by Jacob Hord, @HordRaceWatcher
Once the dust settled on the 410 feature, it was time for the NRA Sprint Invader 360’s and AFCS 305’s to put on a show.
Westbrook Invades Attica, Holds off Dussel for First Attica Win.
It was Nate Dussel and Dylan Westbrook who took the NRA field to the green flag on their 25 lap feature event, with Dussel taking the early advantage. The race would be between these two for most of the race, but Danny Sams did make it interesting late. It didn’t take long for Westbrook, of Hill’s Racing Team, to track down Dussel.
Westbrook was on Dussel’s tail by lap four. The next lap, Westbrook made his move, but Dussel blocked. Not to be denied, Westbrook then crossed under Dussel and claimed the top spot. Westbrook started to pull away from Dussel as he reached lapped traffic on lap seven.
Westbrook found himself mired in heavy traffic, but Dussel was facing the same difficulty, plus some, and couldn’t close in on the leader. At the halfway point, the red came out for Mike Keegan, who was tipped over on his side in turns three and four. This put Dussel back on Westbrook’s tail, but gave Westbrook a clear track in front of him. This situation usually favors the leader, but Dussel was able to stay right on Westbrook’s tail.
This also put the aforementioned Danny Sams back with the leaders, and he was all over Dussel for second. Dussel was able to fend off Sams for the time being, and was also able to keep Westbrook from scooting away. By lap 20, Dussel was there for the lead. Dussel was hounding Westbrook on lap 22, when Dussel and Sams came together in turns three and four, sending Sams for a spin, while Dussel was able to continue.
There were two more restarts before the checkers flew, and both times, Westbrook was able to hold off Dussel. This was Westbrook’s first career win in his first try at Attica Raceway Park.
“I thought I would’ve been alright [after passing for the lead], the car felt good, I was running where I needed to be, but right before the caution came out, I saw Dussel poke his nose under me, so I knew I had to move down a little bit,” Westbrook said.
“I felt like we were the class of the field, him and I,” runner-up Dussel said about himself and Westbrook. “About two laps in, I lost a contact so I really couldn’t get myself to run the top because I couldn’t see it that well. I started to move up in three and four and really started to pick up on him before I jumped the cushion and brought that caution out. I was fixing to dice it up with him. I had a couple of good restarts where I thought I could get up alongside of him, but they didn’t make it more than a lap before a caution would come out. That last one, he got a pretty good start and I couldn’t get close enough to even do anything with him.”
Miller Gets by Sebetto Late, Now Two-For-Two in ‘22
After a flip marred the original start of the 25 lap AFCS 305 feature, it was Logan Riehl who held the early race lead over Bryan Sebetto, and Bryce Lucius. A yellow on lap 11 bunched everyone back up, with Riehl, Sebetto, Lucius, Jamie Miller, and Matt Foos as your top five.
On the restart, Sebetto, fresh out of retirement, slid Riehl for the lead, but Riehl held onto the top spot as a slew of cars turned turns three and four into a parking lot. Riehl bobbled on the ensuing restart, allowing Sebetto to take the lead with Miller in tow. At the halfway point, Miller was all over Sebetto for the lead as the yellow flag flew again.
Sebetto held onto the lead after the restart, but Miller was always right there. On lap 16, Miller threw a slider at Sebetto in turns three and four, but Sebetto held his ground. It took Miller until lap 19 before he could make a move stick on Sebetto. Miller was running his normal top line, but Sebetto was staying close on the bottom as they approached lapped traffic.
Miller powered around multiple cars coming down the front stretch on lap 22 to put the race out of reach for Sebetto. Miller went on to win his second race of the year at Attica handily over Sebetto and Paul Weaver.