8/15/2015
Winston Speedway
Fan Appreciation Night Crowns Seven Feature Winners
Rothbury, Michigan (Friday, August 14th, 2015): The extreme heat didn’t put a dent in the weekly racing program at the fast 3/8ths (0.375) mile dirt oval of Winston Speedway. It was fan appreciation night at the Rothbury, Michigan speed plant, featuring all seven track divisions in action. The show was headlined by a pair of modified specials. The most notable was the UMP DIRTcar Modified special presented by Port City Racecars. The feature was worth $750 to win, along with the $3300 in giveaways. There was also a Michigan Dirt Modified Special presented by Allstar Performance. The Late Models, Street Stocks, Bombers, Four-Cylinder Warriors, and Young Guns were all in action as well.
15-year old Gabe Flores from Twin Lake, Michigan scored the win in the Young Guns division’s 12-lap feature event. It was actually Ronnie VanNatter who led the in the early going, but his car would suffer mechanical issues which forced to lose the advantage to Flores on lap 4. The win marked Flores’s fifth of the season in the Sprague Auto Parts #16. 15-year old Hedi Barnhard, and VanNatter completed the field. The heat race was won by VanNatter.
The Late Models rolled out next for what was a 25-lap A-Main. Rob Taylor and Aaron Morey led the field down to the drop of the green flag. Taylor would jump out the lead with everyone else fighting for position behind him. Then on lap 4 Taylor was challenged by Steve Fairbanks who managed to take the lead away for himself. However on lap 9 Garrett Wiles would power his way by Fairbanks taking over the top spot. Wiles would never look back from there going on to take home the checkered flag.
Wiles, the 26-year old from Hubbardston, Michigan scored his very first win at Winston Speedway in the Wiles Trucking #16. Taylor would end up finishing second. Morey, Rich Neiser, and Tom Sprague Jr. rounded out the top five. Fairbanks, Taylor, Neiser won the preliminary heat races.
Josh Sternberg and Derek Poland led out the 15-lap Street Stocks main event. Once the green flag waved is was Poland who wasted little time in taking the early advantage. He was able to lead for first 11 circuits. However on lap 12 Sternberg would charge past Poland and runaway with the lead. Sternberg would go on from there to pick up the victory.
The Muskegon, Michigan native picked up his second win of the year in the Stern’s Towing #83. Robbie Sternberg managed to finish in the second spot. Poland, Jeremy Holman, and Paul Namey finished off the top five. The heat was won by Robbie Sternberg.
The UMP DIRTcar Modified special presented by Port City Racecars hit the racing surface led by the front row made up of Andy Sprague and Collin Thirlby for a 25-lap $750 to win feature. Sprague took the initiative in the early stages taking control of the first position. However he would be challenged on lap 5 when the defending track and UMP DIRTcar Michigan State champion David Mielke who hit the right marks and stole the lead away. Mielke would end up leading every lap after that including the one that counted to get the win.
Mielke the 23-year old from Gladwin, Michigan scored his fourth win of the year at Winston in his Krompetz Elevators #87. Jacob Poel was the runner up finisher. Sprague, Thirlby, and Steve McClees made up the rest of the top five.
The 15-lap Bombers feature rolled out next with defending track champion Dan Wilson Jr. and 12-year old rookie Evan Shotko on the front row. Wilson jumped out front when the green flag waved. That turned out to be the only move he would have to make, as he would lead every single lap of the race going from green to checkered.
This was the 36-year old Muskegon, Michigan native’s eighth win of the year in the A&A Manufacturing #57. Robb Sternberg scored the second place finish. Nate Triick, Mike Roe, and Shotko capped off the top five. 15-year old rookie Morgan Smith and Wilson won the heats.
Steve Fairbanks was crowned the winner of the 20-lap Michigan Dirt Modified Special presented by Allstar Performance. The main event began with Drew Galdeen and Joe Carmean on the front row. Carmean took the early advantage. It was lap 12 when Fairbanks would make the move that would be enough for the win making the pass and going on to visit victory lane.
Fairbanks, the 42-year old from Twin Lake, Michigan picked up his first win of the year in the Michigan Dirt Modifieds behind the wheel of the Eagle Automotive #66. Carmean was forced to settle for second. Steve McClees, Ted Cooper, and Kyle Borgman rounded out the top five. Cooper won the lone heat race.
Finally, the 15-lap feature for the Four-Cylinder Warriors made its way out led by Jeremy Holman and Josh Pulsipher. The early stages saw Pulsipher pulled out with the lead. However on lap 6 Brian Carson who after starting third would charge to the front of the field. When the dust finally settled it was Carson getting the win as he was able to lead all of the remaining laps.
Carson, the native of North Muskegon scored his second win of the season in the #04. Pulsipher finished second. Defending track champion Gary Larabee, Holman, and Terry Woodard completed the top five. The heat wins went to Pulsipher and Carson.
This Friday August 21st the Winston Speedway be play host to the high-powered American Ethanol Late Model Tour for what will be the traveling series seventh race of the year. The event will also mark the group’s second visit of the season to Winston Speedway where the traveling cars and stars will battle for a $2000 to win prize. This will be part of a full racing program also featuring the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Michigan Dirt Modifieds, Street Stocks, Bombers, Four-Cylinder Warriors, and Young Guns. Pits Open at 5:00pm, Grandstands open at 6:00pm, Hot Laps start at 6:30pm, and the green flag is set to fly at 7:30pm.
Winston Speedway is located at 7834 South 72nd Avenue in Montague, Michigan. For more information, please call: 1 (231) 737-9223 or go to the website located at: www.racewinston.com You can also follow everything that is happening on and off the track by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page and following along on Twitter as well. Just go to: www.facebook.com/WinstonSpeedway and www.twitter.com/WinstonSpeedway and click on “Like" and “Follow” buttons today.
Article Credit: Brian Osborne
Submitted By: Brian Osborne
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