Six Different Drivers Pick Up Father’s Day Weekend Victories At Cherry Raceway

Six Different Drivers Pick Up Father’s Day Weekend Victories At Cherry Raceway

Fife Lake, Michigan (Friday, June 15th, 2012): The Father’s Day Holiday Weekend kicked off in style up in the “Great White North” as the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked dirt oval of Cherry Raceway in Fife Lake, Michigan hosted another thrilling six in one show to kick off the Father’s Day Weekend. The high-powered UMP Super Late Models will once again headline the night and they’ll be joined by the UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, Cruiser Bombers, Four-Cylinder Warriors, and Four-Cylinder Compacts.

The first division to take the track was the Four-Cylinder Compacts for their main event. It was 13-year-old Autumn Beeman, and 14-year-old Rheanna Doberstein leading the field to green. Beeman would take the lead early until lap six where it would be 13-year-old Chris Casey, who’s been the man to beat this season, taking the lead.

From there, the Williamsburg, Michigan teenager in his #00 Wilson Plumbing / Mercury XR7 going on to win his fourth feature in a row. Doberstein finished in second and Beeman wound up in third and 15-year-old Ryan Andras finished off the field. Beeman also won the Heat Race.

Next up were the Four Cylinder Warriors for their Feature which was lead to the green by Jim Durga, and Mark Nienhouse. Nienhouse took the early lead, and then at lap eight a competition yellow was thrown in order to turn the field around and race in the clockwise direction. On lap 12 Greg Walkowiak would take the race lead.

However on the very next lap Nienhouse would recapture the lead and in the end, the Traverse City, Michigan driver in his #7 Brickyard Towing / Dodge go on to win his second feature of the year. 75-year-old Ron Doberstein Sr. finished second, while Andrew Austin, Durga, and Walkowiak rounded out the top five. Walkowiak was the heat winner.

Then it was time for the Street Stocks to hit the racing surface for their A-Main which was led out by Rookie of the Year Points Leader Allen Oyer and Overall Points Leader Bob Green. Green would take the early advantage until lap eight he would relinquish the lead to Andy Nickerson III. Green slipped back through the field while Nickerson III paced the field.

When all was said and done, the 16-year-old Nickerson III in his #4 Nickerson Towing / Chevrolet going on to grab the feature win, his first of the season. Richard Clay Sr., finished second while Dan Klinglesmith, Darren Bowers, and Oyer completed top five. Kevin Borsen, and James Clem would collect the Heat Race Wins.

It was then time for the premier division on Friday nights, the UMP Super Late Models who were led out to the green flag by Greg Gokey, and Current Points Leader and Winner of the first two Feature of the season, Brandon Thirlby. It would be Thirlby who would jump out to a huge race advantage and never look back from there as he would go on to pick up his third feature win in as many starts in his #m14 Thirlby Automotive / Mastersbilt Racecars machine.

Gokey would come across the stripe in second while Dean Wilkerson, in his first race of the season at Cherry would finish third ahead of Rookie Points Leader, Alex Beeman. Brett Chalker who would finish off the top five. In the preliminary Heat Races, Thirlby and Gokey would take home those checkered flags as those two are first and second in the season long points chase.

Then it was time for the UMP Modifieds to do battle in their Feature event as they were led out onto the track by Current Points Leader John McCaul and Collin Thirlby. It would be Thirlby getting the jump on the field. Holding the lead until lap eight where he would see the top spot go to Defending Track Champion Joe Rokos.

On the very next lap it would be McCaul taking the lead and from there the Montague, Michigan veteran would extend his points lead by claiming his third Feature Win of the season in his #27 Stuberg Construction / Xtreme Racecars entry. Rokos settled for second while Thirlby, Tony Gokey, and Paul Johnson would make-up the top five. McCaul and Rokos won the heats.

The final feature of the event of the night was the for the Cruiser Bombers which saw the field led out by Richard Cebula Jr. and Jeremiah Woebbeking. The early advantage went to Cebula Jr. The field then saw the red flag displayed two times due to a couple of serious wrecks during the Feature event including a roll over. Everyone in the end was ok but done for the night.

Once the racing got back underway the lead would go to Dan Wilson on lap nine and he would make no mistake the rest of the way in his first start of the season and the Fife Lake, Michigan native in his #43 Joe’s Garage / Oldsmobile would go on to see the checkered flag first and win. Kevin Stricker finished second with Woebbeking, Cebula Jr., and Jamie Fancett completing the top five. Stricker, and Wilson won the Heats.

Coming This Friday, June 22nd it’ll be the first of two appearances by the Davison, Michigan based Michigan Traditional Sprints Series as the hi-flying Non-Winged Sprints will head North for the first time in 2012. They’ll be joined by the Street Stocks, Cruiser Bombers, Four-Cylinder Warriors, and Four-Cylinder Compacts while the UMP Super Late Models and UMP Modifieds will have the night off.

Ticket Prices for Friday, June 22nd are: Adults (13-59): $15.00 – Seniors (60 and Over): $12.00 – Children (6-12) $9.00 – Kids (5 and Under): FREE – Pit Passes: $25.00. On Friday nights throughout the 2012 racing season, the Pit Gates Open at 5:00p.m. Grandstand Gates Open at 6:00p.m. Practice also Starts at 6:00p.m., and then after Pre-Race Ceremonies / Invocation / National Anthem(s), Racing Begins at 7:15p.m.

To close out the month on Friday, June 29th the Mid-Michigan Mini Sprints Series returns for their second of four shows this season. The UMP Modifieds also return to action on June 29th after taking the week of June 22nd off as they prepare for the “Battle of the Bullring” Presented by Weller Auto & Truck Parts on a special Tuesday, July 3rd.

Street Stocks, Cruiser Bombers, Four-Cylinder Warriors, and Four-Cylinder Compacts will be on hand on both June 29th & July 3rd while the UMP Super Late Models will stay on vacation during those shows before returning on July 6th during Mid-Season Championships.

Cherry Raceway is located at: 8649 East M-113 in Fife Lake, Michigan. For more information, please call: 1 (231) 468-1477. Don’t forget to check out the track website at: www.cherryraceway.com You can also follow us on Facebook by going to: www.facebook.com/cherryraceway and clicking on the “Like” button as well as on Twitter by going to: www.twitter.com/cherryraceway