Foos Takes Fremont Win, Claims AFCS Championship; Ivy Earns 305 Victory but Miller Wins AFCS Title; Valenti Gets 7th Truck Win
FREMONT, Ohio – A lot was on the line Friday night at Fremont Speedway for the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads-Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series (AFCS) presented by the Baumann Auto Group…$10,000 to be exact. And, only three points separated DJ Foos and Buddy Kofoid. Foos, who wrapped up the Attica Raceway Park 410 track championship a few weeks ago, didn’t let the stress of a tight point battle get to him, as he drove to his third win of the season at “The Track That Action Built” to claim the AFCS title.
“I had the mentality it was just another race and win and that’s all you have to do. Hats off to Buddy Kofoid and the Linder team. I said earlier this week they made everyone step their game up. Buddy is one hell of a race car driver…he’s going to go beyond anything I’ll ever do. But, this feels pretty good. We have two down and one to go (Fremont Speedway championship). This deal comes with a lot of pressure. I was pacing back and forth all night. I was so worried. I tried to make all the correct moves. I just had to go out and do my job and the rest would fall into place,” said Foos beside his Jet Express/CR Juices/Crown Battery/Greer Automotive/Burmeister Trophy/KS Sales & Service/Kistler Engines/Kistler Racing Products/NAPA Auto Parts/Dave Story Equipment/Minor Customs/Berryman Shocks backed machine.
It truly is a storybook season for Foos as he didn’t have a ride following the 2018 season but the long-standing Burmeister Racing Team came calling. “Last year at banquet time I wasn’t real sure what I wasn’t real sure what I was going to do but these guys work really hard…they built me a new race car this week. We were absolutely terrible last week and something had to change. This is our cup of tea though…I like a good slick race track. I feel like I excel at that,” added Foos in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.
It was also the championship night for the KS Sales and Service AFCS presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales and when Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller took the green flag of his heat, he wrapped up the $2,500 title for the 305 sprints.
But in the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature, John Ivy took the checkers for his fourth win of the season the the 60th of his career at the track, tying him with Mark Keegan for third on the track’s all-time win list, just two wins away from Gug Keegan’s mark of 62 victories. The victory was worth $1,500.
“We got three races left this year so I got a shot at tying Gug. I was just trying to hit my marks and keep going and roll the top. Lapped cars were a challenge but they are racing too so it’s up to me to find a way around them. So I just calmed down and took my time,” said Ivy beside his L&R Farms/C&N Supply/Rohr Lawncare/Sonny’s Welding & Machine/Welty Financial Services/Atkinson Farms/Story Equipment backed machine.
Miller led the feature early and after a spirited battle with Ivy, faded to a fifth-place feature finish but the AFCS title.
“I’ll take the championship but I’m not happy with the way the night went. I’d much rather win races. We were good…I just lost a right rear tire. We went out there with a used tire and we shouldn’t have done that…we know better,” said Miller.
The results will show Fostoria, Ohio’s Shawn Valenti won his seventh Burmeister Trophy Dirt Truck feature of the year. But, it was not easy at all as Dustin Keegan led the first 15 laps of the 20 lap affair and drove to Valenti’s inside the remaining five laps to make him earn the $1,000 victory. It was the 53rd career win for Valenti placing him seventh on the track’s all-time win list.
“I was hanging on. I got lucky with a couple of those restarts there at the end and I was able to make a run on him (Keegan). Hats off to Dustin…good run for him. Thanks to all these sponsors who have been chipping money into the purse all year at Fremont. Pretty amazing how much money can be collected throughout the week,” said Valenti beside his Babcock Racing/Best Performance Motorsports/A Plus Auto Center/Craig Miller Trucking/KS Sales & Service/Gressman Powersports backed #7B.
