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Freeman Keeps Winning Ways At Tri-City Motor Speedway

05/21/2021 (Auburn MI) The Great Lakes Sprint family brought their Super Sprints and Lightning Sprints to Tri-City Motor Speedway this past Friday night. In addition, the XLT Engineering Bomber Stocks and Auto House Factory Stock drivers came to compete for the biggest top prizes that have ever been up for grabs in the history of the 3/8 mile dirt track. All-Star Performance Mini Wedges and Soaring Eagle Casino Late Models were also on hand to compete in front of the near capacity crowd.

The Friday night racing program began with the Walker Ideal Trophies Mini Wedge drivers competing in their restricted and unrestricted motor divisions. With the 6-14 year old drivers still gaining experience, it was a pair of caution filled feature races. However, it was an emotional night for young Jett Gohr (Bay City). The defending Champion in the restricted division spent most of the off season enduring a regimen of chemotherapy treatments to battle a cancer diagnosis received last fall. This was his first set of races since being in remission. He showed that he has not lost his racing abilities by sweeping victories in both his heat and feature races. He was followed at the finish by Alexis Bowen (Sterling), Colton Bowen (Sterling), last week’s winner Cason Murphy (Coleman), and Bowen Jaynes (Bay City). Brennan DeShano (Kawkawlin) took the heat race checkered flag before the start of the unrestricted mini wedge main event. However, it would be defending champion Kyron DeShano (Kawkawlin) who would take advantage of his up front starting position to lead at the end of the feature final lap. Brennan DeShano (Kawkawlin) took home second place. Ella Gradowski (Essexville) and Pierson DeShano (Kawkawlin) were the final finishers after the scheduled eight laps.

The Great Lakes Lightning Sprints made their first appearance of the 2020 racing season at TCMS. It was fan favorite Ryan Ruhl’s (Coldwater) night. He led off the evening with the fastest lap in qualifying (12.764) and followed it up with a heat race win to secure his spot in the 25 lap main event. Ruhl led the feature field to the green from his pole position starting spot and held the point for the first thirteen laps. Brad Lamberson (Parma) took advantage of lapped traffic to snag the lead from Ruhl for the first time at lap fourteen. Ruhl kept his cool and wrestled the lead back from Lamberson to lead the final three laps and capture the glory of victory. Lamberson had to settle for the runner-up position. Heat race winner Max Stambaugh (Elida OH), former champion Dustin Daggett (Grand Ledge), and Jay Steinebach finished the race within the top five. Danny Sams III (North Port FL) was the winner of the third heat race.

Auto House Factory Stocks had their first of many big money feature races. Thirty-four of the state’s best competitors checked in to have a change to take home the $1500 top prize. Four qualifying heats and a Last Chance qualifier were needed to determine the 22 drivers that would start the 25-lap feature. Loren Short (Clio), Jake Thompson (Birch Run), Jim Miller Jr. (Clio), and Rylee Knoll (Lake) were the best of their respective heat races. It was Scott Smith (West Branch) that needed the Last Chance race to gain his entry to the final race. Knoll would lead the initial lap of the big race before Miller used the lowest available groove to pass Knoll for his turn at the front. It looked as if Miller was going to cruise to his first win of the year. However, a late race caution bunched the field and gave Short the chance he needed to make the winning pass on lap 24 to take home the big payday. Miller took home a frustrating second place finish. Knoll overcame a handling issue which dropped him back as far as twelfth place to take third. Thompson and Nate Jones (Vestaburg) finished the night fourth and fifth.

The XLT Engineering Bomber Stocks also had an increased purse with $600 to win for the four and six cylinder class. Last week’s feature Chad Freeman (Alger) took home one of the qualifying heat race wins. William Withrow (West Branch) and Travis Skaggs (Mancelona) won the other two heat races. Cody Steinly, who had issues in his heat race and started in ninth in the last chance qualifier, was able to make the his way through the field to win and make the main event. Front row starter Ethan Roberts (Whittamore) took the opening pair of laps before broken front suspension parts would end his night prematurely. Clay Lachcik (Omer) led lap three before Freeman took over. He was unchallenged for the remaining sixteen circuits and grabbed his second feature win in a row. Nick Bullock (Bay City), Chris Wassmann (Whittamore), Steinly (from 16th) and Jason Jones (Livonia) survived to finish in the top five.

The Great Lakes Lightning Sprints brought their 1000cc smaller version of the Great Lakes Super Sprints. The teams allowed for one of the 600cc powered sprint cars to enter and see how they would compete with the larger motors in the series. Darin Naida (Adrian), that driver, was second quick in qualifying at 12.633 seconds behind Jac Nickles’ (Harrod, OH) 12.485 second lap. Both would win their heat race and proved to be the two to beat in their final event of the night. Brendon Cascadden (Traverse City) led the feature until lap three when Naida blew by him. Naida was untouched for the remaining seventeen laps as he crossed the line ahead of Nickles, Matt Cogley (Findlay, OH), Cascadden, and Justin Ward (Benzonia). Cascadden won the third heat race.

Although it wasn’t an Allstar Challenge Series event, it was still a big payday to whoever won the 30-lap Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort Late Model feature. It was an all front row race as pole sitter Alex Hupert (Au Gres) pacing the field for the first nine laps. 2020 Challenge Series Champion Travis Stemler (Ionia) using the top groove to his advantage to overtake Hupert and conquer the rest of the race. Chad Finley (St. Johns), Hupert, David Hilliker (Midland) and Ryan Lanphierd (Midland) finished within the top five after 30-laps. Finley, David Mielke (Gladwin) and Andrew Terrill (Sanford) also had heat race victories.

This Friday kicks off the Memorial Day weekend with a big $6000 to win round #3 of the TCMS/Merritt Speedway Allstar Performance Challenge Series supported by the Soaring Eagle Casino. All the house divisions including the Walker’s Ideal Trophies Mini-Wedges, Auto Value Pro Stocks, Auto House Factory Stocks, Tri-City Cheese and Meats IMCA Modifieds, and the XLT Engineering Bomber Stocks are all a part of the race card. The first green flag waves at 7:30. Be sure to come early to claim your seat for another show you won’t want to miss! For updated and instant results, season point standings and the entire 2021 race schedule, please visit the TCMS website at tricityracetrack.com or download the MyRacePass app.

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