25th Annual Super Shoe Nationals this Weekend at Kalamazoo
Over 250 cars are expected at Kalamazoo Speedway (MI) for the 25th Annual Super Shoe Nations. The weekend will be jam packed with heats, last chance races, dash for cash races and feature events to see who has the biggest shoe. Visit:
http://www.kalamazoospeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/2011-Super-Shoe-Nationals-Information-Sheet.pdf
Friday, September 30, 2011
Perfect Circle Racecars Ceases Operations, Merges with Port City Racecars
Perfect Circle Racecars Ceases Operations, Merges with Port City Racecars
Looking to Reach a Larger Customer Base With Combined Technology
Perfect Circle Racecars owner Mike Bursley has announced that he is closing his operation and merging with Harley Boeve and Port City Racecars. Harley and Mike both agreed that in today’s economy and business climate, two companies so close to each other, battling for some of the same customers made no sense. “Since I am only a one man show, I felt that I could better serve my customers by making this move and combining with one of the top chassis manufacturers in the country. I am also very excited and looking forward to this.” Bursley stated. He will also continue to maintain his racing operation with Brian Campbell as the driver.
In a statement from Port City Racecars owner Harley Boeve, he applauded Mike on his decision and welcomed him onboard. “We will integrate Mike’s Clientele with our customer base and give them the same excellent service and support that our Port City Racecars customers are accustomed to.” Mike will become outside sales and tech support, as well as assisting in the integration of his customer base.
Over the course of the next few weeks they will be moving all the jigs, fixtures, etc… to the Muskegon location of Port City Racecars, where all of the fabrication and car building will continue to take place.
With this merger, Port City Racecars will have two of the best short track racers in Johnny Vandoorn and Brian Campbell campaigning their cars throughout the country.
For more information please contact Port City Racecars at 800.215.8074 or visit their website athttp://www.portcityracecars.com. You can also become a fan of Port City Racecars on Facebook by searching "Port City Racecars" and liking their page.
Looking to Reach a Larger Customer Base With Combined Technology
Perfect Circle Racecars owner Mike Bursley has announced that he is closing his operation and merging with Harley Boeve and Port City Racecars. Harley and Mike both agreed that in today’s economy and business climate, two companies so close to each other, battling for some of the same customers made no sense. “Since I am only a one man show, I felt that I could better serve my customers by making this move and combining with one of the top chassis manufacturers in the country. I am also very excited and looking forward to this.” Bursley stated. He will also continue to maintain his racing operation with Brian Campbell as the driver.
In a statement from Port City Racecars owner Harley Boeve, he applauded Mike on his decision and welcomed him onboard. “We will integrate Mike’s Clientele with our customer base and give them the same excellent service and support that our Port City Racecars customers are accustomed to.” Mike will become outside sales and tech support, as well as assisting in the integration of his customer base.
Over the course of the next few weeks they will be moving all the jigs, fixtures, etc… to the Muskegon location of Port City Racecars, where all of the fabrication and car building will continue to take place.
With this merger, Port City Racecars will have two of the best short track racers in Johnny Vandoorn and Brian Campbell campaigning their cars throughout the country.
For more information please contact Port City Racecars at 800.215.8074 or visit their website athttp://www.portcityracecars.com. You can also become a fan of Port City Racecars on Facebook by searching "Port City Racecars" and liking their page.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Matt Prieur to Emcee Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Awards Banquet
Michigan-based track and series announcer and friend of West Michigan Racing.com Matt Prieur has been selected to emcee the 46th Annual Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Awards banquet inWarren, Michigan on Saturday, January 21st, 2012. The banquet honors every track champion from every track in the state of Michigan, pavement and dirt, as well as Michigan-based traveling series and andy MARC Members who happen to be track or series champions based out of state.
Terry Senneker Hits Trifecta In Columbus
Terry Senneker Hits Trifecta In Columbus
Team Gentry Makes it Five In A Row
By Todd Ridgeway
He was the first repeat winner, now he is the first three-peat winner. Michigan Super Late Model veteran driver Terry Senneker sailed to the front of the Main Event Racing Series finale at Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway at lap 61, wrestling the point from Johnny Jenkins, and led the last 39 markers to get his third career victory in this race. Teammate Steve Needles followed Senneker across the line in second to give team Gentry a one, two punch finish. For team Gentry this was five wins in a row and sixth overall in this race. Senneker three in 2007, 2009, and 2011, Needles two in 2008 and 2010, and the late Lee Anderson gave the team a win as well.
