ALLSTAR Sprints: Attica All Stars

20 April 1998

By Todd Tappel

Attica, OH - Jeff Shepard used a lap 23 restart to pass Kevin Huntley and win the first leg of the All Star sanctioned Coors Spring Nationals at Attica Raceway Park Friday. In victory lane, Shepard stated, "On a bunch of restarts, they would put lapped cars in between Kevin and me. I finally got a chance to start on his bumper and I figured if I got him then I didnt think he was going to get me back." Shepard drove the Cat Construction/York Excavating sponsored Chevy-powered Maxim to the $4,000 payday. Huntley, who was close again at Attica stated, "We were really good early on, we just didnt quite tighten the car up enough for when the track got slick at the end." Huntley drove the Peterbilt sponsored Doemelt chassis.

John Ivy started on the ButlerBuilt Hot Seat pole position with Huntley beside him. At the drop of the green, Huntley jumped to the cushion and was already catching backmarkers by lap four. At a lap five caution for Ivy, the running order was Huntley, Shepard, Dean Jacobs, Joey Saldana and Frankie Kerr. Huntley used two lapped cars between himself and Shepard to open a comfortable margin on the restart and the top five remained the same.

In the middle stages of the race on the extremely quick and heavy track, Shepard made a run at Huntley in traffic and the pair raced side-by-side. D. Jacobs then made it a three car race while Huntley used a lapped car to shake Shepard. Jacobs and Shepard then dueled for second which gave Huntley a chance to get some breathing room. The action came to a stop at lap 22 when fifth place running Kerr stopped with a flat right rear. On the restart, Shepard pounced to the outside of Huntley at the flagstand but Huntley slid up in front of Shepard in turn two. Shepard then yanked his car off the cushion, shot inside Huntley, and had the lead for good in turn three. Behind Huntley it was Saldana, Kenny Jacobs, and D. Jacobs. the final caution waived at lap 38 and a massive pile up ensured on the restart. The wreck involved D. Jacobs, Butch Schroeder and Kerr. This necessitated a fuel stop and the restart line up was Shepard, Huntley, Saldana, K. Jacobs and Keith Kauffman. The order stayed the same to the checkered with Kelly Kinser, Chad Kemenah, Mark Keegan, Todd Kane, and Kerr rounding out the top ten.

Joey Saldana set fast time over the 38 car field and collected $200 from Ramsey Trucking and a right rear Weld Wheel.

In companion action, Bryan Scott won his first Econo Sprint feature of the year. He led all 20 laps in the Kistler Engines sponsored J&J chassis. Lee Potter finished second over Mike Linder, who flipped on the initial start.

Qualifications: 1. Joey Saldana, Mox 17,11.508; 2. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 11.535; 3. Jeff Shepard, Double L 4J, 11.565; 4. Dean Jacobs, Ashworth 92, 11.626; 5. Kevin Huntley, Daugherty 7, 11.654; 6. John Ivy, Bogner 5i, 11.696; 7. Kenny Jacobs, Hughes 94, 11.852; 8. Mark Keegan, Keegan X, 11.852; 9. Brett Mann, Mann 19, 11.852; 10. Butch Schroeder, Gottschalk 17, 11.862; 11. Keith Kauffman, Johnson U2, 11.954; 12. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15, 11.997; 13. Tim Kern, Hay 28K, 12.131; 14. Randy Wolfe, Allebach 75, 12.137; 15. Ed Neumeister, Neumeister 11N, 12.165; 16. Judi Bates, Mourar 121, 12.167; 17. John Wisbon, Wisbon 5W, 12.202; 18. Kelly Kinser, Kinser Timber 4K, 12.216; 19. Sarah Fisher, Fisher 9, 12.231; 20. Todd Kane, Hampshire 63, 12.242; 21. Paul Weaver, Sabo 8S, 12.248; 22. Alvin Roepke, R&F 99, 12.265; 23. Bobby Adamson, Adamson 2a, 12.306; 24. Brian Carlson, SC Motorsports 18, 12.330; 25. Dan Brettnacher, DCT Corp. 33, 12.351; 26. Brian Smith, Smith 2+, 12.435; 27. Scott Jones, Jones 13, 12.478; 28. Bill Bailey, Bailey 28, 12.498; 29. Scott Miller, Miller 5M, 12.507; 30. Rod Morgan, Morgan 21, 12.522; 31. Rodney Duncan, Harrison 22, 12.546; 32. Bobby Teeple, Teeple 8T, 12.684; 33. Rocky Allen, Allen 7X, 12. 711; 34. Todd Cramer, Burmeister 16, 12.747; 35. Jim Stinson, Stinson 84, 12.808; 36. Bobby Distel, Distel 4D, 12.928; 37. Landon Stover, Melick 2M, 13.094; 38. Rob Chaney, Chaney 42, NT

United Expressline Heat (10 Laps): Saldana, Wisbon, Mann, Huntley, Weaver, Kern, Stover, Miller, Brettnacher, Allen.

