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Seven Features, Seven Different Winner including two first timers on Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Night at Dixie Motor Speedway

Friday June 5, 2009

 

By: Chris Fobbe and Matt Prieur – Dixie Motor Speedway

Birch Run, Michigan (Friday May 29, 2009): It was Church Youth Group
Night featuring a Faster Pastor Race at the Dixie Motor Speedway on
Friday, May 29th. In addition, the welcome mat was rolled out for the
Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club (M.A.R.F.C.), as the members of the
44-year-old organization as well as a great crowd on hand enjoyed
seven big features as part of the program with 103 cars in attendance.

The first feature to roll out onto the track was the 20-lap
RacingPartsales.com Bombers Make-Up feature from May 15th on the 1/3
mile as Chad Congdon and 16-year-old Kyle Maize would roll out onto
the track at the front of the field.
Congdon led the opening lap as the field got itself organized behind
him. By lap two, Cam Hiltz, last year’s Street Stock runner-up, was
able to find his way around Congdon to take the lead. Hiltz would put
some space between himself and the field, and the Otisville, Michigan
driver would go on to take his first career feature win in his
American R.V. Buick.

Anthony Jurek was able to come home in second with Maize in third.
Schaefer-Bierlein Dodge of Frankenmuth Hard-Charger of the Race,
18-year-old Lonnie Saumier finished fourth after starting 19th while
Gerry Persails Jr. rounding out the Top Five.

Opening Night Feature Winner, Jeff Roethlisberger Jr. would hang on
for sixth, with Congdon, Jim Wirsing, Joyce Derminer, and Andrew
Burton rounding out the Top 10. As a testament to the ability of these
drivers, the entire 20-lap Feature went caution free!

As for the regularly scheduled Features, the Top Notch Motorsports Pro
Late Models were the first up to take to the 4/10s mile for their
30-lap feature event. Bryan Renner would start on the pole, however
after a lap had been completed, Renner and outside pole-sitter, Marty
England collided coming out of Turn Four forcing both drivers out of
the race and done for the evening.

Mark Welch, in his Scooter’s Bar and Grill Chevrolet would then assume
the lead and that spelled trouble for the rest of the field. Welch,
who had suffered a terrible a stretch of luck in the first two
weekends with a crash and a broken rack and pinion which prohibited
him from even Qualifying those first two weeks, was starting in the
top half of the field for the first time this season, and showing what
might have been the last two weeks.

Welch was able to hold off the advances of several drivers who
threatened his lead and the Fenton, Michigan veteran went on to score
his first feature of the year at the Dixie! Last Friday Nights Feature
Winner, Mark Klein backed up his win from the previous week with a
second place finish while two-time defending Track Champion, Ed Doutre
Jr. came home third.

Lonnie Saumier earned his second Schaefer-Bierlein Dodge of
Frankenmuth Hard-Charger Award of the night as he picked up his second
straight fourth place finish of the evening. Earlier in the afternoon,
Saumier finished fourth in the RacingPartSales.com Bombers Make-Up
Feature from May 15th and then later on that night, he would go on to
win the regularly scheduled Bombers Feature!

Two-time Owosso Speedway Pro Late Models Track Champion Tony Hoose
rounded out the Top Five as Joe Hodgeson Jr. came home in sixth over
two-time Sportsman Track Champion Curt Genow was seventh over Current
Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Jim Hardy. 2008 Rookie of the Year,
16-year-old Blake Childers and another rookie, Kenny Ford rounded out
the Top 10. Ed Doutre Jr. was the Fast Qualifier for the second time
this season over the stout 20-car field with a 16.247 while Hardy and
Marty England were theheat race winners.

By the luck of the inversion draw, two-time defending Track Champion,
Chuck Silva found himself sitting on the pole for the 30-lap Wieland
Contracting Modified feature. 1996 Track Champion Larry Wallace, the
outside pole-sitter, kept right on Silva’s bumper for the duration of
the feature though, not letting the Livonia, Michigan veteran get out
of his sights all race long. Despite Wallace’s best efforts though,
Silva in his Hamilton’s Propane Chevrolet would go on to take the win,
the first repeat feature winner of the season.

Wallace held on for second while last week’s feature winner Nick
Clemens was third. Bobby Murany, who was making his first appearance
in several years was fourth as 19-time Overall and Eight-Time Dixie
Track Champion, Tony Brabbs was fifth in his first appearance of the
season. Mike Luberda Sr. was sixth as Dave Christensen, Rick Wiecorek,
Don Gilbert, and Jeff Reamer rounded out the Top 10.

Owosso, Michigan veteran, Dick Maurer earned the Schaefer-Bierlein
Dodge of Frankenmuth Hard-Charger of the Race Award with his 18th to
12th place run. Brabbs was the fast qualifier over the 19-car field
with a quick 16.155 around the 4/10s (.400) mile progressively banked
D-shaped oval while Rod Laney and Christensen won the heat races.

With 4/10s mile action complete, it was back to the adjoining 1/3 mile
as the visitors from the Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan
Legends Series were on hand for Day I of the Michigan Spring
Regionals. Gary Joppich started on the pole, but after the start, Ben
Rouster would be the one to lead the first lap. However, that lead
would be short lived as Tyler Rycenga took the lead down the
backstretch on lap two.

Rycenga would lead the next pair of laps before Chance Rice, the
defending Series Champion, would get past to take the lead. Despite
some incidents that would slow the field down, Rice would not look
back, as the Charlotte, Michigan rising star in his Bowtech Signs
machine won his second Feature of the season.

Rycenga and Ben Rouster held on for second and third respectively
while Tony Monge was fourth and Current Points Leader, Matt Todd was
fifth. Brandon Mahoney was sixth as Joppich hung around for a seventh
place finish. Keera Allen was eighth, her teammate Cody Mahoney was
right behind her in ninth and Dr. Ron Semlow rounded out the top 10.

