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Reed Defends "Northern Turf" Against Southern Invaders at Attica

Byron Reed wasn’t planning on chasing any points in 2016. The seven time and defending Attica Raceway Park Champion and three time and defending Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series titlist planned on missing some races to spend time with family and maybe travel to other tracks. After Friday on Burns Electric/Gordon Lumber Night at Attica Raceway Park those plans may change.

Reed grabbed the lead on lap 21 of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 410 Sprint A-main and drove away to his first win of the year at Attica. However, it is Reed’s third FAST victory of 2016 and vaulted him into the point lead of the $10,000-to-win series.

Reed now has 32 career wins at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” venue and sits second in all-time victories at the track. The win opened the “North Verses South” battle of the FAST series and Ohio Sprint Car Series.

“We said to start the year we were not going to race for points. There are some races and tracks I’d really like to go to. I love Attica and Fremont, but I love Kokomo Speedway and it was on our schedule and even thought about going to Knoxville this year. It’s going to be a hard decision as good as we’re running around here. I’ve done this so long and I only have so many years left and I’d like to do other things before I’m done so we’ll have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks,” Reed said.

The Fremont Fence 305 Sprints ran two features – the make-up event from the rained out feature of May 20, and the night’s regular show.

In the make up feature Fremont’s Paul Weaver would take the lead on lap 11 and drove away for his second win of the year at Attica. It was his 35th career victory at the track as he leads all drivers in wins in the 305 sprint division.

The win was even more special considering Weaver destroyed a car a week ago at Fremont when a rear axel broke. Weaver brought out an old back-up car to get the win.

“I bought this car off of Bob Hampshire. It’s a ’09 and I actually sold it to Jamie Miller this winter but he never came and got it. He said I could run it. It’s a really tight car but I had it freed up where it was good for this race but we’re really going to have to work with it for later on because it will be way different,” said Weaver beside his Hampshire Engines, M&L Excavating, Schiets Motorsports, Weaver Performance Center backed #1W.

In the night’s regular 305 sprint feature, Fremont’s Bobby Clark would lead all 25 laps to score his second win of the season. It was Clark’s 21st career victory at Attica and ties him with Bryan Scott for third on the track’s all-time win list for the 305 sprints.

Clark, the defending JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro champion, takes over sole possession of the series point lead with his second FAST win of 2016. Three drivers – Clark, Nate Dussel and Weaver – came into the night tied atop the standings.

“We’ve started at the back a lot this year and it was Dave’s (Foos, crew chief) turn to draw and he got a two and that really helped tonight,” Clark said beside his Fremont Fence, Kear’s Speed Shop, Shelluke’s Bar, Big D’s Pizza, B&L Plumbing backed machine.

“The car was really sticking I just had to be careful. I watched quite a bit of that 410 feature and I knew the bottom was where I had to be. I just had to be careful not to give it up,” added Clark of his Nagy Equipment Sales, Willie’s Towing, Schiets Motorsports, Miller Rigging sponsored #8.

Over the past couple season’s Toledo’s Cory McCaughey has led a lot of laps in the dirt trucks and finished second a lot. He finally got his first dirt win. McCaughey would lead all 15 laps but early on Jeff Ward didn’t make it easy. But McCaughey would pull away and dominate for his first Attica victory.

“Twelve second places…that’s how many….12. The last few laps all I kept thinking was ‘how am I going to finish second again.’ I have to thank A&D Auto Parts, John’s Fourth Season, IPS Rooter Pro, Central Collision, Ron Miller Race Cars and my dad…we did it on dirt dad,” McCaughey said.

It was a rough start to the 30-lap $3,000-to-win 410 sprint feature. Rob Chaney caused a caution before a lap could be completed. When the green flew again, Brian Lay grabbed the lead from Caleb Griffith with Chad Kemenah, Travis Philo, Byron Reed and Dale Blaney in tow. After a lap was scored Chris Andrews spun, collecting Chaney whose night was done.

