Missler Earns 2nd Straight Attica Late Model Win; Stroup Takes Thrilling FAST 305 Victory; Sorg Tames Trucks
ATTICA, Ohio – It took Ryan Missler four years to find victory lane at Attica Raceway Park. The Bellevue, Ohio driver must like the scenery as he scored his second straight late model win Friday, July 6 on Croghan Colonial Bank/Bazell Race Fuels Night.
In a thrilling 305 sprint car feature, Fremont, Ohio’s Dustin Stroup held off Jamie Miller for his second victory of the season while Fremont, Ohio’s Keith Sorg dominated the last half of the dirt truck feature for his second career win at Attica.
Missler used a restart to grab the lead from defending Attica champion Devin Shiels. Missler and Shiels battled the last eight laps of the Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Model A-main through lapped traffic. It’s a good thing the feature wasn’t 26 laps as Missler had a left rear tire going down and by the time he found victory lane it was completely flat. It was the 13th career late model win for the five-time Attica champion aboard his Posi-Flow by Slucket, SCS Gearbox, King Industrial Supply, Terry McConnell Excavating, York Fabrication, Handy Grafix, Missler’s Sweets, Turn Key Blog Team, Wilson’s Barber Shop backed #50Y.
“I could feel the tire going down. It doesn’t get any better than this. That lapped traffic was hairy and I didn’t want to see that last caution (with two laps to go) because I felt pretty good maneuvering through there. They were all on the bottom and I was just going to keep running the top. The car’s been pretty good…a lot better than the last couple of years. I feel comfortable in this thing now. I have to thank Jerry and Matt and Amber and Dave and all our sponsors,” said Missler in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.
While the results will show Stroup led all 25 laps in the Fremont Fence 305 feature for his fourth career Attica win. However, it was easy as lapped cars racing side by side right in front of him allowed former track champion Jamie Miller to close and race to his inside several times the last four laps.
“That was tough. You don’t know where them guys are going and you know you’re leading and you start hearing things and I heard something and it was Jamie and I saw him a couple of times. I flipped real heard at Fremont a few weeks ago and Dennis Level has been working with us to diagnosis why it seemed the engine wasn’t running right. It came down to checking the rear end and it was mislabeled and our gear choice was then wrong. We changed the rear end and it’s back to normal. I have to thank Tony Beaber for the repairs, my Mom and Dad, Adam and everyone that helps out,” said Stroup beside his Century 21 Premiere Properties/Slade Shock Technology/Level Performance/Triple X Race cars backed machine.
Keith Sorg led the opening lap of the 15-lap dirt truck A-main, lost the lead to Jeff Ward for three laps, then regained the top spot and pulled away for the victory.
“My dad always tells me to save it for Fremont for the points deal so I hung back a little but man you want to win,” said Sorg of his M&L Excavating/Fremont Fence/Advanced Auto Parts/D&R Transmissions backed truck.
Kent Brewer and Shiels brought the field to green for the late model A-main with Shiels gaining the advantage over Ryan Markham, Brewer, Missler, Cody Scott and Steve Kester. After a lap was scored Mike Bores and Jeff Warnick got together for a caution. On the restart Shiels pulled away from Markham slightly as Brewer and Missler battled for third.
Darrick Hubbard brought out the caution with four laps with Shiels leading Markham, Missler, Brewer, Scott and Kester. On the restart Missler shot around Markham for second. With eight laps in the books third running Markham stopped with a right rear packed full of mud. A lap later another caution for a Bob Mayer spin. On the restart Missler drove to Shiels outside to take the lead.
As Missler and Shiels ran nose to tail out front, a tremendous battle ensued for third involving Brewer, Kester and Scott. Kester took the third spot on lap 12 as the leaders prepared to enter heavy lapped traffic.
With seven laps to go Missler and Shiels were slicing through traffic while battling for the lead. Nate Potts and Mayer tangled with two laps to go, giving Missler a clear track. With a left rear tire losing air, Missler took the green and held off Shiels the final two circuits for the win. Kester, Scott and Brewer rounded out the top five.
