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Tri State Outlook
Column by Duane Hancock
The last mid-week show of the season in Ohio can only mean one thing, the racing season is getting closer to being over for the year. 35 All Star sprints and 24 NRA 360 sprints were pit side at Waynesfield Motorsports Parks last Wednesday night. This was an event that I was looking forward too all season after I seen it was scheduled. 2 sprint car groups together for a mid-week run at the bullring called Waynesfield. Last year's All Star visit was a wild one that seen may drivers crash on the narrow racing surface. This year, the track started a little drier, making the surface very racy and wide all night long for the All Star and NRA drivers. The quick quarter mile did not disappoint and provided some good racing. Brock Mayes, Dale Blaney, Byron Reed, and Jeremy Campbell won the All Star heats. Brian Lay did a roll after slamming the guard rail during the 1st heat. Brian was later taken to the hospital but no word on his condition has been reported.
Only 1 of the heat race winners came from the front row, so some good passing. The 3 NRA 360 heats ran off quickly was well. If paid to be the pole sitter in these heats. All drivers that started on the pole, took the wins. John Ivy, JR Stewart, and Jared Horstman took the w's. Chad Blonde took the All Star Dash. As quick as one race was over, the other was ready to push-off, a fast moving program for a mid-week show is just what the fans needed. The All Star B Main was a little wild but things got settled down after a few attempts at racing. 1st off, Ed Neumeister flipped on the start after being pinched into the wall. Ryan Meyers, Lee Stark, Brandon Ferguson, and Chad Arthur. Next, Caleb Griffith took a tumble after trying to cut inside of David Harrison for position and just pinching it too tight, catching his frame rail and flipping. When it was all said and done, Lee Jacobs took the B. Cory Seeling cruised to NRA B Main win. A little after 9 PM,
the All Star A Main was ready to rock. $50,000 is on the line for the season championship and its only separated by a few markers. Both contenders got the luck of the draw and started on the front row of the 30 lap A Main. Lance DeWease got the advantage as the green flag was displayed. DeWease has quickly adapted to the shorter type of tracks this season with the All Stars but tonight will be a real test. Blaney was hot on his tail tank and took over on lap 4. In a green to checkered race on a 1/4 mile, lapped traffic was huge. Blaney pulled to a decent lead but as the laps were winding down, he was getting into 3 wide traffic. Tim Shaffer and Greg Wilson was entering the mix as well with about 8 to go. With 5 to go, DeWease and Shaffer were within a car length of Blaney. Blaney used his low rider style to perfection the final few laps in traffic to stay out-front. With the white flag in hand, DeWease still had one more shot off 2 if he could make it
hold. Lance tried but Blaney was too strong, Dale holds on for the win. DeWease, Shaffer, Wilson, and Randy Hannagan rounded out the top 5. A pretty decent race. It really could of been any of the top 3 guy's race to win the last handful of laps. The night cap was the 20 lap NRA 360 A Main. Doing double duty, Greg Wilson whipped to the lead as the green waved. An excellent slide job by Ron Blair on lap 2, placed him in the lead. Ron has been closer and closer each week to getting a big win, could this be the night? Blair looked real good and kept Wilson at bay for several laps. Wilson was running an usual line for him, the bottom. Blair lead as Wilson just followed his tire track by a few car lengths, lap after lap. Just past half-way, Wilson charges on the high side around 1 and 2 and blows past Blair to take the lead. Wilson looks like he got a re-charge and it quick all of the sudden. Blair falls back, actually enough that Mike Miller challenges him
for 2nd. A caution with 5 to go bunches the pack up and gives Blair and Miller a shot at Wilson. Like he has been in the 360, Wilson is just too strong and holds on for the win. Blair, Miller, Tim Allison, and JR Stewart round out the top 5. That gives JR a 20 point lead going into this weekend's points finale at Limaland Motorsports Park. A great night of racing for a mid-week show. I really wish we had more mid-week shows in Ohio. I remember when I was much younger, Oakshade would have many Wednesday night sprint car shows. Man, what I would do to see that happen again.
