Tim Shaffer Scores First All Star Sprint Victory Of 2020 During Attica Ambush Opener

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – ATTICA, OH – A name certainly synonymous with Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 competition, but left winless with the Series since February of 2019, the “Steel City Outlaw” Tim Shaffer proved to the open wheel world that he still has what it takes to be an All Star winner, breaking through during Attica Raceway Park’s Attica Ambush opener on Friday night for a $5,000 top prize.

Resulting in the 67th All Star Circuit of Champions victory of his illustrious career, the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania-native led all 40 circuits at the Attica short track to secure his trip to victory lane, withstanding early pressure from fellow sprint car veteran, Jac Haudenschild, before holding off Shane Stewart in the closing circuits. Shaffer is now an eight-time Series winner at Attica Raceway Park, officially tied with Frankie Kerr for second on the all-time Attica All Star win list.

“It’s been a while. I haven’t run with the Series steady, but we’re just out here building a team,” Tim Shaffer said in Attica Raceway Park victory lane, driver of the Canton Erectors, Grove Racing, No. 28 sprint car. “We can only run a limited schedule so we have to make it worthwhile when we do run. Hats off to my guys. Everybody has stepped up and here we are. These kids are getting harder and harder to beat.”

Inheriting a front row starting position after a false start by Cale Conley during the initial green, Shaffer drove on to gain the early advantage, leading Jac Haudenschild and Cale Conley by the flagstand for the first time. Searching around the speedway early, Shaffer found his rhythm within the first few circuits, eventually relying on the top of turns one and two and the bottom of turns three and four. Although in control the entire distance, traffic was never a factor for the former All Star Circuit of Champions titlist, as cautions on lap 10, 21 and 36 kept Shaffer in clean air.

Despite a few early attempts by Haudenschild to work by the Grove Racing No. 28, it was Bixby, Oklahoma’s Shane Stewart who challenged Shaffer late, putting himself in view of the lead after sneaking by the “Wild Child” at the exit of turn four on lap 18.

A caution on lap 36 for a troubled Cory Eliason, who was battling for a top-five spot at the time of the incident, gave Shane Stewart one final opportunity to gain the edge over Shaffer, but the “Steel City Outlaw” proved to be too strong with a clear track ahead.

“This is Attica,” Shaffer continued. “If you don’t move around, you’re going to get it handed to you. The track definitely changes throughout the night. I was hoping I was doing the right things.”

Stewart chased Shaffer to the final checkers, followed by Cale Thomas, Cale Conley and Paul McMahan. Although missing the top-five, Rico Abreu gained 16 positions to finish sixth.

What’s Next:
The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 will continue their Attica Ambush weekend on Saturday evening, September 5. The two-day finale will award a $10,000 top prize.

Contingency Awards/Results: Attica Raceway Park – September 4, 2020:
Event: Attica Ambush
Entries: 41
C&R Racing Warm-Ups: Cory Eliason – 12.866
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Paul McMahan – 12.820
Ford Performance Heat #1 Winner: Jac Haudenschild
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2 Winner: Cole Duncan
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3 Winner: Shane Stewart
Mobil 1 Heat #4 Winner: Tim Shaffer
Kistler Racing Products Heat #5 Winner: Trey Jacobs
Kear’s Speed Shop Dash #1 Winner: Cale Conley
Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts Dash #2 Winner: Jac Haudenschild
Classic Ink USA Screenprinting & Embroidery B-Main Winner: Cole Macedo
Rayce Rudeen Foundation First Non-Transfer: John Ivy
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet A-Main Winner: Tim Shaffer
Hercules Tire A-Main Hard Charger: Rico Abreu (+16)

Qualifying

Group (A)
1. 11-Zeb Wise, 12.826; 2. 97-Max Stambaugh, 12.863; 3. 35-Stuart Brubaker, 12.908; 4. 3-Jac Haudenschild, 12.925; 5. 16-DJ Foos, 12.941; 6. 5R-Byron Reed, 13.081; 7. 27Z-Zane DeVault, 13.177; 8. 4S-Tyler Street, 13.293; 9. 27-Keith Sheffer, 13.297

Group (B)
1. 4-Cap Henry, 12.907; 2. 15k-Chad Kemenah, 13.011; 3. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.018; 4. 22-Cole Duncan, 13.033; 5. 99-Skylar Gee, 13.086; 6. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 13.242; 7. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.287; 8. 77I-John Ivy, 13.326

Group (C)
1. 3C-Cale Conley, 12.826; 2. 71-Shane Stewart, 13.122; 3. 9Z-Duane Zablocki, 13.252; 4. 70M-Henry Malcuit, 13.357; 5. 19R-Jordan Ryan, 13.369; 6. 33W-Caleb Griffith, 13.442; 7. 20-Daniel Burkhart, 14.013; 8. 88N-Frank Neill, 14.146

