Matt Lucius scores
first Fremont win;
Ivy takes one of two
 
By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio (May 29, 2004) - "Better Scenery." That message was written
on tape on the dash of Matt Lucius' sprint car. It was meant to show the
second-year 410 sprint driver that a clear track in front of you is a lot
better to look at than the back of other race cars...it means you're in
the lead.
The 21-year-old Tiffin, Ohio resident responded by scoring an impressive
feature win in the second of two features at the Budweiser Shoot Out Saturday
at Fremont Speedway. Two-time track champion John Ivy scored the victory
in the opening Bud Light feature. Fremont's Bobby Davis picked up the win
in the Coors Light Dirt Truck A-main.
The night's racing included two feature events for the 410 sprints.
The Bud Light affair was 25 laps, with the finishing order inverted for
the 30-lap Budweiser finale. The Bud Light feature paid $2,500 to win,
with the Budweiser feature carrying a $3,000 paycheck. If the same driver
would have won both, he would have earned a $2,000 Bud Bonus.
In the first feature, Portland, Michigan's Dustin Daggett jumped into
the lead from his pole starting spot, only to see Whitehouse, Ohio's Todd
Heller speed around him on the top side a short time later. The race came
to a halt on lap six when Bobby Clark and Shane Helms came together, both
cars flipping violently. Helms was shaken up and was taken to the hospital
for a check-up. Clark's crew put the #8 back together, but he was unable
fire for the second feature.
On the restart, Heller set sale, with fast qualifier Ivy making his
way up from sixth starting spot. Ivy pulled under Heller with two laps
to go and went on to take the win. Heller was second, with Rob Chaney Third,
David Harrison fourth and Mike Linder fifth.
"Boy, the driver of this thing has been messing up a lot lately. I'm
glad I could make it up to my crew and get it in victory lane," said Ivy,
who scored his 19th career Fremont win, moving him to a tie for 19th on
the all-time victory list. "We have our work cut out for us in this second
feature coming from the back. There are some very good cars starting ahead
of us. Hey, were used to coming from the tail...I mean I've sput out and
had to do it a lot already this year."
Once the field was inverted for the final feature, 16-year-old Caleb
Griffith jumped into the lead from his pole starting spot. However, Archbold,
Ohio's Kyle Sauder slid around Griffith a short time later to take the
lead. Sauder, riding the rim of the track in his S&L Farms entry, built
up a huge lead, but on lap 10, the car lost power and came to a halt on
the backstretch, giving Griffith back the lead. Meanwhile, Ivy, who had
started 18th, had worked his way up to 10th.
On the restart, Griffith and Lucius began a torrid battle for the lead,
with Lucius taking the top spot on lap 13. Lucius, who began his racing
career in Fremont Speedway's dirt truck division a few years ago, built
a sizeable lead. Meanwhile, a Ada, Ohio's Andy James shot around the high
side of the track to take second from Griffith. But, all eyes were on the
#9x of Rob Chaney, who had spun on lap two and was charging through the
pack.
At the checkered, it was Lucius by half a track over James, Chaney,
Harrison and Griffith.
Chaney scored a pair of third place showings in both races, while Harrison
scored a pair of fourth place finishes.
"I would have never thought I'd be on the front stretch at the end of
the night... this is just incredible. It hasn't sunk in yet," said Lucius
standing beside his Doug Ludwig owned Lucius Fence sponsored car. "I have
to thank the Ludwigs for giving me this opportunity. They have invested
a lot of money in racing (they also own Griffith's and Harrison's cars)
and I'm glad I could get him a win. He had three cars finish in the top
five, so Doug has to be pretty happy."
In the Coors Light Dirt Truck feature, David took the lead on lap 11
of the 15-lap affair and went on to score his fifth career Fremont feature
victory over Wayne, Ohio's Dwight Waltermeier, Woodville, Ohio's Danny
Roepke, Fremont's Steve Sabo and Oak Harbor's Brian Michaels.
