ATTICA, Ohio – Cory Eliason has had a love/hate relationship with Attica Raceway Park.
The Visalia, California driver has finished on the podium several times over the past couple of years at the third-mile track but just couldn’t seem to find victory lane.
That came to an end Saturday to wrap up the Attica Ambush weekend as he dominated the 35-lap 410 sprint feature for a $7,000 pay off.
Eliason, who parted ways a few weeks ago with his All Star Circuit of Champions team, drove the Bernie and Betsy Stuebgen owned Indy Race Parts backed No. 71 to a convincing win, even surviving a restart with just four laps to go. Eliason joked in the past he was going to get to Attica early to have a talk with the track for better results.
“We got here at 4:30…maybe I was doing it all wrong, maybe I got here early and tried to talk to it and just made it mad…just needed to let do its thing. It’s a good feeling…this place eluded me. We’ve had two or three Speedweek times where we’ve run second and just ran second earlier this year. I can’t thank Bernie and Betsy enough for giving me this opportunity. It’s been a tough season and it’s a good feeling to know I can still get the job done and do it for them. We couldn’t come out yesterday because Bernie has a business and he has work to do…he has to stay and work to pay the bills,” said Eliason.
Tim Shaffer finished second, with Byron Reed, Cale Thomas and Chris Andrews rounding out the top five.
With his sixth-place finish Cole Macedo pads his lead in the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by the Baumann Auto Group heading into the championship weekend.
After a tremendous battle early with Tyler Rankin,’s Jared Horstman took the lead for good on lap 13 of the 25-lap Great Lakes Super Sprints feature and drove to his second career 360 win at Attica.
The victory wrapped up the sixth championship of the Ohio Logistics National Racing Alliance Sprint Invaders and was worth $3,000. Also, Elida, Ohio’s Max Stambaugh came home third and claimed the 2022 Great Lakes Super Sprints title.
“The guys back in the pits did a heck of a job putting this thing together. Tyler (Rankin) was good on the top and we crossed slide jobs a few times there and got together down the back stretch…didn’t mean for that to happen. The car was good and can’t complain a bit. This is good tight racing. A good group here with the NRA and GLSS coming together…a fantastic field and great to see this program building,” said Horstman beside his M&W Construction, Miller Construction, T&D Interiors, Scott Miller Trucking backed #17.
Matt Foos, Attica’s 2015 dirt truck track champion, took the lead with just six laps to go in the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature and held off a charging Paul Weaver who had started 17th, to claim his third victory of the season at Attica and the seventh of his career at the track.
Weaver’s big run to second pads his point lead in the NAPA of Bryan AFCS presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales heading to championship weekend.
The finish:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 71-Cory Eliason[2] ; 2. 45-Tim Shaffer[4] ; 3. 5-Byron Reed[1] ; 4. 49X-Cale Thomas[10] ; 5. 23-Chris Andrews[11] ; 6. 18-Cole Macedo[6] ; 7. 29-Zeth Sabo[3] ; 8. 47BC-Emerson Axsom[16] ; 9. 99-Skyler Gee[9] ; 10. 33W-Caleb Griffith[12] ; 11. 2-Ricky Peterson[19] ; 12. 3J-Trey Jacobs[14] ; 13. 49I-John Ivy[17] ; 14. 16-DJ Foos[5] ; 15. 2+-Brian Smith[20] ; 16. 7N-Darin Naida[18] ; 17. 24D-Danny Sams[15] ; 18. 5T-Travis Philo[8] ; 19. 12-Kyle Capodice[22] ; 20. 35-Stuart Brubaker[21] ; 21. 25R-Jordan Ryan[7] ; 22. 00-Jake Hesson[13]