OPINION — RAIN WAS scattered all over the area on Friday so I looked at the radar and decided Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio had the best chance of getting in.  It paid off as Lernerville cancelled shortly after I left and Attica Raceway Park would get rained out after several rain delays.

My trip to Wayne County was my fourth of the season. The storms all stayed to the north of Orrville. The sky was blue to the south and black to the north.  Wayne County did a good job starting on time and pushing the show through.  A few sprinkles fell after the heat races, but that was it.  The entire program was run off in just over two and a half hours.  Wayne County is located only about an hour and a half from Mercer County in Orrville.  Check them out at www.waynecountyspeedway.

The 25-lap sprint car feature was a good one despite seven cautions and only 13 cars.  Danny Mumaw and Broc Martin battled it out with Mumaw coming out on top.  Mumaw led the first lap before Martin led for the next 16.  On lap 18, Mumaw slipped under Martin in turn four with contact and held the Wooster driver held on for the victory over Martin, Andrew Palker, Cole Duncan, and Jamie Myers.

The 19-car Late Model feature started off wild as it was three-wide for the lead.  That didn’t work and a 12-car melee ensued with Damon Haught flipping into the pit area.  He was okay, and most all of the cars would restart. 

Two cautions slowed action in the first eight laps, but the final 17 went green-to-checkered.  Cory Conley hounded George Lee III for the entire duration, but on the final lap finally flipped under and past for the exciting win. 

Shane McLoughlin, Charlie Duncan, and Wayne Maffett, Jr. were third through fifth.

The 18-car Stock Car feature was won by Brandon Craver for the first time in his career.  Craver worked on Jeremy Dickerson for most of the race before finally getting by on the next to last lap for the popular win.  Travis Dickson won the E-Mod feature over Kevin Morehouse.

On the way home, I decided to get off at the Barberton Speedway exit and was able to catch the last two features there after their program was delayed due to rain!  Earlier this season I made my first ever visit to the asphalt track located west of Akron in the Norton/Barberton area.

Rain showers continued to plague the western Pa./eastern Ohio region on Saturday washing out I think every speedway including Mercer and Sharon.  Mercer will be off this Saturday night.

The weather was much better to the west so I headed to Fremont (Ohio) Speedway for the second time this season.  Blue skies were present along with solid fields of 27 “410” Sprints, 22 “305” Sprints, and 24 Trucks.  Fremont is a racey 1/3-mile located at the county fairgrounds.  This is their 61st anniversary season.  Check them out at www.fremontohspeedway.com. 

It was another Fremont Attica Sprint Title (FAST) race and point leader Bryan Sebetto added to his lead by scoring the 30-lap “410” win.  The FAST championship pays $10,000 to-win! Sebetto led all by lap 10 when he slipped high

allowing Duane Zablocki by.  Once back in front, Sebetto was never challenged as he rocketed around the cushion for the $3,000 win.  Craig Mintz came from fifth to finish second after getting by Zablocki on lap 24. Broc Martin turned in another top five finish in fourth ahead of 10th starting Rob Chaney. 

Local racers Jack Sodeman, Jr. and Adam Kekich made the trip out after the Mercer cancellation.  Sodeman finished ninth, while Kekich of Hermitage failed to make the 20-car feature after winning his first career “410” feature one week ago at Mercer.

Eighteen-year-old Paige Polyak continues to impress as she flew to the 25-lap “305” Sprint win.  Earlier this season, I saw her win her first career race at Attica.  Saturday’s Fremont win was the fifth of her young career.

On Sunday, it was the long-awaited return of the “410” Sprint Cars to Path Valley Speedway for the first time since 1995!  I’ve been to Path Valley a handful of times, but never was able to even see the “305” Sprints run on the high-banked oval.  Path Valley is located five miles north of the PA Turnpike in Spring Run about halfway between Bedford and Harrisburg.

Sunday’s event was split into two programs with the Micro Sprints and Slingshots running the early program and the “410” Sprints and Speedstrs running the second program.  Fourteen Micro Sprints and 12 Slingshots were on hand with Chandler Leiby and Brett Bieber scoring the feature victories respectively.  After the completion of this program, the track was totally reworked by disking and watering.  Despite the delay in the program, it made for a real racey track and great feature.

A total of 25 Sprint Cars were on hand with roughly 15 “410s”, one “360”, six “358s” and three “305s” plus 13 Speedsters and a great crowd. The 30-lap Sprint Car feature saw a big upset as Cole Duncan invaded to score the win.  The Lockbourne, Ohio racer started fourth and passed former World of Outlaw racer Daryn Pittman for third on lap four.  Duncan then got around western Pa. racer Dan Shetler on lap seven.  Duncan bided his time and made the winning move on Fred Rahmer on lap17. 

Meanwhile, Danny Dietrich was moving forward.  The six-time 2012 winner with victories against the WoO and All Stars, passed Pittman for fourth on lap nine, Shetler for third on lap 12, and drove by Rahmer for second on lap 24.  Dietrich picked his way through traffic and was right on Duncan’s bumper the final lap, but couldn’t quite get by as he had to settle for runner-up.

Duncan’s victory was worth a career best $5,000 for the 20-year-old son of former Ohio and All Star top runner Rodney Duncan.  Duncan started his Sprint Car career in western Pa. at age 15 racing quite a bit at Tri-City before making starts at Mercer and Lernerville Speedways over the years.  Last Saturday, Duncan won his first career race at Fremont, and two weeks ago I witnessed his first ever Wayne County victory.  Duncan also has wins in the past at Lernerville, K-C, and Skyline Speedways.  Duncan is sponsored by Bobby Labonte Racing as he used to race quarter-midgets with Labonte’s son when he first got started and a friendship between the families was forged.

Rahmer dropped to third over Pittman, who had just a “360 in.  Rodney Westhafer put on quite a show coming from 17th to fifth with just a “358” under the hood.  Westhafer used to race weekly at Path Valley in the “305s”.

Modified greats Jeff Strunk and Kenny Brightbill took the top positions in both the heat and feature for the Speedstrs.  The division was started several years ago as more cost-effective former of Midget Car racing, but just really hasn’t taken off.  Strunk’s victory was worth $2,000.  The 64-year-old Brightbill stated it was his first race of 2012.

Hopefully the “410” Sprint Cars will be back again sometime soon!

In other action on Sunday, Keith Barbara swept both Super Late Model features at Pittsburgh, who was racing after their rain out on Sunday.  Kyle Lukon won the $1,500 Steel-Block Late Model Bandit Series event.  At Sportsman’s Speedway, Bill Jones, Jr. was the “305” Sprint winner in their second race of the season at the track, and Strattanville’s Kyle Fink won the “358” Modifieds.  Max Blair earned his 21st victory of the season overall winning the FASTRAK Late Model event at Eriez.



Mike Leone is motorsports columnist for Allied News. Follow his updates on Twitter @mikevleone.