410 QUALIFYING
1. John Ivy (20) 12.92; 2. Rob Chaney (9X) 12.92; 3. Andy James (72)
13.15; 4. Mike Linder (3L) 13.17; 5. David Harrison (10) 13.18; 6. Craig
Mintz (8S) 13.30; 7. Scott Euler (27) 13.34; 8. Todd Heller (14H) 13.38;
9. Dustin Daggett (85) 13.39; 10. Shane Helms (40) 13.41; 11. Chad Blonde
(5B) 13.42; 12. Mark Keegan (X) 13.50; 13. Kyle Sauder (K) 13.52; 14. Rob
Eyler (5A) 13.54; 15. Lee Jacobs (16) 13.57; 16. Dennis Yoakum (22D) 13.75;
17. Troy Vaccaro (7T) 13.76; 18. Alvin Roepke (99) 13.81; 19. Andrew Palker
(57X) 13.82; 20. Dwain Leiber (62) 13.83; 21. Jody Keegan (60) 13.85; 22.
Caleb Griffith (12) 13.95; 23. Jason Courtney (9C) 13.97; 24. Matt Lucius
(1A) 13.98; 25. Brandon Martin (11M) 14.05; 26. Ronnie Beal (3B) 14.06;
27. Bobby Clark (8C) 14.07; 28. Jeff Williams (5W) 14.16; 29. Jon Finsel
(F1) 14.20; 30. Brian Grove (8G) 14.59; 31. Bill Shaw (48B) 14.61; 32.
Ray Moon (18M) 15.00; 33. Randy Tusing (41) 15.05;
410 SUPER SPRINTS
Heat 1 (Top 4 to A): 1.Troy Vaccaro(7t); 2.John Ivy(20); 3.Jody Keegan(60);
4.Dustin Daggett(85); 5.David Harrison(10); 6.Kyle Sauder(k); 7.Brandon
Martin(11m); 8.Jon Finsel(f1); 9.Randy Tusing(41);
Heat 2 (Top 4 to A): 1.Caleb Griffith(12); 2.Shane Helms(40); 3.Rob
Eyler(5a); 4.Craig Mintz(8s); 5.Alvin Roepke(99); 6.Rob Chaney(9x); 7.Brian
Grove(8g); 8.Ronnie Beal(3b);
Heat 3 (Top 4 to A): 1.Chad Blonde(5b); 2.Andrew Palker(57x); 3.Andy
James(72); 4.Lee Jacobs(16); 5.Jason Courtney(9c); 6.Bobby Clark(8c); 7.Scott
Euler(27); 8.Bill Shaw(48b);
Heat 4 (Top 4 to A): 1.Matt Lucius(1a); 2.Mark Keegan(x); 3.Todd Heller(14h);
4.Mike Linder(3l); 5.Dwain Leiber(62); 6.Dennis Yoakum(22d); 7.Jeff Williams(5w);
8.Ray Moon(18m);
B - Main (Top 6 to A): 1.Rob Chaney(9X); 2.David Harrison(10); 3.Kyle
Sauder(K); 4.Bobby Clark(8C); 5.Alvin Roepke(99); 6.Scott Euler(27); 7.Dwain
Leiber(62); 8.Ronnie Beal(3B); 9.Jeff Williams(5W); 10.Jason Courtney(9C);
11.Dennis Yoakum(22D); 12.Brian Grove(8G); 13.Bill Shaw(48B); 14.Jon Finsel(F1);
15.Randy Tusing(41);
A - Main #1 (25 Laps): 1.John Ivy(20)(start-6); 2.Todd Heller(14H)(start-2);
3.Rob Chaney(9X)(start-7); 4.David Harrison(10)(start-8); 5.Mike Linder(3L)(start-4);
6.Craig Mintz(8S)(start-3); 7.Dustin Daggett(85)(start-1); 8.Lee Jacobs(16)(start-15);
9.Scott Euler(27)(start-9); 10.Alvin Roepke(99)(start-17); 11.Mark Keegan(X)(start-12);
12.Chad Blonde(5B)(start-11); 13.Andrew Palker(57X)(start-18); 14.Troy
Vaccaro(7T)(start-16); 15.Andy James(72)(start-5); 16.Matt Lucius(1A)(start-21);
17.Kyle Sauder(K)(start-13); 18.Caleb Griffith(12)(start-20); 19.Rob Eyler(5A)(start-14);
20.Jody Keegan(60)(start-19); 21.Shane Helms(40)(start-10); 22.Bobby Clark(8C)(start-22);
