Jewett Wins in Dramatic Fashion at Berlin Raceway

Weston Jewett wins in dramatic fashion at Berlin Raceway, extends lead in Pro Stock standings

Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press

MARNE -- Berlin Raceway Pro Stock points leader Weston Jewett of Grand Rapids talked about how badly he wants to win a track championship after capturing Saturday night’s 30-lap feature race.

Jewett, who entered the program leading two-time defending champion Brian Tillema by 64 points, said he always has an eye on Tillema.

“Every Saturday, I’m looking to see where he is finishing in heat races and where I’m finishing in heat races, where he’s qualifying and where I’m qualifying,” Jewett said.

A funny thing happened during the final five laps Saturday, however. Jewett said points were the last thing on his mind.

Jewett held off Tillema by 0.067 of a second to win one of the season’s most dramatic races. Tillema took the lead from Ryan Gruppen on lap 15 and continued to lead until Jewett nipped him at the stripe.

Jewett pulled even with Tillema on lap 25, and the two continued to race around the Marne half-mile door to door during the final five laps. Tillema was able to hold a slight edge until Jewett launched a run on him coming out of the final turn.

“That car will not take any more than what I’m giving it,” Jewett said. “If it can then I’m not doing something right. I was pushing it 110 percent the last five laps of that race.


RACING AT BERLIN
Saturday’s winners: Brian Wiersma (Super Stocks), Weston Jewett (Pro Stocks), Brian Bergakker (Modifieds)

Did you hear that? You’re killing me. You’re killing me. He is going to give me a heart attack," Greg Jewett to son Weston in Victory Lane after the younger Jewett edged Brian Tillema in the 30-lap Pro Stock main.

Did you see that? Clio’s Trevor Berry, 17, qualified third and finished third in Modified action in his Berlin debut. Berry is racing the first Modified built by Port City Racing of Muskegon.

Berlin headache award: Bob Bliss of Dorr blew a tire on the opening lap of the Super Stock feature and crashed hard. He climbed out of his car to a huge ovation.

Up next: Berlin is hosting a two-day program in conjunction with the 155th Berlin Fair. Qualifying and heat races are Friday, and racing is Saturday.
“I was just thinking about winning. All I cared about was winning and not hitting him.”

It was Jewett’s fifth victory of the season. He started seventh in the 22-car field and worked his way into second with 10 laps to go when the race was briefly red flagged. Jewett stuck with Tillema when the race went green.

“I knew with the restart, when there was 10 to go, I had to get him as soon as I could. Otherwise, I knew he was going to take off,” Jewett said. “He got a really good start. Luckily, my tires were good for the first couple of laps, and then I got back underneath him. I was trying the high side and I wasn’t getting good enough runs. So I went underneath him.

“Brian is the best guy in the world to race against. We race each other as hard as we can, but we are still friends off the track.”

Saturday’s 50-lap Super Stock feature proved equally dramatic as five-time Berlin track champion Brian Wiersma held off Chris Koslek by 0.220 of a second, giving Wiersma his first win of the season.

Wiersma led from the start, but Koslek dogged him over the final 20 laps, with Wiersma running the high groove and Koslek challenging low.

Brian Bergakker of Lowell won the 40-lap Modified feature. Bergakker, who leads the points standings, beat Billy Shotko by 1.3 seconds.