Jenkins and Harold Fair Jr. would bring the field of 26 fire breathing MERS Super Late Models to the green flag and start of the 100 lap marathon. The front duo would dive down in turn one door handle to door handle and off two down the backstretch. Going into three Jenkins would start to pull out and off four he had the point. The first caution would fly on the second lap as a lone spinner was the culprit. Quickly put back in line, the field would go green with Jenkins showing the way. Followed by Fair, Tyler Roahrig, Bud Perry, and Needles the top five would set pace. At lap nine Scott Baker and Jeremy Dennis would get together sending Dennis hard into the outside turn four wall and Baker in the infield, both on the hook and finished for the day. Back to green the field would set a torrid pace as Jenkins continued to show the way and by lap 35 Senneker pulled into the top five. At the halfway point Jenkins still showed the way but Senneker and the No. 37 car where coming on fast and moved into second followed by Donnie Zero Hill and teammate Needles as Fair rounded out the top five. At lap 61 Senneker was finally able to wrestle the point away as he and Jenkins went wheel-to-wheel for several laps. At lap 75 Needles moved into second getting past Jenkins and Fair moved up to fourth. It was too late for Needles however, as his teammate checked out on the field now putting some very good race cars a lap down. At the finish line it was Senneker blistering under the checkers followed by Needles, Jenkins, Fair, and Roahrig rounding out the top ten.
“It started out real good,” said runner up Needles. “The car was real good for about the first 30 laps, then it freed up on us for a little while. Then I kind of got to the outside of some of those guys and made a run to the front. But, then it got a little loose and wiggled up the race track and that left the door open for a few of them guys and we lost a couple spots. We race on tracks like this every week and for us to come here it’s kind of in our element. It's just one of those things where we are comfortable on a track like this. We have a lot of experience at tracks like this and for the guys who come here once a year it is kind of a struggle for them. We are just kind of used to it. I am happy with coming up to get second,” finished the two-time winner Needles.
Race winner Senneker was happy as well with his Gentry ride and team. “The car was really good early on,” stated Senneker. “As we were approaching the center the car was about as good as it was all day. Then as I approached the 2 car it got a little tight on me. And getting by the 2 car I was tight, plus he was making his car wide in the corner so that made it even tougher to get through the middle of the corner and then beat him off. But, after I got to the lead I could just roll the car, I did not have to pinch the car and drive it as hard. Towards the end when we got into heavy traffic I did lose the front end and Steve was able to gain on me there. I was lucky we didn’t have a caution because it would have been a real race then. We work really hard up north as our tracks are in similar shape. That being a momentum track. These guys only travel to these kinds of tracks a couple times a year and this track in particular is the only track in this series that is similar to Berlin or Kalamazoo where we race on a weekly basis. So, we get a whole season to dial our cars in and tune them in to a track similar to this, and then when we come here our cars are usually fairly good right out of the box,” explained the now three time winner of the Main Event Series final.
The year long MERS war ended with Bud Perry, on the heels of a sixth place run at Columbus, as the now 2011 MERS Champion. Along with his Redskins Motorsports No. 10 team the Edgerton Ohio veteran driver was very happy to win the Championship. “We were pretty good wherever we went all year,” stated Perry. “Other than today and Sandusky (OH) our very first race was the only races we finished out of the top five. The car just stayed good the whole race and we were just kind of hanging in there, it felt really good on long runs. Obviously you don’t get a lot of long runs in this series once in a while. The car usually stays pretty good and it will come back to me a bit. I am really happy with my sixth today and qualifying effort of fifth yesterday. So, for never making the show before to doing this it is a great accomplishment for Redskin Motorsports. The car usually gets tight on us so we made adjustments to free it up a little and then with that long green flag run there the last 30 or 40 laps the car really tightened up on us. I had to slow down a little bit and keep it on the bottom to pretty much hold my own. Whoever wanted to go to the outside they could have it, all in all just a good day,” finished the 2011 MERS Champion. In closing Perry did note that he will be back in 2012 to defend his title.
The race itself was slowed by just seven yellow flags with four coming in the first nine laps. The three heat winners consisted of Travis Eddy, Jamie Hunt, and five time former track Champion Zero Hill. The fast qualifier was Senneker with a lap of 12.840 and the inversion was eight. The race took just over an hour to complete.
Rundowns Courtesy Of Jeff Nuckles...
Main Event Racing Series
Top Qualifier - Terry Senneker 12.840
Top Eight Qualifiers Lock-In: Terry Senneker, Trent Hellenga, Jimmy Carter, Steve Needles, Bud Perry, Tyler Roahrig, Harold Fair Jr., Johnny Jenkins
Heat: 1) Travis Eddy 2) Rick Sibila 3) John Stroble 4) Scott Baker 5) Bob Gainer
Heat: 1) Jamie Hunt 2) Tim Ice 3) John Flynn 4) Jack Varney 5 Burgess White
Heat: 1) Donnie Hill 2) Drew Charlson 3) Charlie Schultz 4) Jeremy Dennis 5) Bob Sibila, Jr.
