Saturday, October 2, 2010

All American SLM Race Live! Now

http://www.racetalkradio.com/player.html

Campbell on Pole for All American 400 Weekend

Brian Campbell will lead a trio of local racing ties for 200 lap Super Late Model portion of the famed Nashville Fairgrouds All American 400 weekend. Campbell's luck of the draw by fast qualifier Donnie Wilson put Campbell on the pole for tonights event. Coopersvilles's Johnny VanDoorn and Muskegon's Mike Garvey will start side by side in the 8th row for tonights event.

Racing action can be heard tonight at approxiamtely 9:30 PM on RaceTalkRadio.com

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Berlin steps up to the Plate during Tough Times

As a former employee of a racetrack I can tell you nothing will destroy the atmosphere of a racetrack more than employees and drivers not getting paid. They are the first line of promotion for a track owner.

I am sure this is not the only track that has had to cover someone Else's expenses because ultimately it is the track owner who takes the hit in the long run.

I applaud the efforts of Mike Blamer at Berlin!

Click on the link below to see a letter given to the ASA drivers after their event:
ASA Driver Letter

Motorcycle Races at I-96 this Saturday

Motorcycle Races

October 2nd, 2010

Gates open at 4pm

Practice starts at 5pm

Racing starts at 6pm

Grandstands $5, Pits $10, Enter Bike $20 Per Class

Combo Class will get $250 to win- Based on a 12 bike count

with 100% payback to top 3, top 4 in heat will transfer to Dash For Cash

Combo Class Dash for Cash- Based on a 8 bike count

1st $100

2nd $75

3rd $50

4th $25

All other classes will receive trophies.

Lots to do still at I96 Speedway!


Cash Back 350 at Orleans Raceway this Weekend

West Michigan Racing Orleans Raceway "Cash Back 350"

Location: Orleans Raceway, Kiddville Road
Time: 7:00PM Friday, October 1st

9th Annual Cash Back dates
Fri Oct 1, 9th Annual Cash Back 350 - Hot Laps 7pm
Sat Oct 2, 9th Annual Cash Back 350 - Heats & Features Races @ 1pm

Sun Oct 3, 9th Annual Cash Back 350 Large car count will result in Sunday Racing

Cash Back excludes all passes except VIP & Sponsor

Sponsored By

Tammi's Tax Service, Simmons Poured Walls, M & M Construction, Nature's Needs Lanscaping, Snyder's Racing Parts Sales & Service, North Kent Well & Pump, Van Bro's Irrigation, RG Rentals, HC Quality Welding & Fabrication, Ground Pounders, M44 Starter Shop, Self Serve Lumber, Speedy Roofing, Whitcomb's Lakeshore Party Store, Green Forest Indoor Garden Supply.

Watch the Great Lakes Nationals replay from Crystal Motor Speedway

Free, Courtesy of Racesontheweb.com and Engine Pro. Click on the Link Below.

http://crystalmotorspeedway.com/video/glna.php

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

VanDoorn, Campbell, and Garvey Headed to Famed All American 400

(Mike Garvey accepting the Famed Guitar that comes with winning the All-American 400 in 2000)

All American 400 This Weekend at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville

Event Entry List is Packed With Talent

Salem, IN (September 27, 2010) – The CRA Super Series will be in action this weekend as part of the famed All American 400 at the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. This event has been one of the most famous stock cars events in the country for many years, and according to Nashville Mayor Carl Dean, this could be the last one held at the Fairgrounds, as the Fair Board will cease to manage the property as of December 31st. The track has had an uncertain future for many years, but thanks to promoter Tony Formosa, there will be at least one last All American 400 event in Nashville.

The CRA portion of the All American 400 will be a 200 lap event with a halfway break at lap 100 on Saturday night. Prior to the CRA 200 lapper, there will be a 200 lap Pro Late Model event also with a halfway break. The traditional Guitar Trophy presented to the event winners at Nashville has become one of the most coveted winners trophy’s in stock car racing, which has attracted drivers to that awesome racing facility for years. Saturday’s event will be a CRA Super Series and CRA Southern Six-pack Tour points’ event for the first time ever.

To date there are already 40 teams pre-entered for the CRA All American 400 event, lead by former NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor Sterling Marlin, a Columbia, Tennessee native, who will make his CRA debut Saturday night. The NASCAR connection doesn’t stop there, Chase Elliott, the 14 year old son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, announced today that he will pull double duty this weekend by racing in the CRA All American 400 event on Saturday and the USAR Pro Cup race on Sunday at North Wilkesboro. Elliott is coming off three big late model wins including the Blizzard Series finally Friday night at Five Flags Speedway, which also gave him the Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship. Elliott also won a Super Late Model event at Gresham Motorsport Park on September 18th that was named for his grandfather and he won a PASS Series event at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Labor Day Weekend.

