8/28/2016
Tri-City Motor Speedway
Race Results from 8/24/2016
08/24/2016 Krapohl’s Body Shop and Custom Accessories/Midland Steel/Ferrea Feature Winners
American Ethanol Late Model Series: #3 Dona Marcoullier
Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified: #7d Myron DeYoung
8/24/2016 (Auburn MI) A Near capacity crowd was on hand at Tri-City Motor Speedway for a Wednesday night show that featured Late Model drivers from five states including Michigan to vie for the $4,000 top prize in the American Ethanol Late Model Series feature event. In addition, the $10,000 championship would be determined at the fall of the checkered flag. To add to the excitement, NASCAR star Austin Dillon was on hand to compete in front of the TCMS crowd as well as his sponsors, Dow and American Ethanol. For the double header, the Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA modified also had a 40-lap feature special.
48 Late Models pulled into the pits in hopes of making the 22-car starting field for the 40-lap feature. With $4,000 up for grabs, the competition was intense. #3 Austin Dillon would set the tone for the evening by being the quickest in qualifying with a lap of 12.776, just four-tenths of a second off of the track record. Five qualifying heat races were won by #23v Ryan Vanderveen, #21b Rich Bell, #87 Rich Neiser, #49 Brian Ruhlman, and #00 Matthew Chapman. Three last chance qualifying races would fill out the remainder of the 22 car starting field with #6r Carl Ries, #55 Jeep Van Wormer, and #2s Travis Stemler capturing the top spots in those races. $1,000 was the top prize in the Non-Qualifier B-Main. #14 Tyler Norton pocketed that cash after being the first one to the checkered flag.
Vanderveen and Ruhlman would be the front row responsible for bringing the feature to the green flag. Ruhlman would be the early leader as he would use the low groove to amass a comfortable lead. However, Vanderveen would find speed in the top groove to overtake Ruhlman. Point leader, #3 Dona Marcoullier, would also get by Ruhlman and begin to pester Vanderveen for the lead. Marcoullier, who has not lost at TCMS in his previous 11 starts, would hold off the entire field to win the final series event of the year. In addition to the $4,000 for winning the feature, he also would be crowned the 2016 American Ethanol Series Championship and collect an additional $10,000. Vanderveen would finish runner-up and was followed by Ruhlman, #79 Nick Kurtz, Neiser, Dillon (after starting 21st), Van Wormer, #29 Chad Finley, #0jr Kris Paterson Jr, and #14 Bill Bray.
The Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modifieds had 28 drivers check in for the opportunity to win some big money by winning their 40-lap feature event and to pick up extra money by ending the 12-race winning streak of #20 AJ Ward. Ward would back up his 2016 dominance by winning his heat along with #68 Heath Grizzle, and #19 Joe Fowler. #75 Roy Harvey won the B-feature to gain entry into the main event. #33 Todd Matheson and #511 Chaz Pray would bring the field to the initial green flag of the 40-lap feature. Matheson set the early pace before #27 Matt Szecsodi would reel him in and make the pass by lap 9. Defending Champion #7d Myron DeYoung would eventually overtake Szecsodi just past the halfway point of the race. 12th place starter, Ward, was having difficulty getting to the front. But, in the closing laps, Ward would find himself in the top five before getting tangled up with the lapped car of #776 Rusty Zeigler sending him off the top of turn three. Ward would be sent to the rear with just three laps remaining. On the restart, DeYoung pulled away from the field to pick up the win and collecting the additional bounty for beating Ward. DeYoung was followed by Szecsodi, #71 Brenten DeYoung, #42 Craig Vance, Fowler, #03 Chris Cohoon, Matheson, #4s Toby Steele, Ward, and #98 Austin Wonch.
Submitted By: Steve Puvalowski
Article Media
