Midwest Indoor Racing Series Returns to “Where it all began”
Grand Rapids, Michigan (Saturday, February 2nd, 2013): The Midwest Indoor Racing Series made their first ever appearance “Back to Where it All Began”; the DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the original home of Indoors Racing in the state of Michigan on Saturday, February 2nd. A great crowd came out to enjoy a night of Indoors Racing despite the cold and blustery and even blizzard like conditions outside the arena and all were treated to an action packed night of racing in 17 divisions.
Three drivers left the DeltaPlex Arena with Two Feature Wins apiece as 8-year-old Chase Burda was the highlighted and popular winner amongst the crowd in attendance as the Columbiaville, Michigan youngster started off the night by winning the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Junior Honda Feature as he took the lead with just two laps to go! He also won his Qualifier Heat Race while fellow 8-year-old Tanner Jo Drake scored the other Qualifier Heat win.
Then in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Junior Animals / Senior Animals Combined division Feature, it didn’t start off so well for Burda’s #18 Rob’s Service entry as he collided with a pair of 8-year-olds, Casey Smith and Trey Chmielewski resulting in him flipping his mount. He was put back on all four tires and on the checkered flag lap, swept to the inside of Chmielewski coming out of turn four to Win his Second Feature of the night in thrilling fashion! Smith scored the win in the Qualifier Heat Race.
14-year-old Renton Joling has arguably been the most successful driver in the inaugural winter racing season for the Midwest Indoor Racing Series as the Wyoming, Michigan teenager notched Feature Wins #5-6, the most of any driver in the 2012 / 2013 campaign! Joling’s first victory came in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Heavy Honda Feature in dominating fashion. Joling also swept the division by winning the Qualifier Heat Race.
Then in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Light 160 / Heavy 160 Combined Feature, it was Joling again in his #0 Tri-State Collectors & Car Appraisals machine as he took the lead from 15-year-old Nicole Stanley on lap one and proceeded to again dominate the Feature en route to his second main event victory of the night and sixth Feature Win of the 2012 / 2013 Winter Racing Season. Stanley did pick up the Qualifier Heat Race triumph.
The third Double Feature Winner of the night would be in the always exciting Lawn Mowers divisions as Jayson Mikula, who calls near-by Sparta, Michigan home, made the contingent in the grandstands happy as he started off the night by picking up the checkered flag in the Lawn Mowers Stocks Feature. Mikula set Fast Time in Qualifying with a 10.021 while Bill Campbell would collect the win in the Qualifier Heat Race.
Then in the premier division within the Lawn Mowers, the Super Modifieds, it was again Mikula as he steered his unlimited #4 Four Seasons Yard & Sport grass cutter to victory lane for the second time of the night to the roar and appreciation of the partisan crowd on hand. Mikula had a banner night as he also won the Fast Qualifier Award with an 8.687 second lap and then brought home the Qualifier Heat Race victory as well.
There was one more Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets division on hand and in the Senior Honda Feature, 10-year-old Carson Hocevar made a daring three-wide pass for the lead on lap six of the 15-Lap main event and from there, the Portage, Michigan driver in his #14 Scott’s Racing machine went on to Win the Feature! Hocevar also won his Qualifier Heat Race while 10-year-old Corey Smith grabbed the Win in the second Qualifier Heat Race.
There was also one more Lawn Mowers division in attendance as the Modifieds division would see the #76 Freedom Engineering machine of Sumner, Michigan driver, Brian Gager walk away with the Feature Win as 16-year-old Kelsey VanEpps, the Feature Winner back in November at the Inaugural MIRS race at Perani Arena & Events Center in Flint, Michigan paced the field early before dropping out with mechanical problems at the halfway point of the 20-Lap Feature. Gager also set Fast Time in Qualifying with a 9.719 second lap while VanEpps won the Qualifier Heat Race.
The premier division within the Midwest Indoor Racing Series, the John Belott & Sons Auto Purchasing Winged Mini Sprints would see Rumble in Fort Wayne winner, Tim Neal steer his #19 Dunigan Motorsports / Hyper Chassis entry into victory lane as the Ypsilanti, Michigan stand out started on the pole of the 50-lap headliner and would go the distance to earn his third MIRS Feature Win of the season. 18-year-old Clay Sanders won the Fast Qualifier Award with a 7.315 while Neal Won the Dash and Phil Bozell scored the Qualifier Heat Race triumph.
In the John Belott & Sons Auto Purchasing Non-Winged Mini Sprints, Drew Dorsett made the trip from Monrovia, Indiana worthwhile as the Hoosier State competitor started on the front row and went the distance in the 35-lap main in his Suphten Fire Trucks / Hyper Chassis machine en route to his second overall Feature Win of the season. Sanders was the Fast Qualifier for a second time during the event as he turned a 7.433 and he also won the Dash. Neal took the checkered flag first in the Qualifier Heat Race.