Kofoid and Nate Dussel brought the field to green for the $3,700 to win Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint A-main with Dussel grabbing the lead over Travis Philo, Kofoid, Cap Henry, Foos and Stuart Brubaker. Dussel immediately pulled away to a comfortable lead while Philo battled with Kofoid. In fact, with just four laps scored Dussel’s lead was 2.6 seconds while Philo settled into second with Foos moving into third.
The leaders raced into very heavy lapped traffic by the ninth circuit and that allowed Foos to take second but Philo fought back to regain the runner-up spot. Foos again used a lapped machine to take second on lap 13 with Philo, Kofoid, Henry, Brubaker and Byron Reed in pursuit. Foos quickly closed the gap on Dussel and drove into the lead at the half way point.
The caution flew for a Duane Zablocki spin right in front of the leaders on lap 17 with the running order Foos, Dussel, Philo, Kofoid, Henry, Brubaker, Reed and Keith Baxter. With a clear track, Foos could not shake Dussel on the restart as Philo had his hands full from Kofoid. With nine laps to go Dussel was taking a peak to the outside of Foos for the lead while Philo and Kofoid continued their battle for third.
Once again heavy lapped traffic would come into play with just four laps to go but Foos was able to drive round and put two lappers between himself and Dussel as the white flag flew. Foos drove to the win over Dussel with Kofoid finally getting by Philo for third with Henry rounding out the top five. Ricky Peterson would earn the hard charger cash with his drive from 17th to sixth.
Steve Rando and Luke Griffith brought the field to green for the 25 lap 305 sprint feature with Griffith gaining the advance over Miller, Ivy, Rando and Paul Weaver. Miller drove into the lead on lap two as the caution flew for a Zeth Sabo spin. On the restart, Ivy took second from Griffith and started to close on Miller just as the caution flew on lap five for a Kyle Peters spin.
Miller could not shake Ivy as Weaver moved into third followed by Griffith, Alvin Roepke, Rando, Seth Schneider, and Brandon Moore. Ivy was able to drive under Miller for the lead on lap eight but Miller continued to hound the leader. Once Ivy started consistently hitting his marks, he built up a 1.5-second lead at the half-way point as Miller, Weaver, Roepke, Griffith and Jordan Ryan (up from 15th) gave chase.
Ivy encountered heavy lapped traffic with 10 laps to go but the battle for second prevented anyone from closing as Weaver took the runner-up spot on lap 15. Roepke moved into third on lap 16 and began pressuring Weaver for second which allowed Ivy to deal with lapped cars without any pressure.
With four laps to go Roepke drove into second and began eating away at Ivy’s lead. But, the veteran Ivy didn’t make a mistake and drove to the win over Roepke, Weaver, Griffith, and Miller. Ryan, who hasn’t ran a 305 at Fremont but a hand full of events over the past couple of years, charged from 15th to a sixth-place finish aboard the Kyle Capodice #12 to earn the hard charger cash.
Brad Keckler and Dustin Keegan paced the field for the 20 lap dirt truck feature with Keegan taking the early lead over Keckler, Paul Brown Jr., and Daniel Roepke. Keegan and Keckler raced side by side over the next hand full of laps while Roepke, Brad Stuckey, and Valenti gave chase.
The first caution flew on lap eight when Roepke and Kent Brewer tangled followed by another yellow on the restart for an Adam Dible and Ben Clapp incident. When the green flew Keegan continued to lead but Valenti drove into second with Keckler and Brad Mitten giving chase. Valenti drove to Keegan’s outside lap after lap but Keegan never budged off bottom to continue to lead but a caution with six laps to go gave Valenti a shot at the lead.
When the green flew Valenti drove to Keegan’s outside and took the lead on lap 16. However, Keegan continued to race to the leader’s inside while Mitten also challenged. Valenti drove to the checkers by half a truck length over Keegan, Mitten and Cory McCaughey.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, Sept. 14th on Fremont Federal Credit Union Championship Night to determine the track titles.
For more information go to www.fremontohspeedway.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FremontSpeedway or on Twitter https://twitter.com/FremontSpeedway.
