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Mark Keegan finds Fremont's Engine Pro Victory Lane for #59; Runion takes 305 sprints; Ward wins third truck feature.
By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio (Saturday, June 23, 2007) - Mark Keegan has been racing for
over 30 years. He has accumulated over 180 feature wins and 20 track
championships. But over the last few years the competition has gotten
tougher and made it harder for the Fremont, Ohio driver to find victory
lane. However, the 49-year-old driver still has some wins left in him and he
made that clear Saturday at Fremont Speedway, as he executed a daring pass
to move from third to the front and went on to take his 59th career victory
at "The Track That Action Built."
Tiffin's Cody Runion was forced to bring out an old car a few weeks ago
after destroying a brand new one. And once again, it propelled him to a win
in the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints.
Sandusky's Cory Ward drove a flawless race to claim his third win of the
season in the Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks.
Keegan's win on Burger King Night in the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints
puts him in the third spot on Fremont Speedway's all-time win list, just
three away from his uncle Gug Keegan and eight away from leader Art Ball.
"I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get back up here," said Keegan in the
Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Midwest Transportation & Auto Sales/Jon
Wright Custom Chrome Plating sponsored #X. "These kids are just getting
better and better and you really have to be on your game if you're going to
beat them."
"And the way my luck has been going...the motor quit after I took the
checkered...I hope it isn't too bad," added Keegan about his J&J
chassis/Kistler Engines ride.
Runion took the lead from Duane Zablocki on lap 17 and survived the race's
only yellow with just four laps remaining to score his second career Fremont
victory.
"We really thought coming into the season we'd be good. We bought a new car
and I proceeded to junk it. We rolled out this 1998 car once again. It got
me my first win here and now it has us back in the Engine Pro Victory Lane,"
said the 18-year-old driver of the CamTech, Waterville Sheet Metal sponsored
#49.
"I really hated to see that yellow. I didn't have any brakes the last four
laps. But when I looked at the scoreboard and didn't see the 48 car
(point-leader Andy Shammo who has 4 wins at Fremont in 2007). I relaxed and
just cruised around the bottom."
Ward grabbed the lead from Bob Dible on lap 10 of the 20-lap truck feature
and would not budge off the bottom to score the victory.
"I came off the bottom to pass for the lead, but I blew a couple of wins by
trying to race up there before...I really didn't know what to do but go back
down there and wait to see if anyone was going to try the high side," said
Ward beside his Lakefront Drywall, East Side Cafe, Hisers Transmission's
backed #18w truck.
Pole-sitter Paul Weaver led the first lap in the 30-lap 410 sprint feature
before being passed by last week's Fremont winner John Ivy a lap later.
Defending track champion Mike Linder would move around Weaver on lap five
and would race outside of Ivy for the lead the next circuit. Meanwhile
Keegan, who started 7th, moved into third and waited for his opportunity.
Keegan would split Linder and Ivy in the third and fourth turns to grab the
lead on lap 7. Linder would mount several challenges to Keegan before the
veteran would move to the bottom groove in 3 and 4 to stop Linder's advance.
Just as Keegan got into heavy traffic on lap 17, the second and final
caution of the feature would fly, giving him a clear track.
Linder would battle hard with Keegan on the restart, but once he regained
his momentum, Keegan would cruise to the win. Ivy would nip Linder at the
checkers for second, with fast-qualifier Byron Reed fourth and rookie Chris
Andrews rounding out the top five.
In the 25-lap feature for the 305 sprints, Duane Zablocki would grab the
early lead with Runion and Brad Bowman right on his bumper. The real battle
was for positions 4-10 as they changed with every lap.Bowman would drop out
on lap 11, making the running order Zablocki, Runion, Kevin Lee and Bill
Kraylek.
The leaders would hit lapped traffic by lap 15, allowing Runion to close on
Zablocki. The duo would battle hard for the lad the next two circuits before
Runion shot under Zablocki exiting turn 4 on lap 17 for the lead. The only
yellow would fly on lap 21 with Runion and Zablock having a lapped car
between them and third place Bill Kraylek.
Runion would set sail on the restart, pulling away from Zablocki for the
win. Kraylek would come home third with Lee and Bobby Foster rounding out
the top five.
Brad Mitten took the early lead in the 20-lap dirt truck feature, with Dave
Gibbs driving around him on lap 3. The driver on the move were 8th starting
Bob Dible and 12th-starting Ward. Dible would drive under Gibbs for the lead
on lap 5, bringing into second. Ward would drive around Dible on lap 10.
Dible's teammate Steve Endicott would grab the second apot on lap 12 and
would put pressure on Ward.