The NASCAR connection for Saturday’s race doesn’t end there, Ross Kenseth, son of NASCAR competitor Matt Kenseth is also entered for this weekend’s event. Kenseth is coming off a win at the CRA Super Series last event at ORP on September 18th. Kenseth also got a CRA win in May on the High Banks of Winchester Speedway. Ryan Blaney, son of NASCAR competitor Dave Blaney, is also entered. Blaney is currently leading the PASS Series Championship points with one event left for 2010 and is second in CRA Southern Six-Pack Tour points. Blaney has scored three PASS wins this year and got his first CRA win in the CRA Southern Six-Pack Tour event at Hickory Motor Speedway in May. NASCAR competitor David Stremme, a former full-time CRA competitor, will have his late model team at Nashville with brother Bobby behind the wheel. Kyle Busch Motorsports will also be on hand with KBM Development Driver T.J. Reaid competing in the famed #51 car.

Two former CRA All American 400 winners are entered including 2009 CRA Super Series Champion and current series point’s leader John VanDoorn who won the CRA All American 400 event in 2007. VanDoorn has won a series leading three CRA events so far this season for the Kaos Motorsports Team and is looking to become the first ever back-to-back CRA Super Series Champion. 2004 series Champion Chuck Barnes Jr. is also entered, he won the 2004 CRA All American 400 event. He is entered in his own #55 Chevrolet. Brian Campbell is another former All American 400 winner that is entered. He won with the ASA Southeast Series All American 400 event in 2008.


Michigan driver Mike Garvey returns to try and capture his 3rd All-American title after visiting victory lane in 1993 and 2000.

The rest of the entry list is packed with names recognized through out the country as some of the best asphalt late model drivers competing today. The event will be a true North/South battle, the South is lead by multi-time Snowball Derby Champion Augie Grill who is the current point leader with the CRA Southern Six-Pack Tour, were he has two wins, both coming at Gresham Motorsports Park. Other top Southern drivers who are entered include Bubba Pollard, Jeff Fultz, Dennis Schoenfeld, Johnny Brazier, John Bolen, Randy Gentry, Allen Karnes, multi time Nashville Champion Mark Day, Nashville veteran Sammy Sanders and Ken-Ten Series Champion Mason Mingus. The other top North drivers that are entered include Robbie Pyle, Tommy St. John, Terry Fisher Jr., Jason Dietsch, Jimmy Weller, Blake Brown, Kris Kelly, Greg Boone and leading CRA Rookie’s Nick Gullatta, Colin Nickolai and Jay Niewiek.

CRA has had several companies step up to be sponsors of the CRA portion of the All American 400. Those sponsors include Five Star Stockcar Bodies, Port City Racecars, Hamner Racing Engines, AR Bodies, Team Construction, VDL Fuel Systems, J & J Interiors and Hoosier Racing Tire South. Without these sponsors help, there would not have been a CRA race with the possible final All American 400.

The weekend events will start off with an open practice on Thursday from 4 to 7pm Central Time. Pit gates open on Friday at 8am, CRA will have two one hour practice sessions beginning at 11am. Pro Late Models will alternate sessions with CRA. Nashville Super Street’s, Frontrunner’s and Dwarf Cars will be practicing and competing on the quarter mile track Friday night, with the race program starting at 6pm. CRA and Pro Late Model All American 400 qualifying will be part of Friday nights race program.

Pits open on Saturday at 10am. There will be a 30 minute practice session for CRA and Pro Late Models beginning at 12:50pm. There will be a 50 lap Super Truck race at 5pm. The Pro Late Model 200 lap All American 400 event will take the green flag at 7pm, the CRA Super Series 200 lap All American 400 event will take the green flag after the Pro Late Model event concludes. Additional information on the event is available at http://www.fairgroundsspeedwaynashville.com/.


More information on the CRA Super Series is available at


Sunday, September 26, 2010

VanDoorn Leads Most Laps at Columbus, but Needles leads the Most Important One

(Photo Courtesy of www.maineventracingseries.com)

Needles Gets Second Main Event Final Victory, Gentry’s Fifth
By Todd Ridgeway

Steve Needles took his No. 14 Gentry entry to the front from the eighth starting position to grab the Main Event Racing Series (MERS) checkered flag in a hard fought battle at Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. Car owner Terry Gentry is now a five time winning owner of the MERS annual Final event at Columbus. Needles now is a two time winning driver and only the second ever two time winner of this event. Gentry has two wins each with drivers Needles and Terry Senneker, along with one win from the late Lee Anderson. What started out rough, with a battle of wills, ended up on cruise control for Needles.

