Warriors: #84 Rich Lieb (#9 Nick Curtis refused Claim)
Thundercars: #28 Duane TenBrink
Street Stock:(Claude Rainbolt Memorial $500) #96 Mike Lynn
Modifieds: #82 Jacob Poel
Mini Stock: #6 Mark Farber
MORA Modifieds: #11 Doug Roush
Bombers: #72 Bill May
Late Model: #34 Alan Vochaska (4th Feature win in a row)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Winston Speedway Winners Circle: June 18th
Late Models: #21 Tom Sprague Jr
Modified: #27 John McCaul
Modified Make Up Feature: #1 Andy Sprague
Street Stock: #13 Derek Poland
Bombers: #02 Jeremy Lange
Mini Stocks: #6 Mark Farber
Make up Mini Stock Feature: #33 Cody Moorman
Warriors: #7 Ryan Hamm
Young Gun Warriors: #34 Sean Sobers
96 Total Cars
Modified: #27 John McCaul
Modified Make Up Feature: #1 Andy Sprague
Street Stock: #13 Derek Poland
Bombers: #02 Jeremy Lange
Mini Stocks: #6 Mark Farber
Make up Mini Stock Feature: #33 Cody Moorman
Warriors: #7 Ryan Hamm
Young Gun Warriors: #34 Sean Sobers
96 Total Cars
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wait worth it as Kyle Busch drives to Rowdy's Revenge 251 win at Berlin Raceway
Wait worth it as Kyle Busch drives to Rowdy's Revenge 251 win at Berlin Raceway
Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press
MARNE -- Kyle Busch was out of clean clothes by the time he hopped on his plane Wednesday night in Grand Rapids and headed to California.
However, Busch did have a shiny new trophy to take with him, along with $20,000 after winning the Rowdy’s Revenge 251 at Berlin Raceway.
Busch, who is second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings, held off a pair of second-generation racing teenagers, Chase Elliott and Ross Kenseth, for his first victory at the Berlin half-mile. Busch took the lead for good on lap 150, then survived a caution-filled finish in which the yellow waved four times during the final 18 laps.
The race originally was scheduled for Tuesday, but action was rained out. Busch returned for the CRA Super Series sanctioned race in his No. 51 template body Late Model.
“You guys are awesome, thanks so much for coming out,” Busch said after climbing out of his car in Victory Lane. “I appreciate the support of the Berlin Raceway for the Rowdy’s Revenge 251. Keep telling your friends to keep coming out.”
Busch, 25, of Las Vegas, will compete in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. He spent Wednesday hanging out in Grand Rapids with his fiancee, Samantha Sarcinella, before heading to the track.
“Kyle definitely wanted to stay,” Sarcinella said. “The fans were all here and he wanted to stay and put on a show for them. We called our friends in North Carolina and told them to go pack us up some stuff. He has been gone for a week-and-a-half, and I have been gone for two weeks, and we are officially out of clothes.
“This is his favorite thing to do. He loves racing Late Models at the local short tracks. He loves this stuff. He would be doing it every week if he could.”
Elliott, 14, started eighth and dominated the first half of the race in his first Berlin appearance. Elliott, the son of 1988 Cup champion Bill Elliott, was out in front on lap 125 when the mandatory caution dropped. That gave drivers an opportunity to take their cars to the pits for their crews to work on while the 50-lap Modified feature was run.
“The first half don’t mean nothing, obviously,” Elliott said. “We were just trying to get a feel for what was going to happen in the second half. We just got beat there. We didn’t need those cautions at the end, but that’s the way it goes. It was a good night for us.”
Sprint Cup regular A.J. Allmendinger is glad he stuck around, too. Allmendinger won the Modified main, passing Mike Brooks with 20 laps to go and holding off Brian Bergakker for the win.
“I was just hoping that Kyle stayed because he is my ride home,” Allmendinger said. “(Car owner) Jeff (Striegle) didn’t have to ask me to stay. It was up to Kyle. If he stayed, I could stay. If not, I was going to have to go home. I have to thank Kyle for letting me hop on his plane. We are going to head to Sonoma tonight.”
Wednesday’s program drew about 5,000 spectators, and fans including Tracey and Tom Ziolkowski of Huntley, Ill., were glad they returned. Their daughter, Lexie Ziolkowski, 14, roots for Busch, and they attended Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, then headed over to Marne.
The Ziolkowskis had to check out of their hotel in Holland by noon, so they arrived at Berlin around 1 p.m. and hung out for 6 hours, waiting for the race to start.
“My daughter is a huge, huge Kyle Busch fan, and that was the main draw, but we really love small tracks,” Tracey said. “We try to get to one each year, and we picked this one. We have never been here before, but it won’t be our last visit."
Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press
MARNE -- Kyle Busch was out of clean clothes by the time he hopped on his plane Wednesday night in Grand Rapids and headed to California.
However, Busch did have a shiny new trophy to take with him, along with $20,000 after winning the Rowdy’s Revenge 251 at Berlin Raceway.
Busch, who is second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings, held off a pair of second-generation racing teenagers, Chase Elliott and Ross Kenseth, for his first victory at the Berlin half-mile. Busch took the lead for good on lap 150, then survived a caution-filled finish in which the yellow waved four times during the final 18 laps.
The race originally was scheduled for Tuesday, but action was rained out. Busch returned for the CRA Super Series sanctioned race in his No. 51 template body Late Model.
“You guys are awesome, thanks so much for coming out,” Busch said after climbing out of his car in Victory Lane. “I appreciate the support of the Berlin Raceway for the Rowdy’s Revenge 251. Keep telling your friends to keep coming out.”
Busch, 25, of Las Vegas, will compete in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. He spent Wednesday hanging out in Grand Rapids with his fiancee, Samantha Sarcinella, before heading to the track.