The Arena / Mini Cups 30-Lap Feature was a wild one as four times the red flag came out for cars flipping their machines including Ronnie Smith who ended up on his roof on three separate occasions! Finally when all was said and done, Grand Rapids, Michigan native, Todd Cowan made the hometown fans happy by picking up his Second Feature Win in a row in MIRS competition in his #96 Action Mold & Engineering / Chevrolet. He also picked up the win in the last MIRS sanctioned event back on January 12th at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. 14-year-old Steven Nichols won the Fast Qualifier Award for the third time during the 2012 / 2013 Winter Racing Season with a lap measured at an 8.880 while Ed Doutre Jr., and 14-year-old Renton Joling (doing Triple-Duty during the weekend) scored the wins in the two Qualifier Heat Races.
In the Legends / Dwarf Cars Feature, 19-year-old Sean McPherson dominated the Feature to cross the start / finish line first. Unfortunately he was disqualified for Unsportsmanlike Conduct thus handing the Feature Win to Grandville, Michigan native, Troy Hoffman in his #28 L-K Concrete / Ford. Earlier in the day, McPherson did win the Fast Qualifier Award with a lap measured at an 8.283. He also scored the win in the Qualifier Heat Race.
The premier division within the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts divisions, the Open Class would see 20-year-old Taylor Tabaszewski steer her #31 Roadside Truck & Trailer Repair kart into victory lane for the third straight time in the Inaugural Winter Racing Season for the Midwest Indoor Racing Series as she took the popular victory to the roar and approval of the nearly standing room only crowd on hand.
The Flushing, Michigan rising star dominated the Feature to “Three-Peat” and add to her Feature Win totals from Kellogg Arena (Battle Creek, Michigan on January 12th) and Birch Run Expo Center (Birch Run, Michigan on December 22nd). She swept the night also as she won the Fast Qualifier Award with a 7.627 and won the Qualifier Heat Race.
In the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts 360 Animals / 360 Flat Heads Combined Feature event, 16-year-old Nate Randall made the long trek from West Branch, Michigan worthwhile as he would hold off a furious charge all race long from Dustin Lundgren and lead all 20 laps to Win the Feature in his #24 Advanced Insulation entry. Randall and Lundgren picked up the Qualifier Heat Race victories earlier in the afternoon.
MSA Supermodifieds and Outlaw Super Late Models competitor throughout the Midwestern United State, Charlie Schultz made the trip from Lorain, Ohio a good one as the veteran circle track competitor in his #9 Ice Oil Company Go-Kart picked up the Feature Win in the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Clones division after taking the lead from teammate, A.J. Lesiecki at the halfway mark of the Feature. Lesiecki and Schultz scored the Qualifier Heat Race accolades.
The Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Caged Kart Feature saw a dominating display put on by Mike Schmidt as the Bay City, Michigan driver in his #53 Schmidty’s Repair Caged machine took the Feature Win in a dominating display of driving as he scooted out ahead of 13-year-old Anthony Deming and pulled away to victory. Schmidt also swept the entire night as he won his Qualifier Heat Race.
12-year-old Arron Vincent has been the story of the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Gold Plate division so far in the Inaugural Winter Racing Season as the driver from near-by Wyoming, Michigan made the partisan crowd happy by scoring the convincing Win in the Feature, his second in a row dating back to his first triumph on January 12th at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. Vincent also won his Qualifier Heat Race as 12-year-old Joshua Spindelman scored the second Qualifier Heat checkers.
Finally In the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts beginners division, the Purple Plates, 13-year-old Hunter Doutre has been fast all season long in his #73 Outdoor Adventures R.V. Resorts machine and on this night, the Swartz Creek, Michigan driver finally put it all together to bring home his first Midwest Indoor Racing Series Feature of the season. He also won his Qualifier Heat Race while 8-year-old Jeremiah Albosta won the second Qualifier Heat Race.
The 2012 / 2013 Winter Racing Season’s Final race of the Inaugural campaign has been confirmed and that is set for Saturday, March 23rd as the Midwest Indoor Racing Series returns to the Birch Run Expo Center in Birch Run, Michigan with a whopping 22 divisions of racing to close out the Inaugural Season for the Eaton Rapids, Michigan based series!
The John Belott & Sons Auto Purchasing Winged & Non-Winged Mini Sprints will once again highlight the action packed night of racing while the Dwarfs / Legends Cars, Arena / Mini Cup Cars, Great Lakes Tires Go-Karts (Open, 360 Flat Heads / 360 Animals, Clones, Caged, Purple Plate & Gold Plate), Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets (Junior Honda, Senior Honda, Heavy Honda, Light 160, Heavy 160, Junior Animal & Senior Animal), and Lawn Mowers (Super Modifieds, Modifieds & Stocks) will also all be racing.
MGM Motorsports LLC, is a new venture based out of Eaton Rapids, Michigan and features MIRS sanctioned short track racing inside sports arenas throughout the Midwest for the 2012/2013 Winter Racing Season and beyond. For more information, please call Jack Gritter at: 1 (616) 813-5965 / Scott Menlen at: 1 (586) 201-0378 or Scott Mathews at: 1 (313) 909-4270.
To learn more about the Midwest Indoor Racing Series, please go to the website located at: www.midwestindoorracingseries.com. You can also go to the series’ Facebook Fan Page located at: www.facebook.com/midwestindoorracing and don't forget to follow MIRS on Twitter by going to: www.twitter.com/MIRSracing
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