Pole sitter Mike Luberda, Jr. would bring the 24 car field to the green with 2009 CRA Super Series points Champion, and current 2010 points leader, Johnny VanDoorn along side to make it an all Michigan front row. It did not take long for the fireworks to start as just after the green was displayed to start the 100 lap race VanDoorn got just a fender ahead as the two leaders reached turn one. Very close racing and some contact was made, stacking the field up behind. Cars scattered as better than half the field was either sideways or setting in the infield. Once the mess was cleaned up and cars refired it would be a complete restart. Luberda, Jr. was now eliminated moving VanDoorn to the pole and 2010 MERS Champion Jimmy Carter to the outside point. Once again the green was put out and this time VanDoorn shot like a rocket to the point and started making laps. As laps continued VanDoorn would open up a whale of a lead putting down some very fast lap times and lapping cars by lap eight. Meanwhile, Needles was working his way to the front and by lap 25 he was second trying to catch the leader VanDoorn. At lap 70 was a caution that would now bring the field back together. Now with track position made up Needles had a chance on the restart. As soon as the green came out Needles got under VanDoorn and the two went door to door for three continuous laps. Lots of fenders met and tires rubbed as the two fought it out. Ultimately Needles was able to push to the point and once there he took off. Needles was not to be denied and sailed comfortably to the checkers. VanDoorn did get one other shot as there was a late race caution, but it was not meant to be. Following the pair across the line was Donnie ‘Zero’ Hill third, Mike Stacy fourth, and Paul Pelletier rounded out the top five.

“Well, the whole name of the game is saving tires and staying clean for the first 50 laps,” notes winner Needles. “It kind of helped us out when those guys all piled up on the first lap. We just stuck to our game plan and saved tires for about 50 or 60 laps. Then we had the caution at lap 70, and it was go time. I think he (VanDoorn) spun the tires a little bit, he tried to snooker us by brake checking us then when he went to take off the tires spun and I snuck underneath him. We got door to door in turn one and then banged wheels for a couple of laps. It’s just hard racing, and that’s the way it is here, its fun. My car was great, consistent, and stayed under me the whole distance. I love this place, I don’t know what it is about it, but it suits my driving style,” finished the happy winner.

Leading the majority of the laps but coming up just one position shy, Johnny VanDoorn was a little down. “The car just kind of faded there at the end. Really a good weekend, just a little disappointed, we really wanted to win, but you can’t win them all. I guess it’s the way it goes sometimes. I am not sure what happened there at the start, I don’t feel as though I did anything wrong, I mean I was way up high by the flag stand there at the start. Just disappointed,” finished VanDoorn.

Getting caught up in the start may lay and banged up, then having to come from the tail of the field as a result, Donnie “Zero” Hill grabbed third. ‘We had a good car it’s just ashamed, a bunch of cars got banged up and then we had to come from the tail. The car was beat up and being my home track I know how to compromise a little bit to get back around here. All in all third place with a beat up car isn’t bad. The front end got bent up pretty good. It knocked the toe out, bent the spindles, and everything else. We will be doing the Main Event again next year and give it another shot,” finished Hill.

36 cars where on hand for qualifying and practice in the two days leading up to race day. Needles set quick time around the capitol city oval with a lap of 12.919. The top eight qualifiers where locked in and Mike Stacy won the B Main race. Four provisional went to Scott Baker, Harold Fair Jr., Shawn Stroble, and Josh Smith. The race was slowed by one red flag at the start and seven yellow flags on the day. Veteran Late Model driver and consistent MERS driver Burgess White was awarded with a brand new Lefthander Chassis for the up coming 2011 season. The presentation was made prior to the on track action in the Columbus winners circle.

Berlin Raceway Recap: September 25th

Lowell's Brian Bergakker wins Berlin Raceway's first Modified points championship

Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press

MARNE -- Brian Bergakker of Lowell was the last driver to earn a Berlin Raceway track championship this season, but his name will always be first in the track’s record books.

Bergakker became the first driver to win a championship in the Modified division, which Berlin officials introduced this year. The clincher came in Saturday night’s Open Wheel Spectacular when Bergakker captured top honors in the 35-lap feature race.

Bergakker started on the pole and led from start to finish, beating out Mike Bursley of Zeeland by 2.011 seconds for his division-high fourth win of the season.

“This is unbelievable,” said Bergakker, who won Kalamazoo Speedway’s Modified track championship a year ago. “I didn’t think we were very good all day long. We just kept tweaking on the car.

“I have to thank my crew, and everybody who gave me this opportunity to drive this car -- Senneker Performance, Tire 2000, Big Show Motorsports, my whole family and everybody who raced with me all year long. We have had a good time all year. Man, I can’t believe this.”

