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Kevin Lee scores 1st career Fremont win; Ward takes 4th truck feature win
By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio (Saturday, July 14, 2007) - Fremont Speedway remembered its
roots Saturday, as over 50 former drivers who competed over the last 56
years were on hand on Fort Ball Pizza Palace Night to watch Green Springs'
Kevin Lee score his first career victory at "The Track That Action Built,"
in the 305 sprints. Sandusky's Cory Ward picked up his fourth win of the
season at the historical speedplant in the dirt trucks.
"It was so wonderful to see all those former drivers come out
tonight....they are the ones responsible for making Fremont Speedway what it
is today," said Fremont Speedway Promoter Jim Ford. "It was fun to see the
fans mingling with their heroes from yesterday. And the smiles on the faces
of those former drivers was very special."
Lee, a former rookie of the year in the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305
Sprints, took the lead on lap 3, but looked to be headed for a runner-up
finish when Bryan Sebetto drove around him on lap 19. But Sebetto slipped
off the high side of turn 3 a lap later, giving the top spot back to Lee.
Lee would not waste the opportunity, going on to the victory as the rain
drops fell.
"I don't know if I could have gotten back by Bryan...it would have been
fun," said Lee in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Kylnn Inc./ Humbert
Trucking backed #02. "I have to thank my my dad and his wife (Charlie and
Velma Lee)...they own this thing. We've been so close here over the
years...to finally get a win in front of all these former great drivers is
incredible."
Ward, who started 12th. grabbed the lead on lap 7 and road the bottom of the
track to the win to maintain his current point lead in the Fremont Fence
Dirt Trucks.
"Both trucks are running very well," said Ward, who has several wins this
year at Attica Raceway Park. "I'm all over the track in traffic, but once I
get to the front, I don't know how I do it, but this truck is glued to the
bottom."
Ward's victory came aboard the Precision Body & Frame, Lakefront Drywall,
Excuses Lounge backed #18w as his dad, Jim Ward, a 1978 and 1979 Fremont
champion in the sport stock division, looked on.
At the start of the 25-lap 305 sprint feature, pole-sitter Brett Lane
grabbed the lead, with Craig Kays taking the top spot a lap later. Lee, who
started fifth, executed a great move to go from third to first in turns 3
and 4 a lap later. While Lee led, the battle between Brad Bowman, Kays and
10th-starter Bryan Sebetto would heat up.
Lee hit lapped traffic by lap 14, with Bowman, Sebetto and 11th-starter Andy
Shammo in tow. Sebetto would move into second on lap 16 and would race side
by side with Lee for the lead the next 2 circuits before grabbing the top
spot exiting turn 2 on lap 18. Sebetto would jump the cushion in turns 3 and
4 a lap later, handing the top spot back to Lee.
Lee would take the checkered over Sebetto, Shammo, Bowman and Kays.
The first half of the 20-lap feature for the dirt trucks was a
caution-filled affair. Rookie Alex Wiechman would take the initial lead with
fellow rookie Zack Kramer, Dave Brewer, Eric DeVanna and Art Howie Jr. in
tow. Kramer would grab the point on lap 2 only to see Wiechman fight back a
lap later. Meanwhile Ward, who started 12th, was steadily marching his way
to the front. He would move into fourth by lap 3 and into second by lap 5.
He would driver under Wiechman for the lead on lap 7 and was never
challenged the rest of the way.
However, behind him, the racing was exciting. Wiechman would hold second
until lap 11 when 9th-starter Brian Arnold would grab the runner-up
position. Wiechman, Steve Endicott, Howie, Shawn Valenti and Art Ball would
trade positions every lap.
At the checkered it was Ward, Arnold, 11th-starter Art Ball, Endicott and
Wiechman rounding out the top five.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, July 21 on Beck Oil Night
feauring the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints, Fremont Federal Credit
Union 305 Sprints and the Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.
with racing action slated to get underway at 7:30 p.m.
For more information log onto www.fremontohspeedway.com or call the track
office at 419-862-2206.
FREMONT SPEEDWAY (Saturday, July 14, 2007)
Fort Ball Pizza Palace Night
Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints
Riverside Machine & Tool Heat 1 (top 4 to A): 1. 9z-Duane Zablocki; 2.
12-Brett Lane; 3. 31-Chad Gullett; 4. 18-Todd Heuerman; 5. 34-Mark Whaley;
6. 29-Rich Farmer; 7. 72c-John Barlome; 8. 65-Mark Lang
R& R Auto Wrecking Heat 2 (top 4 to A): 1. 01-Bryan Sebetto; 2. 36x-Dustin
Keegan; 3. 66L-Brad Bowman; 4. 49-Coty Runion; 5. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 6.
