FREMONT, Ohio — Zeb Wise accomplished something Saturday night that young sprint car drivers aren’t supposed to do – win at Fremont Speedway in his first year of winged sprint car racing.
Wise, 17, took the lead from the drop of the green and led all 30 laps of the Ti22 Performance FAST Series feature for his first career Fremont win on Union Trades Night.
“Sam (McGhee) had the super tune on this thing. We lost a few crew guys the last weekend so to come back with just me my dad, Sam and Mike McGhee…it’s pretty special to be standing here,” said Wise in victory lane.
“Tonight was one of the more technical race tracks I’ve seen here. Last time I was here I got one stolen away from me on the last corner and I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I kind of sold out on the top there and it worked out,” added Wise.
John Ivy and Wise brought the field to green for the 30 lap FAST feature, with Wise gaining the advantage over Ivy, Travis Philo, DJ Foos and Craig Mintz.
Wise began to pull away, but a red flag on lap six kept the field close.
On the restart Wise again built his lead, while Ivy, Philo, Mintz, Nate Dussel and Foos battled hard for second. At the halfway point Wise held a lead of more than two seconds, with Philo, Dussel, Ivy and Mintz waging a fantastic battle for second.
With eight laps to go, Ivy, Dussel and Cole Macedo tangled while battling for fifth, wiping out Wise’s lead. On the restart, Wise again pulled away while Philo and Mintz battled for second.
From there Wise drove away to the win, with Mintz getting around Philo on the last lap for second. Foos and Tyler Gunn rounded out the top five.
Dustin Ingle lost the lead on a restart with seven laps to go in the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series feature. But he didn’t lose his cool, stayed focused on his high side line and drove back into the lead with four laps to go for his first ever sprint car win.
“I kept telling myself don’t give up on the top … keep beating it down. I made a couple of mistakes there with a couple to go and tried to be smooth and close it out. This is the first win in my career in a sprint car,” said an elated Ingle.
Ingle and Isaac Chapple brought the field to green for the 25-lap BOSS feature, with Ingle gaining the slight advantage over Chapple, Cody White, Trey Jacobs, Luke Hall, Ricky Peterson and Dallas Hewitt.
Ingle and Chapple raced side by side the opening three laps with Jacobs, making his first non-wing sprint car start, riding comfortably in third.
Ingle built up a nearly three-second lead when the caution flew with seven laps to go. On the ensuing restart, Chapple drove under Ingle to take the lead with Hall, Hewitt and Peterson racing each other hard for third.
Ingle stayed committed to the high groove and drove back into the lead on lap 21 with Chapple now having to deal with Hall, Hewitt and Peterson.
Ingle hit his marks perfectly the closing laps and took the win over Hewitt, who had won the previous two appearances of BOSS at Fremont. Hall, Chapple and Jacobs rounded out the top five.
Paul Weaver admits he’s had a lot of lady luck on his side during a spectacular season.
It continued Saturday. Weaver, who started 15th, was running third when a caution flew with 11 laps to go in the 305 sprint car feature. That wiped out a five-second lead Jamie Miller had built up.
On the restart, Weaver took second and Miller got a flat tire with seven laps to go, handing the lead to Weaver, who drove to his seventh win of the year at Fremont Speedway.
It was Weaver’s 14th total victory of 2020 and was the 58th of his career at Fremont Speedway placing him in a tie with Jim Linder for fifth on the track’s all-time win list.
“I just took it easy … man, luck was on my side. Jim Linder is one of the greats. I’m just an average racer plucking away at some 305 wins at the end of my career. Jim and Mark Keegan they were on top of their game back then running against the best that were around. Good to be up there on the list but it’s not the same. I had 16 wins in one year, but I was a lot younger,” said Weaver.
Brandon Moore and Jamie Miller paced the field to green for the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 A-main with Miller gaining the advantage over Moore, Seth Schneider, Matt Foos, Logan Riehl and Larry Kingseed.
Miller built his lead to nearly two seconds by lap four with Moore, Foos, Schneider, Kyle Capodice and Kingseed in pursuit. Weaver, who started 15th, was up to seventh in just five laps.
Miller raced into heavy lapped traffic by the 10th circuit, with Moore, Foos, Weaver and Schneider giving chase.
Miller’s lead was over five seconds when the caution flew on lap 14. On the restart, Weaver drove around Moore for second. Miller jumped the cushion in turn four on lap 18 and ended up going to the pits with a flat tire on lap 18, handing the lead to Weaver.
Weaver pulled away the remaining seven laps to score the win, with Foos, Mike Keegan, Moore and Kingseed rounding out the top five.
Saturday, Oct. 3 is Fremont Federal Credit Union Season Championship Night for the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints, Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints and the Burmeister Trophy Dirt Trucks.