5/14/2023
Auto City Speedway
Result May 12th,2023
Auto City Speedway Results 5/12/2023
Last Friday night at Auto City Speedway, was one of the “Fast Friday’s” sponsored by Domino’s Pizza in Clio and it was all about celebrating mom’s and also included some door to door racing. All three tracks were being used this night as the continued introduction of a few classes are in full swing and the competition is stout.
The evening started out being a bit overcast, but comfortably warm. As the fans started to enter, qualifying was getting underway.
One of the new series this year, Pro Street Stocks, were first up to qualify. It was last week’s feature winner and fast qualifier, plus current point’s leader, getting the top spot again this week in his Showcase Auto Sales #12 new Camaro, Nick Lechota, with a fast time of 16.68. Note, he was the only driver who qualified below the 17 second mark.
The All American Trucks were next and it was Joe Shamel in his blue and white #47X topping the seventeen truck field with a 17.29. His brother Dan, in the #47 followed a few ticks off with a 17.42.
The Herald Pure Stocks followed, and it was Lonnie Saumier Jr.’s #M15 getting the top spot with a 16.17 and Mike Mosier’s #22 close with a 16.21.
Another new division this year is the Red Apple Fireworks FWD Warriors and it was Jason Jones in his #11j Honda topping the field with a blistering 16.21.
After the invocation and national anthem, it was time to get to racing. The Herald Pure stocks heat race started the night. When the eight laps were completed, it was Nick Johnston’s #7 getting the win followed by Lonnie Saumier Jr.
The All American Truck heats were next. In the first attempt to go green, there were a few spins in turns one and two which made for a complete ‘single file’ restart. It was Brannon Cudd’s #81 taking the checkered followed by Anthony Duvernois’s #55.
The second A.T.T. heat race was won by last year’s champion, Josh Delong in his #067 followed by Jason Grissom’s #224.
Next was the Pro Street Stocks heat race. When the checkered flew, it was Auto City Speedway veteran driver and past Auto City Super Stocks champion, Jeff Owens in his traditional colors of yellow and white, Camaro #65 with the win.
The Red Apple Fireworks FWD heat races and first up was for the “A” series (fastest qualifiers). It was Jason Jones #11j getting the win over Michael Schmidt in the #31.
The “B” series heat race of this division was won by William Grubbs Jr. in his #96 with Barb Boone finishing second in her #66.
After a short intermission, it was time for the feature races. The Herald Pure were first up with their thirty lap feature. It was the #81, driven by Nick Deboer (usually driven by Tim Kirby) and the #05 of Andrew Burton leading them to the green. Burton got the early jump for the lead, but was being challenged quickly by the #7 of Nick Johnston and the #M15 of Lonnie Saumier Jr. Johnston did get by Burton and led till just after halfway, as Saumier and Johnston raced side by side for many laps. Saumier did get by about lap twenty-three and the Davison driver did get his second Herald Pure Stock feature win of the season, making it two for two. Following Saumier was Johnston, Mike Mosier in his #22, Burton and Bryan Thompson #66 respectively.
The All American Trucks were next and it was for a $1,000 payout to the winner for the fifty lap feature. The #77 of Jason Wolf and the #51 of Ricky Gillett were on the front row for the start. Gillett took the early lead followed by Jason Grissom #224 and Zack Lopez #18. By lap five there was a nine truck breakaway from the rest of the pack. Josh Delong got to the third spot by lap eight and worked his way past Gillett and Grissom by lap twelve. Also, Dan Shamel in his #47 had got up through the field to battle Delong. D. Shamel and Delong battled hard next to each other working their way through lapped traffic.
As the laps were clicking away, both Delong and D. Shamel were hard charging for that top spot. Shamel did get up alongside Delong going into turn three amongst lapped traffic. It appeared Delong and Shamel may have touched as both drivers did get loose with Delong trying to regain control with no avail, sending him over the turn three embankment. This brought out a yellow and both drivers had to start at the back of the pack. This relinquished the lead to Dan’s brother, Joe Shamel in his #47x with Grissom now in second place. As they went back to green flag racing, both Delong and D. Shamel were on a mission to get back to the front. Within ten laps, Delong had worked his way to the second spot again, bobbing his way through traffic. Dan Shamel did get up near the front as well, but traffic was making it more difficult. When it was all said and done, the winner of the fifty lap feature and $1,000, was third generation driver out of Clio, Joe Shamel for his first ever win at Auto City Speedway. Second went to Delong, third to Anthony Richardson in his #422, Dan Shamel in fourth and Jason Grissom getting fifth.
It was time for the Pro Street Stocks thirty lap feature race on the half-mile. The #M15 of Lonnie Saumier Jr. (doing double duties this evening) and returning driver to Auto City, Kevin Harder #44 were leading the field to the green. Saumier got out front once the green dropped and kept the lead for about the first nine laps leading the likes of Jeff Owens #65, the #0 of Adam Rowe and fast qualifier, Nick Lechota’s #12.
By lap ten, it was Flushing’s Nick Lechota working his way to the lead and kept it until the finish with Saumier, Owens, Rowe and Harder in that order.
The Red Apple Fireworks FWD feature race was set for their twenty lap feature combining the “A” and “B” series. The #70 of Charlie Boone and #14 of Jeff Asmus leading them to the green. It was Asmus getting the jump for the top spot, but by lap ten, it was the buzzing Honda of Jason Jones #11j passing for the lead. Once Jason had the lead, it was all over for the rest of the field as the Livonia driver got his second feature win of the season. Finishing second was Asmus, third was Troy Deuscher in his #83 and Charlie Boone coming home fourth. For the “B” series, it was Rod Nettleton’s #33 getting the top spot for his second feature win of the season followed by William Grubbs Jr.'s #96.
The last race of the night was the Auto City Figure 8. It was Andrew Burton leading them to the green for their fifteen lap race. Anthony Richardson in his #422 was right behind Burton for the start. Once they got the green, those two drivers again went head to head battling for the lead with both drivers drifting off the track a bit onto the grass. Richardson did get by Burton and in a serious attempt to get back by Richardson, Burton spun, regathering back up, but distancing himself from Richardson. While in third, Gerald Persails Jr. (aka the Ironman) got a bit loose and blasted one of the big tractor tires sending him airborne, but coming down on all fours as at one point it looked as though he might be on his way over. When the checkered flew, it was Richardson, Burton and Persails Jr.
The next event at Auto City Speedway is the Camping World Maximum Destruction Military Night on Saturday, May 27th.
Check out all the details on upcoming events at www.autocityspeedway.com or the Auto City Speedway and Outdoor Events Facebook page and “We’ll See You at the City”.
Article Credit: Randy Adam
Submitted By: Sharon Fischer
