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Shaffer wins thrilling Ohio Speedweek finale at Fremont

Shaffer wins thrilling Ohio Speedweek finale at Fremont
Saturday June 26, 2010
By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio – In arguably the best feature of the nine straight nights comprising the 28th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek, defending O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champions titlist Tim Shaffer blasted around Stevie Smith on lap 45 and went on to the $10,000 payday on Budweiser Night at Fremont Speedway.
For Shaffer it was his third win during the nine straight nights of racing and it came on his 43rd birthday. It is his 23rd career All Star victory and his sixth at Fremont Speedway. It also adds to his current point lead for the overall All Star championship.
David Gravel’s fifth place finish gave him the 2010 Ohio Sprint Speedweek Championship.
“I wasn’t even dreaming about this..this is awesome. We just ran consistent nine nights in a row and even got a win (at Lima on Friday). We had four top fives this week. The crew and all the sponsors…Rob Hart has this car going consistently awesome at every track we went too. We qualified well every night,” said Gravel beside his DDR Motorsports, P&M Transportation backed #89.
“The Track That Action Built” lived up to that billing in the 50-lap feature, with lead changes all over the track throughout. After Jared Ridge led the first 15 laps with Phil Gressman hounding him, Gressman would use a lapped machine as a pick and drove under Ridge in turn 4 to take the lead.
Defending Speedweek champion Stevie Smith would move into second on lap 22 and immediately raced side by side with Gressman for the lead. Smith would lead lap 24, but Gressman would drive back by for the top spot. Shaffer, who started third, dropped back at the start to run in fifth, He moved into fourth on lap 28 and seemed content to cruise awhile behind Gravel. Shaffer would take third on lap 33 as Gressman and Smith continued their torrid battle up front.
With nine laps remaining, Gressman and Smith raced in heavy lapped traffic, allowing Shaffer to close. Gressman, Smith and Shaffer ran nose to tail with Shaffer diving under Smith for second on lap 44 and around Gressman into the lead a lap later, bringing Smith along. Shaffer and Smith battled side by side the next five laps. As Shaffer took the white flag, Smith ducked to his inside and the pair ran side-by-side down the back stretch, Smith gave it one last shot in turns three and four, but Shaffer hit the cushion and rocked off to the checkered.
“When I looked up at the scoreboard and it said 29 laps I thought there was only like 10 laps to go. Then I remembered its 50 laps and I better get going,” said Shaffer beside his Kistler Engines, VRP Shocks, Kistler Racing Products, Technique Roofing backed #83.
“The car just kept getting better and the track came to us. I have to thank Aaron Call and Janet Holbrook, Kistler Engines, J&J Chassis and it goes on. These people stand behind us and it’s awesome and a lot of fun,” continued Shaffer in the Engine Pro Victory Lane. “Three wins this week is pretty darn good. You get greedy and want more, but this week is tough. I don’t care who you are and what people are around you, it goes from not eating right and not sleeping right and travelling up and down the road…to be standing here is awesome.”
Pole-sitter Jared Ridge took the early lead with defending Fremont Speedway champion Brock Mayes, Gravel, Shaffer and Gressman in tow. Ridge was setting a quick pace and was hitting lapped traffic by the fourth circuit, but the action would grind to a halt when Cap Henry took a wild ride in turn four. He was taken to the hospital for a check-up but later released. On the restart, Ridge could not shake Mayes as Gressman drove around Gravel into third. A lap later and Ridge had put a little distance between himself and Mayes who now had his hands full with Gressman. Gressman would take second on lap 8 and began to steadily close on Ridge. Mayes’ run would end on lap 12 as his car lost power, bringing out the caution. The running order was Ridge, Gressman, Gravel, Smith and Shaffer.
Gressman would use the restart to put a lot of pressure on Ridge and finally pulled off the lead pass on lap 16, using a lapped machine as a pick to drive around Ridge. Smith would drive under Gravel for third on lap 19 and into second three laps later. With Gressman in heavy lapped traffic, Smith began to close and drove under Gressman exiting turn four to lead lap 24. Gressman would slingshot around the high side of one and two and back into the lead with Ridge falling back in third.
Gravel would take third on lap 27, bringing Shaffer into fourth as Ridge continued to slide back in the field. Dean Jacobs would stop in turn four on lap 31 to bring out the final caution with Gressman leading Smith, Gravel, Shaffer, Ridge, Lee Jacobs and Brad Sweet. On the ensuing restart, Gressman could not shake Smith, as Gravel and Shaffer battled for third. Shaffer would take third on lap 33 and began to quickly close on Gressman and Smith. With 13 laps remaining, Smith and Gressman raced wheel to wheel for the lead with Shaffer glued to their rear bumpers. The top trio would race nose to tail over the next seven laps, slicing in and out of traffic as the crowd rose to their feet.