A - Main #2 (30 Laps): 1.Matt Lucius(1A)(start-3); 2.Andy James(72)(start-4);
3.Rob Chaney(9X)(start-16); 4.David Harrison(10)(start-15); 5.Caleb Griffith(12)(start-1);
6.Lee Jacobs(16)(start-11); 7.Alvin Roepke(99)(start-9); 8.John Ivy(20)(start-18);
9.Troy Vaccaro(7T)(start-5); 10.Andrew Palker(57X)(start-6); 11.Mike Linder(3L)(start-14);
12.Todd Heller(14H)(start-17); 13.Craig Mintz(8S)(start-13); 14.Jody Keegan(60)(start-21);
15.Scott Euler(27)(start-10); 16.Dustin Daggett(85)(start-12); 17.Rob Eyler(5A)(start-20);
18.Ronnie Beal(3B)(start-22); 19.Dwain Leiber(62)(start-19); 20.Kyle Sauder(K)(start-2);
21.Chad Blonde(5B)(start-7); 22.Mark Keegan(X)(start-8);
COORS LIGHT DIRT TRUCKS
Heat 1 (Top 4 to A): 1.Dan Roepke(53); 2.Dwight Waltermier(39); 3.Andy
Maynard(10a); 4.Rex Wright(55w); 5.Ralph Willey(5w); 6.Art Howey Jr.(8h);
7.Rich sterwart(65); 8.Fred Guiher(21); 9.Paul Brown Jr.(14b); 10.Scott
Beard(14); 11.Jim Welty(10j);
Heat 2 (Top 4 to A): 1.Joe Hartlaub(1); 2.Art Ball(O1); 3.Steve Sabo(16);
4.Buffy Bordner(31); 5.Kent Long(82); 6.Brain Sorg(4x); 7.David Severs(62);
8.Jason Foucht(11);
Heat 3 (Top 4 to A): 1.Brian Arnold(33); 2.Bobby Davis(40); 3.Steve
Rando(19R); 4.Cory Ward(18W); 5.Bob Dible(17); 6.Tom Wiedman(8W); 7.Jaime
Adams(34); 8.L.j. Conners(X); 9.Bill Bruen(55B); 10.Dave Brewer(92B);
Heat 4 (Top 4 to A): 1.Brian Michael(47); 2.Paul Dymond(38); 3.Linda
Sabo(6); 4.Rick Potts(91); 5.James Sebetto(19); 6.Dave Gibbs(30); 7.Ryan
Bloom(21R); 8.Greg Harmon(O7); 9.Don Decorsey(43); 10.Leroy Miller(49);
1st B - Main (Top 2 to A): 1.Ralph Willey(5W); 2.Art Howey Jr.(8H);
3.Jim Welty(10J); 4.Rich sterwart(65); 5.Fred Guiher(21); 6.David Severs(62);
7.Brain Sorg(4X); 8.Scott Beard(14); 9.Paul Brown Jr.(14B); 10.Kent Long(82);
11.Todd Keegan(22);
2nd B - Main (Top 2 to A): 1.Bob Dible(17); 2.Tom Wiedman(8W); 3.L.j.
Conners(X); 4.Leroy Miller(49); 5.Dave Brewer(92B); 6.Ryan Bloom(21R);
7.Greg Harmon(O7); 8.Bill Bruen(55B); 9.James Sebetto(19); 10.Don Decorsey(43);
A - Main (15 Laps): 1.Bobby Davis(40)(start-5); 2.Dwight Waltermier(39)(start-4);
3.Dan Roepke(53)(start-6); 4.Steve Sabo(16)(start-3); 5.Brian Michael(47)(start-8);
6.Brian Arnold(33)(start-11); 7.Andy Maynard(10A)(start-12); 8.Joe Hartlaub(1)(start-10);
9.Ralph Willey(5W)(start-17); 10.Cory Ward(18W)(start-15); 11.Bob Dible(17)(start-18);
12.Tom Wiedman(8W)(start-20); 13.Paul Dymond(38)(start-9); 14.Art Ball(O1)(start-2);
15.Art Howey Jr.(8H)(start-19); 16.Linda Sabo(6)(start-7); 17.Rick Potts(91)(start-16);
18.Buffy Bordner(31)(start-14); 19.Steve Rando(19R)(start-1); 20.Jim Welty(10J)(start-21); |
