Cole Duncan knew track position was going to be everything Saturday on a very slick Fremont Speedway for the 15th annual Jim and Joanne Ford Classic, with the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions.
The Circleville driver piloted the Sam McGhee Motorsports No. 11 to a dash win that put him on the pole of the shortened 30 lap A main, and other than a couple of challenges in heavy lapped traffic, he scored the $10,000 payday to close out the All Star’s season on Great Lakes Truck Center Night.
By taking the green in hot laps, Tyler Courtney wrapped up his second consecutive All Star title and the $80,000 award. He won Friday at Fremont.
It was the second big payday with the All Stars this season for Duncan, who earned a $15,000 win at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe. It was his eighth career series win and the seventh victory of his career at Fremont.
He became the third driver to take the Mike McGhee and Associates/XYZ Machining, Lind’s United Auto Glass, Townline Variety, FK Rod Ends, Champion Oil backed machine to a win, joining Parker Price Miller and Anthony Macri.
Duncan built a sizeable lead, until heavy lapped traffic came into play by Lap 10. The first caution flew with just four laps to go, giving Duncan a clear track.
Other than a caution with two laps to go, Duncan utilized the clear track and clean air to drive to the win over Travis Philo, Kyle Reinhardt, who used the last caution to muscle his way to the podium finish, Cole Macedo and Zeb Wise.
“When the track gets like that we were lucky enough to draw the outside of the front row for the dash and it was my job to get a good start and I didn’t want to let these guys down,” Duncan said. “Just so thankful for the opportunity.
“We had a rough patch through the middle of the year and you almost feel like you are washed up, you can’t do anything right. It was a breath of fresh air to come and just be a driver. I love driving my family car and putting in the work on it, but it was really nice and relaxing to just come and drive and we were good from the time we unloaded.”
Philo also finished second to Duncan in a big money race at Atomic earlier this year.
“I had a couple of runs there going into three where I probably could have pushed the issue and that’s generally how I race,” Philo said. “Cole and I race pretty good together. We’ve been doing this for a long time now. Congrats to Cole.”
The Fremont Federal Credit Union 305s were split into odds and evens by track points to run a pair of 20-lap features. In the first A-main, Tyler Shullick led the first 17 laps, but it was sixth starter and track champion Paul Weaver who utilized the middle of the track to take the lead and drive to his seventh win of the year at Fremont.
It was the 71st win of Weaver’s career at the track, placing him third all-time.
“You just have to be smart and not spin your tires,” he said. “Everyone was on the bottom and I just went up a groove.”
Dustin Stroup was first in the other group.
“We just had a miserable year and I don’t know why,” he said. “Last year, we won five features here and all we did was freshen the motor during the offseason. I can’t thank Jimmy and Courtney McGrath enough for putting me in this car.”
Speedway closes its season Friday, with the Stock-Tober special featuring dirt trucks taking on Oakshade Raceway stock cars.
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