On the ensuing restart Andrews spun again, ending his feature. When the green flew again the race would go to the end caution-free.

Lay bolted back into the lead with Griffith being challenged by Kemenah while Reed slipped around Philo and Blaney. Lay pulled away slightly with Kemenah taking second on lap five. Kemenah quickly caught Lay and the pair battled hard over the next two laps before Kemenah grabbed the lead on lap eight.

Meanwhile a heck of a battle ensued for third involving Griffith, Reed, Blaney and TJ Michael. Kemenah could not shake Lay who continually raced to his inside to challenge. As the leaders entered lapped traffic, Lay drove under Kemenah to regain the lead on lap 15 with Reed, Blaney and Michael in tow.

Lay and Kemenah continued to battle with Reed reeling them in while Blaney, Michael, Griffith and Sheldon Haudenschild gave chase. With 13 laps to go Reed caught the lead duo. Reed grabbed second on lap 18 as the leaders drove into heavy lapped traffic.

Reed made his winning move on lap 21, driving under Lay who was trying to get around lapped cars. Once in the lead Reed pulled away for the win. Lay, Kemenah, Blaney and Michael would round out the top five.

“That was a perfect race for me. I was just praying there wouldn’t be a caution there at the end. Once we got racing I got to over driving the car and was losing ground. Once I got settled down it got going really good. I have to thank my long time sponsor now Crown Battery but I also have to thank my brand new sponsor Ken Gill Construction…Ray Brooks and his boys are here tonight so it’s a great way to start the sponsorship off for those guys,” Reed said.

In the first 305 sprint A-main, Jamie Miller and Ricky Peterson brought the field to green and that duo battled each other tough over the opening handful of laps. Behind them Kyle Capodice and seventh starter Weaver raced side by side for third with Weaver taking the spot on lap three. Weaver drove under Miller for second on lap six and closed quickly on Peterson.

Peterson encountered lapped traffic by the ninth circuit and he and Weaver would bump wheels for the lead. Weaver grabbed the top spot on lap 11 and began to pull away. Peterson, Miller and Capodice gave chase with a fantastic battle fifth ensuing with Seth Schneider, Dan McCarron and Steve Rando.

Weaver encountered heavy lapped traffic with eight laps to go, but he muscled is way through and drove to the win over Peterson with Miller holding off Capodice for third. Schneider won the battle for fifth.

In the night’s regular feature for the 305 sprints, Clark quickly bolted into the lead at the drop of the green over Weaver, Tyler Street, Capodice, McCarron, Brandon Moore and Nate Dussel. Capodice grabbed second on lap seven just before the caution flew for Ray Thurston.

When the green flew so did Clark, pulling away from Capodice with Weaver in tow. Nate Dussel would drive from sixth to third on the restart and closed quickly on Capodice. The caution flew again on lap 14 for a Matt Foos spin with the running order Clark, Capodice, Dussel, Weaver, Street, Moore, McCarron and Dustin Dinan.

Clark would get a great restart and pulled away as Capodice had his hands full with Dussel. Dussel would take second on lap 17. With seven laps to go the car on the move was Jamie Miller who had driven from his 18th starting spot to seventh. Miller moved into the top five with six laps remaining.

Disaster struck for Dussel on lap 22 as he spun while battling with Capodice. When the green flew Clark drove away for the win over Capodice, Weaver, Miller and Dinan.

In the non-stop 15 lap dirt truck feature McCaughey and Ward battled for the lead early with Brad Stuckey, Dustin Keegan and Brian Arnold staying close. Once McCaughey was able to settle down and hit his marks, he pulled away.

Stuckey drove into second on lap four but could not close on McCaughey who would win by a straight-away over Stuckey, Ward, Keegan and Dana Fry who started 11th.

Attica Raceway Park will be back in action Friday, June 17 to kick off the 34th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedway with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions on Kistler Engines/Ohio Cat Night. The UMP late models will also be racing as they not only will run a regular program but their May 20th rained out feature.

For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com and follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk and like Attica Raceway Park on Facebook.

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