FREMONT, Ohio — When leader Caleb Griffith got into the backstretch wall and flipped with eight laps to go, Tim Shaffer was there to capitalize and went on to score the opening night win at Fremont Speedway for the 12th annual Jim and Joanne Ford Classic.
The lap prior, Griffith made a fantastic move in turn two to regain the lead from Shaffer as they battled in heavy lapped traffic.
But, flying down the backstretch Griffith got into the guard rail and flipped violently into turn three. He walked away uninjured, with Shaffer taking the lead. Shaffer, a four time and defending Ford Classic winner, drove away the final eight laps for his 19th career victory at “The Track That Action Built.”
“Cody Jacobs and I have a lot of time together and I want to keep it that way. He knows what to fix if I come in and look at him wrong. We work great together. Ron Gorby and his guys…hats off to them. They maintenance the car and got it ready for us and here we are,” said Shaffer beside his Howard Johnsons of Lima/Indy Race Parts/Fast Signs backed No. G1.
Byron Reed romped from eighth on the grid to finish second, with Cale Conley, Travis Philo and Brandon Long rounding out the top five.
Paul Weaver dominated the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 sprint feature for his fourth victory of the season at Fremont. The $1,000 pay day was his 51st career win at the track, placing him eighth on the all-time win list.
Shawn Valenti bobbled on the last corner of the last lap in the dirt truck feature but was able to hold off Kent Brewer for his eighth feature win of the year. It was Valenti’s 54th career win at the track, tying him with hall of famer Herbie Robinson for sixth on the track’s all-time win list.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. G1-Tim Shaffer[9] ; 2. 5r-Byron Reed[8] ; 3. 3C-Cale Conley[6] ; 4. 5T-Travis Philo[4] ; 5. 02-Brandon Long[2] ; 6. 68G-Tyler Gunn[10] ; 7. 22M-Dan McCarron[5] ; 8. 9X-Ricky Peterson[17] ; 9. 13-Brandon Matus[11] ; 10. 22s-Brandon Spithaler[19] ; 11. k4-Chad Kemenah[15] ; 12. 22-Cole Duncan[18] ; 13. 81-Lee Jacobs[12] ; 14. 33W-Caleb Griffith[3] ; 15. 066-Trey Jacobs[13] ; 16. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[1] ; 17. 23-Hunter Schuerenberg[22] ; 18. 3-Jac Haudenschild[21] ; 19. 35-Stuart Brubaker[16] ; 20. 1-Nate Dussel[14] ; 21. 16-DJ Foos[20] ; 22. 1st-Gary Taylor[7]