Elmore’s Alvin Roepke wins third 305 sprint race

By: 
Brian Liskai

In the 305 feature at Attica Raceway Park, Elmore's Alvin Roepke — ironically the 2002 Attica 410 track champion and 2002 Brad Doty Classic winner — took the lead with eight laps to go and drove to the $1,000 pay day.
Roepke, who owns five career 410 wins at the track, now has three 305 victories.
 "This is for the old guys. It's pretty cool to win this on the night of the Brad Doty Classic. To beat Paul Weaver...he's as good as they come in this sport so if you can beat him that's doing something. We kind of guessed and went with it. We thought we had a bar go bad and we changed it and it made a big difference.These things come few and far between...they don't just give them away," said Roepke beside his NAPA Auto Parts backed No. 99.
Brock Zearfoss took advantage when leader Aaron Reutzel suffered mechanical issues with 12 laps to go and the Jonestown, Pa. driver earned the $10,000 payday at Attica Raceway Park for this year’s 31st Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics for the Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions Presented by Mobil 1.
It was Zearfoss' biggest payday on All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Night. It was his third career All Star win - all coming this season - and the first career checkers at Attica in the 125th appearance of the series at the track.
And big picture, Reutzel's misfortune coupled with Dale Blaney's fourth place finish moved "The Low Rider" back into command of the All Star points.
"This is bad ass. I've been talking Brad (Doty) I've wanted to come to this race for three of four years and finally had a chance to make it out this year and it got rained out (in July) and I'm just thankful Tony (Stewart) and the All Stars put this show together with Brad's help. What an honor...Brad was a bad ass back in the day. It's just an honor to win a race in his name," said Zearfoss beside his Heavy Equipment Loaders and Parts/Moose's LZ/Meckley's Limestone/Berkebile Oil backed #70.
"Noisey (Shane Bowers) and Tye (Wolfgang) gave me a bad ass car here both nights. I wish we would have been able to start a little further toward the front last night...I think we might have had a chance to win that one too. It went our way tonight. It got real tight with Aaron there in traffic and I think we touched a little bit...going for the lead there that's what you have to do. I don't know what happened to him there but I saw him slow up. I can't say enough about this team. It's such an honor to drive for these guys...they've been busting their asses all year long. Earlier in the year I just wasn't getting it done in the seat. They've been giving me great cars and I was messing up on the track. I've been working hard to get better," added Zearfoss.
For the second consecutive night, four time All Star champion Tim Shaffer finished in the runner-up spot after leading the first 10 laps.
"We were too good too early. Hats off to Ron Gorby and his wife who's here tonight. They are having fun watching and that's what it's all about...having a good time. Cody Jacobs and Ron's guys coming over to help and we're all enjoying it. Zearfoss had a great car and could move around and that's what it takes here. I had to re-learn how to do those slide jobs...these young kids do it all the time so I had to give it back to them. It was a lot of fun. As long as everyone races and respects each other it's a pretty awesome deal and I feel like we had that tonight," said Shaffer beside his Howard Johnson of Lima/Fast Signs backed #G1.
Also for the second straight night Penngrove, California's Buddy Kofoid found the podium at Attica Raceway Park.
"To be able to race with those guys is really cool...with Brock and Aaron...it's a shame his motor let go. For awhile there it was just the three of us nose to tail. Racing with Tim is always really cool. Hats off to Brock and his crew. They did a really good job and none of us figured out the middle to bottom of one and two like he did until it was too late. We got a little free and I think our tires went away a little more than some. I was kind of just hanging out but could make a couple of charges to second. I can't thank the Linders and Ed Neumeister and Ray Brooks enough for the opportunity. Two podiums at Attica in a row with the All Stars is pretty cool and I think we've been on the podium every time here this year with the All Stars. We have good momentum going heading to Wayne County where I got my first All Star win and a win there last week and I seem to go good there. Hopefully we can get a couple more wins," said Kofoid beside his Gill Construction/CK Plumbing/Linders Speed Equipment/DMI backed #11N.
For the 40 lap All Star feature, Shaffer and Kofoid brought the field to green but Caleb Griffith would coast to a stop to necessitate a second start. When the green flew Shaffer, Kofoid, Zearfoss and Reutzel battled for the lead with Cap Henry within striking distance. Gio Scelzi would do a 360 spin with three laps scored to tighten the field. Shaffer pulled away slightly on the restart while Kofoid and Reutzel battled for second, trading sliders the next two laps.
With nine laps in,Kofoid had taken command of second closed quickly on Shaffer and the pair exchanged sliders with Kofoid taking the lad just as the caution flew for Travis Philo and DJ Foos. When the green flew Reutzel grabbed second from Shaffer who had his hands full holding off Zearfoss. Kofoid began to inch away from Reutzel but lapped traffic loomed ahead.
Reutzel quickly closed the gap on Kofoid and threw a slider for the lead on lap 19. As the leaders battled into heavy lapped traffic on lap 22, the running order was Reutzel, Kofoid, Zearfoss, Shaffer, Dale Blaney, Henry and Parker Price-Miller. Zearfoss used the lapped cars to take second on lap 23 and closed on Reutzel, actually grabbing the lead by a nose on lap 26 only to see Reutzel return the favor the following circuit.
Reutzel's car let out a puff of smoke on lap 28 as he coasted to a stop, handing the lead to Zearfoss. On the restart Shaffer battled Kofoid for second, taking the position on lap 30. Zearfoss pulled away to a 1.8 second lead with eight laps to go while Shaffer and Kofoid continued to battle for second with Blaney, Price-Miller and Henry in pursuit.
With three laps to go Zearfoss encountered heavy lapped traffic but was able to move around and pick them off to drive to the win over Shaffer, Kofoid, Blaney, Price-miller and Cory Eliason.
Justin Adams grabbed the lead in the 25 lap 305 feature but Bobby Clark and Jamie Miller applied heavy pressure with Luke Griffith and Roepke in pursuit. Clark utilized the high line to take the lead on lap four but Adams continued to race to his inside. By lap five Clark, Adams and Miller were three wide battling for the lead.
Following a caution for Brandon Riehl on lap seven, Miller drove into the lead but Clark returned the favor as the pair of veterans raced side by side for the next three laps. Clark finally was able to pull away slightly before a caution for Justin Lusk with 15 laps to go. When the green flew Clark was able to fend off a challenge from Miller and once again pulled away slightly as Roepke applied pressure to Miller for second, taking the position on lap 16.
A caution for Tad Peck on lap 17 gave Roepke the shot he needed as he drove under Clark on the restart to grab the lead while Paul Waver had moved into third. Adams brought out the caution with six laps to go but Roepke got a tremendous restart to pull away from Clark, Weaver, Steve Rando and Miller. Riehl made hard contact with the front stretch wall with four laps to go to bring out the red...he was uninjured. On the ensuing restart Roepke once again hit his marks while Weaver shot past Clark.
After taking the white flag, Kasey Ziebold would stop to set up a one lap shoot out. Roepke once again got a tremendous restart and drove to the win as Clark rallied on the final lap to take second over Weaver, Rando and Jimmy McGrath.
Attica Raceway Park Promoter John Bores would like to thank all the great fans, race teams, marketing partners, track staff, push truck and wrecker operators who supported the track in 2019.
For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.
 

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