7/20/2022
Auto City Speedway
July 30th Results
Auto City Speedway Results 7/30/2022
If you are a race fan, last Saturday at Auto City Speedway was the place to be. Besides the Herald Pure Stock 50 lap invitational battle, there was plenty of other racing action on the track.
Mother Nature blessed the racing this night with a bit of a hot summer evening, but clear skies and almost no breeze.
First up, as always, was qualifying for the All American Trucks, Herald Pure Stocks and the AC Warriors (FWD division).
The All American Trucks started it all off and when the eighteen competitors were finished, it was Joe Shamel’s Auto City Used Cars and Barns #47x getting the top spot with a 17.45 over Josh Delong’s Muffler Man on Pierson Road’s #067 truck who turned a 17.55.
Next up was the Herald Pure Stocks and it was again, second week in a row, Lonnie Saumier in his Madden’s Lounge #M15 getting the pole with a 16.08 over Nick Johnston’s Auto City Used Cars #7 who had a 16.20. It was nice to see drivers from surrounding tracks such as Owosso Speedway and others in attendance going for the big payout.
The AC Warriors were now on track for their qualifying and with a few new drivers visiting making it a field of twelve. It was a driver who had never raced at Auto City Speedway, Mike Schmidt out of Midland in his No Limit Carts & Parts #53 getting the number one spot with a 16.93 over Corunna’s Bobbi Jo Jernigan’s Atomic Apparel and Design’s #38 who turned a 17.12.
So the stage was set for the evening with qualifying complete. After the invocation and national anthem, heat races started the night out. All heats were eight laps.
First up was the AC Warriors and it was the Atomic Apparel and Design’s #88 of Kennedi Jernigan out of Morrice, MI. getting her first win at Auto City Speedway over Chucky Helms (#3) and Silas McCaslin (#12)
The second AC Warriors heat went to another Jernigan, Bobbi Jo Jernigan driving another Atomic Apparel and Design car, the #38 machine, followed by Mike Schmidt and Gerald Persails Jr. (#80).
Up next was the All American Truck heat races and with having eighteen, there were to be three heats. The first race was captured by a first time winner in this series, Walt Dalrymple Jr. driving the Ferrigan Heating and Cooling #J-21 with Jason Wolf’s #77 and Ricky Gillet’s #51 gettng second and third respectfully.
The second heat race went to the driver of the #S-23, Josh Shaw who is driving a different truck that he started the season with. Second to Shaw was Paul Rigda III (#43) and rookie Cameron Delong (#95).
The fast ATT heat race went to point’s leader and last year’s champion, Josh Delong (#067), following Delong was Dan Shamel (#47) and Jason Grissom (#224).
The heat races for the Herald Pure Stocks were next on the schedule and there were three heats due to the amount of contenders as well.
The first heat race went to a “first time winner” and rookie this year, Caleb Beechler in his Flint Welding #98. Second to Beechler was Mark Connell filling in for his son Josh in the #C7 and third was Scott Garcia in the #6s. Mark hadn’t raced in quite some time as he was a Champion at Dixie Motor Speedway back in 1996.
Second heat winner was a pervious Pure Stock champion with also one feature win this year, Randy Clayton Jr. driving the Two Mike Plumbing #12. Second to Clayton Jr. was the point’s leader going into the night, Andrea Baxter in the Coyote Racing #5, with third going to Tim Kirby in his #81.
The third and final heat race went to a driver out of Mt. Morris, Mike Moiser in his slick looking Beyer Development blue #22. Second was Bryan Thompson’s #66 and third going to Lonnie Saumier.
Now it was time for the AC Warriors twenty lap feature race. The #88 of Kenndi Jernigan and the #55 of Anthony Duvernois led the field to the green, but as all accelerated, Duvernois has some issues getting his car going and the field got scrambled a bit before completing one lap. With a complete restart, it was now the #38 of Bobbi Jo Jernigan and #80 of Gerald Persails Jr. leading the way. Once the green flew Bobbi Jo took the early lead followed by Persails Jr. and the #11 of Chesaning’s Jack Bill. As the laps counted down, it was fast qualifier Mike Schmidt working his #53 through traffic to get up to second by lap nine. As the leaders approached lapped traffic, Schmidt did get by Bobbi Jo for the lead and did not look back. When the checkered flew, it was Schimdt, Bobbi Jo Jernigan, Bill Jack, Anthony Duvernois (who did rejoin the field at the start after a quick stint in the pits) and Silas McCaslin (#12) respectfully.
