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Fremont Pit Notes from 05/30/2001
Story by:
By Brian Liskai
05/29/2001:
Jeremy Durst is seeing a lot of racing action this year. Thanks to sponsorship from Diet Pepsi and Ken Meggitt, he has been racing with the 410 sprint division, including taking his wing off earlier this year to race with USAC. He was back behind the wheel of a 305 sprint Monday at Fremont Speedway and was looking great in the feature until a nasty looking crash. Durst hit the front stretch wall and may have broken a front steering part. As he entered turn one at speed, the car never turned and went straight into the wall. Thankfully, the straw bales in front of the concrete wall, may have prevented serious injury. He was taken to the hospital for a check up, complaining of knee pain from hitting the steering box.
Jerrid Potter, driver of the #88 305 sprint, got married Friday. The couple spent their "honeymoon" at Fremont Speedway Saturday before the rains came.
Fremont Speedway 410 sprint regular David Harrison continued his family's tradition of racing in the Little 500 at Anderson, Ind. Saturday. The Bettsville driver is the son of three-time Little 500 winner Daryl Harrison. David qualified 16th in the 33 car field and finished there in the race. He indicated he has the same ride next year for the race.
Congratulations to 305 sprint drivers Brandon Martin #11, Dustin Keegan, #17x, and Doug Berryman, #1, on their graduation from high school.
Toledo television station WTOL TV-11 was scheduled to appear at Fremont Saturday to tape some racing action for the news. No word yet if they plan to make a return trip soon.
Mike Maines of Bellevue, Oh., former head mechanic on All Star Champion Frankie Kerr's #23s, has been helping turn the wrenches on Danny Smith's John Baker Excavating #4.
There were several new faces at Fremont Speedway over the weekend. Jamie McKinney made his first appearance in the #95 410 sprint; Matt Karbler, Chad Laux, Nick Daugherty and Christen Walton made their initial appearances in the 305 sprints; and Jim Keegan, Kevin Steyer and Dave Gibbs in the dirt trucks.
Speaking of the dirt truck division, it just keeps getting bigger. There were somewhere near 30 of them Monday at Fremont and for the first time in the division's two-year history, a B-main had to be run.
Fremont Speedway announcer Brian Liskai and scoreboard operator Scott Barman had to leave Fremont early Monday to host the new radio show, "The Last Lap" on WFRO AM900-FM 99.1 from 5:30-6 p.m. Their guests were 410-sprint drivers David Harrison and John Wisbon. The Last Lap goes to an hour this Monday, June 4, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The two arrived back at the track in time to watch the remainder of the late model qualifications. Eldora Speedway announcer Rick Aeschilman handled the mic duties for Liskai until his return.
Dick Liskai, driver of the #6 410 sprint car, has been battling a life-threatening illness. He has come to the race track though to help Craig Mintz, driver of the #09 305 sprint, and son of Liskai's close friend Les Mintz. The group call themselves the Rollersville Racers.
Fremont Speedway has received word that there is group of racers from England (UK) coming to the United States and Ohio to follow the Ohio All Star Sprint Speedweek. Some members of the British group race what is known as BRISCA open wheel stock cars in England.
The All Star Circuit of Champions race rained out on May 26 has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 9. However, the Budweiser sponsorship from the May 26 show has moved to the July 3 Speedweek Show, with the Budweiser 40 lap feature. Fremont Fence will sponsor the regular All Star show on June 9 with a $5,000 to win feature.
Once again the pits at Fremont Speedway were jammed full Monday, with over 100 cars in three divisions. There were around 55 late models, over 30 305 sprints, and close to 30 dirt trucks.
The American Late Model Series put on a great show Monday, as the 30-lap feature went non-stop. Curtis Roberts took the win, but battled with Kris Patterson, Jeep Vanwormer, Matt Miller and Steve Casebolt, throughout the main.
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