Shaffer would steal second from Smith on lap 44 and he and Smith would both get by Gressman a lap later. As Shaffer battled lapped machines, Smith stayed close and gave it one final shot in turns three and four on the last lap. Shaffer would blasted off the high side cushion to the checkered with Smith, Gressman, Sweet and Gravel rounding out the top five.
For Smith, a second place run on the final night was redemption for a tough week.
“That was one of the toughest races I’ve ever run. This place is known for good, close racing and you know we’re all running with our cars and ourselves on the line and it was rough and hard to keep it on a line. It was the same for everybody…we wanted to try and win it, we love coming to Fremont, but we’d like to see the old Fremont track back. That’s why it’s so famous…that’s why it’s still here,” said Smith beside his Zemco Headers, Zemco Speed Equipment backed #1.
“This Speedweek wasn’t what we were expecting, but I have a lot of confidence in these guys. They really work hard and I’m very, very thankful for where I am here. It’s really a good thing and I’ve had a lot of fun with these guys. We had a bad week…it started at Attica, leading the race and spinning out and it went down from there. I crashed in time trials one night and we fell back. Tim has just had a good car this year. His guys are doing a great job and we’ll have to be happy with second,” added Smith.
For Gressman, his third place performance left him a little disappointed after leading 28 laps.
“I just started getting a little free there at the end. I couldn’t get through three and four the way I wanted to. You know when you lead early bad things usually happen toward the ends. We put forth our best effort. Hats off to Stevie and Tim they did a good job. Lapped traffic was hard because the track was so good. It widened up and it was a good race. Have to thank all the fans for coming out and my car owner De Genzman,” said Gressman beside his Ludwig Propane, Level Performance ProShocks backed #53.
“Phil was running a great race and Stevie, running in second was in bad air and I was able to come from a distance and make ground and pass at the right time. It just worked out,” said Shaffer of his winning move.
The Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints took off the top wings and put on a great show for the huge crowd. Fremont’s Stuart Brubaker battled with Bryan Sebetto in the early stages of the feature, the pair banging wheels and nearly crashing on several occasions. Following a spat of cautions and reds early in the race, Brubaker and Sebetto were joined in the dog fight for the lead by Brad Haudenschild. Those three raced side by side and went back and fourth, with Sebetto and Haudenschild making contact at one point with Haudenschild making a great save as his machine bounced off the high side of turn one.
Following a caution on lap 12, Haudenschild put on a drive on the high side of turns three and four around Sebetto and then past Brubaker into the lead. Following the final caution on lap 14, Haudenschild would drive away as Sebetto and Brubaker continued to fight for second. The car on the move was 11th place starter Paul Weaver who raced up to fourth by lap six but could not catch the lead trio.
At the checkered Haudenschild took his second career Fremont win over Sebetto, Brubaker, Weaver and Roger Shammo.
“That was a blast. I love racing with Bryan…glad he came back and is racing some with the 305s. That was definitely fun. I want to thank Rich Farmer (Fremont promoter)…everyone else is complaining about the track but I thought it was beautiful. I thought I was going to lose it the last couple of laps. I was driving pretty hard,” said Haudenschild beside his R&B Enterprises, Vision Express backed #10.
“We’ve been off racing for about a month and raced for Kenny Meggitt at Hilltop and Waynesfield, so this definitely makes a good comeback to the 305s,” added Haudenschild.
Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, July 3 on McDonald’s Night. Besides the normal show of 410 and 305 sprints and dirt trucks, the 410 sprints and dirt trucks will run make-up features from the June 12 rained out mains.