Feature - 1) Terry Senneker 2) Steve Needles 3) Johnny Jenkins 4) Harold Fair 5) Tyler Roahrig 6) Bud Perry 7) Jimmy Carter 8) Donnie Hill 9) Brian Short 10) Travis Eddy 11) Jack Varney 12) Drew Charlson 13) Burgess White 14) John Stroble 15) Rick Sibila 16) Bob Gainer 17) Brian Fries 18) Trent Hellenga 19) Jeremy Dennis 20) Scott Baker 21) Bob Sibila, Jr. 22) Tim Ice 23) Jamie Hunt 24) Josh Smith 25) Rich Rohrer
Team Gentry Makes it Five In A Row
By Todd Ridgeway
He was the first repeat winner, now he is the first three-peat winner. Michigan Super Late Model veteran driver Terry Senneker sailed to the front of the Main Event Racing Series finale at Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway at lap 61, wrestling the point from Johnny Jenkins, and led the last 39 markers to get his third career victory in this race. Teammate Steve Needles followed Senneker across the line in second to give team Gentry a one, two punch finish. For team Gentry this was five wins in a row and sixth overall in this race. Senneker three in 2007, 2009, and 2011, Needles two in 2008 and 2010, and the late Lee Anderson gave the team a win as well.
Jenkins and Harold Fair Jr. would bring the field of 26 fire breathing MERS Super Late Models to the green flag and start of the 100 lap marathon. The front duo would dive down in turn one door handle to door handle and off two down the backstretch. Going into three Jenkins would start to pull out and off four he had the point. The first caution would fly on the second lap as a lone spinner was the culprit. Quickly put back in line, the field would go green with Jenkins showing the way. Followed by Fair, Tyler Roahrig, Bud Perry, and Needles the top five would set pace. At lap nine Scott Baker and Jeremy Dennis would get together sending Dennis hard into the outside turn four wall and Baker in the infield, both on the hook and finished for the day. Back to green the field would set a torrid pace as Jenkins continued to show the way and by lap 35 Senneker pulled into the top five. At the halfway point Jenkins still showed the way but Senneker and the No. 37 car where coming on fast and moved into second followed by Donnie Zero Hill and teammate Needles as Fair rounded out the top five. At lap 61 Senneker was finally able to wrestle the point away as he and Jenkins went wheel-to-wheel for several laps. At lap 75 Needles moved into second getting past Jenkins and Fair moved up to fourth. It was too late for Needles however, as his teammate checked out on the field now putting some very good race cars a lap down. At the finish line it was Senneker blistering under the checkers followed by Needles, Jenkins, Fair, and Roahrig rounding out the top ten.
“It started out real good,” said runner up Needles. “The car was real good for about the first 30 laps, then it freed up on us for a little while. Then I kind of got to the outside of some of those guys and made a run to the front. But, then it got a little loose and wiggled up the race track and that left the door open for a few of them guys and we lost a couple spots. We race on tracks like this every week and for us to come here it’s kind of in our element. It's just one of those things where we are comfortable on a track like this. We have a lot of experience at tracks like this and for the guys who come here once a year it is kind of a struggle for them. We are just kind of used to it. I am happy with coming up to get second,” finished the two-time winner Needles.
Race winner Senneker was happy as well with his Gentry ride and team. “The car was really good early on,” stated Senneker. “As we were approaching the center the car was about as good as it was all day. Then as I approached the 2 car it got a little tight on me. And getting by the 2 car I was tight, plus he was making his car wide in the corner so that made it even tougher to get through the middle of the corner and then beat him off. But, after I got to the lead I could just roll the car, I did not have to pinch the car and drive it as hard. Towards the end when we got into heavy traffic I did lose the front end and Steve was able to gain on me there. I was lucky we didn’t have a caution because it would have been a real race then. We work really hard up north as our tracks are in similar shape. That being a momentum track. These guys only travel to these kinds of tracks a couple times a year and this track in particular is the only track in this series that is similar to Berlin or Kalamazoo where we race on a weekly basis. So, we get a whole season to dial our cars in and tune them in to a track similar to this, and then when we come here our cars are usually fairly good right out of the box,” explained the now three time winner of the Main Event Series final.
The year long MERS war ended with Bud Perry, on the heels of a sixth place run at Columbus, as the now 2011 MERS Champion. Along with his Redskins Motorsports No. 10 team the Edgerton Ohio veteran driver was very happy to win the Championship. “We were pretty good wherever we went all year,” stated Perry. “Other than today and Sandusky (OH) our very first race was the only races we finished out of the top five. The car just stayed good the whole race and we were just kind of hanging in there, it felt really good on long runs. Obviously you don’t get a lot of long runs in this series once in a while. The car usually stays pretty good and it will come back to me a bit. I am really happy with my sixth today and qualifying effort of fifth yesterday. So, for never making the show before to doing this it is a great accomplishment for Redskin Motorsports. The car usually gets tight on us so we made adjustments to free it up a little and then with that long green flag run there the last 30 or 40 laps the car really tightened up on us. I had to slow down a little bit and keep it on the bottom to pretty much hold my own. Whoever wanted to go to the outside they could have it, all in all just a good day,” finished the 2011 MERS Champion. In closing Perry did note that he will be back in 2012 to defend his title.