In the JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Championship Series Presented by Engine Pro A-main, Stroup and Brandon Moore paced the field but a tangle involving Matt Ferrell and Shane Call necessitated a complete restart. When the green flew Stroup took the lead over Moore, Jamie Miller, Jason Keckler, Kyle Peters and John Ivy.
Stroup steadily inched away from the field while Miller, who has four wins and a second place in the past five events he has competed in, took second on lap four. Call brought out the caution on lap five with Stroup leading Miller, Moore, Peters, Ivy, Keckler, Tyler Street and Paul Weaver.
When the green reappeared Stroup had his hands full with Miller with Ivy moving into third by lap nine. Very heavy lapped traffic just past the half-way point allowed Miller to take a look under Stroup’s machine but the leader was able to make great moves to maintain the point.
With five laps to go Stroup found himself in a dilemma with a lapped car running the bottom and another the top. Stroup made some daring moves but as they raced to the white flag Miller dove under him. Stroup was able to get to the bottom of turns one and two and get by one of the lapped cars. Stroup would hold off Miller for the win with Ivy, Moore and Street rounding out the top five.
With his second place run Miller will maintain a significant lead in the FAST standings.
Sorg would lead the opening lap of the dirt truck A-main before a caution would fly. On the restart Ward took the lead just before a multi-truck crash. Ward maintained the lead when the green flew over Sorg, Cory McCaughey and Jim Holcomb.
Sorg powered into the lead on lap five and quickly pulled away. A caution for Zeth Sabo with four laps to go gave Ward a final shot at the win but Sorg was too strong and took the checkers. Ward, McCaughey, Holcomb and Noah Wagner rounded out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Tuesday, July 10 for the 30th Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.
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Attica Raceway Park
Friday, July 6, 2018
Croghan Colonial Bank/Bazell Race Fuels Night
Indicates starting position – [*]
305 Sprints – Fremont Fence
Heat 1 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 25-Jason Keckler[2] ; 2. 97-Kyle Peters[4] ; 3. 2L-Landon LaLonde[1] ; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver[5] ; 5. 10-Josh Harrison[3] ; 6. 12-Kyle Capodice[7] ; 7. 36-Seth Schneider[6] ; 8. 47-Matt Lucius[8]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 26-Jamie Miller[2] ; 2. 7M-Brandon Moore[1] ; 3. 83-Shane Call[4] ; 4. 21-Dustin Stroup[6] ; 5. 9R-Dustin Rall[3] ; 6. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[5] ; 7. 39C-Scott Riley[8] ; 8. 48-Mike Burkin[7]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 67M-Matt Ferrell[2] ; 2. 8-Bobby Clark[1] ; 3. 77I-John Ivy[5] ; 4. 4*-Tyler Street[3] ; 5. 19R-Steve Rando[6] ; 6. 73-Joe Armbruster[4] ; 7. 28-Tad Peck[7] ; 8. 61-Chuck May[8]
B-Main 1 – (10 Laps, top 5 to A)
