8/21/2016
Tri-City Motor Speedway
Race Results from 8/19/2016
08/19/16 Wieland Contracting Feature Winners
Melling Select Late Models: 21s Steven Hilliker
Suspension MAXX Street Stocks: #15.2 Robert Cunningham
Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified: #20w AJ Ward
Elgin Pro Stock: #71 Timmy Near
Thornton Brother’s Septic Service Bomber Stocks: #13 Preston Deshano
Figure 8: #72 Bobby Kosha
Kosha Wins First Figure-8. Ward Continues Unbeaten Streak
08/19/2016 (Auburn MI) Threatening weather managed to bypass Tri-City Motor Speedway last Friday night. A packed house of drivers and fans converged on the Auburn speed plant for Wieland Contracting night and to participate in the always popular Kid’s Night and Autograph night. An added bonus was the addition of the final Figure-8 feature of 2016 that had been rained out the week prior. Over 125 cars were on hand to try their luck on the fast and smooth high banks of TCMS.
The Suspension MAXX Street Stocks was the first class of cars to hold their feature event. With 31 cars entered for the evening, it was quite a challenge just to make the 20-car starting field for the feature. #31 Bob Robinson, #x5 Eric Lake, and #3 Mitch Clements won their qualifying heats to guarantee their starting spot in the big race. #17d David Doty would win the last chance B-main. #80 Aaron Mieske and #35 Josh Kunisch led the field to the green flag with Mieske leading the opening lap. However, within the first ten laps, they would be shuffled to midpack while #18d David Lester would take over the point. He would battle with a fast group of cars that included Clements, #96 Shane Wright, #15.2 Robert Cunningham, and Doty. With approximately five laps remaining, Cunningham would find himself leading and was able to hold off the competition to pick up his first win since opening night. He was followed by Lester, Wright, Clements, Doty, Robinson, #7r Kevin Newcomb, #57 Ryan Buechler, Mieske, and #85 Al Spiekerman.
Thornton Brothers Sewer Service Bomber Stock Division proved to be quite entertaining as typical for race night. #77 Stacie Staszak would again capture the heat race and look to be the early favorite to capture her third feature of the year. However, she would have to settle for the runner-up finish as #13 Preston Deshano would cruise his fourth victory of the season. #27 Mercedes Kosha, #18 Nick Putman, and #9 Ethan Roberts would complete the top five finishers.
Timmy Near has been on a month long winning streak in the Elgin Pro Stock division. He would start 10th in the 21 car field. Before lap 10, he was already to the front and challenging #99 Rick Beauchamp. They would swap the lead a number of times before Near would take the lead and pull away from the field and be the first to the checkered flag. Beauchamp would have to settle for second place. Behind Beauchamp, the top ten finishers were #57 TJ Gilbert, #14 Nate Jones, #69 Nate Murphy, #50 Chad Bennett, #87h Scott Hurren, #93 John Robbins, #01 Randy Radabaugh, and #91s Gary Shank. Heat race victories were captured by Robbins, Murphy, and Jones.
Carl Ries’ win the previous race night made him the tenth different winner in the Melling Select Late Model Division in 2016. With this being the last race before the American Ethanol Late Model Series comes to TCMS on Wednesday, 27 late model drivers were on hand to capture some positive momentum going into the big show. Rookie #10b Joe Batts, #11x Ryan Lanphierd, and #3 Kyle “Fireball” Roberts took top spots in their respective qualifying heats. #9 Isaac Wolfgang had to win the B-main to get a chance to participate in the 25-lap feature event. Lanphierd and Batts led the field to the green flag. Lanphierd would lead early before veteran driver #21s Steve Hilliker would find some speed on the top side and make the pass for the lead. He would hold off the field and pick up his first Late Model feature win of the season to the delight of the fans. The top five were Roberts, Lanphierd, #75 Rod Laney, and #24 Alex Hupert. The remainder of the top ten consisted of #4k Kevin Reeve, Wolfgang, #21d David Hilliker, and #0p Kris Patterson Jr.
The bounty on #20w AJ Ward in the Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified division continued for another week as no one was able to beat him the previous night of racing. All 22 drivers entered would start the main event with #776r Rusty Zeigler and #7s Lucas Small leading the field to the start of the 20-lap event. It took very little time for Ward to weave through the field from eighth place starting position to take the lead. He would edge out defending champion #7d Myron DeYoung to notch his twelfth win of the season, extend his point lead with two point nights remaining, and keeping the bounty in place. #4s Toby Steele would climb from 11th to finish in third and was followed by #19jr Kody Johnson, #19 Joe Fowler, #42 Craig Vance, #776k Ken Zeigler, #D42 Don Sautter, #03c Chris Cohoon, and rookie #8 Aaron Spearling. Johnson and #27 Matt Szecsodi won their heat races.
The final event of the night was the rescheduled 24 lap Figure-8 finale. 2015 Champion #x5 Eric Lake would bring the field of 15 to the green flag. #0r Ray Derminer, a former winner on the figure-8 track, would find bad luck in the opening laps when his car lazily rolled onto its roof. Derminer was uninjured, but was unable to continue. Lake would lead early, as well, but he also experienced mechanical issues which forced him to retire from the event early. The back half of the field would start to make their way to the front as 11th place starter #72 Bobby Kosha and 15th place starter #9 Marc Super became the class of the field. Kosha would be able to hold off a hard-charging Super to take his first checkered flag. Super was the runner-up with #07 Randy Radabaugh, #7k Dan Krause Jr., and #80 Aaron Mieske the top five.
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This Wednesday is the big show you all have been waiting for!! Ferrea Racing Components, Midland Steel, and Krapohl’s Body Shop and Custom Accessories along with TCMS present The American Ethanol Late Model Series as they end their 2016 season with a stop at Tri-City Motor Speedway! Fan favorite, Dona Marcoullier leads the point standings and will be on hand to battle Midwest’s best late model drivers and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon in a 40-lap main event!! Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified drivers will also have a special paying over $1,200 to win. This is an event you surely do NOT want to miss. Get to the track early to claim the best seats. There is no need to wait in line on race day to get your ticket! Save yourself time and preorder your tickets online now at www.tricityracetrack.com . Adult general admission for this show is just $16, 55 and better $15, 7-15 years of age $5, and 6 and under FREE. Sponsor tickets, comp tickets, ½ off coupons, and season passes are NOT valid for this show. Free rustic camping is also available!!!
Submitted By: Steve Puvalowski
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