About Kistler Racing Products – www.kistlerracing.com
In 2008, Kistler Racing Products opened to add a full product line to the already 15 year established business located within Kistler Engines Inc. shop in rural Fremont, Ohio. Kistler Racing Products is proud to provide a wide array of high quality, dependable and race-winning capable parts, most in stock. Kistler Racing Products and Kistler Engines are proud of their unique niche – the only comprehensive shop for dirt sprints in the United States where you can build a car from the ground up including motor and arrive at the race track in a one-stop shopping atmosphere. Kistlers supplies everything you need from A – Z : Axles to Zeus buttons including product line Arai Helmets to Zemco – if you need it, we’ve got it. Kistler Racing Products will get all the technical support and one on one personalized customer service that you deserve.
Fremont Speedway
Friday, Sept. 6, 2019
Kistler Racing Products Night
[*] indicates starting position
410 Sprints – Fort Ball Pizza Palace
Qualifying
1.5T-Travis Philo, 13.230; 2.81-Lee Jacobs, 13.231; 3.16-DJ Foos, 13.291; 4.1-Nate Dussel, 13.378; 5.11N-Buddy Kofoid, 13.398; 6.5-Byron Reed, 13.402; 7.066-Trey Jacobs, 13.476; 8.4-Cap Henry, 13.504; 9.33W-Caleb Griffith, 13.595; 10.9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.596; 11.18J-RJ Jacobs, 13.625; 12.35-Stuart Brubaker, 13.666; 13.97-Max Stambaugh, 13.667; 14.2L-Landon LaLonde, 13.695; 15.9X-Ricky Peterson, 13.702; 16.45-Trevor Baker, 13.740; 17.23-Tyler Gunn, 13.743; 18.2+-Brian Smith, 13.779; 19.45L-Brian Lay, 13.796; 20.9J-Dean Jacobs, 13.827; 21.8M-TJ Michael, 13.861; 22.1B-Keith Baxter, 13.898; 23.14-Chad Wilson, 13.920; 24.22M-Dan McCarron, 13.995; 25.20I-Kelsey Ivy, 14.240; 26.00H-Hunter Lynch, 14.450;
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 1-Nate Dussel[3] ; 2. 066-Trey Jacobs[2] ; 3. 5T-Travis Philo[4] ; 4. 1B-Keith Baxter[8] ; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[1] ; 6. 97-Max Stambaugh[5] ; 7. 45L-Brian Lay[7] ; 8. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[9] ; 9. 45-Trevor Baker[6]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 4-Cap Henry[2] ; 2. 11N-Buddy Kofoid[3] ; 3. 23-Tyler Gunn[6] ; 4. 9J-Dean Jacobs[7] ; 5. 14-Chad Wilson[8] ; 6. 2L-Landon LaLonde[5] ; 7. 81-Lee Jacobs[4] ; 8. 00H-Hunter Lynch[9] ; 9. 18J-RJ Jacobs[1]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker[1] ; 2. 33W-Caleb Griffith[2] ; 3. 16-DJ Foos[4] ; 4. 5-Byron Reed[3] ; 5. 2+-Brian Smith[6] ; 6. 9X-Ricky Peterson[5] ; 7. 8M-TJ Michael[7] ; 8. 22M-Dan McCarron[8]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 97-Max Stambaugh[1] ; 2. 9X-Ricky Peterson[3] ; 3. 81-Lee Jacobs[5] ; 4. 45L-Brian Lay[4] ; 5. 2L-Landon LaLonde[2] ; 6. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[7] ; 7. 8M-TJ Michael[6] ; 8. 22M-Dan McCarron[9] ; 9. 18J-RJ Jacobs[11] ; 10. 45-Trevor Baker[10] ; 11. 00H-Hunter Lynch[8]
