7/26/2016
Tri-City Motor Speedway
Race Result from 7/22/2016
07/22/16 Isabella Bank Feature Winners
Melling Select Late Models: #9r Curtis Roberts
Suspension MAXX Street Stocks: #57 TJ Gilbert
Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified: #20w AJ Ward
Elgin Pro Stock: #71 Timmy Near
Thornton Brother’s Septic Service Bomber Stocks: #09 Jack Freese
Near, Roberts, Ward, Gilbert, and Freese Visit Victory Lane at TCMS
07/22/2016 (Auburn MI) Heat indexes across Michigan changed many plans for racing on Friday night. With the hot temperatures, Tri-City Motor Speedway to push back racing activities thirty minutes in order for the mercury to drop to more comfortable levels. Kids Box car races along with Suspension MAXX truck drags were all included with the regular race program that was sponsored by Isabella Bank.
After a week off, The Thornton Brother’s Septic Service Bomber Stocks got to kick off the race action on Friday night. With #18 Nick Putman picking up his heat race, he was the favorite to win the 12-lap feature. Bay City’s #25 Christopher Jones would lead a pair of the opening laps before Putnam would grab the lead with defending Champion #09 Jack Freese in second. Putnam was on his way to picking up another big win until lap 10 when his tie rod broke in turn two sending him off the track. This handed the lead over to a Freese who would lead the final two laps and finally reach victory lane for the first time in 2016. A very surprised Freese was followed by Putnam, who wheeled the broken car for the final two laps, and #21 Andy Koczenasz.
Melling Select Late Model Point Leader #19 Derrick Hilliker has found the past few nights of racing to be a real struggle. Having difficulty in obtaining a transfer position through his qualifying heat and had to win the B-Main to gain entry into the 25-lap main event. #75 Rod Laney and #76 Torrey Ahrens brought the field of twenty to the green flag with Ahrens pacing the opening two laps. On lap three, #9 Isaac Wolfgang rocketed past Ahrens to lead the group. His lead opened up to a full straightaway before a caution flag late in the event would bunch up the field with three laps to go. The Coleman Comet #9r Curtis Roberts, in his first visit to TCMS and third race overall, overtook Wolfgang on lap 23 and lead the final two laps to victory. He would bring last week’s runner-up #4k Kevin Reeve to another second place finish. Wolfgang would hold on to third. #4t Andrew Terrill and Heat race winner #14 Tyler Norton would complete the top five. The top ten included #24 Alex Hupert, heat race winner #87 Josh Knoll, #0p Kris Patterson Jr., Derrick Hilliker, and #50 Scott Phillips. #6r Carl Ries would win the third heat race.
The father and son duo of #776r Rusty Zeigler and #776k Ken Zeigler, who each won their respective heat races earlier in the evening, started on the front row for the 20-lap feature in the Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified feature. Rusty would lead the first three laps until the 2011 point runner-up #27 Matt Szecsodi would motor his way by for the lead. Szecsodi was well in front of the field when the caution flag waved on lap 12. This allowed for current co-point leader #20w AJ Ward, who had fought his way from tenth to second, to be right on Szecsodi’s rear bumper on the restart. Ward, going for his tenth straight feature win would make the winning pass on lap 14 and cruise to the checkered flag. Szecsodi would finish second ahead of #33 Todd Matheson, #68 Heath Grizzle, and Ken Zeigler. Co-point leader #187 Gavin Hunyady, #511 Chaz Pray, #19jr Kody Johnson, #4s Toby Steele, and Rusty Zeigler completed the top ten.
Nineteen Elgin Pro Stock drivers took the green flag for the 20-lap feature with #99 Rick Beauchamp, winner of his heat race, leading the opening laps. It only took #71 Timmy Near three laps to move from his eleventh place starting position to make his winning pass. He never looked back after lap three and picked up his fourth feature win of the season. Heat race winner #57 TJ Gilbert, #10 Brent Reil, #69 Nate Murphy, and #01 Randy Radabaugh took top five honors. Beauchamp, point leader #14 Nate Jones, #93 John Robbins, #7r Dave Newcomb, and #25 Adam Friend all finished in the top ten positions.
With it being such a hot night, it was tough enough for drivers to physically complete one feature race. However, #57 TJ Gilbert, who had just finished second in the Pro Stock feature, had to immediately jump behind the wheel of his street stock to run another twenty laps. Due to the amount of time needed to complete the switch, he would start dead last in the field of 20. #16 Steve Doty would lead lap one before the previous week’s winner #50 Jake Thompson would overpower Doty for the lead. Numerous cautions kept Thompson from gaining a big lead on the field and allowed Gilbert to continue making passes toward the front. Gilbert would get to the front on lap fourteen and cruise to victory. He would be followed by #x5 Eric Lake, #34 Jacob Flickinger, B-Main winner and point leader #96 Shane Wright, #67 Ryan Fitzgerald, #3 Mitch Clements, #7r Kevin Newcomb, #31 Bob Robinson, Doty, and #85 Al Spiekerman. Robinson and Gilbert won the other two heats.
Join us this Friday as Clements Contracting of Bay City along with TCMS bring back your favorite winged sprint car drivers with the Great Lakes Super Sprints for the final time in 2016!! The Late Models, Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, and Bomber Stocks will also be back in action!! Grandstand Admission is $16 for adults, 55 and better $14, 7-15 yr olds $5, and those under 6 get in for absolutely free. Start making plans to join us on Wednesday, August 24th as the American Ethanol Late Model Series will crown a 2016 Champion! In addition, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon will be on hand to compete on the 3/8ths clay oval with Michigan’s best Late Model Drivers!!! No need to wait in line on race day! Save yourself time and order your tickets online at www.tricityracetrack.com . Free rustic camping is also available!!!
Submitted By: Steve Puvalowski
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