6/30/2024
Birch Run Speedway
Beach Bags Sportsmen/Dvorscak Reigns in Rainy Figure 8
Mother Nature was again trying to throw a monkey wrench in the plans of racing at Birch Run Speedway on Friday. Cloudy conditions and a few sprinkles gave way to clear conditions until two laps into the Wheeler Trucking Modified feature event.
Fast qualifiers were:
Wheeler Trucking Modifieds - Nick Clemens
Mr. Asphalt/Bridge Lake Auto & Truck Parts Sportsmen - Dan Leeck
Finish Line Seamless Gutters Pure Stocks - Jim Miller Jr.
Nelson Hydraulics American Trucks - Dan Shamel
Heat race wins were picked up by:
Nelson Hydraulics American Trucks
Heat one; Michael Dvorscak for his first oval event win at Birch Run!
Heat two; Darren Burton
Finish Line Seamless Gutters Pure Stocks
Heat one: Mark Martinez
Heat two: Anthony Williams
Mr. Asphalt/Brige Lake Auto & Truck Parts Sportsmen
Heat one; Dan Leeck
Anthony Duvernois led the Nelson Hydraulics American truck feature until the first caution flew on lap two. Darren Burton would challenge Duvernois on the restart and take the lead one lap later. From there, the Flint, MI driver would hold off the challenges from Mark Wilcox, Dan Shamel, and Joe Shamel before the race ended early due to the time limit being reached. Burton and his Champion Auto Sales/Top Speed Motorsports #05 would visit Victory Lane for the second time on the night. Finishing behind Burton at the line were Duvernois, Jason Dvorscak, Rickey Gillett, and Josh Shaw.
Finish Line Seamless Gutters Pure Stock feature action saw Anthony Williams lead early until Andrew Burton got by. A fierce battle ensued between Burton, Hunter Doutre, and Jim Miller Jr with Anthony Williams and Andrew Shelters in tow. Miller used the high side to get around Doutre and then began pressuring Burton. Contact on the backstretch after several laps of nose-to-tail racing sent Burton around with Miller and the rest of the field scrambling. Both Miller and Burton were sent to the tail of the field. Hunter Doutre inherited the lead and would hold off Anthony Williams to pick up the checkers in his Don Bero Motors/Rat-Tech Engine Service #73. Completing the top five were Miller Jr, Burton, and Mark Martinez.
The first of three Mr. Asphalt/Bridge Lake Auto & Truck Parts Sportsmen features took to the four-tenths mile with Chris Munson and Zach Johnson leading the field to the green. Johnson bobbled in turn one, allowing Adam Rowe to get by. Jon Beach and Dan Leeck split around Matt Hogan to move into third and fourth. Beach would get by Rowe after four laps and then a lap later get to the inside of Munson to take the lead. A brief drizzle two laps later slowed the action, but not Beach. The Watervliet, MI driver, aboard his Extreme Indoor Kart Racing/VanDoorn Racing #1 would hold off a late race charge by Leeck to secure the win. Matt Hogan, Rowe, and Munson rounded out the top five finishers.
The Wheeler Trucking Modifieds forty-lap feature was only able to run two laps of their scheduled distance. Dawson Knaul and Matt Maki led the field but the action was slowed when an accident involving Matt Maki, Donnie Matteson Jr., and Billy Luckurst happened entering turn three. On the restart Robbie Johnson would get around Knaul to take the lead, only to see the caution fly again when Justin Noffsinger and Nick Lechota got tangled up on the backstretch, ending both drivers' night. Johnson again used the high side to take the lead from Knaul on the restart. Matteson Jr., Kyle Hayden (from 11th), and David McManus (from 8th) moved in behind Johnson until the caution flew two laps later. On the ensuing restart, Johnson and Matteson Jr. made contact in turn three which brought out the caution as Matteson's car was disabled. It was only fitting that the skies opened up under caution and the race was called with no winner, and every driver receiving start money.
Despite the rain, the drivers that were lined up for the Figure 8 feature wanted to race, and they did. Anthony Williams took the lead at the start of the eight-lap race. Throttle control was at a premium as the drivers skated their way around the track. Jason Dvorscak in his truck navigated the corners in the rain the best as the Swartz Creek, MI driver successfully got by Williams to take his first checkered flag on a non-MonsterXMetals and Gold Eve of Destruction night! Williams finished second ahead of Dustin Hitsman, Jeremy Johnson, and Andrew Burton.
This Friday sees the return of the Must See Racing 410 Winged Sprint Cars presented by Perfit and the Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Sprint Cars to tackle the Birch Run Speedway! Joining the Sprints will be a MonsterXMetals and Gold Eve of Destruction that will feature a $250-to-win Burnout contest, Top Speed Motorsports Spectator Drags going for $1,000-to-win (open to the first 20 registered drivers starting July 1st), a 60-lap Double O Enduro (30 laps on each track) paying $2,000 to the winner, the Mid Michigan Mayhem School Bus Figure 8s and fireworks to close out the night! iThe Pts Open at 2:00 PM - Spectator Gates Open 5:00 PM - Hot Laps At 3:30 PM Racing Starts 7:30 PM for July 5th. Advance tickets can be purchased for this night and all events at Birch Run Speedway and Event Center by going to www.birchrunevents.com
Article Credit: Chuck Darling
Submitted By: Charles Darling
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