Regional Late Model and Sprint Car Drivers Tune-Up at Attica
Attica, OH (Friday, April 14, 2023) - The 2023 campaign for Attica Raceway Park (ARP) will officially kick off tonight, Friday, April 14th after nearly a month of attempting to get the season rolling. Since Friday, March 17th, officials with ARP have had races scheduled every Friday night with some rain dates for Saturday that have all been cancelled. This Friday and Saturday, the Raceway will finally get the chance to welcome fans through the gates of the popular northern Ohio raceway.
The doubleheader weekend features the Core & Main Spring Nationals Presented by Construction Equipment & Supply with the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) on both Friday and Saturday nights. DIRTcar UMP Late Models complement the Friday night show with 305 Sprints on the schedule for Saturday night. Many drivers from across the Great Lakes Region are eyeballing ARP as their tune-up event prior to the regular season openers at their respective local tracks.
In the Sprint Car scene, several regulars with the Great Lakes Super Sprints (GLSS) are taking advantage of the opportunity to dust off the 410 c.i. “monster motor” and square up with the All Stars. Among those are the newcomers to the team ownership role, Home Pro Racing. With primary driver, Ryan Ruhl behind the wheel, the team will unload for the first time with their new driver team combo on display. A former GLSS Champion, Ruhl anticipates his return to winning with Home Pro Racing in 2023; a team that has already proven they can win with Lemoore, California’s Cole Macedo behind the wheel.
Another GLSS Champion will also be in action Friday night at Attica, Max Stambaugh. The defending GLSS Champion also has accolades with the ASCoC, making him a duel threat for the Friday night win. The Lima, Ohio native grabbed the 2017 ASCoC Rookie of the Year honors while finishing fifth in the final points standings.
Other notables include Adrian, Michigan’s Darin Naida, who continues to improve in his second full-time season behind the wheel of a full-size Sprint Car. The former micro sprint ace graduated to the 410 Sprint Car world at ARP in 2022. Greg Wheeler Motorsports will pull up to Attica with Angola, Indiana’s Tyler Rankin behind the wheel for the second season. The Armada, Michigan-based team of Lane Racing will also be in attendance with their new driver Chris Windom behind the wheel. The NOS energy Drink No.4 will chase the ASCoC title in 2023.
The star power will also be in action for the DIRTcar UMP Late Models. Three-time National UMP Champion, Rusty Schlenk will look to continue the turnaround to his 2023 season with a race closer to home. The McClure, Ohio driver has had a rough start to the year with multiple mechanical failures and on track incidents. However, just a few weeks ago, Schlenk brought his iconic pink No.91 home in the runner-up spot at Federated Auto Parts Speedway at I-55 and last season won four features at Attica. Joining the Domination Race Car Founder will be his son, Colin Shipley. An up-and-coming in the Late Model ranks, Shipley and his No.44s will look to crack through for an Attica Raceway Park win.
Late Model racers will have to deal with Attica Oakshade Challenge Series Champion, Devin Shiels. The Britton, Michigan native has had the competition’s number in the past several seasons at Attica Raceway Park. Last season, Shiels won three in a row to end the season with a total five trips to Attica Raceway Park Victory Lane in addition to three feature wins at Oakshade Raceway.
Making the long haul from the Great White North are a pair of drivers who see each other on a regular basis at Merritt Speedway. Behind the wheel of his familiar white and blue No.27, Eric Spangler will race for the second week in a row. After finding a pair of tracks in action last weekend despite the wet weather, Spangler will look to finally find success at Attica after years of bad luck. Joining him will be Traverse City, Michigan’s Brandon Thirlby. In what will be his first full race night behind the wheel of the BFD Mafia Racing No.69, Thirlby will hope to begin the 2023 season with success in his new ride.
The beginning of the 2023 season for Attica Raceway Park and many drivers starts Friday night at 7:45 PM. Fans can begin finding their seats when the gates open at 3:00 PM. On Saturday night, the ASCoC race again with gates opening at 2:00 PM and racing set for 7:00 PM. for more information, log onto www.AtticaRacewayPark.com.
Story - Zach Hiser
Photo - Jim DenHamer