There was no fast qualifier, as the series does not normally Qualify
but instead they draw for starting positions in their heat races,
which in turn determines the Feature starting line-up. Levi Rouster,
B. Mahoney, and Todd won the Heat Races. The Auto Value / Bumper to
Bumper Michigan Legends Series returns to Dixie Motor Speedway on
Friday, June 26th for the Michigan Summer Regionals Day I.

For the second time of the evening, the RacingPartSales.com Bombers
were on track, this time for their regularly scheduled 20-lap feature.
Joyce Derminer was the one who would lead the field down to the green
and lead the opening pair of laps.

Lonnie Saumier, who earlier in the day graduated from Davision High
School and already had finished fourth twice during the night in the
Make-Up Bombers Feature and later in the Pro Late Models main, took
the lead on lap three. From there, the Davison, Michigan standout in
his Lonnie’s M-15 Garage Chevrolet never looked back and went on to
win his first Bombers feature of the season as both the Make-Up and
Regular Bombers Features went Caution Free!

Current Points Leader and Fast Qualfier, Jeff Roethlisberger Jr.
finished second with Anthony Jurek third, his second podium finish of
the night, Gerry Persails Jr. was fourth, his second Top Five finish
of the evening, and Derminer rounded out the Top Five.

Cam Hiltz, who won the Make-Up Feature earlier in the evening for his
first career Feature triumph, finished sixth while C.J. Davis, Andrew
Burton, Chad Congdon, and Joyce Derminer’s husband, Ray Derminer, who
earlier in the evening won the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Helmet
Bag for his dedication and loyalty to the Dixie Motor Speedway,
finished off the Top 10. Roethlisberger Jr., out-qualified the 23-car
Bomber field for the second time this season with an 18.020 while
Burton, Jim Wirsing, and Jurek all claimed the heat race wins.

63-year-old Mike Vandecar lead the field to the green for the 25-lap
Speedway Graphix Street Stock feature and would lead the opening five
laps. Maverick Morrow would grab the lead on lap six and not look
back, as the Otter Lake, Michigan driver in his Church and Sons Auto
Parts and Repair Chevrolet would hold off Defending Track Champion and
last weeks Feature Winner, Ed Newman Jr., to score his first career
Feature Win!

Newman Jr., settled for second with Dewey Romans, Fast Qualifier Chris
Stearns and Curtis Hayden rounding out the Top Five. Josh Hahn, who
was getting married the next day, was a solid sixth, as Vandecar, Rob
Sullivan, Bob Robinson, andJ eff Onweller completed the Top 10.
Stearns was the top qualifier for the second time this season with a
lap of a 16.421 around the adjoining 1/3 mile semi-banked paved oval
while Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer, Jay Woolworth and Romans
took the heat races.

Finally to complete the evening, the final feature of the night was
the wild Checkered Flag Promotions Figure 8s 20-lap Feature. This
feature was a bit different than normal as Dixie Officials elected to
combine the May 15th Make-Up Feature with the regularly scheduled
Feature as well. The laps were extended to 20, and Double Points were
given to those who were in attendance on May 15th. Gerry Persails Jr.
drew the top spot for the feature and would pace the field for the
first six laps of the extended distance feature.

Opening Night Feature Winner, Andrew Burton, in his Custom Car Shop
Chevrolet drove past Persails Jr., for the lead on Lap Seven and that
would be all she wrote as the Flint, Michigan pilot went on to become
the second two-time Feature Winner this season, joining Modifieds
veteran, Chuck Silva as the only two-time Feature Winners this year at
Dixie!

Persails Jr., held on for a solid second place finish with Ray
Derminer lurking back in third. Mike Wines was fourth and Ricky Casey
rounded out the Top Five. There is no Qualifying or Heat Races for the
Figure 8s as they draw for their starting positions during the Drivers
Meeting held prior to the start of each evenings racing festivities.

This upcoming weekend is the first doubleheader weekend of the 2009
racing season as it is the first of three Autograph and Picture Nights
of the year as the fans in the grandstand will be able to come on down
to the front stretch to meet and greet their favorite stars of the
Weekly Local Racing Series.

On the card are the Top Notch Motorsports Pro Late Models, Wieland
Contracting Modifieds, and Teamtech Motorsports Sportsman on the 4/10s
mile while the RacingPartSales.com Bombers will have the 1/3 mile all
to themselves and the Checkered Flag Promotions Figure 8s will take on
the inner Figure 8 track. On Friday nights, the Pit Gates Open at
1:00p.m. Rotating Practice begins at 3:00p.m. The Grandstand Gates
Open at 5:00p.m. Qualifying is set for 5:30p.m., and Racing will get
the green flag at 7:30p.m.

Then on Sunday, June 7th it is the first Eve of Destruction Night of
the season! Often Copied, Often Imitated, But Never, EVER Duplicated,
the Original Eve of Destruction at the original home will see Carnage
and mayhem will reigning supreme wth School Bus Figure 8s, Figure 8
Trailer Races, Chain-Gang Races, Dixie Crash Cars, a Flagpole Race,
Spectator Drags, and a visit from the Midwest Classic Racers (M.C.R.)
Dwarf Cars Series. On special Sunday events, the Pit Gates Open at
12:00p.m. Practice begins at 3:00p.m.Qualifying starts at 4:00p.m.,
and Racing begins at 5:00p.m.

For Ticket Prices and more information, please call: 1 (989) 624-9778
or 1 (989) 709-6113. You can also log onto the track website at:
www.dixiemotorspeedway.com and come watch the action where Legends are
Born, Stars are Made, and Young Lions Roar, only at Dixie Motor
Speedway!

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.

 

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