FREMONT, Ohio – Buddy Kofoid brought a bunch of midget experts to some 410 sprint car races this weekend.
The result was the Penngrove, Calif., driver sweeping the weekend with the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series Presented by the Baumann Auto Group.
On Operational Support Services Night on Saturday at Fremont Speedway, Kofoid, the defending track champion, took the lead for good on lap 10 after a spirited battle with Nate Dussel and drove his Keith Kunz/Pete Willoughby sprint car to his third win at the track.
Kofoid has been piloting one of the potent Keith Kunz Motorsports midgets this season on the USAC and POWRi trail, winning several features. He also won Friday’s 410 sprint car feature at Attica Raceway Park.
“I never swept a weekend before in sprint cars. I was doing the math today the last sprint car race for this team was 10 months on the dot,” Kofoid said. “To do this and two new cars with different shock packages and everything and come out and win both nights and lead a lot of laps is pretty cool. Pete and Keith and Jarrett (Martin) and Grant (Penn) and Chuck (Gurney)…they work their asses off. Jarrett and Grant are both so smart and they work so hard and I’m glad to do this for them and also Toyota and Mobil 1.”
Dussel and Kofoid brought the field to green for the 30-lap Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint feature with Dussel, who crashed hard the previous night, taking the lead over Kofoid, Cale Thomas, D.J. Foos, Cole Macedo, Cap Henry and Bell. Kofoid caught Dussel on lap seven and took the lead a circuit later only to see Dussel retake the spot on the ninth lap.
Just as the leaders were set to enter lapped traffic third running Thomas spun. A lap later another caution but when the green flew again so did Kofoid, opening up his advantage over Dussel as Macedo, Henry and Bell put on a fantastic battle for third.
Kofoid’s nearly two second lead vanished when the caution flew on lap 19. When the race resumed Kofoid pulled away while Dussel had to contend with Bell who finally took the runner-up spot on lap 22. Once into second Bell steadily closed on Kofoid and with just three laps to go had knocked a half second off of the lead.
Bell got over the cushion in turn two on the final lap and Kofoid cruised to the win. Bell, Dussel, Macedo and Foos rounded out the top five.
The win was worth $4,000 to Kofoid thanks to Spanky’s Pizza of Carey, Ohio. A Plus Auto Center also added another $100 to the winner’s pockets.
“I figured Christopher was coming and lapped traffic made it difficult at the end and my brakes started to fade at the end…they got so hot,” Kofoid said. “I was just trying to stay smooth. Christopher told me whoever starts in front of the other…we have a good shot at winning. He told me ‘don’t mess up you should win.’ Christopher is one of the best at this track and he’s beat me up here before. I’m glad the cards are turning.”
Paul Weaver dominated the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 A-main until a lapped car spun in front of him and Weaver slid to a stop to avoid him. Alvin Roepke inherited the lead with two laps to go and drove to his eighth career Fremont victory.
After a spirited three truck battle early, Shawn Valenti drove into the lead at the half-way point of the Burmeister Trophy Dirt Truck feature and drove to his third feature win of the season. It was his 58th Fremont victory, putting him into a tie with Jim Linder for fifth on the track’s all-time win list.