Berlin Raceway Recap

Ross Meeuwsen clinches Late Model points title as Johnny Benson ears win at Berlin Raceway

Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press

MARNE -- Ross Meeuwsen of Zeeland looked to the past last spring when he needed a spark, and that’s when the Late Model standout started moving forward.

Meeuwsen clinched his third consecutive Berlin Raceway Late Model championship Saturday night after placing third in the 100-lap feature that was won by Johnny Benson Jr. of Grand Rapids.

Meeuwsen led Terry VanHaitsma by 22 points heading into Saturday’s action.

Meeuwsen set fast time, took third in a heat race and locked up the title with a top-five. VanHaitsma struggled Saturday -- he broke a fuel pump in qualifying and clocked in 15th, then placed ninth in the main.

“We had a difficult start to the year, but we went back to running what we ran last year,” Meeuwsen said. “We were down 65 points at one point, and after the third race, we just changed the car back to what we were racing last year, and that’s what turned it around for us.”

It is Meeuwsen’s fourth track championship overall since he also won a Super Stock title. He said the Late Model three-peat proved to be his biggest challenge.

“The third one is always the toughest,” Meeuwsen said. “Three is a bad number for anybody. It’s just like winning three races in a row. I have won two in a row and a lot of guys have won two in a row, but that third one is tough.”

Benson, who planned to run Berlin’s ASA Late Model race later Saturday evening at Berlin, grabbed the lead from Chris Anthony on a lap 70 restart, only to surrender it to Steve Needles on a lap 85 restart. However, Benson was able to get by Needles with eight laps to go.

“I got a little confused on (the lap 85) restart,” Benson said. “I thought the leader always had to go to the bottom. I will have to check the rule on that.

“Steve Needles was pretty good obviously. He got by me for the lead there. But I was able to get by him. Our stuff was really good in the long runs, just really bad in the short runs. It was a great race at Berlin, like always.”

Dave Lake won the Super Stock championship even though he was involved in a lap three accident in the feature that knocked him out of the race. Denny Anderson, who was second in points, took runner-up to Justin Regnerus in the 35-lap feature.

However, Lake was 78 points up on Anderson entering the race, and there was no way Anderson could catch him.

Dorr’s Brian Tillema wrapped up his fourth consecutive Pro Stock championship after winning the 30-lap feature, his track-high eighth win of the season. Tillema became the first Berlin driver to win four straight titles since Fred Campbell did so from 1979 through 1982.

“We have always felt bad the last three years because we came out on the last night and won the championship, but we didn’t win the race,” Tillema said. “It seemed like it defeated the purpose somewhat. This is the way you are supposed to win championships.”

Ryan Hamm of Norton Shores took third in the 20-lap 4 Cylinder a main, giving him the track title. Phil Speet outraced Chris McKinley for the win.

Rookie Dan Dells of Rockford clinched the 4 Cylinder B title after finishing seventh in the 20-lap feature. Tyler Nawrocki, who was chasing Dells for the title, won the race, but it wasn’t enough. Dells entered the program with a 122-point lead.