Bergakker, 30, has been the driver to beat since the season’s midpoint, grabbing the points lead in July and fighting off West Olive’s Billy Shotko the rest of the way. The race for the title got even tighter during the course of Saturday’s program.


THE BUZZ
Winners: Brian Bergakker (Modifieds), Daniel Bedford (USAC Midgets)

Johnny Benson update: Benson participated in the International Supermmodified Association’s 50-lap feature, and he was running ninth when he and the eighth-place driver Ed Whitkum made contact on lap 19, sending Benson off the turn-two backstretch. Benson, who earlier took second in a heat race, returned to action and finished 10th.

Up next: Bus racing, 7 p.m. Saturday
Shotko entered the night 30 points behind Bergakker, but after Saturday’s qualifying, fast car dash and heat race, he was able to claw to within 18 markers by the time the feature started.

Shotko avoided disaster on the feature’s opening lap when he went spinning off the backstretch after the rear differential blew on Jordan Dahlke’s car, spilling oil across the track. The race was red flagged for nearly 20 minutes, and Shotko was able to continue once the race was officially started.

Shotko eventually finished eighth.

Berlin’s other five divisions decided its track championships last weekend. Saturday’s program offered three traveling open wheel series in the International Supermodified Association, the Must See Racing Extreme Sprint Car Series and the USAC Midgets.

Grand Rapids driver Johnny Benson Jr. participated in the Supermodified race, and he took second in a preliminary heat race. It was Benson’s first open wheel race since his fiery accident in June of 2009.

Daniel Bedford of Brentwood, Calif., won the 25-lap USAC Midget feature, holding off Dalton Armstrong by 0.201 seconds.

Two weeks remain in Berlin’s 60th season. Bus racing returns 7 p.m. Saturday, followed an Oct. 9 program featuring the Great Lakes Outlaw Late Models.

I96 Speedway Results: September 24th

Complete Heat and Feature Results can be Found HERE

I-96 Speedway
Lake Odessa, MI.
09/25/2010 (124 total race cars)
4 Cylinders-
Feature
1.Paul Namey
2. Dan Reimersma
3. Richard Peck
4. Richard Lieb
5. Chad Tomczak
6. Scott Rumsey
7. Terry Henderson Jr.
8. Mark Drum
9. Jason Feutz
10. Michael Vezino
11. Calvin Stemler
12. Greg Pinard
13. Jackson Walker
14. Harper Hotchkiss
15. Richard Smith
16. Adam Meis
17. James Harbenski
18. Jim Peery
19. Caleb Schuiling
20. Dale Schuiling
21. William Morgan
B Main-Richard Peck
2010 season champ-Reimersma
Heats-Rumsey, Namey, Tomzak, B main-Peck


UMP late models-
Feature
1. Sam Epling
2. Eric Spangler
3. Ryan VanderVeen
4. Zack Olger
5. Bry Sloan
6. Mike Nugent
7. Scott Elhert
8. Trevor Sloan
9. Skid Moudy
10. Bret Darling
11. Dan Hubble
12. Liz Patterson
13. Chris Nash
14. Luke Hubbell
15. Teddy Omlor
16. Bill Bray
17. Brandon Thirlby
18. Scott Parker
2010 season champ-Eric Spangler
Heats-Epling, Thirlby


Street stocks-
1. Derek Poland
2. Cody Denny
3. Ed Falbe
4. Aaron Wolf
5. Hillary Smith
6. Terry Byme
7. Richard Hyvarinen
8. Ron Harper
9. Todd Wilfong
10. Steve Piercefield
11. Trey Cotter
12. Dan Dykman
13. Ronald Wiers
14. Jasen Wiley
15. Josh Frye
16. Joel Hummel
17. William Brandt Jr.
18. Mike Hotchkiss
2010 season champion-Gary Vandermark
Heats-Dykman, Frye

UMP mods-
1. Mark Anderson
2. Travis Stemler
3. Todd Feutz
4. Rich Robinson Jr.
5. Shannon Fisk
6. Kevin Cavanaugh
7. Jared Guinn
8. Jacob Poel
9. Zack Olger
10. Myron Deyoung
11. Derek Passenier
12. Tim Stemler
13. Chad Maurer
14. James Kimmel
15. Johnny Deyoung
16. Randy Whitten
17. Jacob Bailey
18. Larry Vanderwoude
19. Jordan Bailey
20. John Hammerle
2010 Season Champ-Robinson Jr.
Heats-Robinson Jr., Fisk, Anderson. B main-Poel

SOD Sprints-(29 cars)
Feature top 3
1. Dustin Daggett
2. Brett Mann
3. Ryan Grubaugh

2010 season champ-Grubaugh
Heats-Grubaugh, Robert Huisken, Davey Brown, Daggett
B Main-Aaron Shaffer