There was a break in the action as it was autograph night at Auto City. All the competitors parked on the front stretch including the Cerebus Monster Truck of Jacobi Motorsports and the fans were allowed to go out and meet the drivers while also getting photos and candy that the drivers were handing out.
Once that was complete, it was now time to get back to race for the other three feature races for the night.
The anticipated fifty lap feature for the Herald Pure Stocks was now lined up. The sun had set, race track lights were on and ready for the on track introductions.
Besides the $1,200 to win (including bonus contributions from T&C Custom Concrete and M15 Towing), there were other added bonus’s for other parts of the race (certain laps, finishing positions, etc.), other contributors were; Auto City’s Flagman Jeff West; Modified driver Dale Spencer; Lonnie Saumier; Creative Coatings (John Baxter) and even more $ from T&C Custom Concrete.
The fast qualifier, Lonnie Saumier Jr. choose to start at the back of the nineteen car field (Note: Jeremy Johnson’s #M-47 was a scratch due to mechanical issues, which would have made it twenty car field).
Leading them to the green was the #98 of Caleb Beechler and Tim Kirby’s #81.
When the green was dropped, Beechler took an early lead followed by a gaggle of competitors driving side by side and even three wide deeper in the field. About lap five, Tim Kirby had a hard hit into the front stretch wall coming out of turn four bringing out a red flag situation. Kirby did climb out on his own and gave the fans a wave showing he was OK. Once the Auto City Safety crew had the fluids cleaned up and Kirby’s car was towed back to the pits, the racing was back on.
Beechler now had his hands full as Randy Clayton Jr. was at his side for the restart on the front row. When they went green, Clayton Jr. did get the jump and lead. Right on the bumper of Clayton was Mike Moiser (#22), Andrew Burton (#05) and Andrea Baxter (#5). By lap ten, Mosier and Burton made their way past Clayton Jr. As the laps clicked off, the #M15 had maneuvered through the field and was looking at that top spot. At the halfway point, it was still Mosier and Burton, but now with Saumier Jr. in third bringing with him Nick Johnston in tow. Saumier did work his way past Burton for second now on a mission to catch Moiser. With ten laps to go, Saumier Jr. did get the top spot with a hard fought battle with Moiser. Following Mosier was Burton, Johnston and Baxter.
When the checkered flag flew, it was the Maddens Lounge #M15 Lonnie Saumier getting his second feature win in a row at Auto City Speedway with Mosier, Burton, Johnston respectfully and Bryan Thompson working his way past Baxter in the latter laps for the fifth position.
It was now time for the All American Trucks thirty lap feature. The field was led by Brannon Cudd’s #81 and Jim Cudd’s #1. When the green flag flew, it was J. Cudd getting the early lead, but it did not take long for the fast qualifier Joe Shamel’s #47x to make his presence known with Josh Delong in tow. As the laps counted down, Shamel seemed to have a comfortable lead, but Delong did track him down going through lapped traffic. By lap twelve, Delong got the lead from Shamel and now in third, driving a different truck, was Gregory Long III (#38). By lap twenty, it was Delong, Shamel, Long III and Josh’s son, Cameron Delong’s #95 and late arrival who started at the back of the field, Anthony Richardson’s #422. For the last ten laps, all drivers were distanced apart, but with about four laps to go, Josh Delong started having issues with the rear gear in his truck, which put Joe Shamel at his back bumper numerous times. You could tell something was not right with Delong’s truck as Shamel struggled high and low to get by Delong, but could not make the pass stick. As Delong drove across the finish line, checkered flag flying, you could hear and see that his rear gear broke with grinding and smoke flowing. During the on track interview, he expressed if J. Shamel hadn’t been pushing him, he probably wouldn’t have made it across first as he was floored the whole way around the track for the last few laps.
The last race of the night was the fifteen lap Auto City Figure 8 race. When the eleven drivers took the green, it was point’s leader, Anthony Richardson’s #422 taking the lead. The previous winner of the last two figure 8’s, Andrew Burton in his #05 was again on a mission to get to the front. As he drove power-sliding in and out of each turn trying to catch Richardson, there were a few close calls at the “X” with other competitors. Again, Burton did get up to Richardson and again, it was the Burton and Richardson battle for the lead. When the fifteen laps were completed, Burton did get his third straight win in the figure 8 followed by Richardson, Paul Rigda III (#43), Zack Lopez (#18) and Tim Curtis (#73)
There is more racing and Maximum Destructions on the Auto City schedule. Check out all the details on upcoming events at www.autocityspeedway.com and “We’ll See You at the City”.
Article Credit: Katie Walker
Submitted By: Katie Walker