“Kyle definitely wanted to stay,” Sarcinella said. “The fans were all here and he wanted to stay and put on a show for them. We called our friends in North Carolina and told them to go pack us up some stuff. He has been gone for a week-and-a-half, and I have been gone for two weeks, and we are officially out of clothes.
“This is his favorite thing to do. He loves racing Late Models at the local short tracks. He loves this stuff. He would be doing it every week if he could.”
Elliott, 14, started eighth and dominated the first half of the race in his first Berlin appearance. Elliott, the son of 1988 Cup champion Bill Elliott, was out in front on lap 125 when the mandatory caution dropped. That gave drivers an opportunity to take their cars to the pits for their crews to work on while the 50-lap Modified feature was run.
“The first half don’t mean nothing, obviously,” Elliott said. “We were just trying to get a feel for what was going to happen in the second half. We just got beat there. We didn’t need those cautions at the end, but that’s the way it goes. It was a good night for us.”
Sprint Cup regular A.J. Allmendinger is glad he stuck around, too. Allmendinger won the Modified main, passing Mike Brooks with 20 laps to go and holding off Brian Bergakker for the win.
“I was just hoping that Kyle stayed because he is my ride home,” Allmendinger said. “(Car owner) Jeff (Striegle) didn’t have to ask me to stay. It was up to Kyle. If he stayed, I could stay. If not, I was going to have to go home. I have to thank Kyle for letting me hop on his plane. We are going to head to Sonoma tonight.”
Wednesday’s program drew about 5,000 spectators, and fans including Tracey and Tom Ziolkowski of Huntley, Ill., were glad they returned. Their daughter, Lexie Ziolkowski, 14, roots for Busch, and they attended Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, then headed over to Marne.
The Ziolkowskis had to check out of their hotel in Holland by noon, so they arrived at Berlin around 1 p.m. and hung out for 6 hours, waiting for the race to start.
“My daughter is a huge, huge Kyle Busch fan, and that was the main draw, but we really love small tracks,” Tracey said. “We try to get to one each year, and we picked this one. We have never been here before, but it won’t be our last visit."
Sprint Cup driver A.J. Allmendinger claims Modified win at Berlin Raceway
Sprint Cup driver A.J. Allmendinger claims Modified win at Berlin Raceway
Steve Ungrey
The Grand Rapids Press
Follow Share this story
Story tools
MARNE -- Jeff Striegle hoped to sneak up behind A.J. Allmendinger with a victory shower of Mountain Dew.
The Byron Center resident quickly found out Allmendingeris just as fast off the track as he is on it.
Allmendinger turned around while standing in Victory Lane and quickly overpowered Striegle, giving the car owner his own soda bath.
“I was going to pour it over his head, but he had the pleasure instead. I’ll take a Mountain Dew shower if it means bringing a driver like A.J. in to race," Striegle said. "I’m just glad he had the opportunity to race here at Berlin.”
Striegle, track announcer Norm Jelsma and local car builder Mike Bursley teamed up to place a car in this year’s Berlin Modified Series, which is new to the speedway.
“Two years ago, Jeff brought some Make-A-Wish kids to the track and the kids came through the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital,” Jelsma said. “We decided if we could make a difference and be a diversion for the kids, then that’s what we wanted to do. Putting Mike at the helm of building this car was the best decision we ever made.”
Allmendinger, who finished 24th in last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, won the Modified 50-lap race by .448 seconds over Brian Bergakker and 1.75 seconds over Mike Brooks.
Not a bad finish for someone who was making his first appearance at the track.
Allmendinger’s previous experience with Berlin came via a video game, an ARCA track simulator that Allmendinger has played several times.
“It’s awesome,” Allmendingersaid when addressing the crowd after his win. “I’m excited to do so well and I’m grateful for the life that I live, and I’m just happy to be here.”
Jelsma and Striegle were happy to have Allmendinger in the car, especially since it resulted in a first-place finish and more recognition for the children’s program.
“He’s a class guy and I’m just glad we were able to have him here the extra day to come back and race,” said Striegle, who covers NASCAR for the Motor Racing Network.
“We felt very strongly about working with DeVos and it’s been a great program. He was able to work out a deal with Kyle Busch to fly back on his plane. We thought someone else would have to go in the car, but we were happy to have A.J. be a part of this.”
Jelsma has been involved with Berlin for more than 25 years, and this may rank among the most satisfying races he has called to date.
“A.J. is a talented driver. He got out of the trailer and put that car out there almost as fast as Mike has done it,” Jelsma said.
“Mike and Fred Campbell gave us a lot of help with A.J. He isn’t a short-track guy and he ended up doing so well. It’s certainly a lot of fun. We probably put more pressure on A.J. We told him Mike puts this car in Victory Lane, and you’d better do it, too."
Steve Ungrey
The Grand Rapids Press
Follow Share this story
Story tools
MARNE -- Jeff Striegle hoped to sneak up behind A.J. Allmendinger with a victory shower of Mountain Dew.
The Byron Center resident quickly found out Allmendingeris just as fast off the track as he is on it.
Allmendinger turned around while standing in Victory Lane and quickly overpowered Striegle, giving the car owner his own soda bath.
“I was going to pour it over his head, but he had the pleasure instead. I’ll take a Mountain Dew shower if it means bringing a driver like A.J. in to race," Striegle said. "I’m just glad he had the opportunity to race here at Berlin.”
Striegle, track announcer Norm Jelsma and local car builder Mike Bursley teamed up to place a car in this year’s Berlin Modified Series, which is new to the speedway.