Southwest Expressline Heat (10 Laps): Kinser, Kerr, Roepke, Schroeder, Ivy, Chaney, Wolfe, Cramer, Smith, Morgan.

Southwest Glass Heat (10 Laps): Kauffman, Shepard, K. Jacobs, Jones, Fisher, Duncan, Adamson, Neumeister, Stinson.

United Specialties Heat (10 Laps): Bates, Kane, D. Jacobs, Kemenah, Keegan, Bailey, Teeple, Distel, Carlson.

Commercial Truck and Trailer Dash (4 Laps): K. Jacobs, Shepard, Huntley, D. Jacobs, Kerr, Saldana.

United Expressline B Main (12 Laps): Wolfe, Kern, Duncan, Brettnacher, Adamson, Teeple, Chaney, Cramer, Stover, Distel, Smith, Stinson, Allen, Bailey, Neumeister.

Feature (40 Laps): Shepard, Huntley, Saldana, K. Jacobs, Kauffman, Kinser, Kemenah, Keegan, Kane, Kerr, Kern, Fisher, D. Jacobs, Jones, Bates, Schroeder, Brettnacher, Ivy, Duncan, Wisbon, Wolfe, Weaver, Roepke, Mann.

By Todd Tappel

Attica, OH - April 18 - Fremonts Frankie Kerr came out on top of an exciting late race duel with Kelly Kinser and Joey Saldana to win the second night of the All Star Sprint Coors Spring Nationals Saturday at Attica Raceway Park. Kerr actually led the race twice on the cushion with Kinser leading in between running his patented bottom groove. Kerr stated, "Id like to dedicate this win to my daughter Sammy. I thought Kelly had the race won but the yellow flags really hurt him. Weve had some shake-ups in the crew but were set now and its going to be a heck of a year." Kerrs win was worth $5,000. Kinser echoed Kerrs comments, "The yellow flags really hurt. The track kept getting blacker and blacker and it got faster on the top. I really thought we had this one." Joey Saldana, who would pass Kinser late in the race for second summed things up this way, "Kelly was really fast on the bottom but the top got better at the end. We were really good on the top at the end of the race but Frankie was already up there."

Brett Mann was on the ButlerBuilt Hot Seat pole position but it was Dean Jacobs flying to the early lead. Kerr immediately moved Stan Shoffs Chevy-powered Eagle into second with Sarah Fisher third, Jeff Shepard fourth, and Joey Saldana fifth. While everyone but Fisher in the lead pack was motoring around the top of the track, Kinser was working his way up from a 14th place start, hugging the inside tire markers. Jacobs caught lapped traffic at lap nine and that allowed Kerr to close in and challenge for the lead. Kerr was finally able to use the lapped traffic to his advantage and he snuck around Jacobs for the lead on lap 15.

While Kerr had his machine up front, Kinser began picking off drivers in the top five one by one. By the halfway point of the 40 lap feature, Kinser had moved into second ahead of D. Jacobs, Saldana and Fisher while Shepard faded. Kinser continued his remarkable run and passed Kerr for the lead on lap 24. Kinser then appeared to be firmly in command as he opened up a several car length advantage over Kerr. However, the cautions that would eventually lead to his demise started flying. The first one came on lap 28 and then again at lap 32. With Kinser committed to the bottom, the rubber-laden top groove became the line of choice and Kerr swept back into the lead with four laps remaining and Saldana followed suit around Kinser one lap later. A final caution at lap 39 wouldnt make a difference as Kerr held off Saldana, Kinser, D. Jacobs, and Kevin Huntley. Shepard, Kenny Jacobs, Fisher, Chad Kemenah, and Todd Kane would round out the top ten. For the second night in a row, Joey Saldana collected $200 from Ramsey Trucking and a Weld Wheel for setting fast time.

In support action, Art Ball won his third straight Limited Late Model feature over Mark Steinmetz, and Chris Smith. Chad Pendleton won a spirited Dwarf Car main over Bo Wiley and Tracy Fritter.

