Victory keeps Denny Anderson in contention for Super Stocks title at Berlin Raceway

Victory keeps Denny Anderson in contention for Super Stocks title at Berlin Raceway

Steve Ungrey
The Grand Rapids Press

MARNE -- Denny Anderson has been in Victory Lane seven times over the past two years, but the Berlin Raceway veteran hadn’t made it there yet this season.

That changed Saturday, and the Walker driver also is on a path toward fulfilling a goal 25 years in the making.

Anderson, who last captured a points championship in 1985 as a member of the now-defunct Sportsman class, captured his first victory since Sept. 19 of last year when he defeated Dave Lake and Andrew Nylaan in Saturday’s Super Stocks 30-lap feature.

Because Lake finished in second, he likely kept the points lead over Anderson, which was a slim seven-point margin as of Saturday. Updated points standings will be available Tuesday.

Anderson, who finished second in Super Stocks in 2008 and sixth in 2009, has come close to titles before in the past two seasons, and he may yet fall short this year. If he does, Anderson still is appreciative of being in the chase.

“If it happens, it happens,” Anderson said. “I’m really not a points racer, but if we end up walking away from this season with a championship that would be cool.”

After an opening-lap accident that took out three drivers (Kelsey Steele, Travis Nylaan and Ray VanAllsburg), the race resumed and Anderson took the lead, only to lose it to Lake on the eighth lap.

Anderson got his chance just after the midway point. On a stretch where the drivers were three-wide across the track, he vaulted ahead of Lake and Andrew Nylaan and didn’t look back.

“The top three guys all finished 1-2-3 tonight so it might not do anything,” Anderson said of his chances to vault into first place. “I’ve got to thank my crew. We crashed this car last week pretty hard and we’ve worked hard on it to get it ready."

Anderson crashed his car off the backstretch near the end of last week's 75-lap feature.

“In the race I had a pretty good bite on the high side," Anderson said. "The car did a good job and I had a shot at passing so I took it.”

Anderson, a winner of more than 100 races in his 30-year dirt and pavement racing career, will have three more chances to gain in the standings. Races are scheduled in Super Stocks for each of the remaining three nights on the schedule, each one 30 laps.

Here's a roundup of weekend winners from around West Michigan and the state:

BERLIN RACEWAY
•Late Models: Chris Anthony
•Super Stocks: Denny Anderson
•Pro Stocks: Brandon Hermiller
•4 Cylinders A: Ryan Hamm
•4 Cylinders B: Tim Stuart

CRYSTAL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Justin McNeil
•Modifieds: Joe Fowler
•Pro Trucks: Aaron Raby
•Pro Stocks: Chaney Newland
•Street Stocks: Mike Vandermark Jr.
•Flinn Stocks: Taylor Daniels

I-96 SPEEDWAY
•American Late Model Series: Brian Ruhlman
•Modifieds: Zack Olger
•Street Stocks: Gary Vandermark
•4 Cylinders: Paul Namey

KALAMAZOO SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Rick Sexton
•Modifieds: Ben Raber
•Super Stocks: Jamison Russell
•Pro Stocks: Tyler Hufford
•Cyber Stocks: T.C. Burgess

THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY
•Late Models: Alan Vochaska
•Modifieds: Jacob Poel
•Bombers: Robbie Sternberg
•Thunder Stocks: Bruce Norwick
•Street Stocks: Derek Poland
•4 Cylinders: Mark Farber
•Warriors: Christian Wynbelt

U.S. 131 MOTORSPORTS PARK
•Top ET: Rusty Baad
•Modifieds: Jason Kiefer
•Street: Steve Riley
•Advanced Junior Dragsters: Adam Walters
•Beginner Junior Dragsters: Colin Conner

WEST MICHIGAN SAND DRAGWAY
•Pro 1: Dave DeLoof
•Pro ATV: Brian McWethy
•Quick ATV: Matt Ewing
•Sportsman 1: Tara Weaver
•Sportsman 2: Chad De Wys
•ATV: Matt Ewing
•Junior ATV: Brittany Ranger
•Junior Dragster: Makayla Beld
•Mighty Midgets: Josh Ranmacher

WINSTON SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Jeep VanWormer
•Street Stocks: Dan Dykman
•Factory Stocks: Jeremy Lange
•Warriors: Paul Namey
•Young Guns: Ben Welch

AROUND THE STATE

DIXIE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

•ASA Late Model Northern Series: Erik Jones
•Pro Late Models: Tony Hoose
•Pro Stocks: Don Riley
•Street Stocks: Jake Caverly

HARTFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Alan Vochaska
•Modifieds: Frank Marshall
•Pure Stocks: Randy Simmons
•Stock Cars: Lee Price

OWOSSO SPEEDWAY
•Pro Late Models: Mark Welch
•Pro Stocks: Jim Severn
•Pure Stocks: Kevin Adkins
•Sport Stocks: Billy Luckhurst

SPARTAN SPEEDWAY
•Sprints: Tom Fedewa
•Modifieds: Travis Eddy
•Pure Stocks: Ben Hidy
•Pony Stocks: Wayne Beckner Jr.

SPRINGPORT SPEEDWAY
•VROA: Samantha Jansen
•Pony Stocks: J.T. Leach
•Stock Cars: Mike Ammerman