“Two years ago, Jeff brought some Make-A-Wish kids to the track and the kids came through the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital,” Jelsma said. “We decided if we could make a difference and be a diversion for the kids, then that’s what we wanted to do. Putting Mike at the helm of building this car was the best decision we ever made.”
Allmendinger, who finished 24th in last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, won the Modified 50-lap race by .448 seconds over Brian Bergakker and 1.75 seconds over Mike Brooks.
Not a bad finish for someone who was making his first appearance at the track.
Allmendinger’s previous experience with Berlin came via a video game, an ARCA track simulator that Allmendinger has played several times.
“It’s awesome,” Allmendingersaid when addressing the crowd after his win. “I’m excited to do so well and I’m grateful for the life that I live, and I’m just happy to be here.”
Jelsma and Striegle were happy to have Allmendinger in the car, especially since it resulted in a first-place finish and more recognition for the children’s program.
“He’s a class guy and I’m just glad we were able to have him here the extra day to come back and race,” said Striegle, who covers NASCAR for the Motor Racing Network.
“We felt very strongly about working with DeVos and it’s been a great program. He was able to work out a deal with Kyle Busch to fly back on his plane. We thought someone else would have to go in the car, but we were happy to have A.J. be a part of this.”
Jelsma has been involved with Berlin for more than 25 years, and this may rank among the most satisfying races he has called to date.
“A.J. is a talented driver. He got out of the trailer and put that car out there almost as fast as Mike has done it,” Jelsma said.
“Mike and Fred Campbell gave us a lot of help with A.J. He isn’t a short-track guy and he ended up doing so well. It’s certainly a lot of fun. We probably put more pressure on A.J. We told him Mike puts this car in Victory Lane, and you’d better do it, too."
NASCAR Star Kyle Busch wins the Rowdy's Revenge 251 at Berlin Raceway
NASCAR Star Kyle Busch wins the Rowdy's Revenge 251 at Berlin Raceway
A.J. Allmendinger victorious in Modified race
Marne, MI- The Berlin Raceway hosted the second-annual, Rowdy's Revenge event on Wednesday night, June 16. After a rainout on Tuesday, all the big names including Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Chase Elliott and Ross Kenseth returned for the biggest night in the track's 60 year history.
The CRA Super Series last chance race was the first event of the night. These cars did not make the race by their qualifying times, thus they had to race their way in to the show; the top two would race their way in and the rest would have to rely on the kindness of a provisional. The #53 of Boris Jurkovic and #04 Phil Bozell started on the front row and had the advantage. Just as the field took the green flag for the 15 lap race, #52 Ricky Baker and #16 Kelsey Steele spun in turn two as #11 Nick Bonstell took a ride off of the backstretch and in to the foam. The field was then reset and they tried the start again. Once they got going, they settled into single-file racing; the only battle on the track was between the #78 Keith Herp and #190 Becca Kasten. The pace of the race was slowed when caution flew with four laps to go for debris on the frontstretch. On the restart, the #15 of Justin Ryan got a good jump on Bozell and after making contact going in to turn 1, Ryan skated past and tried to reel leader, Jurkovic, in. There were not enough laps to catch him, but he and Jurkovic both raced their way in to the show.
Rowdy's Revenge 251 was the next event on tap and it was a full field of 30 cars. Local favorites #21 Terry VanHaitsma and defending race winner #20 Brain Campbell started on the front row and just behind them were fast qualifier #51 Kyle Busch and #25 Ross Kenseth. From the drop of the green flag, Campbell was quick to clear VanHaitsma and started to pull away; Busch also made quick work of VanHaitsma, passing him for second on lap two and setting his sights on Campbell. The top 6 ran single-file and the first battle for position was between the #121 Robbie Pyle and #10 Ryan Blaney. The #9 of Chase Elliott was on the move early; after starting 8th, he had made his way up to the third position just as Busch closed in on Campbell for the lead. Busch ran Campbell up the race track on the backstretch and took the lead on lap 13, however, Campbell was not letting him pull away. He was steadily making ground up on Busch and then Elliott joined the battle.
Just as cars were starting to get put a lap down by leader, Busch, the caution came out on lap 19 for the spinning cars of #15 Justin Ryan and #84 Jay Niewiek in turn three. All of the restarts in this race would be double-file, so that put Busch on the pole and Campbell on the outside. On the restart, Campbell staying strong on the outside, constantly challenging Busch for the lead and a little further back in the field, #61 Johnny VanDoorn was rocketing through the field, cracking the top five after starting in 12th. Back to the lead, Busch, Campbell and Elliott continued to contend for the lead. While Elliott was putting the pressure on Campbell, Busch was quietly pulling away. Elliott finally got past Campbell on lap 38 and then he started to reel in the leader.
Lap 43 saw the leaders stuck in lapped traffic and that let Campbell and Elliott close in on Busch. Just two laps later, Elliott used the #90 of Tim Curry and Ryan as a pick to get past Busch and take the lead. Elliott started to check out on the field, but a caution on lap 63 would bunch the field back up. The #90 of Tim Curry spun on the frontstretch and the Bozell machine would also encounter problems, coming to a stop in turn 1. The restart came on lap 76 with just 18 cars on the lead lap and the top four were Elliott, Busch, Campbell and Kenseth. Elliott and Busch stayed side-by-side, but after deciding that the inside was the preferred line, Busch dropped back and took that lane instead. He still couldn't get past Kenseth, though, and while the top two were slugging it out for position, Campbell caught back up to them.
Leader, Elliott, had caught the tail of the field on lap 90 and he started to pick his way though with Busch in hot pursuit. The fourth position was also up for grabs with #155 Chris Anthony pressuring Kenseth. He almost had him cleared, but caution came out on lap 102, so his progress was halted. The field restarted on lap 111 and Busch wasted no time tucking in behind Elliott and sticking his nose to his inside. The pair rode side by side for a handful of laps before Elliott pulled away again, but Busch started to battle back as they approached the halfway mark, but it was Elliott who would take the checkers at the break.
