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Finley, Smith, and Emery Win Merritt Specials

8/02/2020: (Lake City, MI): The racing competition at Merritt Speedway commenced again this past Saturday night in Lake City, Michigan. The 1/4-mile dirt oval featured a full racing program headlined by the high-powered Soaring Eagle Casino UMP DIRTcar Late Models competing for a $2000 to win special. The Lake City Materials Factory Stocks also raced for a $1000 to win special event. The XLT Engineering Four & Six Cylinders squared for a $300 to win special as well. The Allstar Performance Mini-Wedges, Cadillac Tire Center UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Diesel Freak B-Modifeds, and Auto Value Pro Stocks were also part of the show.

The young drivers in the Allstar Performance Mini Wedges began the evening’s events. The restrictor plate division would see Addy Wade pick up her fourth win of the season. Peighton Crawford finished second. Then in the Non-Restrictor plate division Hunter Evans made the visit to victory lane for the sixth time of the year. Cole Shanteau took the second-place finish. Wade and Evans also won their respective heat races.

The 20-lap main paying $1000 to win for the Lake City Materials Factory Stocks hit the racing surface led by Eric Lake and Scott Smith who brought the field down to the green flag. Smith jumped out with the lead early on. He held the lead until lap 10 when Jake Thompson took over the lead, but Smith would answer right back on lap 11 regaining the top position. Smith would be able to hang on until the checkered flag picking up the big win. This was the second win of the season for Smith, the native of West Branch, Michigan in the #74. Chuck Powell finished second. Thompson, Lake, and Rylee Knoll rounded out the top five. The last chance qualifier was won by Ryan Nethers. Powell, Chad Stanton, and Josh Knoll won the preliminary heat races.

The Cadillac Tire Center UMP DIRTcar Modifieds faced off in a 25-lap feature event. Logan Beckwith and Daryl Lehn started on the front row. Lehn took the lead after the drop of the green flag and would lead the first seven circuits. On lap 8 4-time track champion Brent Banning took over the lead after Lehn suffered mechanical issues. Banning led until lap 10 when he would suffer his own mechanical problems and have to go to the pit area. This handed the lead over to 2-time track champion Chad Bauer who took command of the lead. Bauer would however be challenged on a late race restart by Caleb Kill who powered his way by with 3 laps remaining. Kill went on to pick up the win. This was the first win of the year for Kill, the 28-year old from McBain, Michigan in his Ebels General Store / Xtreme Chassis #92. Bauer had to settle for second. Luke Hubbell, Rick Swartout, and Dan Wierman completed the top five. Paul Johnson, Kill, and Bauer won the heats.

The Auto Value Pro Stocks were out next for the running of their 20-lap feature event. 19-year old Danielle Robinson and Tim Murphy led the field at the start. Murphy wasted little time in taking the lead after lap 1. Murphy would maintain his lead until lap 15 when a hard charging 17-year old Austin Harnick would pass him to take over the top spot. However, on the final lap Murphy was able to retake the lead and win the race to the checkered flag. This was the first win of the year for the 59-year old Murphy, the native of Holland, Ohio driving his #J3. Nate Murphy finished second. Harnick, Nate Jones, and Andrew Steele finished out the top five. Jordan Erickson and Nate Murphy won the heat races.

The Diesel Freak B-Modifieds were led out by Corey Finley and Michael Luberda for a 20-lap feature event. Luberda stormed off the race advantage after the first lap. The 18-year old held the lead until lap 10 when Josh Loomis took the lead away for himself. Loomis would go on from there to get the win. Gary Vandermark was the runner up. Luberda, Reid Sanders, and Finley rounded out the top five. Vandermark and Loomis scored the heat race wins.

5-time track champion David Hilliker and Chad Finley brought out the 30-lap A-Main for the Soaring Eagle Casino UMP DIRTcar Late Models paying $2000 to win. Finley led after the opening circuit with the battle for position going on behind him. Finley would lead the entire event going from start to finish with the lead in hand picking up the win. The 28-year old Finley from St Johns, Michigan won his fourth feature of the year in his Strutmasters.com / Rocket XR-1 #42. Hilliker was the second-place finisher. Brandon Thirlby, Andrew Terrill, and 2019-track champion David Mielke capped off the top five. The heat races were won by Finley, Thirlby, and Terrill. 3-time UMP DIRTcar National Champion Rusty Schlenk was the overall fast qualifier with a 13.959 lap-time.

The final race of the night belonged to the XLT Engineering Four & Six Cylinders racing for a $300 to win special. Zach Hittle and 14-year old Clay Lachcik led the field to the start. Lachcik led after the first lap. He would hang onto the lead until lap 6 when Travis Skaggs powered past taking over as the leader. Skaggs seemed to have the win in hand, but with 2 laps remaining the 2019-track champion Cheyanne Emery would charge by with the lead and would go on to pick up the win. This was the first win of the year for the 21-year old Emery from Interlochen, Michigan driving her Double K Services #26E. Skaggs had to settle for second. David Harrington, Lachcik, and Kevin Murday rounded out the top five. Emery and Skaggs won the heat races.

The Merritt Speedway will return to action this Friday August 7th and Saturday August 8th for the running of the 32nd annual Ed Vanduien WoodTic Weekend. The two-day event will host the running of the Dan Salay Memorial where the UMP DIRTcar Late Models will race in a $10,000 to win feature. The event will be the largest paying WoodTic in history with prizes, bonuses, and payouts totaling $69,675. All of Merritt Speedway’s divisions will be competing. Stay tuned to the Facebook page for more details and all of the latest updates.

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