Qualifications: 1. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 11.759; 2. Jeff Shepard, Double L 4J, 11.792; 3. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 11.795; 4. Sarah Fisher, Fisher 9, 11.834; 5. Dean Jacobs, Ashworth 92, 11.843; 6. Keith Kauffman, Johnson U2, 11.860; 7. Brett Mann, Mann 19, 11.875; 8. Butch Schroeder, Gottschalk 17, 11.934; 9. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15, 11.990; 10. Kevin Huntley, Daugherty 7, 12.010; 11. Tim Kern, Hay/Doss 28K, 12.261; 12. Kenny Jacobs, Hughes 94, 12.289; 13. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 12.324; 14. Rob Chaney, Chaney 42, 12.363; 15. Kelly Kinser, Kinser Timber 4K, 12.423; 16. Rodney Duncan, Harrison 22, 12.456; 17. Randy Wolfe, Allebach 75, 12.465; 18. Scott Miller, Miller 5M, 12.493; 19. John Ivy, Bogner 5i, 12.528; 20. Scott Jones, Jones 13, 12.572; 21. Todd Kane, Hampshire 63, 12.619; 22. Judi Bates, Mourar 121, 12. 671; 23. Dan Brettnacher, DTC Corp. 33, 12.841; 24. Alvin Roepke, R&F 99, 12.843; 25. John Wisbon, Wisbon 5W, 12.907; 26. Todd Cramer, Burmeister 16, 12.941; 27. Ed Neumeister, Neumeister 11N, 12.945; 28. Bill Bailey, Bailey 28, 12.948; 29. Landon Stover, Melick 2M, 13.074; 30. Dwaine Leiber, Leiber 62, 13.177; 31. Bobby Teeple, Teeple 8T, 13.239; 32. Greg Wilson, Davis 99, 13.272; 33. Brian Smith, Smith 2+, 13.315; 34. Eric Spencer, Spencer 3E, NT; 35. Mark Keegan, Keegan X, NT.

United Expressline Heat (10 Laps): Todd Kane, Joey Saldana, Chad Kemenah, Randy Wolfe, Dean Jacobs, John Wisbon, Landon Stover, Ed Lynch, Jr., Brian Smith.

Southwest Expressline Heat (10 Laps): Kevin Huntley, Judi Bates, Jeff Shepard, Rob Chaney, Scott Miller, Dwain Leiber, Todd Cramer, Keith Kauffman

Southwest Glass Heat (10 Laps): John Ivy, Kelly Kinser, Frankie Kerr, Tim Kern, Brett Mann, Ed Neumeister, Bobby Teeple, Dan Brettnacher.

United Specialties Heat (10 Laps): Kenny Jacobs, Alvin Roepke, Rodney Duncan, Butch Schroeder, Greg Wilson, Scott Jones, Sarah Fisher, Bill Bailey

Commercial Truck & Trailer Dash (4 Laps): Kevin Huntley, Dean Jacobs, Jeff Shepard, Frankie Kerr, Joey Saldana, Brett Mann

United Expressline B Main (12 Laps): Ed Lynch, Jr., Sarah Fisher, John Wisbon, Scott Jones, Keith Kauffman, Brian Smith, Dwain Leiber, Todd Cramer, Ed Neumeister, Bill Bailey, Bobby Teeple, Eric Spencer, Landon Stover, Dan Brettnacher.

Feature (40 Laps): Kerr, Saldana, Kinser, D. Jacobs, Huntley, Shepard, K. Jacobs, Fisher, Kemenah, Kane, Duncan, Lynch, Ivy, Mann, Wilson, Miller, Wisbon, Wolfe, Jones, Bates, Schroeder, Chaney, Roepke, Kern.

All Star Points: 1. Jeff Shepard 470, 2. Kenny Jacobs 456, 3. Joey Saldana 444, 4. Kevin Huntley 427, 5. Frankie Kerr 424, 6. Dean Jacobs 403, 7. Keith Kauffman 397, 8. Sarah Fisher 326, 9. Judi Bates 320, 10. Dan Brettnacher 317.

Thunder Through The Plains Schedule Change For All Stars

PONCE INLET, FL (4/19/98) - The All Star Sprint car series announces the final schedule for the annual Thunder Through the Plains tour versus the NCRA set for this August. The five race series opens Monday, Aug. 17 at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, NE, with the Tuesday show at Belleville (KS) High Banks. Wednesday, the tour moves to a new venue, the Wakeeney (KS) Speedway. After a rest day Thursday, the mini-series concludes Friday at 81 Speedway in Wichita and closes Saturday Aug. 22 at Tulsa (OK) Speedway.

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