The field was restarted on lap 126 and Elliott picked up right where he left off and on the restart, Campbell slipped past Busch who had restarted on the outside. Instead of challenging the leaders, Busch found himself trying to hold off the hard-charging cars of Kenseth and VanDoorn. Busch shook them off, but Kenseth and VanDoorn had the most intense battle throughout the entire night for the fourth position. Anthony made his way up to join that battle and while he and VanDoorn raced hard, it gave Kenseth a small break. Lap 144 saw just the fourth caution of the race for Niewiek and #120 Mike Bursley spinning coming out of turn four. It was a quick caution and the race was back to green on lap 149. Busch went back to the lead, but then the caution came out again for the #11 of Nick Bonstell spinning on the backstretch. After a quick track check, the green flag was back out on lap 158.
Busch got a great restart and had no problem maintaining the lead. On lap 163, Kenseth and VanDoorn found each other again and thus began another exciting battle for fourth. Kenseth would pull away on the backstretch, but VanDoorn would catch him going in to turn two. While they were battling for position, Anthony and VanHaitsma were waiting to see which line would move first. All the while, the leaders, Busch, Campbell and Elliott, were putting major distance between themselves and the rest of the field. Caution number 6 was out on lap 175, #19 Brandon Watson spun on the backstretch. Campbell got a good restart on lap 181, but the leaders went back to single-file racing shortly after.
Anthony resumed chasing Kenseth and on lap 184, he claimed the position coming out of turn 2. Just ten laps later, caution came out because Bonstell spun again. This gave the teams a chance to perform live pit stops. Notable drivers who took to the pits on this caution were Kenseth and Campbell. Campbell would restart in the 15th position. It appeared that that the fresh tires might have been to blame for the pile up coming out of turn four involving the cars of #00 Andy Ponstein, Campbell, VanHaitsma, Bozell and #222 Caleb Bisacky and this would take Campbell out of the race. On the restart (lap 210), Busch and Elliott began to pull away from the field, running nose to tail. The car on the move was Kenseth, who was using his fresher tires for all they were worth, but he was still four seconds behind the leaders.
Lap 230 saw the leaders back in traffic and that worked well for Elliott the last time he was trying to get around Busch. They both wove their way through traffic and a handful of cars were still ahead of them. Caution 9 on lap 223 for debris put a damper on watching them make their way through. The restart came on lap 238 and Kenseth muscled past Elliott for second and just after that, more debris was spotted in turn 2. With six laps to go, it looked like Kenseth spun his tires on the restart, letting Elliott get past get past. Trouble for Bonstell again on that lap when he spun and Niewiek piled in to him and while that happening, there was another pile up in turn 4 involving Curry, #151 Alec Carll, #161 Ross Meeuwsen, VanHaitsma and Bisacky.
The cars would have just five laps left and Kenseth was all over Elliott for second leaving Busch just enough breathing room to finally get the win at Berlin Raceway. The rest of the top ten were Elliott, Kenseth, Jurkovic, Anthony, VanDoorn, Blaney, #121 Robbie Pyle, #115 Joey Miller and Meeuwsen.
The Modifieds, who had ran their race during the break of Rowdy's Revenge 251, saw #84 Mike Brooks and #78 Travis Eddy on the front row. The field was quick to go single-file for their 50-lap race... all but fast qualifier, #97 A.J. Allmendinger. He was showing his muscle early on, mixing it up with #12 Brain Bergakker and #8 Billy Eppink on lap 4. Allmendinger took fourth on lap 5 and then started reeling in #2 Kyle Jones as Brooks checked out. On lap 12, Allmendinger had made his was up to second and slowly began chopping down Brooks' lead by two-tenths each lap. On lap 21 he was at Brooks' bumper, but couldn't seem to get under him, however, he still had more than half of the race go. The leaders were coming up on slower cars, but before they had a chance to contend with lapped traffic, Allmendinger pulled even and then made the pass on lap 30 for the lead. The first and only caution came out on lap 46 after Jones and Eppink spun on the frontstretch. This set up a 4-lap, single-file shootout. Bergakker was catching Allmendinger, but there was not enough time. Allmendinger earned the win and the rest of the top ten were Bergakker, Brooks, Eddy, #15 Chris Stearns, #6 Ben Kleis, #88 Matt Bainbridge, #39 Bobby Murnay, Eppink and #25 David Carter.
Next up at Berlin Raceway on June 19 is Kerkstra Services Pro Stock Night featuring the Kerkstra Services Pro Stocks, Engine Pro Super Stocks, Burnips Equipment 4-Cyilnders and the Great Lakes Outlaw Late Models. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 60+, $5 for kids 6-12 and those five and under are free. For more information, please visit www.berlinraceway.com.
A.J. Allmendinger victorious in Modified race
Marne, MI- The Berlin Raceway hosted the second-annual, Rowdy's Revenge event on Wednesday night, June 16. After a rainout on Tuesday, all the big names including Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Chase Elliott and Ross Kenseth returned for the biggest night in the track's 60 year history.
The CRA Super Series last chance race was the first event of the night. These cars did not make the race by their qualifying times, thus they had to race their way in to the show; the top two would race their way in and the rest would have to rely on the kindness of a provisional. The #53 of Boris Jurkovic and #04 Phil Bozell started on the front row and had the advantage. Just as the field took the green flag for the 15 lap race, #52 Ricky Baker and #16 Kelsey Steele spun in turn two as #11 Nick Bonstell took a ride off of the backstretch and in to the foam. The field was then reset and they tried the start again. Once they got going, they settled into single-file racing; the only battle on the track was between the #78 Keith Herp and #190 Becca Kasten. The pace of the race was slowed when caution flew with four laps to go for debris on the frontstretch. On the restart, the #15 of Justin Ryan got a good jump on Bozell and after making contact going in to turn 1, Ryan skated past and tried to reel leader, Jurkovic, in. There were not enough laps to catch him, but he and Jurkovic both raced their way in to the show.
