9/13/2015
Tri-City Motor Speedway
09/11/2015 & 9/12/2015 Battle by the Bay
Krapohl's Body Shop & Custom Accessories Outlaw Late Models: #21H David Hilliker
Steven's Cycle Sales and Services Stock Bombers: #18 Dale Kaake III
K&C Transport IMCA Modifieds: #7D Myron DeYoung
Euclid Automotive Supply Late Models: #M14 Brandon Thirlby
Auburn Hotel Bar & Grill Street Stocks: #X5 Eric Lake
Buck Muck Ink Pro Stocks: #11J Josh Loomis
King of the Wing David Hilliker soars into victory lane.
09/11 & 12/2015 (Auburn, MI) With Tri-City Motor Speedway coming close to the end of their stock car racing season, the biggest event of the year at TCMS has come. The Battle By the Bay took place on Friday and Saturday, drivers from all over the state of Michigan along with our surrounding states came to try and take home the huge cash prizes. Six series battled it out to decide who was going to take home one of those six big checks.
The green flag dropped on Friday night with the Krapohl's Body Shop & Custom Accessories Outlaw Late Models. We started off the night with qualifying for the Outlaws and #0X of Zack Olger would have the fast time of 11.088 seconds just edging track-record holder in this series, #21H David Hilliker. The top four qualifiers had the chance to take home some extra cash during the 4-car dash for cash. In this four lap race, #75 Rodney Laney started up front and he did not leave that spot as he won the Dash for Cash, holding off David and Derrick Hilliker and Zack Olger. The A-Main feature event of Friday night as 11 Outlaws hit the track going for the grand prize of $1,555. Olger would start on the pole and lead the first two laps of this 28 lap race. Then trouble hit Olger and his night would be over with an 11th place finish. #21H David Hilliker would take the lead after that and that would be all she wrote for anybody else taking the lead as David Hilliker cruised to the victory and won the Outlaw Late Models. #19 Derrick Hilliker would finish in second, followed by #11 Ryan Lanphierd, #75 Rodney Laney and #03 J.C. Witherspoon.
Then we moved on to Saturday where the other five feature events were ran. The Steven's Cycle Sales Bomber Series were the first ones to race their feature event. On Friday night, #13 Preston DeShano dominated the Bombers as he picked up the heat race win and the Friday Night Special event. DeShano would also start of on the pole for this feature event. He would lead the first five laps of this 22 lap feature until #18 Dale Kaake III made his way up from the back of the pack to take the lead. Kaake then would start to pull away little-by-little each lap and by the time it was done, #18 Dale Kaake the III would pick up the victory and the money prize of $255. #14 Melvin Hottois finished second, #13 Preston DeShano would end up in third, fourth was #27 Mercedes Kosha and #77 Stacie Staszak would round out the top five.
The K&C Transport IMCA Modifieds would make their way out next as they would be racing for the win and $1,555. #61 Frank Evans III would start of on the pole and lead the field to the green flag in this 37 lap feature. Evans would only be able to hold on to that lead for one lap as #776R Rusty Zeigler, would find some room and take the lead. Just a lap later though, #D42 Craig Vance, would make a move and take the lead. Vance would hold that lead for only two laps when IMCA Modified champion at TCMS, #7D Myron DeYoung would get by Vance on lap five and take the lead. Myron DeYoung had a commanding lead and it seemed like the only car that could possible catch up to him was the winner of heat race #1 and of the Friday Night Special, both on Friday night, #68 Heath Grizzle. He tried making his way up to DeYoung, but didn’t have enough. #7D Myron DeYoung would lead to the checkered flag and pick up the victory and the $1,555. #68 Heath Grizzle would end up in second, B-Main transfer driver #03C Chris Cohoon, with an impressive run finishes in third, Heat race #3 winner on Friday night, #511 Chaz Pray finishes fourth and #D42 Don Sautter would round out the top five.
Next was the most anticipated race of the night as the Euclid Automotive Supplies Late Models hit the track for their 42 lap feature event paying out the biggest prize of the night $2,555. #4T Andrew Terrill, heat race #5 winner, would start off on the pole. He would not hold on to that lead for long as coming out of turn two, #79 Nick Kurtz, would make is move on the very strong high side and take the lead. Kurtz would hold on to the lead for the first five laps, when #27S Eric Spangler would make his move and take the lead. Then only two laps later, heat race #1 winner, #0X Zack Olger would make his way up to the leader and get beside him as they went back and forth for the lead for four laps. Olger would finally get the advantage on lap 13 and get the lead. Spangler would not give up though as they were making their way through lap traffic, Spangler would take the lead right back on lap 25. Then a new challenger would make his way up to fight for the lead as heat race #4 winner, #M14 Brandon Thirlby as he made his way through the lap traffic and took the lead from Spangler on lap 28. The with 3 laps to go, Olger again would make his way up to the front and get beside Thirlby to try and take the lead. Olger was able to lead one more lap but the high line was too strong for Thirlby and he would pick up the victory and $2,555. #0X Zack Olger would hang on to second. #27S Eric Spangler would finish third, heat race #2 winner, #23 Ryan Vanderveen ends up in fourth and B-Main transfer driver, #4K Kevin Reeve makes his way from the back of the pack to finish fifth.
Next up on the track was the Auburn Hotel Bar & Grill Street Stocks for their 27 lap feature event for $755. #72 Bob Kosha would start of on the pole as he lead the field to the green flag, but heat race #1 winner, #96 Shane Wright would use the high side coming out of turn two to take the lead. Wright would continue to lead for most of the race, but the amount of cautions in this race did not help him though as the field keep on coming back together. With only 2 laps to go, Tri-City Motor Speedway Figure-8 champion, #X5 Eric Lake, after wiping out with 13 laps to go, passed 11 other drivers on the high side to get behind the lead and complete the pass by Wright. Lake would lead the final two laps and pick up the victory and the $755. #96 Shane Wright would hold on to second. B-Main #2 winner, Jared Rizer would makes his way through the pack to finish third, #3C Mitch Clements finished in fourth and heat race #3 winner, T.J. Gilbert would round out the top five.
The night at TCMS would conclude with the Buck Muck Ink Pro Stocks for a 27 lap battle for $955. #11J Josh Loomis would lead the field to the green flag and would lead the first lap. Friday Night Special winner, #14J Nate Jones would make his way around Josh Loomis and take the lead. The battle between these two was not over as Loomis would fight back and lead another lap and then again Jones would pull ahead. Again though, on lap ten, Jones would make his way up to the leader and this time was able to capture the lead right back. As soon as Loomis found that clean air again he started to pull away from the field. Heat race #3 winner Timmy Near would make his way up to the second spot and tried to make his way up the field, but #11J Josh Loomis had too strong of a car and he would pick up the victory and $955. #71 Timmy Near would end up in the second position, followed by B-Main transfer #26 Mike Vandermark in third, John Taylor fourth and #14J Nate Jones would end up in the fifth spot.
That will conclude the car racing part of this season, but Next Saturday and Sunday, September 19th and 20th, The District 14 AMA State Championship Dirt Bike and ATV Flat Track Racing will be at TCMS for the final event of the season at the track, with racing starting Saturday at 6:00 PM and Sunday at noon. If they do get rained out, the races will be moved to September 26th & 27th. For more information on this event, future events and other information on driver or the track, visit www.tricityracetrack.com.
Submitted By: Erika Puvalowski