1. 12-Kyle Capodice[1] ; 2. 36-Seth Schneider[4] ; 3. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[2] ; 4. 73-Joe Armbruster[3] ; 5. 47-Matt Lucius[7] ; 6. 48-Mike Burkin[8] ; 7. 39C-Scott Riley[5] ; 8. 61-Chuck May[9] ; 9. 28-Tad Peck[6]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 21-Dustin Stroup[1] ; 2. 26-Jamie Miller[3] ; 3. 77I-John Ivy[9] ; 4. 7M-Brandon Moore[2] ; 5. 4*-Tyler Street[7] ; 6. 97-Kyle Peters[5] ; 7. 1W-Paul Weaver[11] ; 8. 19R-Steve Rando[15] ; 9. 25-Jason Keckler[4] ; 10. 12-Kyle Capodice[16] ; 11. 36-Seth Schneider[17] ; 12. 9R-Dustin Rall[14] ; 13. 47-Matt Lucius[20] ; 14. 2L-Landon LaLonde[6] ; 15. 73-Joe Armbruster[19] ; 16. 5JR-Jimmy McGrath Jr.[18] ; 17. 83-Shane Call[8] ; 18. 10-Josh Harrison[13] ; 19. 8-Bobby Clark[10] ; 20. 67M-Matt Ferrell[12]
Hard Charger: 19R-Steve Rando +7
Late Models – Summit Racing Equipment
Heat 1 – (8 Laps)
1. X3-Dan Wallace[2] ; 2. 15B-Mike Bores[7] ; 3. 69W-Jeff Warnick[4] ; 4. 50Y-Ryan Missler[5] ; 5. 18-Michael Amick[6] ; 6. 69M-John Mayes Jr.[3] ; 7. 42*-Bob Mayer[1]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps)
1. 5M-Ryan Markham[4] ; 2. 77-Steve Kester[5] ; 3. 28-Kent Brewer[1] ; 4. 27-Ken Hahn[7] ; 5. 17G-Jeff Gies[3] ; 6. 11D-Darrick Hubbard[2] ; 7. 69R-Doug Baird[6]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps)
1. 19-Cody Scott[4] ; 2. 43-Mitch Caskey[2] ; 3. 51-Devin Shiels[6] ; 4. 98-Tim Sabo[1] ; 5. 30-Nate Potts[3] ; 6. 16-Steve Sabo[5] ; 7. 17X-Dustin Keegan[7]
A-Main 1 – (25 Laps)
1. 50Y-Ryan Missler[5] ; 2. 51-Devin Shiels[2] ; 3. 77-Steve Kester[6] ; 4. 19-Cody Scott[4] ; 5. 28-Kent Brewer[1] ; 6. 69M-John Mayes Jr.[16] ; 7. 17G-Jeff Gies[14] ; 8. 15B-Mike Bores[9] ; 9. 27-Ken Hahn[10] ; 10. 5M-Ryan Markham[3] ; 11. 16-Steve Sabo[18] ; 12. 69W-Jeff Warnick[11] ; 13. 17X-Dustin Keegan[21] ; 14. 43-Mitch Caskey[7] ; 15. 69R-Doug Baird[20] ; 16. 18-Michael Amick[13] ; 17. 30-Nate Potts[15] ; 18. 42*-Bob Mayer[19] ; 19. 98-Tim Sabo[12] ; 20. X3-Dan Wallace[8] ; 21. 11D-Darrick Hubbard[17]
Hard charger: 69M-John Mayes Jr. +10
Dirt Trucks –
Heat 1 – (8 Laps)
1. 36M-Cory McCaughey[5] ; 2. 4S-Keith Sorg[9] ; 3. 16-Jim Halcomb[6] ; 4. 22-Brandon Leighton[8] ; 5. 33A-Brian Arnold[2] ; 6. 67-Ben Clapp[1] ; 7. P51-Paul Brown Jr[4] ; 8. 49X-Brad Keckler[7] ; 9. 83-Noah Wagner[3]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps)
1. 2F-Matt Foos[4] ; 2. 17X-Dustin Keegan[5] ; 3. 33W-Jeff Ward[6] ; 4. 32-Kevin Phillips[8] ; 5. 26-Kyle Lagrou[3] ; 6. 1H-Zeth Sabo[7] ; 7. 7F-Dana Frey[1] ; 8. 32H-Dan Hennig[2]
A-Main 1 – (15 Laps)
1. 4S-Keith Sorg[2] ; 2. 33W-Jeff Ward[1] ; 3. 36M-Cory McCaughey[4] ; 4. 16-Jim Halcomb[5] ; 5. 83-Noah Wagner[17] ; 6. 2F-Matt Foos[8] ; 7. 17X-Dustin Keegan[3] ; 8. 33A-Brian Arnold[9] ; 9. 32H-Dan Hennig[16] ; 10. 67-Ben Clapp[11] ; 11. 7F-Dana Frey[14] ; 12. 1H-Zeth Sabo[12] ; 13. 32-Kevin Phillips[6] ; 14. 22-Brandon Leighton[7] ; 15. 26-Kyle Lagrou[10] ; 16. P51-Paul Brown Jr[13] ; 17. 49X-Brad Keckler[15]
Hard Charger: 83-Noah Wagner +12
Sources: Brian Liskai/Attica Raceway Park PR