Rowdy's Revenge 251 was the next event on tap and it was a full field of 30 cars. Local favorites #21 Terry VanHaitsma and defending race winner #20 Brain Campbell started on the front row and just behind them were fast qualifier #51 Kyle Busch and #25 Ross Kenseth. From the drop of the green flag, Campbell was quick to clear VanHaitsma and started to pull away; Busch also made quick work of VanHaitsma, passing him for second on lap two and setting his sights on Campbell. The top 6 ran single-file and the first battle for position was between the #121 Robbie Pyle and #10 Ryan Blaney. The #9 of Chase Elliott was on the move early; after starting 8th, he had made his way up to the third position just as Busch closed in on Campbell for the lead. Busch ran Campbell up the race track on the backstretch and took the lead on lap 13, however, Campbell was not letting him pull away. He was steadily making ground up on Busch and then Elliott joined the battle.
Just as cars were starting to get put a lap down by leader, Busch, the caution came out on lap 19 for the spinning cars of #15 Justin Ryan and #84 Jay Niewiek in turn three. All of the restarts in this race would be double-file, so that put Busch on the pole and Campbell on the outside. On the restart, Campbell staying strong on the outside, constantly challenging Busch for the lead and a little further back in the field, #61 Johnny VanDoorn was rocketing through the field, cracking the top five after starting in 12th. Back to the lead, Busch, Campbell and Elliott continued to contend for the lead. While Elliott was putting the pressure on Campbell, Busch was quietly pulling away. Elliott finally got past Campbell on lap 38 and then he started to reel in the leader.
Lap 43 saw the leaders stuck in lapped traffic and that let Campbell and Elliott close in on Busch. Just two laps later, Elliott used the #90 of Tim Curry and Ryan as a pick to get past Busch and take the lead. Elliott started to check out on the field, but a caution on lap 63 would bunch the field back up. The #90 of Tim Curry spun on the frontstretch and the Bozell machine would also encounter problems, coming to a stop in turn 1. The restart came on lap 76 with just 18 cars on the lead lap and the top four were Elliott, Busch, Campbell and Kenseth. Elliott and Busch stayed side-by-side, but after deciding that the inside was the preferred line, Busch dropped back and took that lane instead. He still couldn't get past Kenseth, though, and while the top two were slugging it out for position, Campbell caught back up to them.
Leader, Elliott, had caught the tail of the field on lap 90 and he started to pick his way though with Busch in hot pursuit. The fourth position was also up for grabs with #155 Chris Anthony pressuring Kenseth. He almost had him cleared, but caution came out on lap 102, so his progress was halted. The field restarted on lap 111 and Busch wasted no time tucking in behind Elliott and sticking his nose to his inside. The pair rode side by side for a handful of laps before Elliott pulled away again, but Busch started to battle back as they approached the halfway mark, but it was Elliott who would take the checkers at the break.
The field was restarted on lap 126 and Elliott picked up right where he left off and on the restart, Campbell slipped past Busch who had restarted on the outside. Instead of challenging the leaders, Busch found himself trying to hold off the hard-charging cars of Kenseth and VanDoorn. Busch shook them off, but Kenseth and VanDoorn had the most intense battle throughout the entire night for the fourth position. Anthony made his way up to join that battle and while he and VanDoorn raced hard, it gave Kenseth a small break. Lap 144 saw just the fourth caution of the race for Niewiek and #120 Mike Bursley spinning coming out of turn four. It was a quick caution and the race was back to green on lap 149. Busch went back to the lead, but then the caution came out again for the #11 of Nick Bonstell spinning on the backstretch. After a quick track check, the green flag was back out on lap 158.
Busch got a great restart and had no problem maintaining the lead. On lap 163, Kenseth and VanDoorn found each other again and thus began another exciting battle for fourth. Kenseth would pull away on the backstretch, but VanDoorn would catch him going in to turn two. While they were battling for position, Anthony and VanHaitsma were waiting to see which line would move first. All the while, the leaders, Busch, Campbell and Elliott, were putting major distance between themselves and the rest of the field. Caution number 6 was out on lap 175, #19 Brandon Watson spun on the backstretch. Campbell got a good restart on lap 181, but the leaders went back to single-file racing shortly after.
Anthony resumed chasing Kenseth and on lap 184, he claimed the position coming out of turn 2. Just ten laps later, caution came out because Bonstell spun again. This gave the teams a chance to perform live pit stops. Notable drivers who took to the pits on this caution were Kenseth and Campbell. Campbell would restart in the 15th position. It appeared that that the fresh tires might have been to blame for the pile up coming out of turn four involving the cars of #00 Andy Ponstein, Campbell, VanHaitsma, Bozell and #222 Caleb Bisacky and this would take Campbell out of the race. On the restart (lap 210), Busch and Elliott began to pull away from the field, running nose to tail. The car on the move was Kenseth, who was using his fresher tires for all they were worth, but he was still four seconds behind the leaders.
Lap 230 saw the leaders back in traffic and that worked well for Elliott the last time he was trying to get around Busch. They both wove their way through traffic and a handful of cars were still ahead of them. Caution 9 on lap 223 for debris put a damper on watching them make their way through. The restart came on lap 238 and Kenseth muscled past Elliott for second and just after that, more debris was spotted in turn 2. With six laps to go, it looked like Kenseth spun his tires on the restart, letting Elliott get past get past. Trouble for Bonstell again on that lap when he spun and Niewiek piled in to him and while that happening, there was another pile up in turn 4 involving Curry, #151 Alec Carll, #161 Ross Meeuwsen, VanHaitsma and Bisacky.
