Saturday, July 11, 2009
Contact Brian Liskai
liskai2x@cros.net

By Brian Liskai

FREMONT, Ohio - It was the cagey veteran and the young up-and-comer battling 
for the 410 sprint victory at Fremont Speedway Saturday night on Schiets 
Motorsports Night. In the end, the youngster took the win over a driver he 
looked up to as a child in the stands. Gibsonburg, Ohio's Craig Mintz scored 
his second victory of the season at "The Track That Action Built," holding 
off nine-time track champion Mark Keegan.

The win helped Mintz expand his lead in the Kistler Racing Products Fremont 
Attica Sprint Title Championship Series. The FAST Series is a $50,000 
point/contingency fund separate from both the point funds of Attica and 
Fremont, with the winner claiming $10,000 a year's end. Mintz also took the 
point lead for the Fremont Speedway champion by just three points over Brock 
Mayes and six points over defending track champion Byron Reed.

It was another youngster battling a veteran for the win in the Fremont 
Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature, with second year driver Nate Dussel 
of Bradner, Ohio, getting his second career victory.

Defending Fremont Fence Dirt Truck track champion Jim McGrath of Clyde, 
Ohio, took control of the feature on lap seven and never looked back on 
route to his second victory of the season and fifth career at Fremont 
Speedway.

Mintz led the first lap of the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint feature, 
but Keegan took the top spot a lap later, only to see Mintz drive around him 
on lap 11. Keegan would hound him, and when they hit lapped traffic with the 
white flag in the air, Keegan was able to pull off the bottom of turn four 
to regain the lead, but Mintz flew around the high side exiting turn two to 
regain the lead and the win.

"I was happy to run with Mark there. Pat Harger put a great set-up on this 
thing. We tried something different tonight and it helped out. I can't thank 
everyone that helps out on this enough...Bobby and Kellie Sears have helped 
me out a ton on this FAST deal and that's what we're trying to do...it's our 
goal at the end of the season," said Mintz in the Engine Pro Victory Lane 
beside his Bobby's Truck and Auto Repair, Pumps Landscaping and Nursery, 
Erie Shore Propane, Real Geese Decoys backed #09.

"It's hard running up front like that. A year ago I lead 47 of 50 laps and 
had no idea where anybody was at. You just try to hit your marks. I saw 
Mark's nose wing and I decided to pick it up a little bit and it still 
wasn't enough. It was just one of those deals where he was really good on 
the bottom in three and four and I was halfway descent in one and two on the 
top, so I just tried to hold my line as best I could in three and four and 
try to beat him into one," added Mintz.

When asked if he thought about giving one of his boyhood heroes a shot at 
the win, Mintz said Keegan has plenty of wins - 59 to sit third on the 
all-time victory list.

"I've got a long ways to go to try and catch him. He's a legend...I've 
watched him since I was knee high and now I get to race with him and that 
was fun," said Mintz, who now has four career victories at Fremont.

Veteran Bill Kraylek and Nate Dussel raced each other hard the entire 25 
laps, with Dussel gaining the top spot on lap 8. Then, with 10 laps 
remaining, Dussel encountered lapped traffic and they gave him fits, 
allowing Kraylek to close. Dussel would be patient and finally pick his way 
through for the win.

"Every where I kept going he (lapped machine) kept going. I mean it's give 
an inch take an inch. You just gotta get every little bit you can. I mean he 
wasn't giving it to me, but once I got around him I knew I probably had a 
pretty good chance of winning it," said Dussel in the Engine Pro Victory 
Lane beside his Berrier Fabrication, Dussel Welding, Gressman Powersports 
backed #1.

"I've gotten my only two wins here, but I've probably thrown two of them 
away at Attica. My brothers give me the best car pretty much every 
night..it's whether or not I can hold onto it, so I really have to thank 
them," added Dussel.

After a great battle with Steve Sabo the first part of the race, once 
McGrath took the lead on lap seven he was pretty much gone. Only a lap 16 
caution would bunch up the field, but he drove away on the restart for the 
victory.

"I tuned it up a little bit and changed the front wheel and it quieted 
everything down. I was watching Mark (Keegan) in the feature and he kind of 
messed up a little bit..I tried to make up for it," joked McGrath in the 
Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his B&K Auto Service, J&F Miller Farms, 
Winesburg Barbecue, Level Performance backed truck. "Seriously I have to 
thank Mark Keegan and Dennis Level for all they do for me."

