Midwest Indoor Racing Series end 2012/2013 Winter Campaign on a high note
Birch Run, Michigan (Saturday, March 23rd, 2013): The 2012 / 2013 Winter Racing Season ended on a high note for the Midwest Indoor Racing Series on Saturday, March 23rd at the Birch Run Expo Center in Birch Run, Michigan as the Inaugural campaign for the Eaton Rapids, Michigan based series come to a close with 107 teams in the building and another packed house in the grandstands.
The highlight of the evening was the driving display by 8-year-old Chase Burda who would complete the rare “Hat Trick” by winning three Features in one night! The Columbiaville, Michigan youngster took his first checkered flag in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Junior Honda Feature and then followed that up with the Win in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Light 160 Feature.
The driver of the #18 Rob’s Service entries then completed the rare feat in dramatic fashion in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Junior Animal / Senior Animal / Heavy Honda Combined Feature when he made the pass for the Victory going into turns three and four on the checkered flag lap to cross the start/finish line first in front of the crowd who was on their feet at that point. The young man received a standing ovation for his efforts.
What made the accomplishment even more impressive was the fact that Burda also swept all three Qualifier Heat Races in the three divisions he competed in to go a perfect six for six on the weekend.
In the remaining two Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midget divisions that Burda was not entered in, the Senior Honda Feature would see 10-year-old young lady, Corey Smith take the checkered flag first in her #8 Rusty Schlenk Racecars Quarter Midget. In the Qualifier Heat Race, Jerry Osterhouse would be the driver visiting victory lane as he picked up that win.
Finally in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Heavy 160 Feature, 14-year-old Renton Joling enjoyed a banner night himself as the Wyoming, Michigan teenager in his #0 Tri-State Car Collector Appraisals machine would walk away with the Feature Win, his seventh overall of the Inaugural MIRS Winter Racing Season, tying him with Burda with the most Overall Feature Wins this Winter. He also collected the Qualifier Heat Race win as well.
In the headlining divisions of John Belott & Sons Auto Purchasing Winged Mini Sprints and Non-Winged Mini Sprints action, Tim Neal wrapped up the season in the last Feature of the night by steering his #19 Dunigan Motorsports machine to victory in the Winged Mini Sprints 50-Lap Feature. The Ypsilanti, Michigan driver held off a hard-charging Larry Sroufe for all 50 laps to secure the Win, his third of the season in MIRS competition. Sroufe was the Fast Qualifier with a 6.688 while Neal won the Dash and Mark Zumbrun picked up the win in the Qualifier Heat Race.
In the John Belott & Sons Auto Purchasing Non-Winged Mini Sprints Feature, Sroufe didn’t head back home to Larwill, Indiana empty-handed as he would put his #21 Sroufe’s Garage mini sprint in victory lane at the end of the 35-Lap Feature. He also set Fast Time with a 6.844 while in a role reversal of the Winged Mini Sprints; Zumbrun won the Dash while Neal picked up the Qualifier Heat Race accolades.
The Arena / Mini Cup Cars would see hometown favorite from near-by Bridgeport, Michigan, Scott Quaal collect his third MIRS Feature Win of the 2012/2013 Winter Racing Season in his #1 K-R Metal Engineering / Chevrolet as he also made a clean sweep of the entire evening as he also was the Fast Qualifier with a lap measured at a 7.661, which was a new MIRS Track Record at the Birch Run Expo Center. He also scored the Win in the Qualifier Heat Race.
18-year-old Parker Hencak, in his first ever race of any kind in any race car, led the first 18 laps of the 30-lap Legends / Dwarf Cars Feature before Dave Wylie overtook him and from there, the Howell, Michigan driver in his #28 Wylie Soft Water / Chevrolet would hold off Hencak to collect the Feature triumph. Hencak’s night was nearly perfect though as in addition to finishing second in the feature, he also picked up his first ever win in his first ever race when he won the Qualifier Heat race.
The Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Open division would see Aaron Morrison put an end to Taylor Tabaszewski’s three-race winning streak as the Westland, Michigan pilot in his #24 Morrison Motorsports machine withstood several challenges from Tabaszewski to pick up his first ever MIRS Feature Win. Tabaszewski won the Fast Qualifier Award earlier in the day with a 6.701 while Morrison won both the Qualifier Heat Race and the Australian Pursuit.