The race itself was slowed by just seven yellow flags with four coming in the first nine laps. The three heat winners consisted of Travis Eddy, Jamie Hunt, and five time former track Champion Zero Hill. The fast qualifier was Senneker with a lap of 12.840 and the inversion was eight. The race took just over an hour to complete.
Rundowns Courtesy Of Jeff Nuckles...
Main Event Racing Series
Top Qualifier - Terry Senneker 12.840
Top Eight Qualifiers Lock-In: Terry Senneker, Trent Hellenga, Jimmy Carter, Steve Needles, Bud Perry, Tyler Roahrig, Harold Fair Jr., Johnny Jenkins
Heat: 1) Travis Eddy 2) Rick Sibila 3) John Stroble 4) Scott Baker 5) Bob Gainer
Heat: 1) Jamie Hunt 2) Tim Ice 3) John Flynn 4) Jack Varney 5 Burgess White
Heat: 1) Donnie Hill 2) Drew Charlson 3) Charlie Schultz 4) Jeremy Dennis 5) Bob Sibila, Jr.
Feature - 1) Terry Senneker 2) Steve Needles 3) Johnny Jenkins 4) Harold Fair 5) Tyler Roahrig 6) Bud Perry 7) Jimmy Carter 8) Donnie Hill 9) Brian Short 10) Travis Eddy 11) Jack Varney 12) Drew Charlson 13) Burgess White 14) John Stroble 15) Rick Sibila 16) Bob Gainer 17) Brian Fries 18) Trent Hellenga 19) Jeremy Dennis 20) Scott Baker 21) Bob Sibila, Jr. 22) Tim Ice 23) Jamie Hunt 24) Josh Smith 25) Rich Rohrer
Monday, September 26, 2011
Garvey Runner-Up at Five Flags
Pollard Earns Miller Lite 100 Win at Five Flags;
Grill Scores Blizzard Series Title
Grill's Third-Place Finish Caps Off First Blizzard Series Championship
Considering the strength of Bubba Pollard and Augie Grill all season long at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, it’s fitting that the two short track standouts shared the spotlight Friday night in the Miller Lite 100, the final race of the 2011 Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series.
The Senoia, Georgia native Pollard took the lead from Chris Davidson on lap 41 and never looked back in the race that went caution-free. He scored his second Blizzard Series win of the season. Mike Garvey chased Pollard to the checkered flag in second. Just behind that pair was third-place finisher Augie Grill, who secured his first Blizzard Series Championship.
“It really has been a great year,” said the two-time Snowball Derby Champion Grill, of Hayden, Alabama. “I would’ve liked to have gotten the win here tonight. I really thought the car would’ve been better tonight than it was. Still, it’s really neat to win a championship. I’ve won one little championship since I’ve been driving, but this is really neat.”
Pollard set fast time for the Miller Lite 100, but an invert of eight after qualifying dropped him deep in the field. Luckily for him, his car was pretty strong on the outside groove from the start and he used that to work his way to the front.
“We had an opportunity there at the beginning of the race when everybody wanted to get to the bottom and we had a lot of momentum at the top,” said Pollard. “Our car turned well, so we were able to go up there. You can’t stay up there long because you’ll burn the tires off, but we were able to get by them quick enough to settle into third for a while to put ourselves in position to take the lead.”
Davidson and Garvey showed the way for much of the beginning of the race, but Pollard patiently waited to strike. When other cars began to fall off, Pollard was in position to get out front before the race’s halfway point without the aid of a caution.
“You don’t see 100 green flag laps here, ever,” added Pollard. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. I was almost expecting a caution with at least three laps to go. The car stayed the same from lap one to lap 100. It got free, but that’s part of what this racetrack. All in all, the car just drove so well.”
The win for Pollard was the 12th straight Blizzard Series win for the Grand American Race Cars chassis brand, which is owned and operated by Grill and his family. While Grill was proud that cars he and his family have built swept the Blizzard Series for a second-straight year, he would have liked to have been celebrating his championship and his brand’s success in victory lane.
“I guess I’m just more competitive than most,” said Grill. “I want to be over there in victory lane getting the big trophy, not this third-place trophy. But, our day will come and we’ve got a lot of racing still to do before the end of the season.”
Jerry Artuso followed Pollard, Garvey and Grill to the checkers, with Davidson rounding out the top five.
Saturday night, Pollard went down the road to Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, where he completed the sweep of the Miller Lite Series Super Late Model events there and locked up the 2011 Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship.
