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Six Different Feature Winners on Autograph and
Picture Night / Kid's Bike Night at Dixie Motor Speedway. By Matt Prieur / Chris Fobbe - Dixie Motor Speedway Presented by Draper Auto Group Birch Run, Michigan (Friday, July 9, 2010): It was the one and only Autograph and Picture Night / Kid's Bike Night of the 2010 racing season at the Dixie Motor Speedway Presented by Draper Auto Group on Friday, July 9th and it was Presented by the Birch Run Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. The fan in the grandstands got the chance to go out onto the front stretch to meet and greet their favorite cars and stars that race on Friday Nights in the Weekly Local Racing Series. A great crowd was on hand to get those Autographs and they were treated to a thrilling Six in One Show on a very hot and humid day in Birch Run, Michigan. The big winners on this night were; Jay Reinbold - Speedway Grafix Pro Late Models, Ken O'Connor - O'Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modifieds, Jon Giffel - RacerChic.us Pro Stocks, Ed Newman Jr. - RacingPartSales.com Street Stocks, Jordan Lechota - Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Bombers, and Mike Wines - Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s. The first Feature of the night was up on the 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked d-shaped paved oval and it was the 30-lap main event for the Speedway Grafix Pro Late Models as Rookie Chet Allen and Marty England led the starting field to the Citizens Bank of Frankenmuth start / finish line. Allen just edge England at the line to lead lap one, but England would power by on the outside to take over the top spot on the following lap. 1988 Track Champion Mark Welch, who started on the outside of the third row, maneuvered his way through the field and soon found himself in second spot when the first of three cautions flew on lap seven. On the restart, Welch was on the outside of the front row for the double file restarts and used the outside groove to his advantage to take the lead away from England and the crafty veteran quickly began pulling away from the rest of the field. Fast Qualifier and Heat Race Winner, Jay Reinbold, the 2004 Track Champion, was looking to score the "Hat Trick" by sweeping the entire evening and soon found himself in second, but a good distance behind Welch who had built up nearly a full straightaway lead on the rest of the pack. With just five laps to go, Welch began negotiating through some heavy lapped traffic and it proved to be his downfall as with just two laps to go, contact between him and the lapped car of Shawn Anczewski sent Anczewski spinning and Welch to the pits with a flat tire and cosmetic damage! This gave the lead to Reinbold who needed those final two laps under the Green - White - Checkered finish to fend off the challenges of 17-year-old Blake Childers as the Frankenmuth, Michigan veteran in his Feinauer Farms Chevrolet would take the checkered flag to win his first Feature since his Championship winning season of 2004, a span of Six Seasons, and completing the "Hat Trick" in the process! Childers finished a season high second while England, Joe Hodgeson Jr., and Current Points Leader Tony Hoose were the Top Five. Adam Rowe finished sixth while Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 17-year-old Jimmy Novak was seventh ahead of 18-year-old Lonnie Saumier who started 18th. Tony Callahan and Three-Time Defending Track Champion Ed Doutre Jr., finished off the Top 10. Earlier in the afternoon, Reinbold won his second Speedway Grafix Fast Qualifier Award of the season as he toured the 4/10s mile oval at a 16.271 and then he won his heat to start his Hat Trick. Julian Fluty won the other Heat Race. The O'Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modifieds rolled out next for their 30-lap Feature with Donny Matteson Jr., and Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 16-year-old Kyle Feeney brought the field down to Chief Starter Rich Haskins' green flag and it would be Matteson Jr., beating Feeney to the first corner to take the early lead. Matteson Jr., the track record holder since the 2006 racing season set a torrid early pace as he was chased down by Feeney and fellow Rookie, 17-year-old Trevor Berry as both freshman kept Matteson Jr., within their sights as they followed each others tire tracks around the 4/10s mile. Current Points Leader Ken O'Connor, who earlier in the evening won a Heat Race, methodically picked off the two rookies in front of him and set his sights on the race long leader Matteson Jr., and with 10 laps to go found himself on Matteson Jr's back bumper and the battle was on. O'Connor searched high and low, trying to figure out a way around the pole-sitter and finally pulled off the pass with five laps to go and from their, it was all O'Connor as the Elkton, Michigan veteran in his Suzuki Honda Sales Chevrolet would go on to collect his Third Feature Win of the season in the caution free race and extend his points lead in the process! Matteson Jr., finished a season high second while Feeney scored a career high third place showing. Mike Luberda Sr., was fourth as Berry also grabbed a career high finish himself by completing the Top Five. Greg Fullerton was sixth in his first appearance of the season while Rick Wiecorek, Two-Time and Defending Track Champion Nick Clemens, Jon Beach, and Don Morse wrapped up the Top 10. Clemens won his first O'Guinn Family Funeral Homes Fast Qualifier Award of the season with a lap measured at a 16.351 