Byron Reed has often said he hates leading late in a race – he’d rather be in second. He got his wish Saturday, July 30 at Fremont Speedway.

The Monclova, Ohio driver was trailing Craig Mintz with five laps to go as the pair raced through heavy lapped traffic. That forced Mintz, the defending Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint track champion, to decide how to maneuver. Reed used the lapped machines as a pick and drove under Mintz exiting turn four with four laps to go to take the lead.

Reed, who started 13th in the 30-lap feature, would go on to claim his third win of the season on Kistler Engines Night and his 19th career victory at The Track that Action Built, moving him into a tie with hall-of-famer Jim Fleming for 19th on the track’s all-time win list.

Byron Reed 410 sprint feature winner with his boys.

The win also propelled Reed into second in the chase for the Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) Championship Series title and the $10,000 that goes with it. Reed, the defending FAST champion, is now just two points behind Dean Jacobs.

“It seems like the last couple of weeks it hasn’t been a lot of fun for some reason so something like that makes it fun again. Hopefully we can build off that,” said Reed in the Engine Pro Victory Lane beside his Crown Battery, Reebar Diecasting, ProShocks backed #5. “It’s tough when you’re leading…you don’t want to take a chance but you really need to cause you know someone is on you and the lapped cars are all over the place. I was just lucky to hit a spot where he (Mintz) wasn’t.”

“Last night (Attica where he drove off the track battling in the top five) I probably was driving too hard. Tonight I told myself even though I was starting 13th I need to race hard but not take chances I should take and it worked out. I have to say happy birthday to my dad and my helper Kevin,” added Reed.

The 25-lap feature for the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints came down to the last few feet. Bobby Clark and Stuart Brubaker were side-by-side coming to the checkered and the two touched, sending Brubaker flipping across the start-finish line with Clark taking the win by less than half a car-length. Clark had led from the start, but with four laps to go Brubaker, the defending track champion was quickly closing. As they took the white flag the pair raced side by side all the way around the track. Brubaker shot low in turns three and four and slid up next to Clark who did not give an inch. They touched with both weaving toward the checkers.

“I was getting loose getting in if I got in too low. I was slowing down so I tried to get in higher but the higher I got in I got tight. I knew Brubaker would be coming. He runs hard…he races you hard…I just made up my mind I wasn’t lifting. I’m glad it wasn’t our car tore up,” said Clark of his second win of the season.

The win is Clark’s 26th of his career at Fremont, moving him into a tie with the late hall-of-famer De Genzman for 15th on the track’s all-time win list. “That is definitely an honor…if I only end up tied with him I know I’ve done well,” he responded.

Brubaker exited his torn up car and bowed to the cheering crowd. “I knew I only had one last shot. I don’t like to race like that and Bobby knows it. I thought I had him cleared…I saw his left front. I knew I had to slide him because we were both running the cushion. It was for the win and we came up just short,” he said.

The last 10 laps of the Fremont Fence & Guardrail Dirt Truck feature saw four trucks battling for the win. When the dust settled it was Castalia’s Dan Hennig standing in the Engine Pro Victory Lane for the second time this season. It was the ninth win of his career at Fremont Speedway.

“I hope that was as much fun for the fans to watch as it was for me out here driving. We changed a lot of stuff…during the heat race it absolutely sucked. I didn’t think I was going to be even close to getting up front. We changed some stuff around. I want to thank Collin, my son, for crewing for me and my brother Dustin and my dad Bob,” said Hennig beside Liberty Tax Service, Peans Pizza and Subs, Fleener Transmissions, Riedy’s Auto World backed #32h.

Roger Campbell and Mike Dussel led the field to the green in the 30-lap 410 sprint feature with Campbell taking the lead while fourth-place starter Craig Mintz moved into second. Fifth place starter Phil Gressman would grab third on the second lap as Mintz closed on Campbell. Just as Mintz and Campbell raced side-by-side for the lead coming down to complete the fifth lap, Mike Burkin would spin in turn four right in front of the leaders. Campbell would make contact with Burkin as Mintz ducked low, with Gressman also making contact. Gressman would stand on the gas, pushing Campbell around as he kept rolling. Campbell would retire to the pits, handing the lead to Mintz.

On the restart, Mintz would pull away from Gressman with Dussel, Kevin Lee, Bruce White and Mike Linder in tow. Lee would take third on lap six as Mintz began to check out with Gressman comfortably in second. With eight laps in, Reed had worked his way from 13th to sixth. Just as Mintz hit the back of the field, Bryan Sebetto would spin to bring out the caution on lap 10.

With a clear track Mintz would rocket away from Gressman and Lee with Reed driving past both White and Dussel into fourth. At the half-way point Mintz had a huge lead over Gressman as Lee battled with Reed. The final caution would fly for Cole Duncan on lap 16. On the restart Mintz pulled away again from Gressman as Lee and Reed continued their battle with Linder, Brad Bowman and 20th place starter Dean Jacobs in tow. Reed would drive around Lee into third on lap 17 and take second a circuit later.

It seemed Mintz had an insurmountable lead as he caught the back of the field with eight laps to go. But, as the lapped cars raced side-by-side, Mintz was forced out of his high line and Reed began to close. With five laps to go Reed had wiped out a 10 car length deficit and was right on Mintz’ rear bumper. On lap 26 as the pair raced in lapped traffic, Reed would dive under Mintz for the lead. Mintz would not give up and as they raced into turns three and four on the final lap pulled right in on Reed. Reed was able to hold off the last lap challenge and take the win by a car length over Mintz. Gressman, Lee and Jacobs would round out the top five.

Fremont Speedway will be back in action on Saturday, Aug. 6 on Burger King Night featuring the 410 and 305 sprints and the dirt trucks battling the stock cars.

For more information go to www.fremontohspeedway.com

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