ATTICA, OH (8-28-10) by Bryan Autullo - FAST Public Relations

The Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title's final race at Attica for 2010 came to a close with Dalton, Ohio's Lee Jacobs finding victory lane for the first time this season.  Jacobs has been close several times throughout the year, but bad luck has found a way to keep him from reaching the checkers first.  The Hammer team hit on the perfect setup on Night #21 of the FAST Championship season and Jacobs was untouchable from his front row starting position.  Multiple cautions throughout the event slowed the action, but Jacobs would pull away from the field each time the green flag flew again. 

“This is a huge bounce-back for our team. We made some changes here the past week and we really clicked tonight,” said Jacobs from victory lane beside his Randy and Lisa Hammer owned, Hammer Pallets, Classic Turning, Berlin Bakery backed #24h.

Jacobs started on the front row along side of Mark Keegan who gave Jacobs fits throughout the race, though Jacobs managed to lead all 30 laps of the event.  At the initial green flag jacobs shot out front followed by Brad Haudenschild, Mark Keegan, Brandon Wimmer and Shawn Valenti. Keegan moved into second a lap later while Jacobs pulled away from the field. Haudenschild spun to brought out the caution with two laps in.

When racing resumed, Wimmer dove under Keegan to take second with Gressman fourth and Reed moving into fifth. Gressman shot into third on lap 11 as Jacobs continued his domination up front. Sheldon Haudenschild spun on lap 15 to slow the action once again.  The restart had Jacobs, Wimmer, Gressman, Keegan and Reed dicing it out for the Top 5 spots. Jacobs again pulled away as Wimmer and Gressman took turns in second place. Gressman would move into the runner-up spot on lap 17 as Keegan took third from Wimmer on the next lap.

Jacobs ran the high side comfortably out front while Gressman and Keegan traded second place several times and Wimmer and Reed were racing each other hard for fourth. Cap Henry and Mike Linder got together in turn 2 on lap 20, bringing out yet another caution. Jacobs pulled away again on the restart with Gressman, Keegan, Wimmer and Reed in his wake. Keegan finally got by Gressman for second on lap 24 and was looking to run down Jacobs, but was not able to get close enough to challenge for the lead. Reed took over fourth on lap 23 and then snuck into third on lap 25. Brad Haudenschild stopped on the track on lap 27 bringing out the final caution.  Keegan made one last attempt at Jacobs on the restart, but Jacobs drove away once again for the win.  Keegan, Reed, Gressman and Rob Chaney rounded out the top five.

“I didn’t even know where victory lane was…it’s been so long since I’ve won a race I didn’t know if I was going to get another one,” joked Jacobs. “Tonight was amazing. I wish we wouldn’t have had so many cautions because that old man in that #X car (Mark Keegan) was making things pretty interesting on those restarts. Mark Keegan is one of the best drivers in our state. He did a hell of a job…it’s an honor to race with him like that. I knew I had to keep switching up my starts in three and four and kind of moved around trying different lines to screw him up. The last two restarts I didn’t see him so we must have done something right.  I knew the top was the place to be. Aaron and Randy Hammer and Timmy Pierce…those guys did an incredible job with the car tonight.”

MAUMEE, OHIO (8-26-10) By Scott Porter – FAST Public Relations

Drivers in both the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series & the FAST 305 Championship Series presented by Kear's Speed Shop & Cleveland Golf turn their attention to Attica Raceway Park on Saturday, August 28th in their quests for the FAST championship titles. Both the 410 sprints and 305 sprints will tear up the clay at "Ohio's Finest Racing" speedplant as the event marks the last points event for FAST at Attica in 2010.

The event is a typical points night for FAST, but counts for double points towards the Attica Track Championship as Saturday marks Kistler Racing Products Season Championship Night. When Monclova, Ohio's Byron Reed pulls his B&S Racing hauler through the pit gates and fires his 410 sprint car he will clinch his sixth career track championship. In stark contrast, the 305 sprint cars will be a heated battle as Fremont, Ohio's D.J. Foos must finish in at least 3rd place to guarantee a tie with Paul Weaver. Nate Dussel and current FAST 305 Point Leader Stuart Brubaker still have a shot at the Attica crown.

Anything is possible over the next two FAST events as Byron Reed leads Mark Keegan and Craig Mintz in the race for the Kistler Cup during the series' sophomore season. Reed's lead of 148-points over Keegan seems insurmountable, but anything can happen in a sport that is decided at over 100-mph on dirt. Reed's dominance at the beginning of the year launched him into the points lead after week two where he has remained ever since thanks to a season high 5 feature wins on FAST nights. The man on the rise has been 2009 FAST Champion Craig Mintz who has won the last two feature events at Fremont Speedway and sits just 38-points behind Keegan. The hunt for second place could come down to the last lap between these two stars and is just one of several battles brewing inside the Top-10 in FAST Kistler Cup Points.

Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series
Night #19: Attica Raceway Park

Current FAST Kistler Cup Points Leader Bryon Reed (5) powers around the outside of Chris Plascak (10), who made his first appearance of 2010 at Attica Raceway Park, during Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series presented by SRP Pistons & Engine Pro.

Cub Cadet FAST Rookie of the Year presented by KS Sales & Service Contender Shawn Valenti (28) put together an impressive Top-10 run in the feature event. Here he battles three-wide with Phil Gressman (53) and Mark Keegan (X).