A-Main 1 – (30 Laps)
1. 16-DJ Foos[3] ; 2. 1-Nate Dussel[2] ; 3. 11N-Buddy Kofoid[1] ; 4. 5T-Travis Philo[4] ; 5. 4-Cap Henry[5] ; 6. 9X-Ricky Peterson[17] ; 7. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6] ; 8. 5-Byron Reed[12] ; 9. 1B-Keith Baxter[10] ; 10. 81-Lee Jacobs[18] ; 11. 2+-Brian Smith[15] ; 12. 33W-Caleb Griffith[8] ; 13. 14-Chad Wilson[14] ; 14. 066-Trey Jacobs[7] ; 15. 97-Max Stambaugh[16] ; 16. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[13] ; 17. 9J-Dean Jacobs[11] ; 18. 45L-Brian Lay[19] ; 19. 23-Tyler Gunn[9] ; 20. 2L-Landon LaLonde[20]
Hard Charger: 9x-Ricky Peterson +11
305 Sprints – Fremont Federal Credit UnionQualifying
1.1W-Paul Weaver, 13.864; 2.99-Alvin Roepke, 13.975; 3.26-Jamie Miller, 13.989; 4.77I-John Ivy, 14.135; 5.5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr, 14.165; 6.97-Kyle Peters, 14.262; 7.11G-Luke Griffith, 14.273; 8.19R-Steve Rando, 14.325; 9.4*-Tyler Street, 14.326; 10.9R-Dustin Rall, 14.353; 11.7M-Brandon Moore, 14.377; 12.36-Seth Schneider, 14.393; 13.3V-Chris Verda, 14.453; 14.25-Jason Keckler, 14.484; 15.12-Jordan Ryan, 14.514; 16.21-Larry Kingseed JR, 14.605; 17.5M-Mike Moore, 14.626; 18.09-Justin Adams, 14.643; 19.7-Shawn Valenti, 14.643; 20.X-Mike Keegan, 14.658; 21.8-Bobby Clark, 14.706; 22.X15-Kasey Ziebold, 14.737; 23.9-Logan Riehl, 14.747; 24.1H-Zeth Sabo, 14.751; 25.3X-Brandon Riehl, 14.753; 26.29-Rich Farmer, 14.860; 27.10-Josh Harrison, 15.063; 28.75-Jerry Dahms, 15.176;
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 1W-Paul Weaver[4] ; 2. 77I-John Ivy[3] ; 3. 11G-Luke Griffith[2] ; 4. 21-Larry Kingseed JR[6] ; 5. 9R-Dustin Rall[1] ; 6. 7-Shawn Valenti[7] ; 7. 3V-Chris Verda[5] ; 8. 75-Jerry Dahms[10] ; 9. 3X-Brandon Riehl[9] ; 10. X15-Kasey Ziebold[8]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 99-Alvin Roepke[4] ; 2. 19R-Steve Rando[2] ; 3. 7M-Brandon Moore[1] ; 4. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr[3] ; 5. 25-Jason Keckler[5] ; 6. X-Mike Keegan[7] ; 7. 5M-Mike Moore[6] ; 8. 9-Logan Riehl[8] ; 9. 29-Rich Farmer[9]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 4*-Tyler Street[2] ; 2. 36-Seth Schneider[1] ; 3. 26-Jamie Miller[4] ; 4. 97-Kyle Peters[3] ; 5. 12-Jordan Ryan[5] ; 6. 8-Bobby Clark[7] ; 7. 09-Justin Adams[6] ; 8. 1H-Zeth Sabo[8] ; 9. 10-Josh Harrison[9]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 8-Bobby Clark[3] ; 2. 