Dona Marcoullier Wins The 3rd annual Battle of the Bullring And A $3,000 Payday For His 28th Birthday

Dona Marcoullier Wins The 3rd annual Battle of the Bullring And A $3,000 Payday For His 28th Birthday

Fife Lake, Michigan (Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012): One of the biggest races of the 2012 racing season was conducted on a special Tuesday Night, July 3rd at Cherry Raceway, located southeast of Traverse City in Fife Lake, Michigan as the biggest and highest paying event held over the Fourth of July Holiday Weekend in the State of Michigan was the 3rd annual Battle of the Bullring Presented by Weller Auto & Truck Parts.

Some of the best UMP Modifieds in the Midwestern United States made the trip up to the “Great White North” and battle in a 30-Lap Feature paying a whopping $3,000 to Win and $300 just to start! An impressive field of 35 UMP Modifieds would be dwindled down to the 18 best in the Midwest as the 30-Lap Main Event would see Defending UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Michigan State Champion Jacob Poel and Mike Wilbern start on the front and lead the stacked field to Chief Starter, Tim Beebe’s green flag.

Poel would set a torrid pace in the early going of the Main Event while the rest of the field battled for position behind him, Dona Marcoullier, the 2007 UMP Super Late Models Track Champion, who was filling in for Dennis Craft, a regular at Cherry’s sister track to the south I-96 Speedway, and ironically making his first ever start behind the wheel of a UMP Modified, worked his way up the second from his fourth starting spot and began to reel in Poel who built up a nearly full straightaway lead over the pack.

Marcoullier got to Poel’s back bumper and the battle was on for the lead as he made the pass on lap 25. Poel didn’t give up so easily though and pulled up along-side the UMP Super Late Models veteran as they traded paint for the big money on the line. As they crossed the start/finish line, it would be Marcoullier by just a few feet as the Houghton Lake, Michigan driver celebrated his 28th birthday in style by banking $3,000!

Poel settled for second as Wilbern, Defending Track Champion Joe Rokos, and 2011 Merritt Raceway Track Champion, 19-year-old Cody Bauer finished off the top five. Collin Thirlby finished sixth as Brian Ruhlman, Stan Dodds, Bob Baldwin, and Dennis Taghon rounded out the top 10. Ruhlman, Bauer, Rich Robinson Jr., and Poel won the Qualifier Heat Races while Brad Wilson and Dodds picked up the B Main victories.

The first Feature of the night would be for the Four-Cylinders Compacts and it would be a pair of 13-year-olds; Current Points Leader Chris Casey and Defending Track Champion Autumn Beeman, the winner of the last two Features starting on the front row. And it would be Beeman leading the way with Casey in hot pursuit. The two teenagers were side by side for the majority of the race and with two laps to go they collided sending both flying off of turn two.

This handed the lead to 16-year-old rookie Cara Neverth who would make no mistake over the last two laps as the McBain, Michigan teenager in his #30 Pizza Hut / Chevrolet would go on to score her first career Feature Win. Casey charged through the field to finish second over 15-year-old Ryan Andras while 16-year-old Frank Smith and 14-year-old Dylan Roush were the top five. Beeman won the lone Heat Race.

In the Four-Cylinders Warriors Feature event, Ray Geeting, a regular at near-by Winston Speedway and Current Overall and Rookie Points Leader, Jim Durga led the field to the green flag. Geeting would pace the field for the first two laps before fellow Winston invader, Rich Lieb, also a regular at Cherry’s sister track to the south, I-96 Speedway would grab the lead for himself on lap three and begin to pull away from the rest of the field.

Lieb in his #84 East Beltline Towing / Eagle would never be challenged the rest of the distance as the Muskegon, Michigan native made the most of his first ever appearance up in the “Great White North” by bringing home the Feature Win ahead of Randy Whitten Jr., another fellow Winston invader. 15-year-old Nick Olds finished in third while Rick Nic and Durga finished off the top five. Durga would score the Heat Race win.

16-year-old Andy Nickerson III and Dan Klinglesmith would bring the Street Stocks Feature line-up to the green flag and it would be Nickerson III leading the first three laps before Merritt Raceway invader Mike Sparks slipped by to take over the top spot on lap four. Sparks would then be trailed by 17-year-old Rookie Points Leader James Clem who won the last Friday night Feature back on June 29th and the two drivers would pull away to battle.

Clem got sideways with four laps to go to bring out the caution flag. From there, Sparks in his #100 Maple Avenue Collision / Chevrolet would fight off a late charging Clem who worked his way back up to second as Sparks made the long haul from Otter Lake, Michigan worthwhile in winning the Feature. Clem was second as Nickerson III, Rookie Points Leader 19-year-old Allen Oyer, and Mike Vandermark Jr., completed the top five. Tim Tabaczka was the Heat Race Winner.

The Cruiser Bombers rolled out next and the front row would be occupied by Rookie Alicia Roszczewski and Current Points Leader 14-year-old Jimmy Hiller and it would be Hiller jumping out to the early lead while the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him. 2010 Track Champion Roger McQueen worked his way up to second and began challenging the teenager for the top spot.

However, Hiller wouldn’t be denied as the Kalkaska, Michigan driver in his #95 Forest Area Car Company / Chevrolet would hang on for his fourth Feature Win of the 2012 Racing Season. McQueen settled for second while Roszczewski, John McCaul, and 17-year-old David Harrington were the final top five. Hiller swept the night as he also won the Heat Race.

The three races in eight days marathon in Fife Lake, Michigan, which is part of the Best Fourth In The North 2012 Festival Presented by the Fife Lake Chamber of Commerce concludes this Friday, July 6th with the 2012 Mid-Season Championships highlighted by the return after a three-week vacation by the high-powered UMP Super Late Models. Also on the card will be UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, Cruiser Bombers, Four-Cylinder Warriors, and Four-Cylinder Compacts.

Ticket Prices for Friday, July 6th are: Adults (13-59): $12.00 – Seniors (60 and Over): $0.00 – Children (6-12) $5.00 – Kids (5 and Under): FREE – Pit Passes: $25.00. The Pit Gates Open at 5:00p.m., the Grandstand Gates Open at 6:00p.m. Practice Starts at 6:00p.m., as well and then after Pre-Race Ceremonies / Invocation / National Anthem(s), Racing Begins at approximately 7:15p.m.

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