ATTICA, Ohio — A little over a week ago Ohio sprint driver Trevor Baker – whose cheerful personality made him many friends in the racing community – lost his life in a vehicle crash in Florida.
Tim Shaffer and his car owner Bryan Grove paid tribute to Baker Friday at Attica Raceway Park, as the Hall of Fame driver put the No. 45 in victory lane to kick off the Attica Ambush.
Because Grove made his sprint car look like Baker’s to honor the Shreve, Ohio, driver, many felt Baker’s presence at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speedplant, including Shaffer.
“That yellow flag helped me out. I had to move around in lapped traffic and I finally messed with the wing. I put it on the high side where Trevor liked to run….he was definitely with us tonight. So cool for Bryan Grove to honor Trevor. This one is for the Baker family,” said Shaffer.
It was Shaffer’s 20th career Attica win placing the four time All Star champion fifth on the all-time 410 sprint win list at the track. T
hough he led all 30 laps for the $5,000 payday, it wasn’t easy as traffic allowed Jordan Ryan to close and challenge at the half-way point before a caution on lap 18 gave Shaffer a clear track. Shaffer pulled away for the win with D.J. Foos getting around Ryan on the white flag lap to earn a second-place finish while Ryan, Trey Jacobs and 12th-starter Ricky Peterson rounded out the top five.
By finishing second Foos, the defending All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by the Baumann Auto Group champion, closes the game on Cole Macedo.
The 30 lap Sunoco American Late Model Series feature was a dandy as four to five cars battled for the top spot nearly the entire way before Bellevue, Ohio’s Ryan Missler secured his second win of the season at Attica, and it was worth $5,000.
Defending and three time track champion Devin Shiels led the first 12 laps before Markham got by and pulled away from a tremendous battle for second involving Shiels, Devin Moran, Missler and Collin Shipley. A caution on lap 21 put Shiels, Missler and Moran right on Markham’s rear bumper. Three laps later Markham experienced engine woes and went to the pits, handing the lead to Missler. Moran moved into second with four to go and was closing on Missler, but the five time Attica champion was able to negotiate through traffic for his 18th career Attica win over Moran, Shiels, Mike Bores and Shipley.
Just like the previous week, the Fremont Fence 305 Sprint feature came down to the last corner of the last lap. Last week it was Kasey Jedrzejek who grabbed the dramatic win. This Friday it was veteran Paul Weaver who drove under Jedrzejek coming to the checkers to steal his fourth win of the season and 68th of his career in the division. The victory was worth $1,500.
The win gives Weaver a little more breathing room in his quest to win his third straight NAPA of Bryan AFCS presented Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales title.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 45-Tim Shaffer[2] ; 2. 16-DJ Foos[1] ; 3. 25R-Jordan Ryan[3] ; 4. 3J-Trey Jacobs[4] ; 5. 2-Ricky Peterson[12] ; 6. 5T-Travis Philo[11] ; 7. 35-Stuart Brubaker[6] ; 8. 29-Zeth Sabo[8] ; 9. 49X-Cale Thomas[21] ; 10. 68G-Tyler Gunn[10] ; 11. 18-Cole Macedo[9] ; 12. 47BC-Emerson Axson[19] ; 13. 5-Byron Reed[15] ; 14. 2+-Brian Smith[16] ; 15. 16C-Tylar Rankin[5] ; 16. 7N-Darin Naida[13] ; 17. 42-Boston Mead[22] ; 18. 11N-Ayrton Olsen[20] ; 19. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[18] ; 20. 23-Chris Andrews[7] ; 21. 99-Skyler Gee[17] ; 22. 70-Henry Malcuit[14]