Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, the Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway came back to racing life Monday, as the University of Northwest Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Speedweek presented by RacingJunk.com helped the track reopen from a devastating April fire. A capacity crowd, 50 O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champion Sprints and 30 super late models jammed the pits Monday for the 12th Annual Pete Jacobs Memorial event.
Shane Stewart drove the Junior Holbrook/Larry Wood owned #8h to the $5,000 victory in the second night of the 25th Annual Ohio Speedweek.
“I’m glad we started up front… it was hard to pass out there tonight, ” said Stewart as he gazed at his bald right rear tire. “Larry and Junior decided to run a little harder tire and that made the difference. I was just trying to keep the car as straight as I could and not burn off the tires. ” Stewart and Byron Reed led the field to the green, with everyone maneuvering to get to the bottom of the track. Stewart would grab the lead - one he would never relinquish - with Reed, local hero Kenny Jacobs (his grandfather Pete build the Wayne County speedplant), defending Speedweek champion Dale Blaney and current All Star point leader Danny Smith in tow. Reed would exit on lap 16 with mechanical woes, putting Blaney, Sunday night’s winner, right on Stewart’s rear bumper.
The third place battle between Jacobs and Smith would heat up on lap 21, but it wouldn’t last long, as Jacobs would stop two circuits later with a flat right rear tire. That made the running order Stewart, Blaney, Smith, 8th-place-starter Dean Jacobs, and 15-place-starter Lance Dewease.
After another quick yellow for a Ryan Grubaugh spin a lap later, Stewart would set sail with a clear track. He would go on to take his second All Star win of the 2007 season - having one in May at Eldora Speedway - aboard the Mideast Machinery Movers sprinter over Blaney, Smith, Dean Jacobs and Dewease.
Donnie Moran would take the checkers in the late model feature.
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