Big weekend of All Star racing at Fremont

By Brian Liskai

FREMONT, Ohio (Sept. 3) - While the temperatures are cooling down as fall approaches, the action heats up at Fremont Speedway on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6 and 7. The All Star Circuit of Champions make their final 2002 appearance at "The Track That Action Built" on both nights.

Friday is Auto Value Service Center Night, paying the All Star feature winner $3,000. Fremont's dirt truck division will also be in action. Gates will open at 5 p.m. with racing at 8 p.m.

Following the racing action, local band Elmore Fudd will entertain in the pit area.

Then on Saturday, Fremont will pay tribute to Kear's Speed Shop founder Chuck Kear with the Chuck Kear Memorial Race for the All Stars, paying $6,000 to win and $500 to start. The 305 sprints will also be in action.

Included in Saturday's program is the popular manufacturers give-aways. There are over $8,000 in give-aways for the 24 cars that make the All Star A-Main, and over $3,500 in manufacturers' give-aways for the 20 cars in the 305 A-Main.

The list of give-aways for the All Star Sprint A-Main (random draw) are:
1. Race Bolt - complete sprint bolt kit ($235 value)
2. Racequip - 50% off custom suit ($500 value)
3. Cherry Tool - $250 gift certificate towards aluminum jack
4. Kistler Engines - $500 gift certificate
5. Fisher Performance & AFCO - Tubular bolt/ 2 Sm Body Shocks ($400 value)
6. Kirkey Racing Fabrication - Aluminum LW seat with upholstry ($320 value)
7. Eagle Chassis - set of birdcages with bearings ($350 value)
8. FK Bearing - complete set/heim ends ($235 value)
9. Sander Engineering - aluminum 17X5 with lock and cover ($395 value)
10. Sander Engineering - aluminum 14X5 with lock ($365 value)
11. Sander Engineering - aluminum u-joint ($225 value)
12. Sander Engineering - aluminum u-joint ($225 value)
13. ProShocks - 2 aluminum shocks ($220 value)
14. Diversified Machine - Tube, collar, ball and adaptor ($340 value)
15. Diversified Machine - Tube, collar, ball and adaptor ($340 value)
16. Fuel Safe Inc. - 28 gallon shell with plates ($310 value)
17. Fuel Safe Inc. - 28 gallon shell with plates ($310 value)
18. C&R Racing - Aluminum radiator ($285 value)
19. KSE - Power steering pump ($465 value)
20. MPD - set of DM hubs ($390 value)
21. Outerwears - set of filters and covers ($220 value)
22. TP Wings - post top wing ($675 value)
23. Schoenfeld - 1055LVDN headers ($239 value)
24. Tel Tac - Tel Tac ($285 value)

Also, C.J. Landry, who writes a weekly racing column for "The (Toledo) Blade" newspaper, will pay out $50 to the 13th fastest qualifier on Saturday; $50 to the leader of the 13th lap in the A-Main Saturday; and $100 to the car finishing 13th in Saturday's A-Main.

The list of manufacturers give-aways for the 305 sprint A-main cars on Saturday includes (random draw):
1. ProShocks - two aluminum shocks ($220 value)
2. Diamond Racing Wheels - 14-5 wheel with lock ($175 value)
3. Diamond Racing Wheels - 17-6 wheel with lock ($215 value)
4. Top Flight Wings - nose wing with large side panels ($110 value)
5. Top Flight Wings - nose wing with large side panels ($110 value)
6. Bailey Racing Products - $200 gift certificate
7. Diversified Machine - wheel wrench ($90 value)
8. Fuel Safe - 28 gallon shell with plates ($310 value)
9. Fuel Safe - 28 gallon shell with plates ($310 value)
10. Smith Automotive - $250 gift certificate
11. Gerber Machine & Tool - Front axel ($200 value)
12. Gerber Machine & Tool - Radius rod tool ($100 value)
13. FK Bearings - complete set/heim ends ($235 value)
14. Griff's Engines - $200 gift certficate
15. Racing Optics Inc. - case 7202C ($125 value)
16. Racing Optics Inc. - case 7209C ($125 value)
17. Gressman Power Sports - $200 gift certificate)
18. Wilwood - Front brake assembly ($145 value)
19. Wilwood - Front brake assembly ($145 value)
20. Hank's Performance - set of radius rods ($85 value)

Also, besides the money given to the winning ticket in the Sandusky County Fair Board's 50/50 drawings each of the two nights, a second ticket will be drawn for a ride in Jack Hewitt's two-seat sprint car thanks to American Racer. Hewitt's two-seat sprint car will be at Fremont on Sunday, Sept. 8, with All Star drivers Chad Kemenah and Greg Wilson giving the rides beginning at noon. All proceeds will go to help Jack's family, as he recovers from severe injuries sustained in a sprint car crash.

The racing on the All Star weekend at Fremont should be exciting, as the three previous appearances in 2002 have produced three different winners. Four time All Star Champion Kenny Jacobs picked up career win #96 with the All Stars and his first ever All Star victory at Fremont on June 8. Then on July 2, on the third leg of the All Star Sprint Ohio Speedweek, Kelly Kinser picked up the checkered flag. Fremont Speedway's 2001 track champion and current point leader John Ivy scored the Speedweek win on Thursday, July 4.

There have been 10 different All Star winners at Fremont in the last 11 All Star appearances, dating back to 2000. John Ivy is the only repeat in that three-year span. Last year's two-day All Star extravaganza at Fremont produced new winners Mike Wagner of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Leipsic, Ohio's Butch Schroeder.

The weekend of racing marks the 70th and 71st appearances of the All Stars at "The Track That Action Built" since the first show on June 21, 1980 (won by Jack Hewitt).

Fremont Speedway is located four miles south of Ohio Turnpike Exit 91 (6) in the Sandusky County Fairgrounds. For more information call Jim Ford at 419-862-2206 or visit the Fremont Speedway website at www.fremontohspeedway.com.