The Blizzard Series season may be complete, but Five Flags Speedway still has plenty of racing left on its schedule. On Saturday, October 8th, the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models will hold their final event of the season as a champion is crowned in the Snowflake Tune-Up 100. Then, all eyes in the short track world will be on Five Flags for the 44th Annual Snowball Derby weekend, November 30th through December 4th.
Tickets for the 44th Annual Snowball Derby are available by downloading a ticket form from the Snowball Derby website, www.snowballderby.com, or by calling the Five Flags Speedway Box Office at 850-944-8400.
For more information about Five Flags Speedway and the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series, please visit www.5flagsspeedway.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series
Five Flags Speedway
Pensacola, FL
September 23, 2011
1. Bubba Pollard – Senoia, GA
2. Mike Garvey – Muskegon, MI
3. Augie Grill – Hayden, AL
4. Jerry Artuso – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
5. Chris Davidson – Pearland, TX
6. Grant Enfinger – Fairhope, AL
7. Jeff Choquette – Loxahatchee, FL
8. Logan Boyett – Pensacola, FL
9. Johanna Long – Pensacola, FL
10. Casey Smith – Austin, TX
11. David Rogers – Orlando, FL
12. Donnie Wilson – Oklahoma City, OK
13. TJ Reaid – Acworth, GA
14. DJ VanderLey – Mobile, AL
15. Scott Carlson – Pensacola, FL
16. Steven Davis – Mobile, AL
17. Jeremy Pate – Pensacola, FL
18. Thomas Praytor – Mobile, AL
19. Allen Karnes – Sharpsburg, GA
20. Michael Lance – Dacula, GA
21. Clay Alexander – Nashville, TN
22. Jerry Bohlman – Milton, FL
23. Cecil Chunn – Spring Hill, TN
24. Jimmy Garmon – Hoschton, GA
25. Stephan McCurley – Humble, TX
Grill Scores Blizzard Series Title
Grill's Third-Place Finish Caps Off First Blizzard Series Championship
Considering the strength of Bubba Pollard and Augie Grill all season long at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, it’s fitting that the two short track standouts shared the spotlight Friday night in the Miller Lite 100, the final race of the 2011 Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series.
The Senoia, Georgia native Pollard took the lead from Chris Davidson on lap 41 and never looked back in the race that went caution-free. He scored his second Blizzard Series win of the season. Mike Garvey chased Pollard to the checkered flag in second. Just behind that pair was third-place finisher Augie Grill, who secured his first Blizzard Series Championship.
“It really has been a great year,” said the two-time Snowball Derby Champion Grill, of Hayden, Alabama. “I would’ve liked to have gotten the win here tonight. I really thought the car would’ve been better tonight than it was. Still, it’s really neat to win a championship. I’ve won one little championship since I’ve been driving, but this is really neat.”
Pollard set fast time for the Miller Lite 100, but an invert of eight after qualifying dropped him deep in the field. Luckily for him, his car was pretty strong on the outside groove from the start and he used that to work his way to the front.
“We had an opportunity there at the beginning of the race when everybody wanted to get to the bottom and we had a lot of momentum at the top,” said Pollard. “Our car turned well, so we were able to go up there. You can’t stay up there long because you’ll burn the tires off, but we were able to get by them quick enough to settle into third for a while to put ourselves in position to take the lead.”
Davidson and Garvey showed the way for much of the beginning of the race, but Pollard patiently waited to strike. When other cars began to fall off, Pollard was in position to get out front before the race’s halfway point without the aid of a caution.
“You don’t see 100 green flag laps here, ever,” added Pollard. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. I was almost expecting a caution with at least three laps to go. The car stayed the same from lap one to lap 100. It got free, but that’s part of what this racetrack. All in all, the car just drove so well.”
The win for Pollard was the 12th straight Blizzard Series win for the Grand American Race Cars chassis brand, which is owned and operated by Grill and his family. While Grill was proud that cars he and his family have built swept the Blizzard Series for a second-straight year, he would have liked to have been celebrating his championship and his brand’s success in victory lane.
“I guess I’m just more competitive than most,” said Grill. “I want to be over there in victory lane getting the big trophy, not this third-place trophy. But, our day will come and we’ve got a lot of racing still to do before the end of the season.”
Jerry Artuso followed Pollard, Garvey and Grill to the checkers, with Davidson rounding out the top five.
Saturday night, Pollard went down the road to Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, where he completed the sweep of the Miller Lite Series Super Late Model events there and locked up the 2011 Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship.
The Blizzard Series season may be complete, but Five Flags Speedway still has plenty of racing left on its schedule. On Saturday, October 8th, the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models will hold their final event of the season as a champion is crowned in the Snowflake Tune-Up 100. Then, all eyes in the short track world will be on Five Flags for the 44th Annual Snowball Derby weekend, November 30th through December 4th.
Tickets for the 44th Annual Snowball Derby are available by downloading a ticket form from the Snowball Derby website, www.snowballderby.com, or by calling the Five Flags Speedway Box Office at 850-944-8400.
