FREMONT, Ohio — A lot was on the line Friday night at Fremont Speedway for the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads-Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series (AFCS) presented by the Baumann Auto Group — $10,000 to be exact.
Only three points separated D.J. Foos and Buddy Kofoid entering the night. Foos, who wrapped up the Attica Raceway Park 410 track championship a few weeks ago, didn’t let the stress of a tight point battle get to him, as he drove to his third win of the season at Fremont.
“I had the mentality it was just another race and win and that’s all you have to do. Hats off to Buddy Kofoid and the Linder team. I said earlier this week they made everyone step their game up. Buddy is one hell of a race car driver…he’s going to go beyond anything I’ll ever do. But this feels pretty good. We have two down and one to go (Fremont Speedway championship). This deal comes with a lot of pressure. I was pacing back and forth all night. I was so worried. I tried to make all the correct moves. I just had to go out and do my job and the rest would fall into place,” said Foos.
It truly is a story book season for Foos as he didn’t have a ride following the 2018 season but the long-standing Burmeister Racing Team came calling.
“Last year at banquet time I wasn’t real sure what I wasn’t real sure what I was going to do but these guys work really hard…they built me a new race car this week. We were absolutely terrible last week and something had to change. This is our cup of tea though…I like a good slick race track. I feel like I excel at that,” added Foos.
It was also the championship night for the KS Sales and Service AFCS presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales and when Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller took the green flag of his heat, he wrapped up the $2,500 title for the 305 sprints.
But in the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature, John Ivy took the checkers for his fourth win of the season the 60th of his career at the track, tying him with Mark Keegan for third on the track’s all-time win list, just two wins away from Gug Keegan’s mark of 62 victories. The victory was worth $1,500.
“We got three races left this year so I got a shot at tying Gug. I was just trying to hit my marks and keep going and roll the top. Lapped cars were a challenge but they are racing too so it’s up to me to find a way around them. So I just calmed down and took my time,” said Ivy.
Miller led the feature early and after a spirited battle with Ivy, faded to a fifth place feature finish but the AFCS title.
“I’ll take the championship but I’m not happy with the way the night went. I’d much rather win races. We were good…I just lost a right rear tire. We went out there with a used tire and we shouldn’t have done that…we know better,” said Miller.
The results will show Shawn Valenti won his seventh Burmeister Trophy Dirt Truck feature of the year. But it was not easy at all as Dustin Keegan led the first 15 laps of the 20 lap affair and drove to Valenti’s inside the remaining five laps to make him earn the $1,000 victory. It was the 53rd career win for Valenti placing him seventh on the track’s all-time win list.