For more information log onto www.fremontohspeedway.com
Fremont Speedway - 6/26/2010
Budweiser Night
All Star Circuit of Champions (38 Cars)
Qualifying - Kistler Engines

1. 89G-David Gravel, 12.826; 2. 11B-Brock Mayes, 12.981; 3. X-Mark Keegan, 13.010; 4. 12-Jarred Ridge, 13.075; 5. 1Z-Stevie Smith, 13.114; 6. 83-Tim Shaffer, 13.127; 7. 53-Phil Gressman, 13.137; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.138; 9. 45-Brian Lay, 13.140; 10. 3J-Kevin Lee, 13.157; 11. 97-Dean Jacobs, 13.215; 12. 5R-Byron Reed, 13.220; 13. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.222; 14. 24H-Lee Jacobs, 13.263; 15. 28K-Todd Kane, 13.267; 16. 9X-Rob Chaney, 13.271; 17. 47-Caleb Helms, 13.305; 18. 312-Mike Linder, 13.310; 19. 16-Bryan Sebetto, 13.318; 20. 2-Dale Blaney, 13.322; 21. 5M-Jamie Miller, 13.410; 22. 26-Cody White, 13.411; 23. 4K-Kody Kinser, 13.415; 24. O4-Cap Henry, 13.428; 25. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.440; 26. 11M-Brandon Martin, 13.443; 27. 71AU-Matt Butler, 13.457; 28. 6-Bill Rose, 13.461; 29. 20X-Craig Mintz, 13.468; 30. O-Brandon Wimmer, 13.481; 31. 15C-Chris Andrews, 13.519; 32. 60-Jody Keegan, 13.529; 33. 5T-Travis Philo, 13.573; 34. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.638; 35. 24-Jeremy Keegan, 13.871; 36. 14H-Todd Heller, 13.942; 37. 28V-Shawn Valenti, 14.051; 38. 27-Scott Euler, 15.238
   MSD Ignitions Heat 1 - Heat 1 (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
2. 5M-Jamie Miller; 2. 47-Caleb Helms; 3. 1Z-Stevie Smith; 4. 49-Brad Sweet; 5. 89G-David Gravel; 6. 20X-Craig Mintz; 7. 45-Brian Lay; 8. 5T-Travis Philo; 9. 28V-Shawn Valenti; 10. W20-Greg Wilson
   Kear's Speed Shop Heat 2 - (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
3. 26-Cody White; 2. 312-Mike Linder; 3. 83-Tim Shaffer; 4. 11B-Brock Mayes; 5. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 6. 3J-Kevin Lee; 7. 11M-Brandon Martin; 8. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 9. 27-Scott Euler; 10. O-Brandon Wimmer
   All-Pro Cylinder Heads Heat 3 - Heat 3 (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
4. 16-Bryan Sebetto; 2. 4K-Kody Kinser; 3. 97-Dean Jacobs; 4. 53-Phil Gressman; 5. 28K-Todd Kane; 6. X-Mark Keegan; 7. 71AU-Matt Butler; 8. 24-Jeremy Keegan; 9. 15C-Chris Andrews
   Outer Wears Performance Products Heat 4 - Heat 4 (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
5. O4-Cap Henry; 2. 2-Dale Blaney; 3. 9X-Rob Chaney; 4. 12-Jarred Ridge; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 6. 5R-Byron Reed; 7. 6-Bill Rose; 8. 60-Jody Keegan; 9. 14H-Todd Heller
   Dash - (6 Laps)
6. 12-Jarred Ridge; 2. 1Z-Stevie Smith; 3. 89G-David Gravel; 4. 11B-Brock Mayes
   B-Main - (15 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)
7. X-Mark Keegan; 2. 3J-Kevin Lee; 3. 5R-Byron Reed; 4. 11M-Brandon Martin; 5. 45-Brian Lay; 6. W20-Greg Wilson; 7. 6-Bill Rose; 8. O-Brandon Wimmer; 9. 20X-Craig Mintz; 10. 71AU-Matt Butler; 11. 60-Jody Keegan; 12. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 13. 28V-Shawn Valenti; 14. 15C-Chris Andrews; 15. 5T-Travis Philo; 16. 27-Scott Euler; 17. 24-Jeremy Keegan; 18. 14H-Todd Heller
   A-Main - (50 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
8. 83-Tim Shaffer[3]; 2. 1Z-Stevie Smith[5]; 3. 53-Phil Gressman[6]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[9]; 5. 89G-David Gravel[2]; 6. 24H-Lee Jacobs[10]; 7. 12-Jarred Ridge[1]; 8. 11M-Brandon Martin[24]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[7]; 10. 5R-Byron Reed[13]; 11. 3J-Kevin Lee[12]; 12. 2-Dale Blaney[19]; 13. 9X-Rob Chaney[15]; 14. 47-Caleb Helms[16]; 15. 5M-Jamie Miller[20]; 16. 26-Cody White[21]; 17. 28K-Todd Kane[14]; 18. 97-Dean Jacobs[8]; 19. 16-Bryan Sebetto[18]; 20. X-Mark Keegan[11]; 21. 312-Mike Linder[17]; 22. 4K-Kody Kinser[22]; 23. 11B-Brock Mayes[4]; 24. O4-Cap Henry[23]
   Hard Charger: 11M-Brandon Martin[+16]

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