VanDoorn wins at Berlin

Johnny VanDoorn wins Premier Boyne Machine Super Late Model Night
Martin, Lake, Nawrocki, McKinley and Root also win

Marne, MI – After two rainouts in a row, it was a welcomed sight to have cars taking the track. Though it looked gloomy most of the day, as soon as heat races started, the sun was shining on Berlin Raceway. Taking home the trophies on the night were: Bob Martin from the Vintage Racing Organization of America, Dave Lake of the Model Coverall Modifieds, Johnny VanDoorn of the Premier Boyne Machine Super Late Models, Tyler Nawrocki and Chris McKinley of the Burnips Equipment 4-Cylinders and Scott Root of the Kerkstra Services Pro Stocks.

The Vintage Racing Organization of America were the first to hit the track for their 25-lap feature; #61 Jason Burrus and #42 Rob Parker were on the front row. Racing was relatively calm and on lap 5, the #43 of Terry Byrne had taken the lead. Bringing out the first caution of the night was the #16 of Samantha Jansen, she spun her vehicle coming out of turn 4. On the restart, the #86 of Bob Martin started on the outside of the leader and was able to grab the lead on the backstretch, but Byrne was able3 to stay with him. The field began racing single file and the car on the move was Jansen who was trying to recover from her spin earlier in the race. She was slowly picking off position, but had a lot of ground to make up with 10 to go. Byrne was never able to get around Martin, so Martin went on the get the win. The rest of the top ten were Byrne, #3 Lou Caposey, Jansen, Parker, #20 Don Deyman, #74 Steve Fuller, #7 Jimmy Lawson, #42 Michael Becker and #61 Jason Burrus.

The Model Coverall Modifieds next, #222 Chris Muyskens and #12 Brian Bergakker lead the field to the green flag of their 30-lap feature. Muyskens took off with the lead as #8 Billy Eppink was challenging Bergakker for second. The #97 of Dave Lake was on the move, he started in 7th position and had taken second on lap 8 and now he had to chase down Muyskens’ 2-second lead. With 10 laps to go, Lake was still not able to cut the lead down and the first race for position was between Bergakker and #22 Billy Shotko for third. Muyskens had caught lapped traffic and that let Lake make up a lot of ground. The first caution on lap 26, Eppink spun off of the backstretch and on the restart, he had spun again coming out of turn 2. When the race was restarted, Lake was able to get to Muyskens’ outside and make the pass for the lead with two laps to go. He was able to drive away from Muyskens and was the winner. Muyskens, Bergakker, Shotko, #76 Ryan Gruppen, #6 Ben Kleis, #80 Curt Filkins, #99 Mark Fliearman, #7 Ryan Hamm and #29 Rob Shoemaker rounded out the top ten.

In the Premier Boyne Machine Super Lates 100-lap race, #44 Tim Steele was on the pole with #5 Alec Carll on his outside. Carll took the lead as the outside lane appeared to be most advantageous. The #61 of John VanDoorn moved up fast, taking the lead on lap 4 after starting 6th. The #20 of Brian Campbell was also on the move, challenging VanDoorn on the outside on lap 7. Everyone was racing each lap like it was the last and they were only 10 laps in to the race. The hard racing resulted in the first caution of the night which involved Carll, #21 Terry VanHaitsma, #15 Justin Ryan, #16 Kelsey Steele, #222 Caleb Bisacky and #44 Tim Steele. Once the field was restarted double-file, VanDoorn got a great start and the field settled in to single file racing. The competition was so tight that on lap 22, the top six were under one second apart. The second caution of the night happened on lap 44 for debris on the frontstretch.
It was another excellent restart by VanDoorn, he managed to put .7 seconds between himself and Campbell, but Campbell just needed a few laps to get up to speed; he was back on VanDoorn’s bumper on lap 52. With 60 laps on the board, the top three broke away from the field and the top three was VanDoorn, Campbell and #55 Chris Anthony. Caution number three came out on lap 65, the #84 Jay Niewiek, #92 Adam Purdy and #32 Gabe Ensing got together in turn 1. The restart was clean and they were back to racing like they were before the caution. With 14 to go, the leader started lapping cars and both VanDoorn and Campbell were expertly maneuvering past. Lap 87 saw the fourth caution, the #92 of Adam Purdy spun low on the backstretch. This left a 13-lap shootout and on the restart, Anthony and Campbell were fighting for second. Anthony got past, but Campbell was not relenting. All the while, VanDoorn was taking off with the lead. Caution was out yet again on lap 89, for K. Steele spinning on the frontstretch. After the restart, VanDoorn proved that there was just not catching him as he won by 1.363 seconds and celebrated with victory donuts on the frontstretch. Campbell had to settle for second and the rest of the top ten were Anthony, #37 Jordan Dahlke, Carll, #23 Chris Koslek, #10 Josh Hobson, #48 Seth Moody, #6 Brandon Hermiller and #11 Nick Bonstell.

