Ross Meeuwsen, Brian Tillema not giving up in chase for Berlin Raceway points titles

Ross Meeuwsen, Brian Tillema not giving up in chase for Berlin Raceway points titles

By Steve Kaminski | The Grand Rapids Press MLive.com

MARNE -- Brian Tillema and Ross Meeuwsen agreed that their respective championship runs are in big-time jeopardy during Berlin Raceway’s 61st anniversary program Saturday night.

Meeuwsen is the three-time defending Late Model champion, while Tillema has won Berlin’s past four Pro Stocks titles. And while both drivers entered this weekend’s action second in points, Meeuwsen was 81 points behind Terry Senneker and Tillema trailed Brandon Hermiller by 54.

Neither driver is giving up, though. Tillema won the 25-lap Pro Stocks feature, while Meeuwsen won the 60-lap Late Model main.

"(Hermiller) has us outclassed, and we are just kind of racing for second right now," said Tillema, who earned his fourth win of the year. "We were worried about it when it was real close, but at this point, we are just having fun again. We can’t doing anything about it, but we’ll keep trying."

The victory was the first of the season for Meeuwsen, who took the lead away from Chris Koslek on a lap 50 restart. Meeuwsen, of Zeeland, found racing on the high groove to be the place to be as the laps wound down.

"I thought my car was a little better up there, it was a little tight on the bottom," Meeuwsen said. "They were telling me what my lap times were on the radio, so I figured I would just try it up there. I ran it up there a few times to see what it could do.

"I ran it a lot harder at the beginning of the race than I wanted to. Those other guys seemed like they wanted to go all out right away. I was running it about 85 percent at the beginning. They told to pick it up a little bit, and that’s when I started to pick it up."

Here's a wrapup of weekend action from around West Michigand and the state:

BERLIN RACEWAY

•Late Models: Ross Meeuwsen
•Super Stocks: Justin Ryan
•Modifieds: Dave Lake
•Pro Stocks: Brian Tillema
•4 Cylinders A: Chris McKinley
•4 Cylinders B: Tyler Nawrocki
CRYSTAL RACEWAY

•Late Models: Zach Olger
•Modifieds: Bob Hutson
•MORA Mini Outlaw Sprints: Cyle McNeese
•Street Stocks: Doug Helsel
•Pro Stocks: Gary Buskirk
•Pro Trucks: Scott Nieman
•Flinn Stocks: Garrett Wiles
AROUND THE STATE

BUTLER SPEEDWAY

•Winged Sprints: Kevin Atkins
•Modifieds: Josh Lolmaugh
•Sportsman: Tim Wiber
•Street Stocks: Bob Rendel
FLAT ROCK SPEEDWAY

•Stan Yee Memorial: Eric Lee
•Street Stocks A: Scott Selmi
•Street Stocks B: Jimmy Rae
KALAMAZOO SPEEDWAY

•Super Late Models: Todd Harrington
•Modifieds: Matt Bainbridge
•Super Stocks: Todd Foote
•Pro Stocks: John Foote Jr.
•Cyber Stocks: Doug Smith
MERRITT SPEEDWAY

•Late Models: David Hilliker
•Modifieds: Joe Rokos
•Sportsman: T.J. Erickson
•Factory Stocks: Jim Miller
SPARTAN SPEEDWAY

•Sprints: Tommy Fedewa
•Modifieds: Leroy Ellis
•Spartan Stocks A: Ron Heeney
•Spartan Stocks B: Marc Childers
•Pony Stocks A: Wayne Beckner Jr.
•Pony Stocks B: Brandon Moody
SPRINGSPORT SPEEDWAY

•Late Models: Joe McNett
•Modifieds: Bobby Heyink
•ABC A: John Trudell
•ABC B: Tanner Tallarico
•Ideal Stocks: Garry Janow
WINSTON SPEEDWAY

•Modifieds: Jacob Poel
•Street Stocks: Dan Dykman
•Factory Stocks: Spike Grega
•4 Cylinders: Paul Namey
•Warriors: Gary Gagnon