All Stars Ready For 7th Annual Jim Ford Classic At Fremont

FREMONT, Ohio – It won’t just be a race, it will be an EVENT. There will be a lot of fun activities along with the exciting races planned for the 7th Annual Jim Ford Classic featuring the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13.

The weekend is a tribute to the late Jim Ford, who brought racing back to the Sandusky County Fairgrounds in 2000.

It begins Friday, Sept. 12 on All Pro Cylinder Heads Night with the UNOH All Stars along with the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints and AAA Ohio Auto Club Dirt Trucks. Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing underway at 7 p.m.

There will be drivers meet-and-greet for the fans prior to the night’s racing featuring Sheldon Haudenschild, Jac Haudenschild, Caleb Griffith, Byron Reed, Dale Blaney, Tim Shaffer, Lee Jacobs, Danny Holtgraver and Chris Andrews. The drivers will be available from 4-4:45 p.m. under the covered grandstands and fans are encouraged to bring t-shirts, die casts photos or whatever they would like autographed.

Following the races the band Big Dead Toe will entertain.

The fun continues Saturday, Sept. 13 on JLH General Contractors Night with the UNOH All Stars battling for 50 laps for the $10,000 top prize. The 305 sprints and dirt trucks will also be in action. Again, gates open at 4 p.m. and racing is slated to start at 7 p.m. There is a rain date for this event of Sunday, Sept. 14.

The day begins in the campground area across the street from the race track with the Third Annual Kick-It fund-raiser for childhood cancer research. There are 15 teams entered and they are seeking donations for Kick-It online at www.kick-it.org (click on the “find a game” tab and type in Fremont Speedway). The games begin at 10 a.m.

There will be a silent auction throughout the morning and a live auction at 2:15 p.m. featuring lots of merchandise and services available for bid.

At 1 p.m. the Fremont Speedway Queen’s Contest will be held in the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame. Not only will the track’s 2015 queen be crowned by for the first time there will be a Lil Miss Fremont Speedway Contest. Fans are welcome to attend the event.

Following the races the band Octane will entertain fans.

Camping is available for $20 per night and there are over 200 sites available that have electric and water hook-ups.

As for the racing action, it should be a very exciting weekend as the UNOH All Stars make their 115th and 116th appearance at “The Track That Action Built.”

Last year, four time Fremont Speedway champion Byron Reed opened the Jim Ford Classic weekend with the win, his 10th career UNOH All Star victory. When the big money was on the line four-time All Star champion Dale Blaney took home the win on Saturday.

Blaney, the current series point leader, is having a phenomenal season. He has recorded 13 All Star wins this year. He has three wins at Fremont this year, two of which were All Star events. He has 16 career UNOH All Star wins at Fremont and 22 total feature wins at the track.

Another driver looking to continue a recent hot streak is Danny Holtgraver. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania driver has three UNOH All Star wins in 2014 and had solid weekend with the series at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway this past weekend and currently sits third in All Star national points and fourth in the series’ Ohio Region standings.

Whenever Jac Haudenschild hits the race track fans now they are in for a treat. The Wild Child has two All Star wins in 2014 and sits second in the series national standings and third in the Ohio Region points.

Four time UNOH All Star champion Tim Shaffer has eight career series wins at Fremont and 13 overall at the track. He recently scored his first series win of the year at Mercer Raceway Park.

Lee Jacobs is also have a banner year with two UNOH All Star wins. The Fremont Speedway track record holder is currently fifth in the All Star national points and second in the Ohio Region. He has four career wins at Fremont.

Another four time UNOH All Star champion, Chad Kemenah will look to add to his 11 career wins at Fremont and has had several top five runs this season at the track.

Cole Duncan has a win at Fremont in 2014 and sits 9th in the UNOH All Star national points and 8th in the Ohio Region standings.

Sheldon Haudenschild is also expected to compete at Fremont. He has an All Star victory in 2014 and sits 10th in the series national and Ohio Region points.

Of course the All Stars will face stiff competition from the Fremont weekly competitors. Reed, though winless at the track in 2014, has had very consistent top five finishes and currently leads the track’s point standings. He recently wrapped up his second Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica (FAST) Sprint Title championship.

Brian Lay has two wins at Fremont this season and currently sits second in the track’s points. Caleb Griffith, who scored his first UNOH All Star win this season at Fremont, has two victories at the track. A former track champion, Craig Mintz also has two wins at Fremont in 2014. Other winners include Dean Jacobs, Rob Chaney, Christopher Bell, James McFadden and Jamie Veal.

Other locals that could present a challenge to the UNOH All Stars include Chris Andrews, Brian Smith, D.J. Foos, Travis Philo, Stuart Brubaker, Gary Taylor, Cap Henry, Brandon Wimmer, Jody Keegan, Duane Zablocki, Broc Martin, Todd Heller and more.

For more information go to www.fremontohspeedway.com