ATTICA, Ohio – Travis Philo has been close all season to getting a 410 sprint car win at Attica Raceway Park and on Friday night he finally broke through.
The Waterville, Ohio, driver held off several challenges to score the victory on Kistler Racing Products/Jon Wright’s Custom Chrome Plating presents the Mark Keegan Classic Season Championship Night.
One of those challenges was from Chris Andrews, who was vying for his third track championship. Andrews seemed to have the title in hand running second, but with three laps to go the rear-end broke, moving D.J. Foos into second. Foos, the track’s 2010 305 sprint champion, was able to capitalize to earn his first 410 Attica Raceway Park championship.
“I about gave that one away there on that one restart…I kind of took off late. I thought Chris (Andrews) was going to get us there but I was able to pass him back and kind of slid him late and drive back around him. I was kind of glad to see him sitting there on the back stretch because he was a threat there late. We had a good car all night. My dad and Keith Cramer gave me really good car. My buddy Logan from work and a couple of other buddies were here for the first time so that was pretty cool,” said Philo.
“The friend in me as I drove by Chris was ‘damn dude that sucks…you have this championship won’ but the racer in me that won this championship was like ‘hell yeah we got it done.’ I started running the bottom because I couldn’t pass them running with them up top. Everything worked out for us. Congrats to Travis. I’m happy to get this Burmesiter team a championship. They deserve this. I’m hoping to get the triple crown (Attica Fremont Championship Series and Fremont Speedway). I had that FAST championship and that was pretty cool but I really, really want to sweep this deal. I can’t thank them enough. Last year at this time I didn’t know if I was going to race. To be able to put a championship together with a great group of guys is pretty awesome…pretty spectacular where we’ve been able to do this year,” said Foos.
In the 30 lap Callie’s Performance Products 410 sprint feature, Philo and Foos brought the field to green with Philo gaining the advantage as sixth starter Andrews jumped to the cushion and drove into second with Trey Jacobs, Craig Mintz, Foos and Cap Henry in pursuit.
Philo pulled away slightly from Andrews as Jacobs and Mintz battled for third with Mintz taking the spot on lap four. While battling for fourth, Jacobs and Henry tangled with Henry tumbling off turn three. Though it was his second flip in two weeks battling for position, Henry was not injured.
The restart order was Philo, Andrews, Mintz, Foos, Caleb Griffith and Max Stambaugh. When the green flew Philo again pulled away as Andrews settled into second. With 10 laps scored, the leaders were preparing to encounter heavy lapped traffic and Andrews chopped into Philo’s lead. Bradley Ashford sopped on the track with 12 laps scored, giving Philo a clear track. On the restart Buddy Kofoid came to a stop with brakes issues.
This time on the restart Andrews was able to get a run on Philo and took the lead on lap 13 but Philo returned the favor in turns one and two to retake command of the race. After several laps of an intense battle for third, Foos took the position on lap 17 just before the caution came out for R.J. Jacobs. Philo used the clear track to once again pull away slightly from Andrews with Foos now applying pressure for second with Mintz, Nate Dussel, Griffith and T.J. Michael in pursuit.
With 10 laps to go Philo’s lead was 1.3 seconds over Andrews but lapped traffic with six laps to go allowed Andrews to close quickly and chop that lead in half. However, Andrews’ championship run came to an end with three laps to go as he coasted to a stop on the back stretch. With a clear track once again, Philo drove away for the win over Foos, Mintz, Griffith and Dussel.
Jamie Miller held off a couple of challenges from second year driver Mike Keegan to score his fifth straight Fremont Fence 305 Sprint win to lock up his second Attica championship. It was his 24th career 305 win at Attica, placing him third on the division’s all-time win list, just one away from Mike Linder. Miller, the 2005 Attica 305 track champion, celebrated the win and the championship on his 44th birthday.
Shawn Valenti battled the last six laps of the dirt truck feature side by side with Kent Brewer before taking the lead by a bumper at the white flag and holding off Brewer by inches for his third victory of the year and 18th of his career at Attica.