Saturday night it was off to Attica Raceway Park for the next to last points race of 08. Dang, that do NOT have a good ring to it. Many tracks are just a few weeks away from closing for the season. Where has the summer gone? 26 410 and 34 305 sprints were on hand. As an extra bonus, HoserVille Ohio added $25 to win in each heat race. I know in my last column, I talked about how great the racing was and how much passing was going on at the previous show I attended that were non-wing cars. I think these guys, and girl, wanted to show me winged cars can pass too. By the way, thanks to all that comments on my last column. One of the biggest response I have gotten in a while. Anyways, back to Attica. The 410 heats were pretty decent with a few last lap battles for transfer spots to the A. Craig Mintz, Mike Hogan, and Bryan Sebetto took the heat wins. Not to be out done, the 305 heats featured some last lap passes too, one for a win, a few others for the
final transfer spot. Brad Haudenschild, Steve Rando, Nate Dussel, and Mitch Harble won 305 heats. John Ivy ran away with the 410 B. With 34 305's 2 B Main were ran. Chad Laux, his first time in a car for a while, and DJ Foos won the 305 B Mains. 30 laps for the 410 A Main. This was one of those that getting it started was tough. The 1st start was a bad start. Next, Scott Curren stops on the start. Then, Chad Gullet spins on the next start, collecting Todd Heller. Wait, Mike Linder spins on the next start, collecting Brian Smith. Finally, the green flag is waving and the race is on. Once the green was out, it stayed out for all 30 laps. Craig Mintz took the lead on every start and made it count on the real start. Mintz took off and opened up the lead in the first handful of laps. By the mid-way point, Byron Reed was closing in on Mintz and looking to take the point. Mintz was doing a great job at holding Reed off. At times, just a few feet apart, Reed
tried to pass Mintz. Just after half-way, many eyes were shifting to John Ivy as well. Ivy started 16th and was closing in on the top 5. As the last half of the race unfolded, Mintz was getting into heavy lapped traffic as Reed was on his tail tank and Ivy inched closer to the front. The last 5 laps were great. Reed shot under Mintz to take over but Mintz quickly responded and kept the lead. Mintz, running as high as you could without falling over the bank, was holding on to the lead by inches. Reed was trying everything he could to pass and Ivy is right there too. 2 to go, they are almost nose to tail. White flag is waving, Mintz get is off 2, Reed is beside him, Ivy is on his tail tank as well. Into 3 and 4, Mintz just rides the top rail one more time to perfection, off 4, its Mintz, Ivy gets a great run into 3 and off 4 to take 2nd at the line. Reed, Mark Keegan, and Caleb Griffith, up from 13th, round out the top 5. Great runs from Ivy, 16th to 2n,
and Griffith, 13th to 5th. How could the 305's top that in their 25 lap A Main? Well, they worked their tails off to try and it was a close one too. Hot off a victory from the week before, Steve Rando took the early lead. Rando quickly checked out on the field and was looking like he was going to make it 2 in a row. After a few spins slowed the pace, Rando was back to leading the pack. well, until lap 12 when Steve slowed at the top of turn 4 with problems. Nate Dussel was the new leader. Nate was running strong but just couldn't catch Rando before he broke. Bobby Clark had charged from 15th to 4th before breaking in turn 4 as well, a few laps later. 11 to go, Dussel was looking good. Stuart Brubaker has moved closer to the front each lap and many eyes are watching DJ Foos charging from 18th into the top 5. 5 to go, Brubaker is closing and Foos is now into 3rd. Dussel has won once in his rookie season and is giving it his all for another one. They are
nose to tail off 4, coming to the white flag. Dussel leads into 1, Brubaker is inches away, Foos just a few too many car lengths away. Off 2, Dussel leads but Brubkaer is setting his move up. Stuart makes his moves going into 3 they are side by side. Off 4, Brubaker makes it stick and races to the line to steal the win. Dussel beats Foos to the stripe. Zack Kramer and Dustin Dinan, up from 11th, round out the top 5. A great night of racing with both sprint car A Main coming down to the wire off turn 4. Plus, both had drivers charge from way back in the pack for top 3 finishes. For all of those that say winged car don't pass, you should of been to Attica on this night, well actually any night because they usually do there quite well. I got the pleasure as well to meet Steve Rando and Nate Dussel both on this night. Both were really nice young guns in this sport. Both were very greatful for the little extra sponsorship and took time to chat a little. The
Ohio 305 group has always been a good bunch of racers and it just seems to get better and better each season.
Some big races have just been added during the month of September in Ohio. Millstream Speedway has added Sunday September 7th to the skid for their 2nd race of 08. It will be an open $4000 to win sprint car show...Fremont Speedway has stepped-up in a major way in September. First off they has extended their season by a few shows. Next, they have just announced a $20,000 to win, $500 to start 410 show on September 20th. This is the day after the World Of Outlaws are at Eldora and the day before their next race. A few problems for the WOO drivers already. 1) their Sunday race is 9 plus hours from Fremont and 2) there is a 48 hour rule that states they cannot race 48 hours before or after a WOO event unless its more than 250 miles away. I was told by 1 of the top 10 in WOO points drivers that he had already asked if they could race Fremont and the WOO officials said, no. so unless all they WOO teams ban together and all receive the 250 point penalty,
don't count on many WOO drivers on hand. Maybe a few that are out of the points chase or will give up a chance at the $1000 or 2 that they might lose in the points standings for a shot at $20,000. Then, Fremont had added a non-wing show on September 27th. $3000 to win, I think $300 to start. No major non-wing shows are within 400 miles that night and USAC isn't over 3 hours away the next day, so a nice field of cars should be on hand. Plus, many regulars have seemed to committed to race that night. Some excellent shows yet to come this season.
UPCOMING:
Friday:
NRA Limaland Motorsports Park
MASS Bloomington IN
Saturday
All Stars Butler MI
AVSS Owosso MI
SOD Owendale MI
MSCS North Vernon IN
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