311-Aaron Molloney; 7. 29L-Chris Lang; 8. 82-Travis Hoffbauer
Gressman Powersports Heat 3 (top 4 to A): 1. 02-Kevin Lee; 2. 40-Bobby
Clark; 3. 5-Dustin Dinan; 4. 39m-Matt Merrill; 5. 22d-Dan Hammond; 6.
25P-Mark Pridemore; 7. 18c-Jason Crispen; 8. 6-Ryan Dickey
Borer Mirror & Glass Heat 4 (top 4 to A): 1. 48s-Andy Shammo; 2. 9-Craig
Kays; 3. 04-Cap Henry; 4. 71-Bill Kraylek; 5. 1a-Matt Lucius; 6. 19r-Steve
Rando; 7. M28-Josh Muntz
Computer Man Dash: 1. 9z-Duane Zablocki; 2. 01-Bryan Sebetto; 3. 48s-Andy
Shammo; 4. 02-Kevin Lee; 5. 39m-Matt Merrill
B-Main (top 4 to A): 1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. 34-Mark Whaley; 3. 1A-Matt
Lucius; 4. 22d-Dan Hammon; 5. 29-Rich Farmer; 6. 72c-John Bartlome; 7.
25P-Mark Pridemore; 8. 19r-Steve Rando; 9. 65-Mark Lang; 10. 29L-Chris Lang;
11. 18c-Jason Crispen; 12. 311-Aaron Maloney; 13. 82-Travis Hoffbauer; 14.
6-Ryan Dickey;
A-Main (25 laps, starting spot [#]
1. 02-Kevin Lee [5]; 2. 01-Bryan Sebetto [10]; 3. 48s-Andy Shammo [11]; 4.
66L-Brad Bowman [3]; 5. 9-Craig Kays [2]; 6. 31-Chad Gullett [6]; 7. 18-Todd
Heuerman [13]; 8. 36x-Dustin Keegan [7]; 9. 35-Stuart Brubaker [17]; 10.
49-Coty Runion [14]; 11. 9z-Duane Zablocki [9]; 12. 71-Bill Kraylek [16];
13. 04-Cap Henry [4]; 14. 39M-Matt Merrill [15]; 15. 34-Mark Whaley [18];
16. 22d-Dan Hammond [20]; 17. 12-Brett Lane [1]; 18. 1A-Matt Lucius [19];
19. 40-Bobby Clark [12]; 20. 5-Dustin Dinan [8]
Fremont Fence Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 (top 5 to A): 1. 33-Brian Arnold; 2. 5-Jim McGrath; 3. 18w-Cory Ward;
4. 8k-Zak Kramer; 5. 1-Joe Hartlaub; 6. 6-Steve Sabo; 7. 19-Jimmy Sebetto;
8. 4x-Brian Sorg
Heat 2 (top 5 to A): 1. 3r-Chuck Roelle; 2. 8-Steve Endicott; 3. 83b-Dave
Brewer; 4. 8h-Art Howey Jr.; 5. 20-Andy Maynard; 6. 30-Dave Gibbs; 7.
23m-Brad Mitten; 8. 96-James McClure II
Heat 3 (top 5 to A): 1. 1. 17-Bob Dible; 2. 01-Art Ball; 3. 98-Eric DeVanna;
4. 56-Alex Wiechman; 5. 39-Dwight Waltermeier; 6. 28-Shawn Valenti; 7.
P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 8. 53-Dan Roepke (DNS)
B-main (top 5 to A): 1. 28-Shawn Valenti; 2. 6-Steve Sabo; 3. 23m-Brad
Mitten; 4. 30-Dave Gibbs; 5. 19-Jimmy Sebetto; 6. 96-James McClure; 7.
4x-Brian Sorg; 8. P51-Paul Brown Jr. 9. 7B-Tim Schatzinger
A-Main (20 laps, starting spot [#]
1. 18w-Cory Ward [12]; 2. 33-Brian Arnold [9]; 3. 01-Art Ball [11]; 4.
8-Steve Endicott [7]; 5. 56-Alex Wiechman [2]; 6. 28-Shawn Valenti [16]; 7.
8h-Art Howey Jr. [6]; 8. 3R-Chuck Roelle [5]; 9. 39-Dwight Waltermeier [15];
10. 23m-Brad Mitten [18]; 11. 20-Andy Maynard [14]; 12. 6-Steve Sabo [17];
13. 1-Joe Hartlaub [13]; 14. 96-James McClure [20]; 15. 17-Bob Dible [8];
16. 19-Jimmy Sebetto [19]; 17. 8k-Zck Kramer [1]; 18. 83b-Dave Brewer [3];
19. 98-Eric DeVanna [4]; 20. 5-Jim McGrath [10]
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