MAUMEE, OHIO (8-8-10) By Scott Porter – FAST Public Relations

As the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series presented by SRP Pistons & Engine Pro takes a two-week hiatus after completing its final back-to-back weekend of the 2010 season, just two more events remain on the series’ sophomore schedule.  The series returns to Attica Raceway Park on Saturday, August 28th before crowning the 2010 champion on Saturday, September 11th at Fremont Speedway. Every lap will count as battles brew through out the Top-10.

Byron Reed continues to lead the race for the Kistler Cup and the $10,000 winner’s share of the point fund after posting a pair of 6th place finishes last week. Veteran Mark Keegan did chip 23-points off of Reed’s lead thanks to the help of a fourth place run at Attica and backing that up with a runner-up finish at Fremont Speedway. The lead stands at 148-points now going into the Kistler Racing Products Season Championship Nights at the two Northern Ohio speed plants. 2009 FAST Champion Craig Mintz bounced back after a disappointing 18th place run at Attica by picking up the feature win at “The Track That Action Built” on Saturday. The win by Mintz helped bring him just 20-points away from Keegan, but still 186-points out of defending his inaugural series’ title.

“The Ohio Gas Man” Phil Gressman continued his climb back into the Top-5 in FAST Kistler Cup Points after posting a podium finish at Attica and a Top-10 run at Fremont. Dean Jacobs’ season was summed up over the course of this past weekend. If the Wooster, Ohio native started toward the front he has been a threat to win at both tracks, but when having to start near the rear of the field, Jacobs has passed the most cars and earned a fair share of KSE Steering Hard Charger Awards in the process. Jacobs picked up the win at Attica after starting on the pole, but had to make the show on Saturday through the B-Main. Jacobs would go on to a Top-10 finish en route to picking up the KSE Hard Charger Award.

FREMONT, OH (8-7-10) by Bryan Autullo - FAST Public Relations

On the final back-to-back night of the 2010 season for the Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series presented by SRP Pistons/Engine Pro, 25 fire-breathing 410 sprints made the tow to Fremont Speedway to compete for FAST points, track points, and a $2500 pay day.  Cole Duncan would set the quick time for the night, but then failed to transfer from his heat race sending him to the B-main.  Duncan went on to win the last chance race earning him a spot in the A-main.

The story of the night was the effort put in by the crew of the Bobby's Truck & Bus Repair #20x piloted by Craig Mintz.  Mintz, who was the victor last Saturday night at Fremont, was up all night rebuilding his Maxim mount after a nasty flip in turn 2 at Attica on Friday night.  "This thing is all bent up," said Mintz prior to his heat race.  "The front end is bent one way, the rear end is bent the other way.  I'm not sure how we're going to make it turn left."

His crew was able to figure out a setup that worked well on the slick surface as he transferred out of his heat race allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief after working to rebuild the car throughout the entire day.  Mintz would roll off 8th in the main event just hoping to get a decent finish.

ATTICA, OH (8-6-10) by Bryan Autullo - FAST Public Relations

The final back-to-back FAST Series event and the final Friday night race at Attica Raceway Park for the 2010 season had 25 410 sprints and 30 305 sprints checked in to try to advance in the standings before the dust settles in the chase for the Kistler Racing Products "Kistler Cup".  The 305 sprints were on hand to run their FAST Series A-main event that was rained out on July 23rd.  The remainder of the night was not for FAST points for the 305 division.

In the make-up FAST feature event for the 305's, Brad Haudenshild and Paige Polyak lead the field to the green flag.  Haudenschild jumped to the lead with Polyak, Dustin Dinan, Brad Bowman, Jimmy Colvin and John Ivy chasing the #10 sprinter piloted by Jac's nephew.  Haudenschild rocketed around the 1/3 mile oval hitting lapped traffic by lap 8.  Polyak began to close the gap, but never mounted a serious challenge to the leader. By lap 10, Haudenschild navigated through traffic and ran away with Polyak in second and Dinan and Jimmy Colvin racing hard for third. The first caution of the 25 lapper came with just five laps remaining for Steve Rando's spin.  At the restart the running order was Haudenschild, Polyak, Colvin, Dinan, Bowman, D.J. Foos, John Ivy and Paul Weaver who spun in turn 2 on the following lap.

On the next restart, Haudenschild drove away from Polyak who was holding off Colvin. On the final lap Nate Dussel made hard contact with the front stretch wall bringing out the first red flag. On the final restart, Haudenschild easily took the win with Colvin getting by Polyak for second and Dinan and Bowman rounding out the top five.

“I had to win!  My mom and dad are usually on their way to Knoxville by now and they stayed back so we could race tonight and it paid off,” said Haudenschild from victory lane.  Haudenschild then reached into the Kear's Speed Shop FAST Cash Bonus box and pulled out a #1, giving himself an extra $100 cash bonus.  The bonus is determined by random drawing from the Top 3 finishers in the A-main event.

In the Kistler Racing Products FAST Series 410 sprint feature, Dean Jacobs finally got to start up front after joking last week that he should get some kinf of award for passing the most cars in 2010.  Jacobs lined up along side Kody Kinser.  Jacobs grabbed the lead with Kinser, Rob Chaney, Shawn Valenti, Mark Keegan and Mike Linder battling like mad behind him. Kinser’s clipped a tractor tire in turn 3 causing him to spin and restart on the tail. Phil Gressman, another contendner for most cars passed in 2010, was on his way to the front from 11th to 7th in just two laps. On the restart Jacobs went to the top with Chaney on his tail while Valenti was battling Keegan and Gressman for third. A red flag on lap five stopped the action when Travis Philo went end over end in turn three.