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FW: 2010 MMSHoF inductees announced-----Original Message----- From: Allan Brown <speedways@comcast.net> Sent: Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:44:34 Pacific Daylight T... READMORE |
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Surprised and elated was the sentiment of all four feature winners and the new track ownership on Saturday’s opening night at the Berlin Speedway.
The fans were up for the nice bit of showmanship by the staff in using the Best Appearing Car Challenge in conjunction with a line up of Berlin stars on the front stretch. With the feel of a Nascar pre-race introduction session the announcer moved from car to car introducing drivers to ovations from their fans.
From there the Best Appearing winner Kelsey Steele, in her #16 candy apple red and white, HS Die sponsored car, went on to dominate the Young Guns feature. Three out of the four drivers, including Steele, are fourteen years old and drove indoor sprints last year.
Kelsey’s proud father Tim, with a storied racing past of his own, helped his daughter out with her first lesson in ‘dealing with success and the press’ when I approached her for a quote. She was too excited for words and caught of guard, so her Dad explained that, “reaching every goal the team had set for the opening night went far beyond what she expected, though I knew she had it in her”. Needless to say she was swarmed by kids seeking autographs when the pits opened after racing.
She did say the car and track made the transition from indoor much easier then expected, but from watching the race and the pressure #32 Gabe Ensing and Mitch Meppelink’s 18 car were putting on her, easy isn’t the word I would use.
Engine Pro Super Stock winner Andrew “Dewey” Nylaan, even though he has past feature wins in a couple of divisions, couldn’t contain his energy in the pits after his feature win either, and with good reason. He had won opening night with a team formed and car bought only three weeks ago. He jumped out to an early lead in the 30 lap race, and on every restart after cautions, making him glad the late nights lately had paid off. “This pay out will go a long way toward helping us return here week after week this season”, he said while commending sponsors and crew like a pro.
To lead the defending champ #1 Brian Wiersma most of the race and take the checkered right off the bat this year had him bouncing around the infield the rest of the night accepting hand shakes and congrats.
Just like Ken Smith Jr., the Kerkstra Services Pro Stock feature winner. Standing with his Dad for pictures before the #36 in the new Berlin winner’s circle put him on cloud nine. He had placed fourteenth in points last season with one feature win, but tonight after qualifying sixth he dominated, sometimes with almost a half lap lead on long runs, a six to seven car pack giving chase but loosing ground every second. “With the way the car performed tonight and the support we have ... I can’t wait to see how the season progresses”, he said to the cheering crowd.
Even two time (2003 and 2005) Coors Light Late Model champion Tim Devos, tonight’s feature winner, was like a kid in a candy store with a permanent smile for young autograph hounds when racing finished for the evening. A steady flow of happy fans kept him busy from the moment he took the victory drink of Bud Light in the winner’s circle. The black, blue and red #12 Michigan Mobile Services sponsored rod he has raced for each of the last seven years, with little change, started fourth but took only five or six laps to grab the lead from the front row and keep it. Considering that row consisted of last year’s champ #32 Ross Meeuwsen on the pole with Tom Thomas’s 82, which won the division the two previous years, the odds were stacked against him.
“The car got real fast after only a few laps so I let it go, and got underneath Ross. After that I had the hot hand on restarts and though later Bush (second place #101 Joe Bush) was on to me he had no counter, everything was just right.” He wondered if the pass of Meeuwsen had contributed to the #32 falling slowly in the pack as the race progressed, but later I found Ross and crew still combing the car for the mysterious reason “she just fell off”, as Meeuwsen put it.
Mike Blackmer (track owner) and Kevin Streigle (PR and more) were worn but relieved at night’s end with drivers and fans alike casting yes votes on their performance. “Allot of tracks would kill for a 4300 spectator turn out and full pits” was the last thing Mike said to me they smiled and turned back to the work still ahead of them even as the last car hauler made it’s way across the track and out the gate.