as Chris Stearns and O'Connor scored Heat Race Wins. The final race of the night on the 4/10s mile was for the RacerChic.us Pro Stocks as their 25-lap Feature was led to the green flag by Gary Shank Jr., and Rick Osborn Jr., who started on the front row. The field would remain side by side five rows back for the first four laps with Shank Jr., just edging Osborn Jr., each time at the Citizens Bank of Frankenmuth start / finish line. Shank Jr., finally grabbed the lead without pressure on lap five as Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 19-year-old Tim Cummings soon worked his way into the second position and began hounding Shank Jr., for the race lead. In the meantime, Fast Qualifier Jon Giffel had picked his way through the field from his eighth starting spot and started to pressure the two leaders. Cummings briefly took the lead from Shank Jr., on lap 11 only to lose it two laps later to Giffel who drove around both drivers to grab the lead for himself. Another Rookie Nick Lechota also got by Cummings and Shank Jr., but by that time, Giffel had built up a nice sized lead. That lead turned out to be insurmountable as the Essexville, Michigan driver in his Mark Hugo Contracting Chevrolet would pull away and score his Second Consecutive and Third Overall Feature of the 2010 racing season and close the gap in the chase for the 2010 RacerChic.us Pro Stocks Track Championship. Lechota finished a career high second over Current Points Leader and Defending Track Champion, Don Riley who was in teammate, Nicole Korbinski's ride after losing a motor in his primary machine during Practice! 2008 Track Champion Kevin Harder finished fourth over Jim Severn who completed the Top Five. Cummings slipped to sixth while Shank Jr., Dan Engel, Brad McGeathy Sr., and Jamie Jacobson would complete the Top 10. For the first time this season, Riley was not the Fast Qualifier as Giffel scored his first RacerChic.us Fast Qualifier Award of the 2010 racing season as he toured the 4/10s mile at a 17.340 as Severn won the lone Heat Race. With racing action done on the 4/10s mile, it was time to revert over to the adjoining 1/3 (0.333) mile semi-banked paved oval and the 20-lap Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Bombers Feature was up first with the top two in the Rookie of the Year title chase, Rick Kiger and Freshman Points Leader Andy Karg on the front row. Karg would beat his fellow freshman to the first corner and would lead the opening three laps. A third Rookie, 18-year-old Eric Lake grabbed the lead away from Karg on lap four and he brought the top two drivers in the season long point's chase, Jordan Lechota, who came into the night second in the chase, and Cam Hiltz, who's the Current Points Leader. Soon Lechota would steer his way around Lechota to take the lead away on lap eight and he brought Hiltz and Anthony Jurek with him and the top three on the track, who also have been the Top Three all season long in the chase for the 2010 Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Bombers division, continued their season long battle amongst themselves. Through it all, Lechota was bound and determined to fight off the two challengers behind him and that's exactly what the Davison, Michigan driver did as he would go on to take the checkered flag in his Thompson Creek Turkey Farms Chevrolet and collect his Third Feature Win of the season and Fourth overall when counting his lone triumph in the Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s where he is the points leader! Hiltz settled for second but maintained his Points Lead as Jurek, Lake, and Mike Wines finished off the Top Five. Andrew Burton, who started 15th, came through to finish sixth over Karg, Kiger, Doug Wirsing, and Ricky Dinius Jr., the Top 10. Hiltz collected his fifth consecutive and seventh overall Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Fast Qualifier Award of the year with his fast time of a 17.982. Kiger and Lechota won Heat Races. The final oval track Feature of the evening was for the headlining division on the 1/3 mile, the RacingPartSales.com Street Stocks as their 25-lap Feature saw a front row of Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer Jay Woolworth and 2009 Rookie of the Year Aaron Spearling and it would be Woolworth leading early on while the rest of the field settled into position. Woolworth soon had a flock of Camaro's behind him and at one point, the Top Six were all driving Chevrolet Camaro's and battling all over the 1/3 mile. Soon Two-Time Defending Track Champion Ed Newman Jr., found himself in second spot after starting ninth and he had Fast Qualifier Robby Johnston, the 2001 Pro Late Models Track Champion coming up behind him. Things took a dramatic turn as on lap 14, Woolworth made contact with a lapped car while negotiating through the lapped traffic and cut down a right rear tire bringing out the caution flag. This gave the lead to Newman Jr., who had Johnston on the outside of him in the double file restart and from their, the only two feature winners in 2010 in the division would began another war on the track. Newman Jr., continued to show why he is the Track Champion of the last two season as the New Lothrop, Michigan veteran in his Zervan Masonry Chevrolet would fight off Johnston and the rest of the field to Win his Second Consecutive and Fourth Overall Feature of the 2010 Racing Season and extend his already massive points lead! Johnston settled for second while Al Boitel Jr., Maverick Morrow, and Josh Hahn were the Top Five. Spearling slipped back to sixth while Kyle Hayden, 