Fan Notes from Attica All Stars Night #2 9-1-18

Kody Kinser (Tom Myers) 9/1/2018- The All Star Circuit of Champions were sanctioning a trifecta of races over the Labor Day weekend here in Ohio…two at Attica and one at Orrville, with the Attica races being The Dirt Classic Ohio races. Tim Shaffer won the Friday evening race and unfortunately, I couldn’t make that one, but I made sure to make it Saturday for night #2.

I wanted to make it to the track early and we did, arriving at 5…. And I thought that was plenty early. When we got out of our car after parking, pops and I sized up the ominous thunderhead forming just west and south of the track. It reminded me of a World of Outlaws race years ago, that was scheduled at Millstream. A huge thunderstorm formed in front of us while we were driving west. We were about half way to Findlay, maybe 65 miles out, when you could start to see it. Soon it was obvious that this storm was right over Findlay and we were going to get rained out. Well, that’s what this looked like, same deal…a storm in front of us and sunshine all around.

It was then, as we were feeling a little gloomy, watching this storm grow and get closer to the track, that hot laps started…at 5:15? So we hoofed it to the ticket window and not long after, time trials started…and it was 5:30. Really glad we didn’t miss anything.

Craig Mintz The track was wet and a little heavier than usual but in great shape for racing. All through time trials the storm clouds got closer and darker. Dang, are we going to get rained out? There were 33 cars on and Parker Price Miller set quick time in the Numeister 11n car, with Stuart Brubaker timing 2nd quick. After time trials, the track crew went to work and cut down some of the cushion and smoothed out a few bumpy spots. While they were doing that, everyone watched the clouds. That big storm just sat there, and it sat there and grew some more….and it ended up staying just south of us….barely! While the Attica track crew was reworking the surface, Blake Anderson reminded us that you make zero dollars and zero sense…when you go racing. Ha Ha

There would be 4 heats with the top 5 making it to the feature. The weather was breezy and cool as you can imagine and the track stayed tacky. In the first heat the finish was Travis Philo, Carson Macedo, Dave Blaney, Brock Zearfoss and Brandon Spithaler. Spithaler had to come from the back because he broke a rear end in hot laps. He got up next to Chad Kemenah with 2 to go and pushed Chad up the track in turn 4 to grab the final transfer spot. Spithaler has had bad luck all season. He breaks engines and rear ends and just seems to really struggle mechanically. But when he is racing, he is fast and a good racer. In heat 2, the finish was Cale Thomas, Aaron Reutzel, Geo Scelzi, Chris Andrews and D.J. Foos. In heat 3, the finish was Craig Mintz, Tim Shaffer, Broc Martin, Paul McMahon and Stuart Brubaker. Brubaker squeezed Cale Conley off the back straight to take the last transfer spot. In heat 4, pole sitter Ryan Smith was being pressured by Henry and Jacobs with Smith doing a long wheelie down the backstretch on lap 2. Smith started to fade as Henry and Jacobs went on by. On lap 9, with PPM pressuring him for 3rd, Smith blew a RR. The finish was Cap Henry, Lee Jacobs, PPM, Hunter Schurenburg and Tyler Esh. Henry looks fast.

Cale Thomas The show was moving along pretty good and then it was dash time. The first dash was a dandy as Shaffer, PPM and Philo were throwing slide jobs and haymakers at each other, lap after lap. One of the best races I have seen this year actually. The finish was Macedo, Mintz, Shaffer, Philo and PPM. The second dash finish was Cale Thomas, Lee Jacobs, Cap Henry, Brubaker and Reutzel.

The B main finish was Ryan Smith, Cole Duncan, Chad Kemenah and T.J. Michaels. With 2 laps to go, Andrew Paulker had worked up from the back and had passed T.J. for the 4th and final transfer spot. On the next lap, Michaels pushed Paulker up and over the backstretch at the exit of turn 2 and went on to transfer.

At the start of the A main, Thomas grabbed the lead with Macedo following. On the 2nd lap, Thomas raced into turn 1 a little too hot and went up and over turn 2, handing the lead to Macedo. Thomas kept going and came back onto the track in the 4th position. By lap 5, the leaders caught lapped traffic and on lap 9 Mintz passed Macedo for the lead. On lap 10, Brubabaker flipped in turn 2 bringing out a red flag. Philo was caught up in it too. Philo would return but Brubaker was done. The running order was Mintz, Macedo, Jacobs, Thomas, Henry, Shaffer….and…hey wait, they are giving Philo his spot back? Why? Because he stopped to avoid a flipping car after the red was shown? I always understood that if you were caught up in something, and you stopped on the track, even if not your fault, you went to the back.

Carson Macedo won the All Star finale at Attica on Sept. 1 On the restart, Macedo grabs the lead from Mintz and Thomas gets by Jacobs for 3rd and then another yellow on lap 11. The yellow was for Martin and Brubaker. When the action resumed, Macedo raced out to a big lead. Over the next 23 laps Macedo and Mintz weaved through lapped traffic but Mintz couldn’t quite get up to Macedo to pass. Mintz started to fade as Thomas and then Shaffer came up to pass him. Mintz then slowed to a stop on the backstretch to bring out a yellow on lap 34. By this time, Macedo had a huge lead and that was negated while leaving just 6 laps to go.

On the restart, Macedo pulled away as Thomas and Shaffer tried in vain to keep pace. Finally, Carson Macedo wins at Attica! He has been plagued by bad luck here many time, keeping him out of victory lane, but this time, he was first at the checkers!

That was a good race and a fun evening. And we were leaving the parking lot at 9:15! Thank you Attica and thank you All Stars for another fun evening. See you tomorrow at Wayne County!