9/15/2024
Birch Run Speedway
Winners and Champions decided on dramatic Championship night at Birch Run!
No moisture in the air or on the grounds of the Birch Run Speedway as Championship night was run under perfect weather conditions! Drivers were looking to pick up wins and Championships as there were several tight point battles coming into the night! Every point mattered when it came to qualifying and the feature races.
After qualifying had wrapped up, the fastest cars on the property were:
Limited Late Models-Trent Fenner 16.999
Showcase Auto Sales Street Stocks-Larry Plamondon 17.365
Nelson Hydraulics American Trucks-Darren Burton 16.841
Finish Line Seamless Gutters Pure Stocks- Jim Miller Jr 17.053
Wheeler Trucking Modifieds-Kyle Hayden 16.047
Ed Muckenthaler was the point leader coming into the night, just two points ahead of Brian Bero. Muckenthaler started fifth and used a lap 11 restart to get around Bob Farley to claim the win and the 2024 Championship! For the Whittemore, MI veteran, it was his first win at Birch Run aboard his Don Bero Motors/Dean Arbour Chevrolet as he held off a furious charge from Farley and survived a two-lap shootout . Shawn Edmonds, Trent Fenner, and Dalton Worthy completed the top five.
Coming into the night, only eight points separated point leader Kyle Callahan and Duane Damon in the Showcase Auto Sales Street Stocks. Damon took the lead out of turn two at the start and saw his chances at the Championship increase when Callahan exited the track after battling with Austin Edmonds and suffering damage in a skirmish that involved the cars of Fred Cummings Jr, Larry Plamondon, Jason Congdon, and Johnny Hayden. After the restart, Edmonds led for three laps as Damon, Hayden, and Kevin Harder closed in to make it a four-car battle for the lead. A caution a lap later for fluid on the track put Damon to the outside of Edmonds for the ensuing green flag. Damon took the lead on the restart and Harder moved into second. Separated by one point coming into the night, Damon would lead Harder for the next seven laps when Harder put his car to the outside in turn three and came out of turn four with the lead. The driver of the Be Cool Radiators number 44 never looked back in picking up the feature win and claiming the Track Championship by nine points! Johnny Hayden got by Damon for second while Edmonds and John Leonard completed the top five.
Darren Burton was fast qualifier for the Nelson Hydraulics American Trucks and ended up putting his Champion Auto Sales/Agnew Signs #05 in victory lane for the second time in 2024! Rickey Gillett led early until Cam DeLong made his way by. Brad Reseigh pressured DeLong for the lead but Burton got around both drivers at the halfway point of the 25- lap feature to secure the win. Reseigh made his way by DeLong to finish second and Joe Shamel and Josh DeLong were fourth and fifth. DeLong's third-place finish was enough to crwon the driver of the Pierson Road Muffler Man/Tip Top Towing truck to his first career track Championship!
Multiple cautions plagued the Finish Line Seamless Gutters Pure Stocks and in the end, Hunter Doutre prevailed for his second win of 2024. The driver of the Rat-Tech Engine Service/Don Bero Motors number 73 took the lead from Lonnie Saumier Jr late in the race to get the victory ahead of Saumier, Andrew Burton, Jim Miller Jr, and Bruce Dunton Jr. Entering the night's racing, Miller had a comfortable 75 point lead over Doutre and after his fourth place finish was crowned 2024 track Champion.
Luke Warhurst led the first 25 laps of the Wheeler Trucking Modified feature before Michale Luberda Jr took the lead away. Luberda took the checkers in his Stine Seeds/Wendling Sheet Metal after only racing four times in 2024. Donny Matteson finished second ahead of Warhurst, Nick Lechota, and Kyle Hayden. Hayden and the Rick Wiecorek Racing/Jacobsen's Mountain Inn team were able to use their fifth place finish to garner the 2024 track Championship!
Starting twelfth in the Front Wheel Drive feature, Matt Elsey Jr made the trip from Otsego worth his while, taking his Quality Graphix/Preferred Insurance ride to victory lane in his first ever visit to Birch Run Speedway! Daegan Clayton led the opening two laps until Matt Elsey Sr got by. Randy Moore moved into second and Nicholas Murdock into third. Moore would eventually get by Elsey Sr, but Elsey Jr had caught the battle and two laps later made his way by Moore. Moore, who came into the night trailing Murdock by 10 points, held one position ahead of Murdock until a late race restart saw Murdock take over second. At the checkered flag it was Elsey Jr, Murdock, Morre, Elsey Sr, and Damian Watters. The Modern Shiawassee/Town&Country Auto Salvage driver from Brant claimed the 2024 Track Championship!
Three drivers had a mathematical shot to claim the Figure 8 Championship and in the end it was Jason Dvorscak laying claim to the title and the win! Michael Dvorscak took the lead from Josh Shaw and held it for several laps until slower traffic allowed Jason to close in. Son would get by father as Jason went around his dad and a slower car on the inside of turn three to take the lead. Slower traffic saw Jason go high and his dad low for the lead. The same scenario played out a lap later with the roles reversed as Jason went low underneath a slower car and his dad to take the lead. At one point the top four of J Dvorscak, M Dvorscak, Andrew Burton, and Anthony Williams all were nose-to-tail for the lead battle. Crossing the finish line at the finish, Jason Dvorscak bested Burton, M Dvorscak, and Willaims to pick up his second win of the season.
Birch Run Speedway will be crowning its 2024 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series Champions at their year end banquet. Details on that event will be forthcoming on the Birch Run Speedway Facebook page and www.birchrunracing.com
This Friday is the Monster X Metals and Gold Eve of Destruction. The event will feature the Push and Pull races, Back to School and Double O races, a Figure 8 Enduro and the Mid Michigan Mayhem School Bus Figure 8s.
Article Credit: Chuck Darling
Submitted By: Charles Darling
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