18-year-old Tom Renner III who started 14th finished eighth while Woolworth who worked his way back up to ninth as Rookie of the Year Points Leader Andy Moss completed the Top 10. Earlier in the day, Johnston won his fourth RacingPartSales.com Fast Qualifier Award of the year with a lap of a 16.452 while Gary Stevens and Woolworth won the Heat Races. The Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s Feature closed out the night with Cam Hiltz, the Current Points Leader in the Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Bombers and Figure 8s veteran, John Hitsman starting on the front row. Hiltz led the first four laps before bringing out the red flag after fuel began leaking from his machine. Hiltz was done for the night. This gave the lead to Mike Wines who now had the past two Track Champions in the Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s; Defending Track Champion and last weeks Feature Winner, Andrew Burton and 2008 Track Champion and Current Points Leader, Jordan Lechota, who earlier in the evening, won his third Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Bombers Feature of the season. Burton and Lechota threw everything they had at the Flint, Michigan driver, but Wines was on a mission to prove his first ever Win from June 25th was no fluke and the driver of the DumpMySpouse.com Chevrolet firmly established himself as a title contender with his second Feature Win of the 2010 Racing Season. Burton was second over Lechota while John Hitsman and Current Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 18-year-old Eric Lake were the Top Five. Ricky Casey finished sixth over Hiltz, Ricky Dinius Jr., Doug Wirsing, and Steve Burton the Top 10. The Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s do not Qualify nor do they run Heat Races as their Feature line-up is determined by a Draw held during the Drivers Meeting with the previous weeks Feature Winner, in this case, Andrew Burton, starting scratch on the field. The next race on the 2010 calendar is one of the biggest races of the season as the Second Jewel of the Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series for Outlaw Bodied Super Late Models is one of the most prestigious races in the Midwest; The 47th annual Dixie Classic 100 on Friday, July 16th. The biggest, baddest, and brightest super stars in the Midwest including Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame Drivers, Tim Felver and Steve Sauve as well as a host of other top notch drivers including 2009 Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series Co-Champions, Dakota Carlson and Mike Root, along-with established starts like Harold Fair Jr., Scott Hantz, Eric Lee, Mike Luberda Jr., Steve Needles, Terry Senneker, Johnny VanDoorn and more stout pilots will meet up for the middle leg of the Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series. In the first Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series race, the 2nd annual East VS West Shootout 100 back on June 11th, Hudsonville, Michigan driver, Terry Senneker outlasted attrition and plenty of dramatics to bring home the Feature Win over Brent Jack, Steve Cronenwett Jr., Jack Varney Jr., and Justin Schroeder, who completed the Top Five. Coming into the 47th annual Dixie Classic 100, Jack, who makes the trip North from Butler, Indiana, is the Current Points Leader in the chase for the 2010 Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series Championship as he leads Senneker by just three points (58-55). Cronenwett Jr., and Ron Allen are tied for third with 46 markers as Varney Jr., and Schroeder round out the Top Five with 45 points apiece. The 47th annual Dixie Classic 100 also begins the BIGGEST WEEKEND of the 2010 racing season for Super Late Models in the Midwest as the teams will travel over to Dixie's sister track to the Southwest, the Owosso Speedway on Saturday, July 17th for Round I of the Big "O" Duels Series, a brand new series for Super Late Models at the historic Ovid, Michigan speed plant for the running of the North VS South Shootout 100. Also on the card at Dixie and joining the Super Late Models on the 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked d-shaped paved oval will be the RacerChic.us Pro Stocks while on the adjoining 1/3 (0.333) mile semi-banked paved oval the RacingPartSales.com Street Stocks and Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald Bombers will be in action while the Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s will close out the show on the inner Figure 8s track. Both the Speedway Grafix Pro Late Models and O'Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modifieds get the night off as both will return to action on Friday, July 23rd. For Friday, July 16th, Ticket Prices are: Adults (18-59) $18.00 - Seniors (60 and Over) $16.00 - Teens (13-17) $14.00 - Children (6-12) $7.00 - Kids (5 and Under) FREE - Pit Passes $25.00. The Pit Gates will open Two Hours Earlier at "High Noon" 12:00p.m., to allow the Super Late Model teams to get to the track, measure tires, and get settled in. Practice Starts at 3:00p.m., with the Grandstands Opening at 5:00p.m. Qualifying starts at 5:15p.m., and Racing is set for 7:30p.m. For more information about the 2010 racing season, please call: 1 (989) 624-9778 or 1 (989) 395-0933. You can also go to the website as well at: www.dixiemotorspeedway.com So come out and watch all the exciting racing action every Friday Night at the only track in Michigan where the Past, Present, and Future Collide; the Dixie Motor Speedway Presented by Draper Auto Group. |