For more information about Five Flags Speedway and the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series, please visit www.5flagsspeedway.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series
Five Flags Speedway
Pensacola, FL
September 23, 2011
1. Bubba Pollard – Senoia, GA
2. Mike Garvey – Muskegon, MI
3. Augie Grill – Hayden, AL
4. Jerry Artuso – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
5. Chris Davidson – Pearland, TX
6. Grant Enfinger – Fairhope, AL
7. Jeff Choquette – Loxahatchee, FL
8. Logan Boyett – Pensacola, FL
9. Johanna Long – Pensacola, FL
10. Casey Smith – Austin, TX
11. David Rogers – Orlando, FL
12. Donnie Wilson – Oklahoma City, OK
13. TJ Reaid – Acworth, GA
14. DJ VanderLey – Mobile, AL
15. Scott Carlson – Pensacola, FL
16. Steven Davis – Mobile, AL
17. Jeremy Pate – Pensacola, FL
18. Thomas Praytor – Mobile, AL
19. Allen Karnes – Sharpsburg, GA
20. Michael Lance – Dacula, GA
21. Clay Alexander – Nashville, TN
22. Jerry Bohlman – Milton, FL
23. Cecil Chunn – Spring Hill, TN
24. Jimmy Garmon – Hoschton, GA
25. Stephan McCurley – Humble, TX
2011 Champions Crowned in the 4th annual Dirt Gold Cup Championship Extravaganza at I-96 Speedway
2011 Champions Crowned in the 4th annual Dirt Gold Cup Championship Extravaganza at I-96 Speedway
Lake Odessa, Michigan (Saturday, September 24th, 2011): The 2011 racing season came to an end on Saturday, September 24th at I-96 Speedway with the running of the 4th annual Dirt Gold Cup Championship Extravaganza! After taking the last three weekends off to allow for other area facilities to conduct their 2011 season finales, it was the Lake Odessa, Michigan speed plants' turn to wrap up the 2011 campaign.
The fire breathing, winged warriors of the Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP headlined the racing action while it was also the 2011 Season Championships for the remaining three divisions within the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Racing Series as the Lane Automotive UMP Modifieds, Renegade Racing Fuels & Lubricants UMP Street Stocks, and Jim's Auto Body of Portland UMP Sport Compacts officially crowned their 2011 Track Champions and Rookies of the Year respectively. All four divisions challenged the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked dirt oval. A total of 91 teams were in the pits.
After all the Preliminary Events were completed, the first Feature of the night to roll out would be the 25-lap Season Championship Feature for the Renegade Racing Fuels & Lubricants UMP Street Stocks. Before the night had even started, current points leader Bill Brandt Jr., had already clinched the 2011 Track Championship back on August 27th after winning his third Feature of the season almost a month ago. So he put Dan Zylstra in the car for the evening.
The chase for the 2011 Rookie of the Year title would go down to the wire between recently turned 16-year-old Carlind Forsythe and Bruce Howe as the two Freshman would battle it out with Forsythe carrying a 29-point lead over Howe going into the Feature. If Forsythe finished seventh or better, he would wrap up the title no matter where Howe finished.
19-year-old rookie, Trey Cotter and Rich Sweet brought the field to the green flag and it would be Sweet leading lap one. On lap two, 2010 Rookie of the Year, Ron Harper drove to the inside of Sweet to take over the top spot and he brought Derek Poland with him. Poland, who came into the night second in the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Northeastern States Points Standings behind Dan Dykman, worked on Harper before grabbing the lead on lap eight.
Dykman, who started shotgun on the field in 17th position, rocketed his way through the field and was soon up to third spot behind the second place car of Cody Denny as Dykman followed Denny by Harper. A caution on lap nine brought the field together and on the restart, Denny and Dykman collided sending both around. Denny was done for the night while Dykman, who had his left front fender and front bumper torn off, restarted at the rear of the field and once again had his work cut out for him.
As Poland continued to lead the way, Dykman again worked his way back through the pack and caught Poland's back bumper with just two laps to go. Dykman edged Poland at the line on the white flag lap and as they drove through turns one and two, the collided sending both around. Sweet, who worked his way back up to third ducked underneath both spinning cars and the Hastings, Michigan driver in his #74 Sweet Machine Repair Chevrolet would take the checkered flag to win his first Feature of the year.
After all the chaos of the last lap dramatics, Josh Frye would pick up second place ahead of Harper as Hillary Smith and Josh Sternberg completed the top five. Poland recovered to finish sixth, but Dykman limped across the line behind him to clinch the 2011 UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Northeastern States Championship. Harvey Wyskowski was eighth as Forsythe finishing ninth to clinch the 2011 Rookie of the Year title. Cotter completed the top 10. There were 17 teams on the grounds.
