The Left Turn
By: Ron Burt
Friday, May 2nd, Rusty Schlenk remains undefeated at Attica Raceway Park in 2025. The three time national UMP late model champion took the lead with just seven laps remaining Friday, after a battle in the feature, with five time track champion Devin Shiels and drove to his fourth straight feature win at Attica, in the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series.
Michigan’s Devin Shiels jumped out to the early lead in the Late Model feature, and quickly pulled away from the pack as Colten Burdette, from Parkersburg, W. Va., held second over Schlenk, Kyle Moore and Ryan Markham. Moore took third on the second lap, but no one was challenging Shiels until he encountered heavy lapped traffic just eight laps into the 30-lap race.
On lap 15 Shiels had put two lapped cars between himself and Burdette, who was seeing Attica for the first time in his career, and Schlenk as Markham drove into fourth over Moore. With 10 laps to go Schlenk, from McClure, Ohio, moved up to second, and quickly began to eat into Shiels’ lead and used a lapped car as a pick to drive into the lead on lap 23. With just four laps to go Shiels used traffic and drove by Schlenk but something broke on his #51 and he drove off the high side of turn one, handing the lead back to Schlenk who drove away for his 47th career Attica late model win over Burdette, Markham, Todd Brennan and Moore.
In the 25-lap Fremont Fence 305 sprint feature Dustin Stroup grabbed the early lead, and a big battle formed behind him involving Dustin Dinan, Jamie Miller, Paul Weaver and Jimmy McGrath. Miller took second on lap three but a big bobble in turn two on lap seven put McGrath and Dinan into second and third.
The only thing that slowed Stroup’s march to the checkers was several late race cautions, including with just two laps to go. The Fremont, Ohio driver executed a perfect restart and drove to his ninth career Attica win, over McGrath, Weaver, Dinan and Miller.
Fremont, Ohio’s Keith Sorg battled with Shawn Valenti throughout the first 14 laps of the 15-lap dirt truck feature and then held off Jamie Miller in a one-lap dash following a caution on lap 14 to score his fourth career Attica win.
Friday, May 2nd, Limaland Motorsports Park opened for the season, featuring the Winged Great Lakes Super Sprints. For the second week in a row, area driver Max Stambaugh took the checkered flag. He’s the 3 time, defending Great Lakes Super Sprint Champion and Limaland is his home track. It’s always a thrill for the fans to watch a driver lead all 30 laps. The rest of the top 5, Dustin Daggett, Mike Keegan, Zeth Sabo, Gregg Dalman. The UMP Modified feature was won by Brennan Sherman and the 15 lap Thunder Stock A-Main went to Todd Sherman.
Eldora Speedway had planned their annual two night (Let’s Race Two Weekend). The World of Outlaws Winged Sprints and the USAC Sprints only raced on Friday because of the weather. David Gravel won the World of Outlaw feature and Brady Bacon took the checkered flag for the USAC Sprints. The Eldora Dirt Late Model Dream is set for June 5-7 with the winner taking home $100,000.00 for the feature win. Sprint car fans the High Limit Series will be at Fremont Speedway, this week on Wednesday, May 14th, at the track action built.
Until next week, keep your wheels down. Ron out!
