5/22/2016
Tri-City Motor Speedway
Race Result from 5/20/2016
Melling Select Late Models: #6M Dona Marcoullier
Suspension MAXX Street Stocks: #34f Jacob Flickinger
Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified: #20w AJ Ward
Elgin Pro Stocks: #14 Nate Jones
Thornton Brothers Septic Service Bomber Stocks: #18 Nick Putman
Marcoullier Notches 100th Career Late Model Feature at Tri-City Motor Speedway
05/20/2016 (Auburn MI) It was Mystery Night at Tri-City Motor Speedway this past Friday night with many drivers and spectators winning prizes throughout the night for simply attending the show. Drivers from around the Midwest and Canada continue to make the Auburn speed plant their Friday night destination. On this night, a record 115 cars and drivers were on hand in hopes that they may take home the top prize in their respective classes. The near capacity crowd was not disappointed with the level of intensity of the drivers on the speedway.
The Thornton Brothers Sewer and Septic Bomber Stock Division was the highlighted division of the day with a special 26-lap feature. #77 Stacie Staszak, who had been the fast qualifier earlier and heat race winner earlier in the night, would lead the opening laps before point leader #13 Preston DeShano would grab the lead. DeShano looked like he would dominate the event as he had two weeks prior. The best battle on the track was a half-straightaway back between defending champion #09 Jack Freese and #18 Nick Putman. Mechanical issues on lap 21 for DeShano would force him to retire from the event and moved the runner-up battle to a battle for the lead. Putman would overtake Freese to pick up his first feature win of the season for the Kawkawlin native. Freese, #21 Andy Koczenasz, #1 Dale Kaake III, and #83 Zack Essex completed the top five.
Twenty-Six Melling Select Late Models were on hand to vie for the twenty spots in the 25-lap feature. All eyes were on Houghton Lake driver #6m Dona Marcoullier as he was looking to capture his 100th career Late Model feature win. Not only were the fans excited about the possibility of witnessing win #100, but, with the appearance of rival #55 Jeep VanWormer, high tensions and intense racing was a likely possibility. Both would win their respective qualifying heat races, along with #4 Andrew Terrill and #24 Alex Hupert, to lock into the big feature. The last chance B-main was captured by #9 Isaac Wolfgang. Marcoullier and VanWormer would start alongside each other in row six. Pole Sitter #16 Mike Staszak, who looked strong in his heat race, would lead the opening six laps before a caution would bunch up the field. Soon after the restart, Marcoullier would muscle his way to the front with VanWormer close behind. A number of restarts would give VanWormer, #21 Logan Arntz, and #21 David Hilliker an opportunity to spoil Marcoullier’s night. However, he would not be denied as he would cross the line ahead of the entire field to collect the milestone victory. VanWormer, Arntz, Hilliker, and Terrill captured hard fought top five finishes.
Aggressive driving was the theme of a caution-riddled Elgin Pro Stock feature event. With six different leaders in the 20-lap feature, it was anyone’s guess as to who would be left to claim victory. #91 Gary Shank, who won his heat, would lead the opening laps before #99 Rick Beauchamp would try his hand at the front of the field. #71 Timmy Near would be the next driver to lead the field until lap nine. 16th place starter #10 Brent Reil would take the point from Near until both drivers would make contact on the backstretch sending both drivers to the pits. This would give the lead to B-Main winner and point leader #14 Nate Jones. The final stretch would see a great battle between Jones and rookie #57 TJ Gilbert. They both would fight for the low groove real estate. Jones would end up with his third feature of the season narrowly beating #21 Darren Mularz, #93 John Robbins, Beauchamp, and #72 John Taylor. Gilbert ended up finishing 9th. Near, Beauchamp, and Gilbert also won their heat races.
The Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified division has been owned by Ionia’s #20w AJ Ward. With an undefeated record heading into Friday night, the other 24 drivers present were hoping to break Ward’s dominance. Ward would lock into the feature by winning his heat as did #33 Todd Matheson, #615 Chad Wernette, and #42 Craig Vance. Fenton’s #187 Gavin Hunyady won the B-main to qualify for the feature event. Ward would start inside row six while #53 Nathan Oswald and #19 Joey Fowler would lead the opening laps of the feature. Somehow, Ward was able to work the middle groove; creating three-wide battles, and snatched the lead by lap 4. Once Ward took the lead, he was never challenged and cruised to his 4th feature in a row. The remainder of the top five was Wernette, #5 Tanner Pray, Matheson, and Fowler.
An enormous field of 33 Suspension MAXX Street Stocks had to be compressed to the best twenty drivers for the feature. Qualifying heats and last chance races were captured by #96 Shane Wright, #15 Andy Kaake, #x5 Eric Lake, #18 Dave Lester, #34f Jacob Flickinger, and #a71 Anthony Jurek. Birch Run driver #50 Jake Thompson paced the field the first three laps of the main event before Lake would bring his machine to the front. Lake would cruise the high line for the next ten laps before the caution flew on lap 13. Flickinger, who had been running the bottom for the majority of the race had methodically moved from 14th to the runner up position. The restart gave the opportunity to give the fans an exciting finish. Lake would bobble in turn two on lap fourteen, which allowed the Gaylord driver, Flickinger, to take the lead for good and capture his first feature of 2016. Behind Flickinger, it was Lake, Jurek, #11j Jimmy Jaenicke, and Wright.
Kick off your Memorial Day Weekend this Friday as we bring out the first of three Figure Eight races of the season. 18 laps of wild and crazy intersection action! In addition, there will be a special Suspension MAXX Street Stock 33-lap Feature with the field starting three wide!! Late Models, IMCA Modified, and Pro Stocks will be back in action, too!!! Admission is just $14 per adult, 55 yrs & better $13, 7-15 yrs old $5 and 6 and under FREE! Free rustic camping is also available!!! Check out www.tricityracetrack.com for more details!
Submitted By: Steve Puvalowski
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