As has been the case all season long at I-96 Speedway, all teams within UMP do not Qualify and instead draw for their starting positions in their Qualifier Heat Races with those finishes determining the starting line-ups in the Features. Then the drivers who advance from the B Mains (if needed), tag onto the back of those Features. Denny and Poland won those Qualifier Heat Races.
The tracks' beginners division, the Jim's Auto Body of Portland UMP Sport Compacts rolled out next for their 25-lap Season Championship Feature and just like in the previous race, current points leader, Rick Peck had already clinched the 2011 Track Championship by winning the last Feature held at I-96 back on August 27th. This time in the 2011 Season Championship Feature, Peck was looking to put an exclamation point on an already successful sophomore season for the 2010 18 Years Old and Over Rookie of the Year.
As for the Freshman title chases, by merely starting the Season Championship Feature, Kyle Brigance would lock up the 2011 18 Years Old and Over Rookie of the Year title while the 17 Years Old and Under Rookie battle would be decided between recently turned 16-year-old Jordan King and 10-year-old Christopher Joyce as the two teenagers were separated by 20 markers heading into the Feature. If King finished fourth or better, he would clinch the Rookie title no matter where Joyce finished the Feature.
Tim Horvath II and Brigance would lead the 21-car field to the green flag and it would be Horvath leading lap one before Peck, who started seventh, dove underneath several cars in one motion to grab the lead away on lap two. He brought 2011 Winston Speedway Track Champion, Chad Tomczak with him and the battle was on between the two Track Champions. Tomczak briefly took the lead on lap seven before Peck stole it back the next lap.
From there, Peck began slowly pulling away from the rest of the field while Tomczak had to try and fend off the advances of another rookie, Keith Brigance, who was running the race of his life. All the while Peck slowly inched out ahead even further and in the end, the 2011 Track Champion in his #14 Frisbee & Sons Plastering Saturn would score his fourth Feature Win of the season to officially seal the title!
Tomczak worked his way back up to second over Chuck Peterson II who finished third after starting 14th. Tom Hider finished fourth as Nick Jenema, in his stock car racing debut, completed the top five. Pavement invader, Tom Conroy was sixth while Gary Larabee, Keith Brigance, Joyce, and King finished off the top 10. Kyle Brigance officially clinched the 2011 18 and Over Rookie of the Year title while King beat out Joyce to win the 2011 17 and Under Rookie of the Year title. There were 21 teams on hand and in the Qualifier Heat Races, the winners were Kyle Brigance and Peck.
The traveling cars and stars of the Grand Rapids, Michigan based Engine Pro ASCS Sprints On Dirt Presented by ARP was pushed off next for their 25-lap Feature and after the traditional four-wide salute and wave lap, the front row of Gregg Dalman and Davey Brown led the star studded field to the green flag and it would be Dalman taking the early advantage while the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him.
Dalman paced the field for the first 10 laps before former three-time I-96 Speedway Track Champion and former two-time Series Champion, Brett Mann, in only his second start behind the wheel of the 2011 Series Championship car #3w owned by Jim Wohlfiel, snagged the lead away from Dalman on lap 11 and he brought hometown favorite from near-by Portland, Michigan, Dustin Daggett with him and the battle was on.
Coming into the night, Daggett, another former two-time series champion and current points leader, simply needed to start the Feature and in turn had already clinched 2011 Series Championship. Daggett, who already had seven Feature Wins coming into the night was looking for win #8 and officially wrapping up his third career Championship with one race left in the season.
As the series' second appearance of 2011 unfolded, Daggett, who won the only other Feature held at the series' home track back on June 18th (The other two scheduled races on May 14th and August 13th were both rained out), worked his way through the field from his eighth starting spot and followed Mann by Dalman and one of the most intense battles of the season took place between Daggett and Mann, two former two-time series champions.
For the next 10 laps the lead between Mann and Daggett was exchanged 14 times with each officially taking the lead at the line on seven different occasions. The final caution flew on lap 20 and Daggett was just inches ahead of Mann at the line giving him the point on the final restart. Mann tried in vain to get back around Daggett throughout the remaining five circuits, but Daggett held tough and the driver of the #2m Miles Petroleum Group / Maxim Chassis machine would take home the popular win!
Mann settled for second with Dalman coming home in third. Dain Naida finished fourth with Jared Horstman completing the top five. Canadian invader, Dave Dykstra finished sixth while Ryan Ruhl, Aaron Shaffer, Troy Chehowski, and Keith Dempster finished off the top 10.
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints On Dirt Presented by ARP do not Qualify and use a Passing Points System during their Qualifier Heat Races to transfer teams into the Feature. Mann, Dalman, Naida, and Jamie Collard won the Qualifier Heats while Dempster took the win in the Dash, Joe Bares scored the B Main 1 win over Trey Smith while Chehowski won B Main 2 over Jay Steinbach as all four teams transferred into the A Main.