Ward would not budge off the bottom and went on to the victory with
Endicott, Dible, Art Ball and Jim McGrath rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Thursday, June 28 as Budweiser
presents the fifth leg of the University of Northwest Ohio Sprint Speedweek
presented by RacingJunk.com featuring the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of
Champions. It will be an all-sprint car night, as the Fremont Federal Credit
Union 305 Sprints will also be in action. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with
racing action slated for 7:30 p.m.
The "New" Fremont Speedway (06-23-07)
Burger King Night
Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Super Sprints
Qualifying
1. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.56; 2. X-Mark Keegan, 12.61; 3. 12-Caleb Griffith,
12.69; 4. 1R-Phil Gressman, 12.75; 5. 10-David Harrison, 12.84; 6. 3L-Mike
Linder, 12.85; 7. 51-John Ivy, 12.85; 8. 4K-Kelly Kinser, 12.91; 9.
15C-Chris Andrews, 12.98; 10. 1W-Paul Weaver, 12.98; 11. 16-Lee Jacobs,
12.99; 12. 7T-Troy Vaccaro, 12.99; 13. O-Gus Wasson, 13.00; 14. 49T-Gregg
Dalman, 13.03; 15. 55-Brian Smith, 13.10; 16. 3T-Tony Beaber, 13.22; 17.
8S-Bobby Clark, 13.25; 18. 31-Chuck Wilson, 13.33; 19. 27-Scott Euler,
13.35; 20. 10S-Roger Shammo, 13.36; 21. 14H-Todd Heller, 13.39; 22. 99-Alvin
Roepke, 13.53; 23. 96AU-Bruce White, 13.79; 24. 48-Mike Burkin, 14.35; 25.
5T-Travis Philo, 14.85; 26. 11-Josh Harrison
Heat 1 (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 51-John Ivy; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 3T-Tony Beaber; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver; 5.
1R-Phil Gressman; 6. 99-Alvin Roepke; 7. 27-Scott Euler; 8. 5T-Travis Philo
Heat 2 (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 8S-Bobby Clark; 2. 16-Lee Jacobs; 3. X-Mark Keegan; 4. 49T-Gregg Dalman;
5. 4K-Kelly Kinser; 6. 10-David Harrison; 7. 10S-Roger Shammo; 8. 96AU-Bruce
White; 9. 11-Josh Harrison
Heat 3 (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 55-Brian Smith; 2. 15C-Chris Andrews; 3. 3L-Mike Linder; 4. 7T-Troy
Vaccaro; 5. 14H-Todd Heller; 6. 31-Chuck Wilson; 7. 48-Mike Burkin; 8.
12-Caleb Griffith
B-main (10 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. O-Gus Wasson; 2. 10-David Harrison; 3. 27-Scott Euler; 4. 99-Alvin
Roepke; 5. 31-Chuck Wilson; 6. 48-Mike Burkin; 7. 10S-Roger Shammo; 8.
96AU-Bruce White; 9. 5T-Travis Philo; 10. 11-Josh Harrison; 11. 12-Caleb
Griffith
A-main (30 laps) Starting Position [#]
1. X-Mark Keegan[7]; 2. 51-John Ivy[4]; 3. 3L-Mike Linder[5]; 4. 5R-Byron
Reed[8]; 5. 15C-Chris Andrews[2]; 6. 1W-Paul Weaver[1]; 7. 4K-Kelly
Kinser[3]; 8. 1R-Phil Gressman[6]; 9. 16-Lee Jacobs[10]; 10. 14H-Todd
Heller[19]; 11. O-Gus Wasson[12]; 12. 7T-Troy Vaccaro[11]; 13. 10-David
Harrison[9]; 14. 27-Scott Euler[18]; 15. 55-Brian Smith[14]; 16. 3T-Tony
Beaber[15]; 17. 99-Alvin Roepke[20]; 18. 31-Chuck Wilson[17]; 19. 8S-Bobby
Clark[16]; 20. 49T-Gregg Dalman[13]
Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints
Heat 1 - Riverside Machine & Tool (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. O2-Kevin Lee; 2. O1-Bryan Sebetto; 3. M28-Josh Muntz; 4. 65-Mark Lang; 5.
36X-Dustin Keegan; 6. 19R-Steve Rando; 7. 34-Mark Whaley; 8. 23-Brad Keckler
Heat 2 - R & R Auto Wrecking (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 3J-Bobby Foster; 2. O4-Cap Henry; 3. 49-Coty Runion; 4. 25P-Mark
Pridemore; 5. 40-Bobby Davis; 6. 18C-Jason Crispen; 7. 6-Ryan Dickey; 8.
22D-Dan Hammond
Heat 3 - Gressman Powersports (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 31-Chad Gullett; 2. 9-Craig Kays; 3. 48S-Andy Shammo; 4. 1A-Matt Lucius;
5. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 6. 72C-John Bartlome; 7. 18-Todd Heuerman; 8.