The cars would have just five laps left and Kenseth was all over Elliott for second leaving Busch just enough breathing room to finally get the win at Berlin Raceway. The rest of the top ten were Elliott, Kenseth, Jurkovic, Anthony, VanDoorn, Blaney, #121 Robbie Pyle, #115 Joey Miller and Meeuwsen.
The Modifieds, who had ran their race during the break of Rowdy's Revenge 251, saw #84 Mike Brooks and #78 Travis Eddy on the front row. The field was quick to go single-file for their 50-lap race... all but fast qualifier, #97 A.J. Allmendinger. He was showing his muscle early on, mixing it up with #12 Brain Bergakker and #8 Billy Eppink on lap 4. Allmendinger took fourth on lap 5 and then started reeling in #2 Kyle Jones as Brooks checked out. On lap 12, Allmendinger had made his was up to second and slowly began chopping down Brooks' lead by two-tenths each lap. On lap 21 he was at Brooks' bumper, but couldn't seem to get under him, however, he still had more than half of the race go. The leaders were coming up on slower cars, but before they had a chance to contend with lapped traffic, Allmendinger pulled even and then made the pass on lap 30 for the lead. The first and only caution came out on lap 46 after Jones and Eppink spun on the frontstretch. This set up a 4-lap, single-file shootout. Bergakker was catching Allmendinger, but there was not enough time. Allmendinger earned the win and the rest of the top ten were Bergakker, Brooks, Eddy, #15 Chris Stearns, #6 Ben Kleis, #88 Matt Bainbridge, #39 Bobby Murnay, Eppink and #25 David Carter.
Next up at Berlin Raceway on June 19 is Kerkstra Services Pro Stock Night featuring the Kerkstra Services Pro Stocks, Engine Pro Super Stocks, Burnips Equipment 4-Cyilnders and the Great Lakes Outlaw Late Models. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 60+, $5 for kids 6-12 and those five and under are free. For more information, please visit www.berlinraceway.com.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
"Rowdy's Revenge" Winners Circle
Kyle Busch during Driver Introductions at Berlin (Tom DeVette Photo)Kyle "Rowdy" Busch showed why he is considerd one the top drivers in all of a racing. Busch held off Bill Elliot's son Chase Elliot and Matt Kenseth's son Ross Kenseth down the stretch. The 14 year old Elliot put a bumper on Busch with two laps to go but all that did was make Busch turn up the wick and pull away for the win.Kenseth took tires late in the event and went from eleventh to third before runing out of time. Look for both of these youngsters to be the future of NASCAR.
Locals Chris Anthony had a great run to finish in the fifth spot while Johhny VanDoorn charged to a to a sixth place finish after being involved in an accident with less than 20 laps to go.
1)#51 Kyle Busch
2)#9 Chase Elliot
3)#25 Ross Kenseth
4)#53 Boris Jurkovic
5)#155 Cris Anthony
6)#61 Johnny VanDoorn
7)#10 Ryan Blaney
8)#121 Robbie Pyle
9) #115 Joey Miller
10)#161 Ross Meeuwsen
West Michigan Racing Honor Roll
Checkered Flags: John McCaul has three wins in a row at Thunderbird Raceway
Steve Kaminski |
The Grand Rapids Press
Jason Blonde
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was making plenty of noise at Michigan International Speedway last weekend, but there was plenty of great racing at the local tracks as well.
Share Jason Blonde, Litchfield
Blonde won Friday night’s Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints Series main at Toledo Speedway. Blonde grabbed the lead with six laps to go and went on to win the 30-lapper.
Trever Fedewa, Mount Pleasant
Fedewa won a pair of feature races last weekend at Mt. Pleasant Speedway. Fedewa captured top honors in the scheduled Stock Minis feature, and he won the main from the May 28 main as well.
Scott Hoernlein, Saginaw
Hoernlein won Sunday’s Pro class at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, ripping off a pass of 127.78 mph in 10.05 seconds. Hoernlein also was runner-up in the May 15program.
John McCaul, Montague
McCaul won last weekend’s UMP Modified Paul Bouwman Memorial feature race at Thunderbird Raceway. The red-hot McCaul has won three consecutive Modified features at the Muskegon-based track.
Brian Tillema, Byron Center
Berlin Raceway’s two-time defending Pro Stock champion is heating up. Tillema won his second consecutive feature race this past Saturday night. He has two wins, a third and a fourth in four starts this season.
Steve Kaminski |
The Grand Rapids Press
Jason Blonde
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was making plenty of noise at Michigan International Speedway last weekend, but there was plenty of great racing at the local tracks as well.
Share Jason Blonde, Litchfield
Blonde won Friday night’s Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints Series main at Toledo Speedway. Blonde grabbed the lead with six laps to go and went on to win the 30-lapper.
Trever Fedewa, Mount Pleasant
Fedewa won a pair of feature races last weekend at Mt. Pleasant Speedway. Fedewa captured top honors in the scheduled Stock Minis feature, and he won the main from the May 28 main as well.
Scott Hoernlein, Saginaw
Hoernlein won Sunday’s Pro class at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, ripping off a pass of 127.78 mph in 10.05 seconds. Hoernlein also was runner-up in the May 15program.
John McCaul, Montague
McCaul won last weekend’s UMP Modified Paul Bouwman Memorial feature race at Thunderbird Raceway. The red-hot McCaul has won three consecutive Modified features at the Muskegon-based track.
