A late race caution gave Gibsonburg High School graduate and Helena native Stuart Brubaker a clear track just as it looked like he might lose the lead in the 305 Engine Builders Challenge at Attica Raceway Park Friday.

Heavy lapped traffic allowed former track champion Caleb Griffith to close quickly on Brubaker, who had led from the drop of the green. Just as Griffith was getting ready to make his move, the caution flew and Brubaker, the track’s 2008 champion, used it to his advantage, getting a great restart with two laps to go to pull away for his ninth career Attica win on R&R Auto Wrecking Night.

“Those guys were two wide back there…the track was just so racy…and I had a hard time getting through lapped traffic. I figured if I can make this thing as wide as I can I’ll either hit him coming off turn two or something,” said Brubaker beside his J. Lynne Abstracting, KS Sales & Service, Advanced Industrial Services backed machine.

“Every time there was a caution I’d get down in the mud to cool off the tires and they kept coming back. These things build so much air pressure. Donnie did a great job with the car. I have to thank Scott Gressman…these motors are just awesome. I have to thank my wife and my daughter. We switched our whole program around this year and we’re just now really getting going,” added Brubaker in the Engine Pro Victory Lane of his $1,200 victory.

Weston’s Rusty Schlenk has found something the past two weeks. The 2010 National UMP Late Model Champion got his first win of the season last weekend in Michigan and followed by putting an end to Jon Henry’s four race win streak at Attica on Friday.

Schlenk had to hold off Chris Keller following a caution with three laps to go to score his 10th career Attica win.

“I had a drought there for awhile…I couldn’t win a feature. We had like five DNFs to start. But, we got it figured out the last couple of weeks. We won one at I-96 last week and carried it over to here…looks like we finally have some momentum going,” said Schlenk beside his Main & Company, Micro Armor Lubricants, Lazer Chassis, Complete Truck Repair backed #91.

“Thank God there was a high side on the track tonight. I screwed up on the call before the feature…I couldn’t run the bottom at all…I didn’t tighten it up enough. On that last restart I thought I might be in trouble. I think when I was going through lapped traffic I killed my right front tire. At the end of the race it started getting real tight and slowed down at the end,” added Schlenk.

Defending Attica champion Brian Arnold of Tiffin and racing legend Art Ball put on a whale of a race in the Computer Man Dirt Truck feature, racing side-by-side the entire 15 laps. Arnold was able to hold off Ball for his 9th career Attica win, handing his son a great third birthday present.

“He was all over me. I caught the lapped trucks at the wrong parts of the track and that could have been ugly but they held their line pretty good,” said Arnold beside his Make-A-Wish, Burns Electric, Air Cooled Engines, Gingringe Automotive backed truck. “

Brubaker grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag in the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature with Griffith, making his first start of the 2011 season, sliding into second while another former track champion, Paul Weaver, ran third. Brubaker set a blistering pace, hitting lapped traffic by lap 7, but Griffith could not close as he had his hands full with Weaver, Nate Dussel and Dustin Dinan.

The first caution flew on lap 15 with the running order Brubaker, Griffith, Weaver, Dussel, Jimmy Colvin and Paige Polyak. Brubaker would pull away slightly on the restart while Griffith battled with Weaver for second. The car on the move was 13th place starter Matt Ferrell who had worked his way to sixth with 10 laps to go.

Brubaker once again caught the back of the pack on lap 23 and had to be patient while they raced side-by-side in front of him. This allowed Griffith to closely quickly while Weaver, Dussel, Dinan, Polyak, Bryan Sebetto and Ferrell battled for third. With two laps to go, Griffith stuck his nose under Brubaker exiting turn four just as Sebetto’s mount coasted to a stop on the back stretch, bringing out the caution.

Brubaker got a tremendous restart and pulled away from Griffith the remaining two circuits. Weaver, Dussel and Ferrell would round out the top five.

Chris Keller would lead the pack to the green in the 25-lap Fultz Fabrications and Speed Shop UMP Late Model main with Tom Ordway, and fifth place starter Schlenk in tow. A quick caution for a Matt Miller spin after just one lap was recorded, would string the field out. On the restart, Schlenk would drive into second behind Keller while defending track champion Ryan Missler would follow into third with Chuck Roelle and Ordway rounding out the top five. Schlenk would drive to Keller’s outside on lap three to take the lead.

Schlenk couldn’t shake Keller as Missler and Dona Marcoullier hounded the top two. Meanwhile, Jon Henry, who came into the night’s action having won the first four late model features of the season at Attica, had worked his way from 16th to sixth by lap 12.

Schlenk raced into lapped traffic by lap 13, allowing Keller, Missler, Marcoullier, Roelle, Jeff Babcock and Henry to close. The caution would fly on lap 18, giving Schlenk a clear track which he used to pull away slightly form Keller who had to battle Marcoullier and Missler.

The final yellow flag would fly on lap 22, setting up a three lap shoot-out. Schlenk would jump to the high side on the restart, with Keller sliding under Schlenk to challenge with Marcoullier, Babcock, Missler, Henry and Ryan Markham glued to the rear bumper of the top two.

Schlenk would hold on for the win with Keller, Marcoullier, Babcock and Missler rounding out the top five.

In the 15-lap Computer Man Dirt Truck main, Arnold would drive into the lead at the drop of the green from his outside front row starting spot with fourth place starter Art Ball and Dwight Waltermeier in tow. Just as Arnold hit lapped traffic on lap four, the caution would fly for a multi-truck pile-up. On the restart, Ball would drive to Arnold’s inside as the pair raced side-by-side - a move that would take place the remainder of the race.

Arnold would hold off Ball for the victory with Waltermeier, Steve Endicott and Bob Dible rounding out the top five.

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