivy, 13.117
6. 2+-Brian Smith, 13.254
7. X-Mike Keegan, 13.447
8. 28-Gray Leadbetter, 13.729
9. 12-Kyle Capodice, 14.061
Qualifying Flight C:
1. 5T-Travis Philo, 12.690
2. 47BC-Emerson Axsom, 12.775
3. 3J-Trey Jacobs, 12.886
4. 45-Tim Shaffer, 13.071
5. 4*-Tyler Street, 13.122
6. 24D-Danny Sams III, 13.124
7. 2-Ricky Peterson, 13.267
8. 88N-Frank Neill, 13.642
9. 5W-Benjamin Webb, 14.672
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps, Top Five Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 2X-Stuart Brubaker
2. 18-Cole Macedo
3. 68G-Tyler Gunn
4. 5-Byron Reed
5. 16-D.J. Foos
6. 99-Skylar Gee
7. 7N-Darin Naida
8. 15K-Creed Kemenah
9. 28M-Conner Morrell
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps, Top Five Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 8-Zach Ames
2. 23-Chris Andrew
3. 49I-John Ivy
4. 12G-Corbin Gurley
5. 12-Kyle Capodice
6. 2+-Brian Smith
7. 28-Gray Leadbettery
8. 29-Zeth Savo
9. X-Mike Keegan
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top Five Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 45-Tim Shaffer
2. 5T-Travis Philo
3. 47BC-Emerson Axsom
4. 24D-Danny Sams III
5. 2-Ricky Peterson
6. 4*-Tyler Street
7. 88N-Frank Neill
8. 3J-Trey Jacobs
9. 5W-Benjanmin Webb
B-Main (10 Laps, Top Five Finishers Transfer to the A-Main)
1. 99-Skylar Gee
2. 4*-Tyler Street
3. 7N-Darin Naida
4. 29-Zeth Sabo
5. 2+-Brian Smith
6. 15K-Creed Kemenah
7. 28M-Conner Morrell
8. 3J-Trey Jacobs
9. 88N-Frank Neill
10. 28-Gray Leadbetter
11. 5W-Benjamin Webb
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 16-D.J. Foos
2. 5T-Travis Philo
3. 18-Cole Macedo
4. 47BC-Emerson Axsom
5. 45-Tim Shaffer
6. 5-Byron Reed
7. 99-Skylar Gee
8. 2-Ricky Peterson
9. 68G-Tyler Gunn
10. 29-Zeth Sabo
11. 24D-Danny Sams III
12. 2X-Stuart Brubaker
13. 7N-Darin Naida
14. 12G-Corbin Gurley
15. 2+-Brian Smith
16. 8-Zach Ames
17. 12-Kyle Capodice
18. 23-Chris Andrews
19. 49I-John Ivy
20. 4*-Tyler Street
Winged 305 Sprint Cars
Qualifying Flight A:
1. 3X-Brandon Riehl, 14.065
2. 34-Jud Dickerson, 14.089
3. 5M-Mike Moore, 14.249
4. 26X-Brandon Martin, 14.267
5. 3F-Wade Farley, 14.294
6. 16-Zeth Sabo, 14.295
7. 63-Randy Ruble, 14.369
8. 2-Brenden Torok, 14.381
Qualifying Flight B:
1. 7M-Brandon Moore, 13.779
2. 5K-Kasey Jedzejek, 13.779
3. 3M-Logan Mongeau, 13.992
4. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 14.284
5. 51M-Haldon Miller, 14.308
6. 13S-Drew Siefred, 14.473
7. 92-Kevin Hawk, 14.528
Qualifying Flight C:
1. X15-Kasey Ziebold, 13.707
2. 26-Jamie Miller, 13.859
3. 47-Matt Lucius, 13.876
4. X-Mike Keegan, 13.881
5. 12-Matt Foos, 13.942
6. 19R-Steve Rando, 13.957
7. 9R-Logan Riehl, 14.121
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps, First Four Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 26X-Brandon Martin
2. 3X-Brandon Riehl
3. 16-Zeth Sabo
4. 3F-Wade Fraley
5. 5M-Mike Moore
6. 34-Jud Dickerson
7. 63-Randy Ruble
8. 2-Brenden Torok
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps, First Four Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 5K-Kasey Jedrzejek
2. 7M-Brandon Moore
3. 15K-Creed Kemenah
4. 3M-Logan Mongeau
5. 13S-Drew Siferd
6. 51M-Haldon Miller
7. 92-Kevin Hawk
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, First Four Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. X-Mike Keegan
2. 26-Jamie Miller
3. 12-Matt Foos
4. 9R-Logan Riehl
5. 47-Matt Lucius
6. X15-Kasey Ziebold
7. 19R-Steve Rando
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, First Four Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 31-Paul Weaver
2. 5-Kody Brewer
3. 5JR-Jim McGrath Jr.
4. 20I-Kelsey Ivy
5. 4T-James Taddeo
6. 10TS-Tyler Schiets
7. 27-Caleb Crispen
B-Main (10 Laps, Top Four Finishers Transferred to the A-Main)
1. 13S-Drew Sifred
2. 10TS-Tyler Schiets
3. 51M-Haldon Miller
4. 19R-Steve Rando
5. 5M-Mike Moore
6. X15-Kasey Ziebold
7. 4T-James Taddeo
8. 92-Kevin Hawk
9. 34-Jud Dickerson
10. 63-Randy Ruble
11. 27-Caleb Crispen
12. 47-Matt Lucius
A-Main:
1. 26X-Brandon Martin
2. 5-Kody Brewer
3. 5K-Kasey Jedrzejek
4. 7M-Brandon Moore
5. 31-Paul Weaver
6. 20I-Kelsey Ivy
7. 15K-Creed Kemenah
8. 9R-Logan Riehl
9. 12-Matt Foos
10. 3X-Brandon Riehl
11. 3F-Wade Fraley
12. 5JR-Jim McGrath Jr.
13. 16-Zeth Sabo
14. 3M-Logan Mongeau
15. 41M-Haldon Miller
16. 13S-Drew Siferd
17. 26-Jamie Miller
18. X-Mike Keegan
19. 10TS-Tyler Schiets
20. 19R-Steve Rando