Attica Raceway Park race report 2001-09-03

ATTICA, OH - A late race yellow helped Danny Smith get free of lapped traffic and go on to win the All Star sprint 40-lap East of Chicago Pizza Attica Ambush feature Monday night at Attica Raceway Park. Smith could then drive away from Byron Reed and Kelly Kinser to win his second All Star main of the season, worth $5,000, for Attica's season finale. Smith led all 40 laps.

"John Baker, my car owner, and Willie did an awesome job tonight," Smith stated. "By the luck of the draw we got to start on the pole. I wasn't very good in traffic and I was glad to see that yellow come out with six to go - that gave me an open track to keep them behind me. The yellows just fell our way."

Smith started on the ButlerBuilt Hot Seat pole in the John Baker Excavating Maxim on Hoosier Tires with Kinser alongside. At the drop of the green, Smith led over Kinser and third starter Greg Hodnett. Kinser and Hodnett battled furiously for second, with Kinser securing that spot when the yellow fell for Rodney Morgan's stopped car on lap five. Smith pulled away again in the high groove, with Kinser second, side-by-side with Hodnett. Hodnett re-took second, but could not close on the leader. Then sixth starting Kenny Jacobs entered the fray, passing Kinser for third on lap 11 then disposing of Hodnett a lap later. As Smith fought his way through heavy lapped traffic, Kinser stuck to the bottom groove, retaking second with 15 laps in the books.

Kinser began reeling in Smith as the order at half-way was Smith, Kinser, Reed, up from seventh starting spot, Jacobs and Greg Wilson with Hodnett fading to sixth. Travis Rilat tagged the front stretch wall and stopped off the track for a lap 23 caution. Reed was side-by-side with Kinser following the restart, battling for second, and he secured that spot on lap 25. Smith ran high, while Reed utilized the middle and low grooves of the third mile oval. Kinser had to fight off the advances of Wilson as the leaders again got into lapped traffic. Reed was right on Smith's back bumper and Kinser another length back when the final yellow was unfurled on lap 34 for a Rob Chaney collision with Mike Hogan. Smith was able to pull away when the green went back out and he went on to win by three car lengths over Reed and Kinser.

"Danny was my boyhood idol, I'm glad to run second to him," runner-up Reed said with a laugh after finishing second. "It's good to run against him."

Third place Kinser lamented the last caution flag. "I really hated to see that last yellow. These American Racers take a few laps to get going and then the Hoosiers start to slow down. The Hoosier's take off on the restarts and it takes me three or four laps to get going."

Wilson was fourth and Jacobs in fifth earned the $100 TW Metals nightly cash bonus. Todd Kane, after starting ninth, was sixth and Hodnett finished seventh, winning the Team Simpson Racing Lucky Seven award. Phil Gressman, Dean Jacobs and Alvin Roepke completed the top ten.

The K-T Equipment heat went to John Ivy, the JB Enterprise Racing Products heat to Phil Gressman, the Crown Battery heat to Butch Schroeder and the Engler Machine & Tool heat fell to Byron Reed. Alvin Roepke won the B Main and Greg Wilson captured the Haulmark Dash. K. Jacobs earned $200 for fast time from Ramsey Trucking. After crashing in the B Main, Rob Chaney started last in the A as a provisional starter. Chad Kemenah's car owner, Jim Harble, won the limited late model main.

Time Trials: 1. Kenny Jacobs, Jacobs/Honecker 6, 11.809; 2. Rob Chaney, Elden 22e, 12.229; 3. Dean Jacobs, Daugherty 7r, 12.296; 4. Greg Wilson, Hampshire 63, 12.333; 5. Greg Hodnett, Apple 12, 12.343; 6. Kelly Kinser, Kinser 4k, 12.618; 7. Danny Smith, Baker 4, 12.860; 8. Byron Reed, B&S 5, 12.865; 9. Mike Hogan, Hogan 75, 12.921; 10. Todd Kane, Pullins 29, 12.971; 11. Rodney Morgan, Morgan 21, 13.057; 12. Keith Baxter, Baxter 1B, 13.109; 13. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15k, 13.163; 14. Phil Gressman, Reidling 9, 13.182; 15. Butch Schroeder, Courtad 9x, 13.222; 16. John Wisbon, Burmeister 16, 13.273; 17. Alvin Roepke, Roepke/Ford 99, 13.414; 18. Eric Hysong, Andrews 72, 13.466; 19. Mike Wagner, Wagner 55, 13.489; 20. Travis Rilat, Archer U2, 13.516; 21. John Ivy, Carousel 20, 13.592; 22. Shawn Chaney, Chaney 27c, 13.823; 23. Doug Zimmerman, Zimmerman 19, 13.940; 24. Andrew Palker, Palker C20, 14.049; 25. Wayne McPeek, Smith 1, 14.189; 26. Chad Jones, Ashworth 92, 14.242; 27. Bob Teeple, Teeple 8T, 14.331; 28. Rick Byerly, Byerly 50, 14.696; 29. Andy McKisson, McKisson 0, 14.877; 30. Josh Keegan, Keegan 3, 15.131; 31. Chad Levingston, Levingston 74L, 15.451; 32. Lee Jacobs, Jacobs/Honecker 2, 30.365; 33. Spud Gustin, Gustin 10G, NT; 34. Barry Ruble, Ruble 63r, NT; 35. Mark Keegan, Steinbrick 92, NT.

K-T Equipment Rental Heat (10 laps): 1. Ivy 2. Kemenah 3. Hodnett 4. K. Jacobs 5. Hogan 6. McPeek 7. McKisson 8. Gustin 9. Roepke (DNF).

JB Enterprise Racing Products Heat (10 laps): 1. Gressman 2. Hysong 3. Kinser 4. Kane 5. Jones 6. R. Chaney 7. S. Chaney 8. J. Keegan.

Crown Battery Heat (10 laps): 1. Schroeder 2. D. Jacobs 3. Morgan 4. Zimmerman 5. Smith 6. Teeple 7. Levingston 8. Wagner.

Engler Machine & Tool Heat (10 laps): 1. Reed 2. Rilat 3. Wilson 4. Wisbon 5. L. Jacobs 6. Ruble 7. Baxter 8. Palker 9. Byerly.

Haulmark Dash (4 laps): 1. Wilson 2. K. Jacobs 3. Kinser 4. Hodnett 5. Smith 6. D. Jacobs.

B Main (12 laps): 1. Roepke 2. Wagner 3. S. Chaney 4. Palker 5. J. Keegan 6. Gustin 7. Levingston 8. Byerly 9. McPeek 10. Teeple 11. Ruble 12. McKisson 13. R. Chaney 14. Baxter.

A Main (40 laps): 1. Danny Smith 2. Byron Reed 3. Kelly Kinser 4. Greg Wilson 5. Kenny Jacobs 6. Todd Kane 7. Greg Hodnett 8. Phil Gressman 9. Dean Jacobs 10. Alvin Roepke 11. Butch Schroeder 12. Chad Kemenah 13. John Ivy 14. Eric Hysong 15. Mike Wagner 16. John Wisbon 17. Chad Jones 18. Mike Hogan 19. Lee Jacobs 20. Sean Chaney 21. Doug Zimmerman 22. Rob Chaney 23. Travis Rilat 24. Andrew Palker 25. Rod Morgan.

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