The series will wrap up their 2011 racing season and Daggett will officially be crowned the 2011 Series Champion on Friday, September 30th at Hartford Motor Speedway during the series' 2011 Season Championships Feature in the running of the "King of Michigan" which is part of the tracks' Dealers Choice Weekend which runs from Friday-Sunday, September 30th-October 2nd.
The last race of the night and the last race of the 2011 racing season at I-96 Speedway would be the 30-lap Season Championship Feature for the Lane Automotive UMP Modifieds. Going into the race, UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Michigan State Points Leader, Jacob Poel needed to finish 14th or better and he would clinch his first career Track Championship! Only Mark Anderson still had a mathematical shot at surpassing Poel for the title, but he was a no-show which gift-wrapped the Championship for Poel.
In addition, 16-year-old Josh Crane led 18-year-old Nick Kurtz in the chase for the 2011 Rookie of the Year title and Crane simply needed to transfer into the Feature to clinch the Freshman title. The stellar starting field took Chief Starter, Tim Beebe's green flag led by the front row of former two-time track champion, Todd Feutz and Jared Guinn.
Feutz would grab the lead and pace the field for the first six laps before Guinn regrouped and passed the 2007 and 2008 track champion to take over the lead on lap seven. Poel, who starts eighth, slowly began working through the field as he has done all season long, by building the momentum and creating his own line around the top side of the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked dirt oval. Soon he was in second behind Guinn.
On lap 14, Poel's momentum carried him around Guinn for the lead and from there, it was all Poel as he would survive three cautions over the last 10 laps of the race and a quick rain shower that hit the track as the white flag flew courtesy of Mother Nature, who had been a thorn in the side of I-96 Speedway all season long, so it was only appropriate that a visit was made in the last few laps of the season. Poel in his #82 Poel's PRO-ACT Welding & Fabrication Chevrolet would take the checkered flag to cement the title.
For the Spring Lake, Michigan driver, this was his fifth feature win of the season in Lake Odessa, Michigan and his 20th overall feature triumph of the 2011 campaign! Poel will now chase after the 2011 UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Michigan State Championship as well as the Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Series title on Friday-Sunday, September 30th-October 2nd at Hartford Motor Speedway in Hartford, Michigan in the season finale for both points titles during the tracks' Dealers Choice Weekend. Poel leads the UMP DIRTcar points over Anderson by a comfortable margin and is second in the MDC points to Anderson by just five markers.
2011 Cherry Raceway Track Champion, Joe Rokos finished second while former track champion, Shannon Fisk collected the final podium position of third over Feutz and Luke Olger, who were the final top five. Darrell Woodring finished sixth as Brad Wilson, Tim Dalman, Steve McClees, and Trevor Sloan finished off the top 10. There were 21 Modifieds on the grounds as earlier in the evening, the Qualifier Heat Race Winners were Todd Feutz, Rich Robinson Jr., and Poel.
I-96 Speedway would like to Congratulate the 2011 Track Champions within the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series in Lake Odessa, Michigan and they are: 21 Tom Sprague Jr. - Muskegon, Michigan - Tinney Automotive UMP Late Models, 82 Jacob Poel - Spring Lake, Michigan - Lane Automotive UMP Modifieds, 65 Bill Brandt Jr. - Lake Odessa, Michigan - Renegade Racing Fuels & Lubricants UMP Street Stocks, and 14 Rick Peck - Hastings, Michigan - Jim's Auto Body of Portland UMP Sport Compacts.
In addition, I-96 Speedway would also like to congratulate the 2011 Rookies of the Year and they are: 30 Kathy Jarvis - Park City, Utah - Tinney Automotive UMP Late Models, 77 Josh Crane - Rochester Hills, Michigan - Lane Automotive UMP Modifieds, 67 Carlind Forsythe - Middleville, Michigan - Renegade Racing Fuels & Lubricants UMP Street Stocks, 15 Kyle Brigance - Delton, Michigan - Jim's Auto Body of Portland UMP Sport Compacts (18 Years Old and Over), and 74 Jordan King - Clarksville, Michigan - Jim's Auto Body of Portland UMP Sport Compacts (17 Years Old and Under).
Co-Owners / Promoters, Mike and Sarah Mouch would like to sincerely thank the entire management and staff as well as the great teams and dedicated fans of I-96 Speedway for making the 2011 racing season such a rousing success. Plans are already on-going in preparation for the 2011 Awards Banquet as well as the upcoming 2012 racing season. More Details will be Available as they are finalized.
For more information, please call: 1 (616) 642-0555 or visit the website at: www.i96speedway.com You can also follow all of the off-season happenings in Lake Odessa, Michigan by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com and search "I-96 Speedway" and click on "Like" button today. You can even follow us on Twitter as well, just go to: www.twitter.com and search "I-96 Speedway" Thank you to everyone for a great 2011 racing season and thanks for "Getting Dirty" with us at I-96 Speedway.
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