Brian Tillema, Byron Center
Berlin Raceway’s two-time defending Pro Stock champion is heating up. Tillema won his second consecutive feature race this past Saturday night. He has two wins, a third and a fourth in four starts this season.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Kyle Busch Looking Forward to Berlin Raceway
NASCAR star Kyle Busch looks forward to shot at short track drivers at Berlin Raceway
Steve Kaminski |
The Grand Rapids Press
MARNE -- NASCAR Sprint Cup spent this past weekend tearing around Michigan International Speedway, but drivers Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger and Bill Elliott appear to be in no hurry to leave the state.
All three have stuck around for Tuesday’s 7 p.m. program at the Berlin Raceway.
Busch, who is second in the Sprint Cup point standings, will be competing in the night’s main event, the Rowdy’s Revenge 251. The winner could earn up to $25,000, based on car count.
Allmendinger is entered in the 50-lap Modified feature. It will be Allmendinger’s first race in a Modified.
Elliott will be signing autographs and working with his son, Chase Elliott, 14. Chase is scheduled to compete in the Rowdy’s Revenge, which is a template body Late Model race.
The three arrived Monday after completing Sunday’s race at MIS and met with area media. Busch trails Kevin Harvick by 22 points in the Cup standings, but he said he will worry about the likes of Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon when he gets to Sonoma, Calif., later this week for Sunday’s Cup race.
For now, his only focus is winning Tuesday's race.
ROWDY'S REVENGE 251
When, where: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Berlin Raceway in Marne
Who to watch: Kyle Busch will be competing in the Late Model race, while A.J. Allmendinger will be racing in the Modified main. Bill Elliott will be signing autographs.
Tickets: Adults $20, seniors 60-and-up $18, children 6-12 $5 and 5-and-under free
“When you come out here and race, you are racing against the best of the best in the Late Model ranks, guys who might not get a shot to move up to the big leagues, but these guys are really good,” Busch said. “It gives them a chance to race against me, but I get a chance to race against some of the best short track racers.”
Allmendinger will be racing the Modified that area car owners Jeff Striegle, Norm Jelsema and Mike Bursley built this offseason, with proceeds raised from the car’s efforts this season being donated to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Allemdinger drives the No. 43 Ford Fusion for car owner Richard Petty in Sprint Cup, and Striegle, of Byron Center, is a reporter for the Motorsports Racing Network. Striegle invited Allmendinger to come to Berlin earlier this season.
“I like new challenges,” said Allmendinger, who is 22nd in the Cup point standings. “To be able to come to a place that is very unique in its own right is going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.
“When Jeff Striegle came over to me this year in Fontana and asked me to come out and try this and come to Berlin for this race and to be able to do something new and for a great cause, the Helen DeVos Children’s Foundation, it was something for me that I wasn’t going to say no."
Steve Kaminski |
The Grand Rapids Press
MARNE -- NASCAR Sprint Cup spent this past weekend tearing around Michigan International Speedway, but drivers Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger and Bill Elliott appear to be in no hurry to leave the state.
All three have stuck around for Tuesday’s 7 p.m. program at the Berlin Raceway.
Busch, who is second in the Sprint Cup point standings, will be competing in the night’s main event, the Rowdy’s Revenge 251. The winner could earn up to $25,000, based on car count.
Allmendinger is entered in the 50-lap Modified feature. It will be Allmendinger’s first race in a Modified.
Elliott will be signing autographs and working with his son, Chase Elliott, 14. Chase is scheduled to compete in the Rowdy’s Revenge, which is a template body Late Model race.
The three arrived Monday after completing Sunday’s race at MIS and met with area media. Busch trails Kevin Harvick by 22 points in the Cup standings, but he said he will worry about the likes of Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon when he gets to Sonoma, Calif., later this week for Sunday’s Cup race.
For now, his only focus is winning Tuesday's race.
ROWDY'S REVENGE 251
When, where: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Berlin Raceway in Marne
Who to watch: Kyle Busch will be competing in the Late Model race, while A.J. Allmendinger will be racing in the Modified main. Bill Elliott will be signing autographs.
Tickets: Adults $20, seniors 60-and-up $18, children 6-12 $5 and 5-and-under free
“When you come out here and race, you are racing against the best of the best in the Late Model ranks, guys who might not get a shot to move up to the big leagues, but these guys are really good,” Busch said. “It gives them a chance to race against me, but I get a chance to race against some of the best short track racers.”
Allmendinger will be racing the Modified that area car owners Jeff Striegle, Norm Jelsema and Mike Bursley built this offseason, with proceeds raised from the car’s efforts this season being donated to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Allemdinger drives the No. 43 Ford Fusion for car owner Richard Petty in Sprint Cup, and Striegle, of Byron Center, is a reporter for the Motorsports Racing Network. Striegle invited Allmendinger to come to Berlin earlier this season.
“I like new challenges,” said Allmendinger, who is 22nd in the Cup point standings. “To be able to come to a place that is very unique in its own right is going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.
“When Jeff Striegle came over to me this year in Fontana and asked me to come out and try this and come to Berlin for this race and to be able to do something new and for a great cause, the Helen DeVos Children’s Foundation, it was something for me that I wasn’t going to say no."
Berlin Raceway: Tillema Pro Stock News and Weekend Winners
Defending champion Brian Tillema continues Pro Stocks success at Berlin Raceway
Cris Greer
The Grand Rapids Press
Defending Pro Stocks champion Brian Tillema is making his move at Berlin Raceway.
Tillema, who won Saturday's 30-lap race, currently is in second place in the points standings with 572. Weston Jewett leads the way with 612.
After a restart on lap 14, Tillema slowly moved up through the pack and grabbed the lead on lap 19 from Scott Root.
