By: Ron Burt
Last weekend Attica Raceway Park opened for the 2023 season with shows on Friday and Saturday featuring the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions 410 Winged-Sprints, both nights and the UMP Dirt Late Models on Friday and the 305 Sprints on Saturday. Friday night’s 410-Winged Sprint victory went to Gibsonburg, Ohio driver Craig Mintz. He made a last corner pass on the last lap of the A-mail to take the checkered flag. It was his 2nd career victory with the All Stars. Mintz was running fourth when the caution came out with 10 laps to go. The former Attica track champion used the yellow to his advantage to cool down his tires. He moved into third on lap 28 and took second with six laps to go and quickly chased down race leader Zeb Wise. In the final two turns, Mintz drove to the outside of Wise and the drag race to the checkers saw Mintz win by .074 seconds. It was his 16th career win at Attica and his first All Star win since April of 2012. The rest of the Top 5, 2. Zeb Wise, 3. Hunter Schuerenberg, 4. Brent Marks and 5. Parker Price Miller.
Midwest Dirt Super Late Model ace, Rusty Schlenk out of McClure won his 36th feature race at Attica Raceway Park, even though he lost his brakes during the race. Schlenk took the lead from Ryan Missler on lap 18. Missler jumped out to the early lead in the late model feature as Schlenk, Nathan Loney, Doug Drown and Eric Spangler battled for second. Schlenk drove from third to the lead on lap 18 and after a side-by-side battle with Missler, pulled away for the win. Spangler, Drown, Loney and Missler rounded out the top five. Rusty likes to normally run the top of the track, but the line just wasn’t working for him and had to run down low. This win was a big shot in the arm because of early season engine and transmission issues and problems with his truck and trailer. On the following evening Rusty finished a solid 2nd in the feature at Paragon Speedway in Indiana with the Ultimate Heart of America Super Late Model Series.
Saturday night it was Brent Marks turn in victory lane with the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions. The Myerstown (PA) driver drew a late qualifying number and with 30 cars on hand it meant he had to time in against the entire field and not just his heat competition. Marks, was one of the hottest sprint car drivers in the country in 2022, charged from a 20th starting spot in the 35-lap A-main to his first career Attica win worth $6,000 without the benefit of double-file restarts. Cale Thomas led the first 22 laps before Zeb Wise, who surrendered the win on the last lap the previous night, took over the lead. Meanwhile Marks had worked his way to third with 15 laps to go and used heavy lapped traffic to take second on lap 27. Just two circuits later Marks drove under Wise to take the lead and drove away to his 10th career All Star victory. The rest of the Top 5, 2. Zeb Wise left Attica Raceway Park as the current All Star championship points leader, 3. Tyler Courtney,4. Cale Thomas and Cap Henry.
In the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint Feature, Lindsey, Ohio’s Steve Rando survived early race challenges from Dustin Stroup and Jamie Miller and drove to his sixth career feature win, leading all 25 laps.
Pictures and coverage from area tracks can be found on the Ohio Sports Blitz Facebook page daily. I will also have weekly driver points standings once all the tracks open. Until next week, keep your wheels down, Ron out! ohiosportsblitz@yahoo.com