7-Shawn Valenti[1] ; 3. X-Mike Keegan[2] ; 4. 3V-Chris Verda[4] ; 5. 1H-Zeth Sabo[9] ; 6. 09-Justin Adams[6] ; 7. 9-Logan Riehl[8] ; 8. 5M-Mike Moore[5] ; 9. 75-Jerry Dahms[7] ; 10. 10-Josh Harrison[12] ; 11. 3X-Brandon Riehl[10] ; 12. X15-Kasey Ziebold[13] ; 13. 29-Rich Farmer[11]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 77I-John Ivy[3] ; 2. 99-Alvin Roepke[5] ; 3. 1W-Paul Weaver[6] ; 4. 11G-Luke Griffith[2] ; 5. 26-Jamie Miller[4] ; 6. 12-Jordan Ryan[15] ; 7. 19R-Steve Rando[1] ; 8. 8-Bobby Clark[16] ; 9. 36-Seth Schneider[8] ; 10. 4*-Tyler Street[7] ; 11. 7M-Brandon Moore[9] ; 12. 21-Larry Kingseed JR[10] ; 13. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr[11] ; 14. X-Mike Keegan[18] ; 15. 25-Jason Keckler[14] ; 16. 3V-Chris Verda[19] ; 17. 7-Shawn Valenti[17] ; 18. 9R-Dustin Rall[13] ; 19. 97-Kyle Peters[12] ; 20. 1H-Zeth Sabo[20]
Hard Charger: 12-Jordan Ryan +9
Dirt Trucks – Burmeister Trophy
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 5s-Brad Stuckey[1] ; 2. 8KB-Kent Brewer[6] ; 3. 17x-Dustin Keegan[9] ; 4. 88-Dan Roepke Jr[5] ; 5. 13-Len Benyak[2] ; 6. 9-Curt Inks[8] ; 7. 5-Jim McGrath[4] ; 8. 26-Kyle Lagrou[3] ; 9. 83-Noah Wagner[7]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 7B-Shawn Valenti[4] ; 2. 23m-Brad Mitten[1] ; 3. 1-John Brooks[9] ; 4. P51-Paul Brown JR[5] ; 5. 0-Andy Keegan[2] ; 6. 75-Adam Dible[3] ; 7. 99-Gene Potridge[6] ; 8. 7X-Dana Frey[7] ; 9. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr[8]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 4s-Keith Sorg[4] ; 2. 16-Jim Holcomb[3] ; 3. 1X-Brad Keckler[6] ; 4. 36M-Cory McCaughey[8] ; 5. 67-Ben Clapp[2] ; 6. 32H-Dan Hennig[9] ; 7. 25-Bryce Black[1] ; 8. 65R-Jeremy Ernsberger[5] ; 9. 2C-Calob Crispen[7]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 9-Curt Inks[1] ; 2. 5-Jim McGrath[4] ; 3. 26-Kyle Lagrou[7] ; 4. 75-Adam Dible[2] ; 5. 83-Noah Wagner[10] ; 6. 99-Gene Potridge[5] ; 7. 32H-Dan Hennig[3] ; 8. 25-Bryce Black[6] ; 9. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr[11] ; 10. 2C-Calob Crispen[12] ; 11. 7X-Dana Frey[8] ; 12. 65R-Jeremy Ernsberger[9]
A-Main 1 – (20 Laps)
1. 7B-Shawn Valenti[5] ; 2. 17x-Dustin Keegan[2] ; 3. 23m-Brad Mitten[10] ; 4. 36M-Cory McCaughey[9] ; 5. 1-John Brooks[11] ; 6. 1X-Brad Keckler[1] ; 7. P51-Paul Brown JR[4] ; 8. 16-Jim Holcomb[7] ; 9. 0-Andy Keegan[14] ; 10. 9-Curt Inks[16] ; 11. 4s-Keith Sorg[8] ; 12. 5-Jim McGrath[17] ; 13. 8KB-Kent Brewer[12] ; 14. 83-Noah Wagner[20] ; 15. 88-Dan Roepke Jr[3] ; 16. 5s-Brad Stuckey[6] ; 17. 13-Len Benyak[13] ; 18. 26-Kyle Lagrou[18] ; 19. 67-Ben Clapp[15] ; 20. 75-Adam Dible[19]
Hard Charger: 23M-Brad Mitten +7
Sources: Brian Liskai/Fremont Speedway PR