FREMONT, Ohio – D.J. Foos drove his Burmeister Racing 410 sprint into the lead with 12 laps to go and pulled away for the win with the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series Presented by the Baumann Auto Group Saturday at Fremont Speedway.
Foos, a former 305 Fremont track champion, scored his second win of the year at Fremont on Baumann Auto Group Night, taking home $4,200. He won by more than 2.5 seconds for his 13th career victory at the track.
Foos’ win in the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint division also will tighten up the AFCS points significantly with just two point races left for the $10,000 championship. Foos came into the night third in the AFCS standings. Leader Buddy Kofoid came back from an opening lap tangle to score a seventh-place finish while Cap Henry, who started the night second in the standings, finished fourth.
“Hats off to these guys (speedway committee) for trying to do stuff…we all didn’t become good race car drivers and crew chiefs over night. We have to bare with them and give them some time. This race track is really not my deal. I could do turns one and two all day but three and four…whew…that thing was a hand full. Mikey (Sommers) had the car pretty good and I can’t thank everyone enough who stands behind me,” said Foos.
Brian Lay and Lee Jacobs brought the field to green for the 30-lap 410 sprint feature. The second row of Buddy Kofoid and Travis Philo made contact and Kofoid spun in front of the pack, collecting Craig Mintz, Stuart Brubaker and Nate Dussel with Mintz and Brubaker flipping. Everyone was okay but Mintz and Brubaker were done for the night. Kofoid and Dussel made repairs and rejoined at the tail.
When the green flew again Jacobs bolted into the lead over Lay, Foos, Philo, Cale Conley, Ricky Peterson, Caleb Griffith, Cap Henry and Jack Haudenschild. Haudenschild spun with two laps scored and two laps later jumped the big cushion in turn four to end his night.
Jacobs pulled away from Lay on the restart with 26 laps to go with Foos, Peterson, Philo, Conley and Henry in tow. Foos took second on lap 10 just before Conley stopped two circuits later after battling with Philo and Henry for fifth. This time on the restart Foos stayed glued to Jacobs’ rear bumper while Lay, Henry and Peterson battled for third.
Foos was able to drive around Jacobs into the lead with a daring move on the tricky turn four cushion on lap 18. With 10 laps to go Foos had opened a second and half lead over Jacobs while Lay and Henry were entertaining the crowed in their quest for third.
Foos hit his marks and drove away to the win as Lay got around Jacobs on the last lap for second with Henry and Caleb Griffith rounding out the top five.
A tremendous three car battle involving John Ivy, Paul Weaver and Tyler Street dominated the first half of the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints. Weaver, a former track champion, took the lead on lap nine and held off Street at the checkers for his second win of the season at Fremont worth $1,200.
Weaver’s 49th career win at the track, also tightens up the standings in the KS Sales and Service AFCS Presented Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales with two point races remaining. Weaver came into the night third in the standings with leader Jamie Miller finishing seventh and runner-up John Ivy finishing fourth.
“I got old reliable back out. Last couple of weeks I had some bad luck going on,” said Weaver, referring to a chassis change. “I didn’t have any good set-up for this type of track but my engine builder had some pixie dust he sprinkled on it and it worked. I want to thank my wife, Daryl Schiets, Pam and Steve Brown, M&L Excavating, Dave Rice and Bob Hampshire, Miller Rigging and Adkins Motorsports.”
The 20 lap feature for the Burmeister Trophy Dirt Trucks featured three wide racing around the speedway for the lead for the first half involving Keith Sorg, Kent Brewer and Shawn Valenti. Valenti took the lead by a bumper on lap seven but Brewer and Sorg battled him hard over the next hand full of laps.
Valenti and Brewer then raced side by side for several laps until Valenti was able to pull away slightly until the last lap when Brewer mounted a last ditch challenge that fell just short. Valenti scored his third win of the season and 49th of his career to tie Weaver for seventh on the track’s all-time win list.
“That was a hell of a race. Kent and Keith raced clean and hard and that’s what it’s all about. It was $1,100 to win to night to I had to get up on the wheel. Thanks to the Baumann Auto Group and all they do for us racers and my sponsor A Plus Auto Center for putting extra money in the purse for all the divisions tonight,” Valenti said.