8/19/2019
Tri-City Motor Speedway
8/16/2019 Season Championship Results
08/16/2019 Season Championship Presented by BeCool Radiators
Feature Winners:
- Members First Credit Union Pro Stocks: #28 Jared Rizer
- ARP Late Models: #6m Dona Marcoullier
- Suspension MAXX Street Stocks: #14N Ryan Nethers
- Allstar Performance IMCA Modified: #79 Nate Jones
- Thornton Brothers Septic Service Bomber Stocks: #10 Austin Vennix
- Walker’s Ideal Trophies Mini Wedge: #28 Kyron DeShano (6-9yr olds)
- Walker’s Ideal Trophies Mini Wedge: #14 James Beaulieu (10-14 yr olds)
2019 TCMS Champions:
- ARP Late Models: #19 Derrick Hilliker
- Allstar Performance IMCA Modified: #27 Matt Szecsodi
- Members First Credit Union Pro Stocks: #69 Nate Murphy
- SuspensionMAXX Street Stocks: #20 Kyle Thomas
- Thornton Brothers Septic Service Bomber Stocks: #7 John Staszak
- Walkers Ideal Trophies Mini Wedge:
- 6-9 Year Olds: #28 Kyron DeShano
- 10-14 Year Olds: #2e Easton Murray
2019 Champions Crowned At Tri-City Motor Speedway
08/16/2019 (Auburn MI) The 2019 regular season championships were on the line last Friday night at Tri-City Motor Speedway as the season long battles would come to an end with one final point night. The way that Mother Nature had wreaked havoc on the season schedule, it was no surprise that on this Friday, the racers and fans once again had to worry about weather interrupting the night’s festivities. In order to ensure that the night could be finished and all championship races could be completed, many preliminary heat races were removed from the program and extra laps added to the features of those classes in which the heat races were removed. The move made for incredible racing leaving both fans and drivers hungry for more once it was over. In addition, the program included kids box car races before the races and also the annual SuspensionMAXX truck drags.
The first feature of the night was with the Walker’s Ideal Trophies Mini Wedge division. #28 Kyron DeShano in the 6-9 year old division and #2e Easton Murray in the 10-14 year old division just needed to start their feature event in order to clinch their first championships. DeShano would have to start the feature in the seventh spot, but worked his way to the front to challenge a fast #12 Morgan Bujarski for the lead. They would battle hard before contact between the two brought out the caution sending Bujarski to the rear of the field. On the restart, DeShano pulled away from the field to pick up the win and the 2019 Championship. #3 Jett Gohr, #26 Brennan DeShano, Bujarski, and #27 Pierson DeShano finished within the top five. Murray looked to also have her feature wrapped up, but a spin on the final lap gave the lead and checkered flag to Canadian #14 Ethan Beaulieu. The Championships for K. DeShano and Murray are their first.
The Members First Credit Union Pro Stock Championship came down to two time track Champion #28 Jared Rizer and Coleman’s #69 Nate Murphy with Murphy having a 9 point advantage. With no preliminary races to set the feature lineup, the field was set up by a point position invert that was blindly drawn by Murphy. With him drawing a two, this put both drivers on the front row to start the 25-lap main event. Rizer easily took full advantage of the starting position and jumped out to the lead with the low groove. He ended up holding off the entire field leading all 25 laps on his way to his first win of 2019. Murphy, experiencing handling issues, still managed to nurse his car to a fifth place finish which was enough to capture his first TCMS Championship by five points over Rizer. #27 Rob Westergard, #316 Terri Lynn Murphy, and #3 Loren Short finished second through fourth.
The Allstar Performance IMCA Modified Championship came down to the two drivers that fought for the Championship in 2018. Just like last season, it was #27 Matt Szecsodi and 2018 Champion #79 Nate Jones that would decide the season long championship. Just as it was in the Pro Stocks, the point leader drew a two for the point invert to create the starting lineup for the feature. With Jones and Szecsodi starting on the front, it assured that the fans would witness a shootout for not only the feature win, but the 2019 Championship. Jones immediately broke away from the field at the drop of the green flag. He, too, would go on to lead all 25 laps to grab the checkered flag. But, unlike last season where Szecsodi struggled in the championship race and lost the point lead, he was able to hold on to the second position and collect his first TCMS Championship by 11 points over Jones. The remainder of the top five in the feature included thirteenth place starter #71 Brenten DeYoung, #2 Tanner Pray, and #42 Craig Vance.
In the Thornton Brother’s Septic Service front wheel drive Bomber Stock class, #01Tk Brad Treichel showed up with a scant three point lead over defending Champion #7s John Staszak. Both started the 25-lap main event from row three and it wasn’t long before they neared the front of the field. #10 Austin Vennix, who started in the front row, never relinquished his lead as he led from start to finish barely keeping Staszak behind him. The win was Vennix’s third of the year. Behind Vennix and Staszak were #15k Paul Street Jr., #03 Josh Charbonneau, and Treichel. With their finishes, both Staszak and Treichel tied atop the season long point battle. However, the tie-breaker of most who had the most wins put Staszak as the 2019 Point Champion for the second year in a row and his third overall.
The SuspensionMAXX Street Stocks, with 29 cars in attendance, did need to have preliminary heat races and a B-Main to determine the 20-car field for the 20-lap main race. Those events were captured by #85 Al Spiekerman, #14n Ryan Nethers, #18n Nick Putman, and #72n Kevin Newcomb. With #20 Kyle Thomas already clinching the 2019 Championship the week prior, the focus was entirely on who would walk away with the checkered flag. Front row starter #58p Ty Papkey showed he was able to lead laps early in the race. However, it was only a few laps before Nethers motored his way from seventh to take over the top spot. Nethers led the final fifteen laps and captured his first TCMS feature win. Sophomore driver #46 Tyler Moore held on to second with #23 Rick Spencer, #8 Aaron Spearling, and #10f Mike Findley Jr. rounding out the top five at the finish.
The ARP Late Model Division races in order to determine the 20 that would start the 30-lap main race. #19 Derrick Hilliker came in with an eleven point advantage over three-time defending Champion #1r Andrew Terrill. Hilliker made sure that he would be part of the feature race by winning his qualifier heat race. Other heat race and B-Main winners included #21a Logan Arntz, Pro Stock Champion #9r Nate Murphy, and #3 Dave Bowen. #03 JC Witherspoon hugged the bottom groove for the initial three laps of the feature before Murphy took his turn at the front. Murphy looked to be the strongest of the field until lap twenty-seven when Houghton Lake’s #6m Dona Marcoullier snagged the race lead and cruised to victory in a caution-free race. The win was Marcoullier’s sixth in six attempts in 2019. Murphy, #2 Travis Stemler, Hilliker, and #23 Ryan Vanderveen rounded out the top five finishers. The fourth place finish for Hilliker was enough to capture his first ever track championship.
The season long point battles may be over, but that doesn’t mean the racing season is over. This coming Friday is the second Ring of Fire! We are heating things up with your favorite Australian Pursuits and Ring of Fire elimination race will light up the night sky. Drivers who conquer the Ring of Fire will see their name in flames and earn a custom fire ring!! In addition, one lucky fan go home with a TCMS fire ring just in time for those cool fall nights! Late Models, Street Stocks Pro Stocks, Bomber Stocks will all be part of the night’s festivities! Purchase your tickets online early at www.tricityracetrack.com and get here early to claim your seat! For contact information, directions, and instantaneous race results visit www.tricityracetrack.com.
Article Credit: Roger Williams
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