Group (D)
1. 13-Paul McMahan, 12.820; 2. 23-Cole Macedo, 12.886; 3. 70-Cale Thomas, 12.889; 4. 28-Tim Shaffer, 13.161; 5. 8M-TJ Michael, 13.286; 6. 55m-McKenna Haase, 13.341; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.363; 8. 4T-Josh Turner, 13.756

Group (E)
1. 26-Cory Eliason, 12.899; 2. 17-Ian Madsen, 12.989; 3. O9-Craig Mintz, 13.078; 4. 3J-Trey Jacobs, 13.189; 5. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.220; 6. 21N-Frankie Nervo, 13.330; 7. 11N-DJ Netto, 13.526; 8. 5T-Travis Philo, 99.580

Heat #1 – Group (A) (10 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 3-Jac Haudenschild [1]; 2. 35-Stuart Brubaker [2]; 3. 97-Max Stambaugh [3]; 4. 11-Zeb Wise [4]; 5. 16-DJ Foos [5]; 6. 5R-Byron Reed [6]; 7. 27Z-Zane DeVault [7]; 8. 4S-Tyler Street [8]; 9. 27-Keith Sheffer [9]

Heat #2 – Group (B) (10 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 22-Cole Duncan [1]; 2. 4-Cap Henry [4]; 3. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [2]; 4. 99-Skylar Gee [5]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [7]; 6. 77I-John Ivy [8]; 7. 49D-Shawn Dancer [6]; 8. 15K-Chad Kemenah [3]

Heat #3 – Group (C) (10 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 71-Shane Stewart [3]; 2. 9Z-Duane Zablocki [2]; 3. 3C-Cale Conley [4]; 4. 33W-Caleb Griffith [6]; 5. 19R-Jordan Ryan [5]; 6. 70M-Henry Malcuit [1]; 7. 20-Daniel Burkhart [7]; 8. 88N-Frank Neill [8]

Heat #4 – Group (D) (10 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 28-Tim Shaffer [1]; 2. 70-Cale Thomas [2]; 3. 13-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7]; 5. 8M-TJ Michael [5]; 6. 4T-Josh Turner [8]; 7. 55M-McKenna Haase [6]; 8. 23-Cole Macedo [3]

Heat #5 – Group (E) (10 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 3J-Trey Jacobs [1]; 2. 17-Ian Madsen [3]; 3. 26-Cory Eliason [4]; 4. O9-Craig Mintz [2]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 6. 5T-Travis Philo [8]; 7. 11N-DJ Netto [7]; 8. 21N-Frankie Nervo [6]

Dash #1 (4 Laps)
1. 3C-Cale Conley [2]; 2. 28-Tim Shaffer [4]; 3. 26-Cory Eliason [3]; 4. 70-Cale Thomas [6]; 5. 13-Paul McMahan [5]; 6. 11-Zeb Wise [1]

Dash #2 (4 Laps)
1. 3-Jac Haudenschild [1]; 2. 3J-Trey Jacobs [2]; 3. 97-Max Stambaugh [3]; 4. 71-Shane Stewart [4]; 5. 4-Cap Henry [6]; 6. 22-Cole Duncan [5]

B-Main (12 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 23-Cole Macedo [1]; 2. 16-DJ Foos [2]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 4. 8M-TJ Michael [4]; 5. 77I-John Ivy [8]; 6. 5R-Byron Reed [7]; 7. 19R-Jordan Ryan [6]; 8. 5T-Travis Philo [11]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 10. 27Z-Zane DeVault [12]; 11. 55M-McKenna Haase [14]; 12. 4S-Tyler Street [18]; 13. 49D-Shawn Dancer [13]; 14. 11N-DJ Netto [15]; 15. 27-Keith Sheffer [21]; 16. 21N-Frankie Nervo [19]; 17. 88N-Frank Neill [20]; 18. 4T-Josh Turner [10]; 19. 20-Daniel Burkhart [16]

A-Main (40 Laps)
1. 28-Tim Shaffer [3]; 2. 71-Shane Stewart [8]; 3. 70-Cale Thomas [7]; 4. 3C-Cale Conley [1]; 5. 13-Paul McMahan [9]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [22]; 7. 3-Jac Haudenschild [2]; 8. 17-Ian Madsen [14]; 9. 22-Cole Duncan [11]; 10. 8M-TJ Michael [24]; 11. 4-Cap Henry [12]; 12. O9-Craig Mintz [17]; 13. 99-Skylar Gee [18]; 14. 11-Zeb Wise [10]; 15. 16-DJ Foos [21]; 16. 87-Aaron Reutzel [19]; 17. 35-Stuart Brubaker [13]; 18. 97-Max Stambaugh [6]; 19. 26-Cory Eliason [5]; 20. 3J-Trey Jacobs [4]; 21. 33W-Caleb Griffith [20]; 22. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [16]; 23. 23-Cole Macedo [23]; 24. 9Z-Duane Zablocki [15] Lap Leaders: Tim Shaffer (1-40)