Brandon Thirlby Scores The Big Daddy Win At I-96 Speedway

Brandon Thirlby Scores The Big Daddy Win At I-96 Speedway

Lake Odessa, Michigan (Saturday, June 16th, 2012): The United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Racing Series returned to action at the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked dirt oval of I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan as the “Big Daddy” highlighted the Father’s Day Holiday Weekend featuring the premier division within UMP; The Miller Lite UMP Super Late Models. They were joined by the Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks, Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts, and Spectator Drags.

The First main event of the evening was the Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts for their 20-Lap main event. It would be a pair of 18-year-olds in Terry Henderson Jr. and Joe Pironello leading the field out to the green flag. Defending Track Champion Rick Peck managed to snag the lead away from just prior to halfway and tried to check out on the field.

Rich Lieb put out a great effort, but in the end it would be Peck in his #14 Frisbee & Sons Plastering / Saturn who would go on to score his second Feature Win of the season and extend his points lead in his efforts to defend his track title. Lieb was second while Chad Tomczak, Danny Joyce, and 11-year-old Rookie Tony Taylor made up the top five. 2010 Track Champion Dan Reimersma was sixth ahead of Current Rookie Points Leader Nick Jenema while Scott Rumsey, Jake Loesch, and Pironello rounded out the Top 10. Lieb, Reimersma, and Rumsey won the Heat Races.

The Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks rolled out next for their 20-Lap Feature and it would be Defending Track Champion Bill Brandt Jr., and Current Points Leader Josh Frye leading a very stout field to the green flag and it would be Frye who would jump out front and take the early lead while the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him.

Frye would survive several cautions and a late charge from 2011 UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Northeastern States Champion Dan Dykman to give the Coopersville, Michigan driver his second Feature Win of the season in his #44 Rhino Roofing & Construction / Chevrolet. Dykman finished second with Brandt Jr., 2009 Track Champion Aaron Wolf, and Jim Beltz rounded out the top five. David Grega finished sixth as Bill Brandt Sr., Max Ake, Randy Wellman, and Curtis Harrington completed the Top 10. Frye and Brandt Jr., picked up the Heat Race wins.

To end out the night it was the premier division within the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Racing Series, the Miller Light UMP Super Light Models entering the speedway for their 30-Lap A-Main. After the command to fire engines it was Rich Neiser and Former Two-Time Track Champion Eric Spangler on the front row. Neiser would hold the top spot despite a tough challenge from Brandon Thirlby early on in the event.

On Lap 19, Thirlby would grab the lead and from there, the Traverse City, Michigan driver would never look back as his #m14 Thirlby Automotive / Mastersbilt Racecars entry would go on to win the Big Daddy for his second Feature of the season at I-96 as well as his second Feature of the weekend as he won the night before at his home track of Cherry Raceway in Fife Lake, Michigan.

Neiser would come across the strip in second over Defending Track Champion Tom Sprague Jr., while Spangler and Adam Thrush wound up in the top five. Dan Hubble finished sixth over Billy Bray, Scott Haney, Bob Hardin, and Josh Knoll were the final Top 10. Knoll and Thirlby won the heats.

The next race on the 2012 Schedule is the Biggest Show of the Season for the UMP Super Late Models in the state of Michigan as the annual appearance by the UMP Summer National Hell Tour will be held on a special night; Sunday, June 24th as some of the best UMP Super Late Model Teams in North America will invade to take on the tracks Miller Lite UMP Super Late Models in the tours’ ONLY appearance in Michigan.

They’ll be joined by their companion tour, the Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds Nationals as the best Mod drivers in the country will go head to head with the tracks Accurate Engines UMP Modifieds. AS AN ADDED BONUS: The Rained Out Accurate Engines UMP Modifieds Feature from June 2nd will be made up on this night and will be the first race of the Evening at 6:00p.m. From there, the events of the day will roll into the regularly scheduled Complete Show.

Both series’ will be joined by the tracks weekly divisions of Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks and Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts. Special Starting Times for this event are; Pit Gates Open at 2:00p.m. Grandstands Open at 4:00p.m. Practice & UMP Super Late Models Qualifying starts at 4:30p.m., with Racing set for 6:00p.m. Tickets for this event are available through ShowClix, the Official Ticket Outlet of I-96 Speedway. Purchase your tickets early and save some money by doing so at the link located here: http://www.showclix.com/event/223118

Then the month of June will end on Saturday, June 30th with the second and final appearance by the Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models Tour Presented by Lane Automotive as they’ll try their hand at dethroning the cars and stars of the Miller Lite UMP Super Late Models just six days after the UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour appearance, giving the great fans of Western Michigan two GREAT UMP Super Late Models shows in just under a week!

The Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks, Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts, Spectator Drags, and a thrilling Stunt Show will also be on the schedule to wrap up the month of June in Lake Odessa, Michigan. Advance Tickets are on sale through ShowClix, the Official Ticket Outlet of I-96 Speedway and you can purchase them by clicking on this link: http://www.showclix.com/event/223128

I-96 Speedway is located at 3823 Portland Road in Lake Odessa, Michigan. For more information about the on-going 2012 racing season, please call: 1 (616) 642-0555 or visit the website at: www.i96speedway.com You can also follow along all season long by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com/i96speedway and click on “Like” button. You can even follow us on Twitter as well, just go to: www.twitter.com/i96speedway and “Follow” us today.