FREMONT, Ohio — Good things come to those who wait. Dale Blaney is the epitome of that adage. The Fowler, Ohio, driver grabbed the lead on a lap-15 restart and claimed his second victory of the University of Northwest Ohio Sprint Speedweek Thursday night at Fremont Speedway.
The triumph before a packed house kept Blaney in contention for the $50,000 Speedweek bonus paid to a driver who can win four of eight races. However, Blaney would have to sweep the final two races of the series. Thursday’s victory was his 57th in All Star Circuit of Champions competition and his third of the year at the three-eighths-mile oval.
“Brandon (Martin) was good early. I knew it was 40 laps, and I just had to be patient and not press too hard and let the race come to me,” Blaney explained. “We’ve won three of the four times we’ve been to Fremont this year. This track just suits my driving style.”
Martin led from the start, but Blaney took second on lap nine and quickly ran Martin down. After taking the lead, Blaney kept control through a rash of yellow flags and a late-race fuel stop.
Byron Reed came on at the end to win a thrilling battle for second, with Mike Linder, Martin and Phil Gressman filling the top five.
The summary:
Fast time: Rob Chaney, 12.496 seconds (45 cars).
First Heat: Lee Jacobs, Chris Andrews, Rob Chaney, Brian Ellenberger, Gus Wasson, David Doherty, Troy Little, John Ivy, Cory Seeling, David Harrison, Chuck Wilson, Bruce White.
Second Heat: Greg Wilson, Mike Linder, Brandon Martin, Byron Reed, Chad Blonde, Jamie Miller, Danny Smith, Bobby Clark, Caleb Griffith, Tony Beaber, Ed Neumeister.
Third Heat: Shane Stewart, Brock Mayes, Brian Paulus, Phil Gressman, Kenny Jacobs, Greg Dalman, Brian Smith, Todd Heller, Craig Mintz, Bryan Scott, Mark Keegan.
Fourth Heat: Dean Jacobs, Paul May, Bill Rose, Dale Blaney, Dustin Daggett, Troy Vaccaro, Bruce Robenalt, Ben Rutan, Ben Gregg, Scott Euler, Paul Weaver.
Dash: Paulus, Daggett, Blaney, Martin, Ellenberger, Chaney.
C Main: Heller, Seeling, Euler, Neumeister, Griffith, Robenalt, Little, Scott, White.
B Main: Keegan, Harrison, Clark, Smith, Ivy, Mintz, Dalman, Seeling, Heller, Doherty, Smith, C. Wilson, Gregg, Beaber, Rutan, Vaccaro, Miller, Neumeister, Weaver, Euler.
Feature: Blaney, Reed, Linder, Martin, Gressman, Chaney, Stewart, K. Jacobs, Paulus, Mayes, May, Smith, L. Jacobs, Ellenberger, Harrison, Andrews, Daggett, D. Jacobs, Keegan, Wilson, Blonde, Clark, Rose, Wasson.