Up next were the cars of the Burnips Equipment 4-Cylinder B division for a 15-lap race with #91 Rob Ream and #44 Nicole DeVos on the front row. DeVos took the lead while #62 Richard Church and #20 Tyler Nawrocki battled for second. Nawrocki prevailed and began to try to cut down DeVos’ 1.5 second lead. The lead was cut down for him on lap 7 as the first caution of the race came out for the #257 Trevor Doornbos and Church. With 8 laps to go, the restart was single file and Nawrocki was able to take the lead from DeVos on the backstretch. DeVos wasn’t able to get back to him as she was holding off #84 Steve Thompson. Nawrocki took the win and DeVos, Thompson, #40 Charlie DeJong, Ream, #99 Troy West, Church, #65 Andy Church and Doornbos completed the top nine.

The #63 of Paul Ritchie was on the pole position for the Burnips Equipment 4-Cylinder A 15-lap feature with #51 Brad Hastings on his outside. Hastings had the lead as #14 Jason DeVos was rocketing through the field as well as #354 Chris McKinley, #024 Cole Roelofs and #2 Darrell Holtzlander; they were all eager to lead this race. DeVos was scored as the leader on lap 4 and by lap 8, Roelofs was pushing it hard for the lead as his car was sideways going in to turn 1. On lap 9, Roelofs, DeVos and McKinley were three-wide for the lead on the backstretch and they made it stick through turn three. Roelofs to the lead with McKinley and DeVos hot on his trail. With three laps to got McKinley and Roelofs were side by side for the lead; McKinley took it with one to go, but Roelofs was right on his bumper. McKinley was able to hold him off and get the win by .225 seconds. Roelofs got second and the rest of the top nine were Holtzlander, DeVos, #76 Mike Speet, Hastings, #77 Jared Lyzenga, #20 Jackson Walker and Ritchie.

The Kerkstra Services Pro Stocks hit the track next and #47 Don McNabb and #33 Allen Davis lead the field to the green flag for their 25-lap feature and they were the final feature of the night. McNabb established himself as the leader and on lap 5, Allen Davis and #88 Tony Davis were battling for second. Tony Davis cleared him as did #84 Darin Niemi and #1 Brett DeKraker. The #51 Weston Jewett, #6 Brandon Hermiller and #15 Scott Root were all trying hard to get to the front, but they were mired back in traffic. As Tony Davis was pressing McNabb for the lead, the first caution of the race came out as DeKraker, Allen Davis, Jewett and Hermiller were all involved in a wreck in turn 1, this brought out the red flag for clean up. Tony Davis took the lead on the restart, but the #15 of Scott Root was right there to take it away from him the next time by. The #20 of Dave Hull was also trying to mix it up for the lead, but when the second caution of the night came out on lap 17 for Hermiller’s spinning car, the time limit was met for this race and the checkered flag fell on Root. The rest of the top ten were Hull, Tony Davis, Niemi, #18 Mitch Meppelink, Jewett, #F1 Randy Veldman, #9 Matt Holcomb, McNabb and #40 Dave Cutler.

Up next at Berlin Raceway is the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series. They will be joined by the Coors Light Late Models, Engine Pro Super Stocks and Kerkstra Services Pro Stocks. Tickets are $13 for adults and kids 11 and under are free; racing starts at 7:00 p.m.