“Success has kind of come and gone depending on the class we’ve been in, but in this class with this car, we seem to have done really well,” said Tillema, who’s been racing for 15 years. “It’s a good car, but it’s a good class, too.
"It’s a good fit for me. I like the treaded tires; the car slides around. It’s a lot more fun than the Super Stock or Late Model cars.”
Tillema, of Byron Center, has won the Pro Stock championship the past three years.
Last year, he had two wins, 14 top-five finishes and 15 top-10 finishes.
Here's a wrapup of the weekend winners from around the state:
BERLIN RACEWAY
•USAC Sprints: Brian Clauson
•USAC Midgets: Daniel Bedford
•Pro Stocks: Brian Tillema
CRYSTAL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Scott Baker
•Street Stocks: Mike Vandermark Jr.
•Cory Burch: Flinn Stocks
•Scott Neiman: Pro Trucks
U.S. 131 MOTORSPORTS PARK
•Pro Extreme: Josh Hernandez
•Pro Nitrous: Lee Adkins
•Extreme 10.5: Gary White
•Pro Extreme Motorcycle: Ashley Owens
•Extreme Pro Stock: John Montecalvo
•Pro Junior Dragster: Tayler Weatherford
THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY
•Late Models 1: Alan Vochaska
•Late Models 2: Alan Vochaska
•Modifieds: John McCaul
•Street Stocks: Dan Dykman
•Bombers: Spike Grega
•Thunder Stocks: Mel Whitten
•UMP Warriors: Ryan Hamm
AROUND THE STATE
DIXIE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•Super Late Models: Terry Senneker Jr.
•Pro Stocks; Jon Giffel
•Street Stocks: Robby Johnston
•Bombers: Cam Hiltz
•Figure 8s: Tony Williams
HARTFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•SOD Sprints: Dustin Daggett
•Modifieds: Jacob Poel
•Stock Car: Tom Disterheft
MT. PLEASANT SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Rich Neiser
•Modifieds: Rich Robinson Jr.
•Stock Cars: Gary Vandermark
•Mini Stocks: Trever Fedewa
•Stock Minis: Patrick McNamara
May 28 makeup features
•Stock Cars: Gary Vandermark
•Mini Stocks; Trever Fedewa
•Stock Minis: Steve Keeler Jr.
OWOSSO SPEEDWAY
•Pro Late Models: Mark Welch
•Michigan Legends Series: Loren Short
•Pure Stocks: Gary Pelky
•Sport Stocks: Matt Vainner
SPARTAN SPEEDWAY
•Sprints: Tommy Fedewa
•Modifieds: Larry Wallace
•Pure Stocks: Ben Hidy
Cris Greer
The Grand Rapids Press
Defending Pro Stocks champion Brian Tillema is making his move at Berlin Raceway.
Tillema, who won Saturday's 30-lap race, currently is in second place in the points standings with 572. Weston Jewett leads the way with 612.
After a restart on lap 14, Tillema slowly moved up through the pack and grabbed the lead on lap 19 from Scott Root.
“Success has kind of come and gone depending on the class we’ve been in, but in this class with this car, we seem to have done really well,” said Tillema, who’s been racing for 15 years. “It’s a good car, but it’s a good class, too.
"It’s a good fit for me. I like the treaded tires; the car slides around. It’s a lot more fun than the Super Stock or Late Model cars.”
Tillema, of Byron Center, has won the Pro Stock championship the past three years.
Last year, he had two wins, 14 top-five finishes and 15 top-10 finishes.
Here's a wrapup of the weekend winners from around the state:
BERLIN RACEWAY
•USAC Sprints: Brian Clauson
•USAC Midgets: Daniel Bedford
•Pro Stocks: Brian Tillema
CRYSTAL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Scott Baker
•Street Stocks: Mike Vandermark Jr.
•Cory Burch: Flinn Stocks
•Scott Neiman: Pro Trucks
U.S. 131 MOTORSPORTS PARK
•Pro Extreme: Josh Hernandez
•Pro Nitrous: Lee Adkins
•Extreme 10.5: Gary White
•Pro Extreme Motorcycle: Ashley Owens
•Extreme Pro Stock: John Montecalvo
•Pro Junior Dragster: Tayler Weatherford
THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY
•Late Models 1: Alan Vochaska
•Late Models 2: Alan Vochaska
•Modifieds: John McCaul
•Street Stocks: Dan Dykman
•Bombers: Spike Grega
•Thunder Stocks: Mel Whitten
•UMP Warriors: Ryan Hamm
AROUND THE STATE
DIXIE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•Super Late Models: Terry Senneker Jr.
•Pro Stocks; Jon Giffel
•Street Stocks: Robby Johnston
•Bombers: Cam Hiltz
•Figure 8s: Tony Williams
HARTFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•SOD Sprints: Dustin Daggett
•Modifieds: Jacob Poel
•Stock Car: Tom Disterheft
MT. PLEASANT SPEEDWAY
•Late Models: Rich Neiser
•Modifieds: Rich Robinson Jr.
•Stock Cars: Gary Vandermark
•Mini Stocks: Trever Fedewa
•Stock Minis: Patrick McNamara
May 28 makeup features
•Stock Cars: Gary Vandermark
•Mini Stocks; Trever Fedewa
•Stock Minis: Steve Keeler Jr.
OWOSSO SPEEDWAY
•Pro Late Models: Mark Welch
•Michigan Legends Series: Loren Short
•Pure Stocks: Gary Pelky
•Sport Stocks: Matt Vainner
SPARTAN SPEEDWAY
•Sprints: Tommy Fedewa
•Modifieds: Larry Wallace
•Pure Stocks: Ben Hidy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)