82-Travis Hoffbauer
Heat 4 - Reco Equipment (8 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main)
1. 66L-Brad Bowman; 2. 71-Bill Kraylek; 3. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 4. 5-Dustin
Dinan; 5. 29L-Chris Lang; 6. 27K-Ryan Kirkendall; 7. O7-Scott Mominee; 8.
55S-Benny Bowman
Dash - Computer Man Inc. (4 laps)
1. O2-Kevin Lee; 2. 31-Chad Gullett; 3. 66L-Brad Bowman; 4. 3J-Bobby Foster;
5. O4-Cap Henry
B1 Main (8 laps, top 2 transfer to A-main)
1. 36X-Dustin Keegan; 2. 40-Bobby Davis; 3. 19R-Steve Rando; 4. 34-Mark
Whaley; 5. 23-Brad Keckler; 6. 18C-Jason Crispen; 7. 6-Ryan Dickey; 8.
12-Brett Lane
B2 Main (8 laps, top 2 transfer to A-Main)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. 18-Todd Heuerman; 3. 29L-Chris Lang; 4. O7-Scott
Mominee; 5. 55S-Benny Bowman; 6. 72C-John Bartlome; 7. 27K-Ryan Kirkendall;
8. 82-Travis Hoffbauer
A-main (25 laps) Starting Position [#]
1. 49-Coty Runion[2]; 2. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[1]; 3. 71-Bill Kraylek[3]; 4.
O2-Kevin Lee[5]; 5. 3J-Bobby Foster[9]; 6. 48S-Andy Shammo[10]; 7. 31-Chad
Gullett[6]; 8. O1-Bryan Sebetto[8]; 9. 36X-Dustin Keegan[17]; 10. M28-Josh
Muntz[12]; 11. 18-Todd Heuerman[20]; 12. 35-Stuart Brubaker[18]; 13. 9-Craig
Kays[11]; 14. 5-Dustin Dinan[16]; 15. 25P-Mark Pridemore[14]; 16. 1A-Matt
Lucius[15]; 17. 40-Bobby Davis[19]; 18. O4-Cap Henry[7]; 19. 65-Mark
Lang[13]; 20. 66L-Brad Bowman[4]
Fremont Fence & Guardrail Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 5-Jim McGrath; 2. 17-Bob Dible; 3. 8H-Art Howey Jr.; 4. 23M-Brad Mitten;
5. 4X-Brian Sorg; 6. 97-Jim Maglosky; 7. 5W-Ralph Willey; 8. P51-Paul Brown
Jr.; 9. 96-James McClure; 10. 16-Steve Sabo
Heat 2 (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 3R-Chuck Roelle; 2. 8-Steve Endicott; 3. 30-Dave Gibbs; 4. 28-Shawn
Valenti; 5. 55B-Bill Bruen; 6. 83B-Dave Brewer; 7. 92-Loren Schwochow; 8.
62-David Severs; 9. 17W-Brian Ward
Heat 3 (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 18W-Cory Ward; 2. O1-Art Ball; 3. 39-Dwight Waltermier; 4. 37-Eric
Devanna; 5. 20-Andy Maynard; 6. 8K-Zack Kramer; 7. 56-Alex Wiechman; 8.
7C-Jacob Dick; 9. 34M-Kevin Miller
B2-main (8 laps, top 5 transfer to A-Main)
1. 97-Jim Maglosky; 2. 83B-Dave Brewer; 3. 8K-Zack Kramer; 4. 16-Steve Sabo;
5. 92-Loren Schwochow; 6. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 7. 7C-Jacob Dick; 8. 56-Alex
Wiechman; 9. 5W-Ralph Willey; 10. 34M-Kevin Miller; 11. 96-James McClure;
12. 62-David Severs
A-main (20 laps) Starting Position [#]
1. 18W-Cory Ward[12]; 2. 8-Steve Endicott[4]; 3. 17-Bob Dible[8]; 4. O1-Art
Ball[11]; 5. 5-Jim McGrath[7]; 6. 28-Shawn Valenti[9]; 7. 23M-Brad
Mitten[2]; 8. 16-Steve Sabo[19]; 9. 37-Eric Devanna[6]; 10. 8H-Art Howey
Jr.[5]; 11. 3R-Chuck Roelle[3]; 12. 83B-Dave Brewer[17]; 13. 8K-Zack
Kramer[18]; 14. 30-Dave Gibbs[1]; 15. 4X-Brian Sorg[13]; 16. 55B-Bill
Bruen[14]; 17. 97-Jim Maglosky[16]; 18. 20-Andy Maynard[15]; 19. 92-Loren
Schwochow[20]; 20. 39-Dwight Waltermier[10]
For more information log onto www.fremontohspeedway.com or call the track
office at 419-862-2206.
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