Cap Henry gets late race pass for second Fremont 410 win

Cap Henry continued his hot streak to open the 2023 racing season with a late race pass to take the 410 sprint win at Fremont Speedway on May 20. Since joining the Jeff Ward Racing team in the off season, Henry, from Bellevue, has put together a very solid start to the racing year, as Saturday’s win was his second at Fremont.
Henry, who started seventh in the 30-lap, $4,000-to-win feature on Great Lakes Truck Center Night, waged a great battle with Zeth Sabo whose team drove from New York after an All Star Circuit of Champions event was rained out. The pair nearly collided exiting turn four, with Sabo making contact with the front stretch wall on lap 22, putting Henry into the lead. Henry drove away for his 14th career win at “The Track That Action Built.”
It was a great weekend for Henry, who also battled the best in sprint car racing Friday at Attica Raceway Park, finishing sixth in the World of Outlaws event. The win Saturday will put Henry in the thick of the battle for title of the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by the Baumann Auto Group, a crown Henry won in 2020.
“Early there, we weren’t very good – the car was really good but the driver wasn’t. I got to second – I finished second to Howdy (Sabo) last year when I drove that 29 car and I had to make sure I got one back. This car has been so fast. We struggled when we went to Wayne County Tuesday and I know everyone was bummed. Gary (Griffith), the 1985 Wayne County track champion, helped us out and we got this thing rolling again. Man, this is a lot of fun,” said Henry beside his Jeff Ward Demolition, Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts, Premier Planning Services, Tony Elliott Foundation, Primal Tee Shop, SCS Gear Box, NAPA of Fremont-backed machine.
The Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature turned into one of the best races at Fremont for that division in a long time. Dustin Stroup and Bryan Sebetto battled each other hard the last four laps after a caution. The duo traded slide jobs every lap, with Sebetto actually leading by a nose in laps 22 and 23 before Stroup executed a slider to regain the top spot coming to the white flag. The pair raced side by side in turns one and two and banged wheels down the back stretch before Stroup was able to secure the win. It was his ninth career win at Fremont.
Stroup’s win also makes for a close battle for the title of the NAPA of Bryan Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales.
“That was tough. I looked up there when we had that caution (lap 21) and saw Sebetto in second – this is my and Sebetto’s type of track. I knew he was going to race me hard and I was going to race him hard back. We did bang wheels a couple of times – nothing is torn up and I’m sure we’ll go have a couple of beers and talk about this later. I have to thank everyone on this thing. We changed up our engine program this year with Frank Myers of Ness City, Kansas. He builds one hell of a runner. We went with Brandon Riehl and RCF Chassis and this thing has been great,” said Stroup beside his Myers Racing Engines, The Pizza House, Advance Auto Parts, Vantage Branding, Sulfur Town Pub, CWH Construction Services, GCE LLC, Riehl Custom Fab, RCF Chassis, Berryman Racing Shocks, Sherry Stroup at Century 21 Wilcox and Associations-backed machine.
In a caution filled Burmeister Trophy Dirt Truck feature, Ottawa Lake, Michigan’s Dave Gumby Jr. held off a late race charge from Cory McCaughey to claim his third career win at Fremont.
“I was getting so impatient – that was a long feature. I want to thank my truck owner David, Tim Baker, Tim Sr., my dad, my wife and baby and Ron Miller for building one hell of a truck,” said Gumby.
In the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint feature, Travis Philo led the first 11 laps before Sabo took over. Once Henry moved into second on lap 14, he quickly closed on Sabo before taking the lead on a restart on lap 22. Henry took the checkers nearly five seconds ahead of Philo, with Cole Duncan charging from 12th to finish third while Stuart Brubaker and Byron Reed rounded out the top five.
While Stroup led all 25 laps of the 305 sprint feature, building a four-second lead by lap 11, once the leaders hit lapped traffic, Sebetto closed quickly. A caution with four laps to go gave Sebetto the chance to throw a slider at Stroup on the restart and the battle was on the final four circuits. Stroup took the checkers just ahead of Sebetto with Seth Schneider, Paul Weaver and Logan Riehl rounding out the top five.
In the dirt truck feature, Gumby first battled with Jamie Miller and then McCaughey before earning the win. McCaughey, Kent Brewer, Brad Mitten and Dana Fry rounded out the top five.
It’s an all sprint car affair at Fremont Speedway Saturday, May 27 with the 410 and 305 winged sprints and the Great Lakes Traditional Sprints (non-wing) in action.
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