In the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts 360 Flat Heads / Animals / Clones Combined Feature, Lorain, Ohio veteran, Charlie Schultz, a regular during the regular season in the MSA Super Modifieds Tour and in an Outlaw Super Late Model in the Main Event Racing Series, pulled out his Go-Kart once again and would drive his #9 Ice Oil Company kart into victory lane for the second time in a row dating back to the last MIRS event at the Delta Plex Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan back on February 2nd. 16-year-old Nate Randall, Cody Jarrett, Schultz and Mike Schmidt all collected Qualifier Heat Race victories.
A relatively new division to MIRS, the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Caged Kart Feature saw a new winner as Bellevue, Michigan competitor, Brad Feuerstein would pick up the victory in their main event of the evening as he edged out Qualifier Heat Race victor, Cap Henry to score the checkered flag. MIRS is looking to make this class a permanent division for the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Season.
As for the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Gold Plate division, 13-year-old Anthony Deming would score his first MIRS Feature Win of the Inaugural season as the Bayport, Michigan youngster in his #77 Superior Tree Service machine, who has been to every MIRS event during the series’ first season, was able to put it all together on the final night to secure the win. In the Qualifier Heat Races, another 13-year-old, Matthew Jacot swept both events leading into the main event of the evening.
The beginners division within the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts, the Purple Plate division would witness 13-year-old Hunter Doutre end the first season within MIRS with his second consecutive Feature Win to go with his triumph back on February 2nd at the Delta Plex Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan as the driver of the #73 Outdoor Adventures R.V. Resorts Kart fought off ferocious challenges from 9-year-old Samuel Crawford and 11-year-old Victorya Truemner to get the job done. Doutre also won a Qualifier Heat Race and so did Crawford.
The Lawn Mowers once again brought three divisions to race and in the headlining Super Modifieds division, Jeff Diebel would put it all together to score his first MIRS Feature Win aboard his #96 Diebel Racing grass cutter as he held off Martin Sturm, who finished second and was the Fast Qualifier from earlier in the afternoon with a lap measured at an 8.613 and he also scored the Qualifier Heat Race win.
In the Lawn Mowers Modifieds Feature event, Sumner, Michigan driver, Brian Gager backed up his Feature Win in his first ever MIRS appearance at the Delta Plex Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan back on February 2nd by walking away with his second straight victory in dominating fashion. Gager was also the Fast Qualifier with an 8.869 and he also won the Qualifier Heat Race for a clean sweep of the entire night.
Lastly in the Lawn Mowers Stocks division, Ralph Brackenberry, a regular in the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Series, made the most of his first ever MIRS appearance as the Pigeon, Michigan veteran in his #2 R-Ra Repair Lawn Mower scored the Feature victory in a wild event that saw three separate roll overs. Jayson Mikula set a New Track Record in the class with a 9.014 and also won the Qualifier Heat Race.
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The entire management and staff of the Midwest Indoor Racing Series and MGM Motorsports would to Thank everyone who was a part of the Inaugural Winter Racing Season; the Fans as well as the Crew, Drivers, Host Facilities and especially the Officials for making the 2012 / 2013 season such a rousing success and we look forward to an even bigger and better second season in 2013 / 2014 beginning the last weekend of October at Perani Arena & Events Center in Flint, Michigan.
More events are slated to be added over the spring and summer months as well as into the fall leading up to the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Season Opener. Tentatively, an eight-race schedule is planned for Late October 2013 to Late March 2014.
MGM Motorsports LLC, is based out of Eaton Rapids, Michigan and features MIRS sanctioned short track racing inside sports arenas throughout the Midwestern United States. 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 and to inquire about the 2013/2014 Winter Racing Season, please go to the website located at:www.midwestindoorracingseries.
The entire management and staff of the Midwest Indoor Racing Series and MGM Motorsports would to Thank everyone who was a part of the Inaugural Winter Racing Season; the Fans as well as the Crew, Drivers, Host Facilities and especially the Officials for making the 2012 / 2013 season such a rousing success and we look forward to an even bigger and better second season in 2013 / 2014 beginning the last weekend of October at Perani Arena & Events Center in Flint, Michigan.
More events are slated to be added over the spring and summer months as well as into the fall leading up to the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Season Opener. Tentatively, an eight-race schedule is planned for Late October 2013 to Late March 2014.
MGM Motorsports LLC, is based out of Eaton Rapids, Michigan and features MIRS sanctioned short track racing inside sports arenas throughout the Midwestern United States. 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 and to inquire about the 2013/2014 Winter Racing Season, please go to the website located at:www.midwestindoorracingseries.