At the drop of the green in the 30 lap 410 sprint feature, Mintz would drive 
from his third starting spot into the lead with pole-sitter Keegan in 
second, Brandon Martin third, Cole Duncan fourth and Greg Wilson fifth. 
Keegan would use the bottom groove to slide under Mintz for the lead a lap 
later, but Mintz would utilize the middle of the surface to stay beside 
Keegan. Mintz would drive to Keegan's outside on lap 11 exiting turn four to 
grab the lead, but Keegan would continue to hound Mintz on his inside until 
the caution flew on lap 12 for a Caleb Griffith spin. The car on the move 
was Lee Jacobs who had cracked the top 10 from his 17th starting spot.

Just two laps and the final caution of the race would fly for a Chris 
Andrews spin at the halfway mark. On the restart, Mintz and Keegan would 
resume their torrid battle up front while Martin, Duncan, Wilson and Brock 
Mayes staged a tremendous fight for third. Mayes would move into third on 
lap 16 while Wilson grabbed fourth on lap 17. With 10 laps remaining the 
running order was Mintz, Keegan, Mayes, Wilson, Tim Shaffer and rookie Cap 
Henry. Three laps later, as Mintz and Keegan continue to battle up front 
Wilson would grab third from Mayes.

The anticipation grew among the fans as the leaders closed in on traffic as 
the laps wound down. With two laps to go, Mintz had hit the back-markers, 
allowing Keegan to get one last run on him. In fact, as they charged out of 
turn four to the white flag, Keegan grabbed the lead, but Mintz was able to 
use a lapped machine as a pick and regained the top spot and win on to the 
victory. Wilson, Shaffer and Mayes would round out the top five.

Bill Kraylek used the low line to grab the lead of the 25-lap 305 sprint 
feature with Dussel racing to his outside and Dan Hammond, Brad 
Haudenschild, Todd Heuerman and Stuart Brubaker right on their bumpers. 
Kraylek and Dussel were able to pull away slightly over the next couple of 
laps while Hammond ran unchallenged for third. Besides the battle for the 
lead, fans were entertained with the race for fourth between Haudenschild, 
Brubaker, Heuerman and Paul Weaver.

Dussel was finally able to drive to Kraylek's outside for the lead on lap 
eight, but Kraylek continued to hound him on the bottom in the non-stop 
feature. With 10 laps in the books, Brubaker had worked his way into third, 
with Hammond fourth and ninth starter Brad Bowman moving into the top five. 
Dussel was able to pull away slightly until he hit the backmarkers on lap 
15, allowing Kraylek to close. Meanwhile, the battle for third heated up 
between Brubaker and Bowman. While Dussel struggled with a lapped machine 
Kraylek just couldn't muster enough momentum to pass him. Once Dussel was 
able to dispose of the backmarker, he pulled away the last three laps for 
the win. Kraylek, Brubaker, Bowman and Heuerman would round out the top 
five.

Steve Sabo would grab the early lead of the 20-lap dirt truck feature while 
a tremendous battle was waged for second between Paul Brown Jr., McGrath, 
Loren Schwochow, Jimmie McGrath Jr., Bob Dible, Cory Ward, Art Ball and Dan 
Hennig. There was literally several three-abreast battles going on all over 
in the top 10.

McGrath would drive under Brown for second on lap three and began to race to 
Sabo's outside for the lead. McGrath and Sabo would race side-by-side until 
McGrath got a good bite off of turn four to take the top spot on lap 7. 
Meanwhile, Dible would move into third with Schwochow, Brown and Steve 
Endicott closing. As McGrath pulled away, Dible would put the pressure on 
Sabo for second while the truck on the move on the outside was Hennig who 
vaulted into fourth on lap 11. The second and final caution would fly on lap 
16 for a Will Tezak spin, but McGrath was able to pull away the final four 
laps for the victory with Sabo, Hennig, Dible and Endicott rounding out the 
top five.

Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, July 18 as Beck Oil Night 
brings in the super late model of the Sunoco American Late Model Series 
along with the 305 sprints and dirt trucks. There is also a special match 
race planned between Fremont Speedway Promoters Rich Farmer and Andy James 
aboard 305 sprints against Attica Raceway Park Promoter John Bores and his 
son, Mike, behind the wheel of their late models.

