Checkered Flags Feature

Checkered Flags: Lowell's Gary Vandermark gets best of track champ at I-96 Speedway
By Steve Kaminski |
The Grand Rapids Press


A reader e-mailed me last week and wondered why The Finish Line has decided to salute drivers this year instead of rank them.

Good question.

The new Checkered Flags feature enables The Finish Line to honor a different set of drivers every week. The rankings were a blast to do, but often, the same drivers popped up each week.

If you are saluted one week in Checkered Flags, you are not eligible the following week.

Don’t forget to e-mail stevekracer@aol.com with nominations. Five drivers will be honored each Wednesday.

Here are this week's honorees:

Chad Blonde, Litchfield
Butler Speedway opened its 2010 season Saturday, and Blonde was ready. The veteran open wheel driver grabbed the lead on lap 15 and went on to win the 25-lap winged sprint feature race.


Zack Olger, St. Johns
Olger won last weekend’s Late Model feature race at Mount Pleasant Speedway and took top honors in the Modified division. Olger is leading the Late Model point standings and is second in Modifieds.

Gary Vandermark, Lowell
The veteran driver took first in Saturday night’s Street Stock feature race at I-96 Speedway. Vandermark drove by defending track champion Aaron Wolf on the third lap and went on to win the 20-lap main.

Terry VanHaitsma, Hudsonville
VanHaitsma won Berlin Raceway’s Spring Classic 100 on Saturday in dominating fashion. VanHaitsma, who set fast time, pulled away on a lap 74 restart and crossed the finish line 11.8 seconds ahead of the field.

Alan Vochaska, South Haven
Vochaska won the Late Model feature race at Thunderbird Raceway on Friday night, then took the checkered flag Saturday at Hartford Motor Speedway. Vochaska is leading the Late Model points at Hartford and is second at Thunderbird.