8/30/2020
Merritt Speedway
Bauer wins 2nd of the year for $2500 payday at Merritt Speedway
Results Recap for August 29th, 2020:
Winners:
Soaring Eagle UMP DIRTcar Late Models: 19x Cody Bauer
Cadillac Tire Center UMP DIRTcar Modifieds: 1e Jeff Erickson Jr.
Diesel Freak B-Modifieds: 10 Gary Vandermark
Auto Value Pro Stocks: 19s Andrew Steele
Lake City Materials Factory Stocks: 50 Jake Thompson
XLT Engineering 4 & 6 Cylinders: 15 Katie Robinson
Allstar Performance Mini-Wedges: 88 Tucker Warner (Restricted) / 11 Cole Shanteau (Un-Restricted).
Soaring Eagle UMP DIRTcar Late Models Fast Qualifier: 4 Travis Stemler 13.571
8/30/2020: (Lake City, MI): There was a full show at the Merritt Speedway this past Saturday night. The high-powered Soaring Eagle UMP DIRTcar Late Models headlined the show running for a $2500 to win special feature event. They were joined by a $1200 to win special for the Cadillac Tire Center UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, and a $600 to win event for the Lake City Materials Factory Stocks. The Allstar Performance Mini-Wedges, Auto Value Pro Stocks, Diesel Freak B-Mods, and the XLT Engineering Four & Six Cylinders were also part of the program.
The Allstar Performance Mini-Wedges held their events before the start of the main program. In the Restrictor plate division Tucker Warner of Harbor Springs, Michigan picked up the feature win. Then in the Non-Restrictor plate it was Cole Shanteau picked up the feature event win.
The first main event of the night belonged to the Lake City Materials Factory Stocks faced off in a 20-lap A-Main paying $600 to win. Rylee Knoll and 2016-track champion Jim Miller Jr. kicked the race off from the front row. The first lap was led by Jake Thompson. Thompson was able to command the lead for the entire event despite the competitive field. Thompson would go on to get the win. This was the second win of the year for the 25-year old driver from Birch Run, Michigan in the Diffin Farms #50. Eric Lake finished second. Brendan Powell, Knoll, and 2-time track champion Rick Spencer rounded out the top five. Bryan Cook, Lake, and Spencer won the preliminary heat races.
The 25-lap Cadillac Tire Center UMP DIRTcar Modifieds rolled out led by Brian Brindley and Joe Rokos. The green flag waved and Rokos would storm off with the lead in the early going. Rokos would have a great run leading most of the race. However, on lap 23 Jeff Erickson Jr. charged his way up through the field and take the lead after starting at the back of the pack after a caution. Erickson would pull away and go on to score the $1200 payday. This was the 9th win of the season for the 31-year old from Muskegon, Michigan in the Salon One Hair & Nail care #1e. Rokos had to settle for second. Collin Thirlby, Brindley, and Caleb Kill completed the top five. Thirlby and 4-time track champion Brent Banning, and Kill won the heats.
Anthony Schweifler and Andrew Steele brought out the 20-lap Auto Value Pro Stock feature event. Steele wasted no time in grabbing the lead after the drop of the green flag. Steele would hang onto the lead and go on to make the trip to victory lane. This was the third win of the season for Steele, the 27-year old driver from Auburn, Michigan driving the Saginaw Welding #19s. 19-year old Kendall Morrison finished second. 19-year old Danielle Robinson, Tim Murphy, and Schweifler made up the rest of the top five. The heat races were won by Teri Lynn Murphy and Tim Murphy.
The Diesel Freak B-Mods competed in a 20-lap A-Main with Brian Knight and Josh Loomis on the first row when the green flag waved. Loomis jumped out front early with the field fighting for position behind him. Loomis maintained the lead until lap 10 when he was passed by Gary Vandermark who powered his way up from an eighth starting position. Vandermark never looked back from there as he picked up the win. This was the 10th win of the season for 50-year old driver from Lowell, Michigan in the Showboat Automotive #10. Loomis took second. Reid Sanders, 18-year old Michael Luberda, and Richie Sutherland rounded out the top five. Collin Thirlby and Sanders won the heat races.
The high-powered Soaring Eagle UMP DIRTcar Late Models hit the track for a 30-lap feature event. Travis Stemler and Cody Bauer started on the front row for the $2500 to win race. The green flag would wave, and Bauer would beat out everyone else for the lead after the opening circuit. Bauer would never have to look back from there as he went on from there to the lead the entire event from start to finish and get the win. Chad Finley was the runner up finisher. Stemler, Brandon Thirlby, and 1980-track champion Steve Hilliker finished out the top five. The heat races were won by Thirlby, Bauer, and Stemler.
The XLT Engineering Four & Six Cylinders 15-lap main event was the final race of the night. David Feriend and Jeremy McCracken brought the field to the green flag. McCracken would lead after lap 1. He would go unchallenged until lap 4, when the 2019-track champion Cheyanne Emery took the lead for herself, but McCracken would re-take the lead on lap 5. McCrackene would pull away and looked to have the win in hand, but Katie Robinson would not let that happen, she made her way up to the front after starting seventh. Robinson made the pass on lap 9 to take the lead and she went on to get the win. This was the 2nd win of the year for the 13-year driver from Mount Pleasant, Michigan driving the Xtreme Chassis & Performance Parts #15. McCracken finished second. Emery, 14-year old Clay Lachcik, and Jeremiah Hill completed the top five. Robinson, and Travis Skaggs won the heats.
Merritt Speedway will return next Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th for the annual 2-day event for the Gene Kreager Championship weekend. All the track championships will be crowned for the 2020 race season. The event will be headlined by the Allstar Performance Late Model Challenge Series presented by American Ethanol. All divisions will be on hand.Stay tuned to the Merritt Speedway Facebook page for the latest updates on next Saturday and all future events.
Article Credit: Brian Osborne
Submitted By: Brian Osborne
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