For more information log onto www.fremontohspeedway.com

Fremont Speedway - 7/11/2009
Schiets Motor Sports Night

Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints
Qualifying -
1. 83-Tim Shaffer, 14.02; 2. 11B-Brock Mayes, 14.10; 3. 312-Mike Linder, 
14.31; 4. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.46; 5. 16-Bryan Sebetto, 14.47; 6. 22-Cole 
Duncan, 14.56; 7. 15C-Chris Andrews, 14.56; 8. O9-Craig Mintz, 14.56; 9. 
11M-Brandon Martin, 14.62; 10. X-Mark Keegan, 14.75; 11. 47-Caleb Helms, 
14.79; 12. 9X-Phil Gressman, 14.87; 13. 10-David Harrison, 14.91; 14. 
89G-David Gravel, 14.92; 15. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 14.92; 16. 5R-Byron Reed, 
14.93; 17. 3J-Kevin Lee, 14.97; 18. 25-Lee Jacobs, 15.01; 19. 60-Jody 
Keegan, 15.02; 20. O4-Cap Henry, 15.02; 21. 2+-Brian Smith, 15.06; 22. 
12-Caleb Griffith, 15.12; 23. 14H-Todd Heller, 15.20; 24. 53-John Ivy, 
15.22; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 15.30; 26. 51-Roger Campbell Jr., 15.40; 
27. 48-Mike Burkin, 16.66; 28. 7AU-Roddy Bellbowen, NT

Heat 1 -  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5R-Byron Reed; 2. 10-David Harrison; 3. 83-Tim Shaffer; 4. X-Mark Keegan; 
5. W20-Greg Wilson; 6. 60-Jody Keegan; 7. 15C-Chris Andrews; 8. 7AU-Roddy 
Bellbowen; 9. 12-Caleb Griffith; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild

Heat 2 - Bell Racing Products (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 3J-Kevin Lee; 2. O9-Craig Mintz; 3. 89G-David Gravel; 4. 16-Bryan 
Sebetto; 5. 11B-Brock Mayes; 6. O4-Cap Henry; 7. 14H-Todd Heller; 8. 
47-Caleb Helms; 9. 51-Roger Campbell Jr.

Heat 3 -  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 25-Lee Jacobs; 2. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 3. 9X-Phil Gressman; 4. 11M-Brandon 
Martin; 5. 22-Cole Duncan; 6. 312-Mike Linder; 7. 53-John Ivy; 8. 2+-Brian 
Smith; 9. 48-Mike Burkin

B-Main -  (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 312-Mike Linder; 2. O4-Cap Henry; 3. 15C-Chris Andrews; 4. 12-Caleb 
Griffith; 5. 14H-Todd Heller; 6. 53-John Ivy; 7. 2+-Brian Smith; 8. 47-Caleb 
Helms; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 10. 7AU-Roddy Bellbowen; 11. 48-Mike 
Burkin; 12. 51-Roger Campbell Jr.; 13. 60-Jody Keegan

A-Main -  (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. O9-Craig Mintz[3]; 2. X-Mark Keegan[1]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson[6]; 4. 83-Tim 
Shaffer[8]; 5. 11B-Brock Mayes[7]; 6. O4-Cap Henry[18]; 7. 25-Lee 
Jacobs[17]; 8. 22-Cole Duncan[4]; 9. 5R-Byron Reed[15]; 10. 16-Bryan 
Sebetto[5]; 11. 11M-Brandon Martin[2]; 12. 9X-Phil Gressman[11]; 13. 
312-Mike Linder[9]; 14. 14H-Todd Heller[20]; 15. 3J-Kevin Lee[16]; 16. 
12-Caleb Griffith[19]; 17. 10-David Harrison[12]; 18. 15C-Chris Andrews[10]; 
19. 89G-David Gravel[13]; 20. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[14]
 

Fremont Federal Credit Union - 305 Sprints
Heat 1 -  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. 14-Chad Wilson; 3. 1W-Paul Weaver; 4. 11F-D.J. 
Foos; 5. 19R-Steve Rando; 6. 40-Bobby Clark; 7. 28-Shawn Valenti; 8. 8K-Zack 
Kramer

Heat 2 - Bell Racing Products (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 51-Brad Bowman; 2. 1-Nate Dussel; 3. 10-Brad Haudenschild; 4. 18-Todd 
Heuerman; 5. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 6. 3B-Tim Bottles; 7. 24X-Tom Nichols; 8. 
8J-Jess Stiger

Heat 3 -  (8 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 22D-Dan Hammond; 2. 3J-Kevin Lee; 3. 2-Tim Kern; 4. 71-Bill Kraylek; 5. 
9-Jimmy Colvin; 6. 94-John Ivy; 7. M28-Josh Muntz; 8. 30-Adam Ollom

B-Main -  (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 94-John Ivy; 2. 40-Bobby Clark; 3. 28-Shawn Valenti; 4. M28-Josh Muntz; 
5. 8K-Zack Kramer; 6. 3B-Tim Bottles; 7. 24X-Tom Nichols; 8. 8J-Jess Stiger; 
9. 30-Adam Ollom

A-Main -  (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 1-Nate Dussel[2]; 2. 71-Bill Kraylek[1]; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6]; 4. 
51-Brad Bowman[9]; 5. 18-Todd Heuerman[5]; 6. 1W-Paul Weaver[7]; 7. 11F-D.J. 
Foos[8]; 8. 22D-Dan Hammond[4]; 9. 3J-Kevin Lee[10]; 10. 94-John Ivy[16]; 
11. 10-Brad Haudenschild[3]; 12. 9-Jimmy Colvin[15]; 13. 28-Shawn 
Valenti[18]; 14. 14-Chad Wilson[12]; 15. M28-Josh Muntz[19]; 16. 10X-Dustin 
Stroup[14]; 17. 2-Tim Kern[11]; 18. 8K-Zack Kramer[20]; 19. 40-Bobby 
Clark[17]; 20. 19R-Steve Rando[13]
 

Fremont Fence Co. Dirt Trucks
Heat 1 -  (7 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 18W-Cory Ward; 2. 16-Steve Sabo; 3. 8-Steve Endicott; 4. 32H-Dan Hennig; 
5. 39-Dwight Waltermier; 6. 6-Linda Sabo; 7. 4X-Brian Sorg; 8. 4J-Josh 
Lozano; 9. 34K-Kevin Miller

Heat 2 - Bell Racing Products (7 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 17-Bob Dible; 2. O1-Art Ball; 3. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath Jr.; 4. P51-Paul Brown 
Jr.; 5. 30-Dave Gibbs; 6. 21R-Dustin Keegan; 7. 40-Corey Tappel

Heat 3 -  (7 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 92-Loren Schwochow; 2. 5-Jim Mcgrath; 3. 23M-Brad Mitten; 4. 71-Craig 
Holland; 5. 8K-Kent Brewer; 6. 4S-Keith Sorg; 7. 52-Will Tezak; 8. 9-Roger 
Inks

B-Main -  (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)
1. 52-Will Tezak; 2. 99-Art Howey Jr.; 3. 4J-Josh Lozano; 4. 6-Linda Sabo; 
5. 4S-Keith Sorg; 6. 9-Roger Inks; 7. 21R-Dustin Keegan; 8. 4X-Brian Sorg; 
9. 40-Corey Tappel

A-Main -  (20 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 5-Jim Mcgrath[4]; 2. 16-Steve Sabo[1]; 3. 32H-Dan Hennig[10]; 4. 17-Bob 
Dible[6]; 5. 8-Steve Endicott[9]; 6. 5JR-Jimmy Mcgrath Jr.[5]; 7. 39-Dwight 
Waltermier[13]; 8. 92-Loren Schwochow[3]; 9. 18W-Cory Ward[7]; 10. 99-Art 
Howey Jr.[17]; 11. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[2]; 12. 30-Dave Gibbs[14]; 13. 
4S-Keith Sorg[20]; 14. 4J-Josh Lozano[18]; 15. 6-Linda Sabo[19]; 16. 52-Will 
Tezak[16]; 17. 8K-Kent Brewer[15]; 18. O1-Art Ball[8]; 19. 71-Craig 
Holland[11]; 20. 23M-Brad Mitten[12]