Good guys don’t always finish last, but are usually the last to blow their own horn. Berlin’s five time and defending Engine Pro Super Stock Champion is the best example.
Brian Wiersma, in his neon lettered black No. 1, has patiently and quietly carved his name in the track’s history along side, or now on top of, the likes of both Johnny Benson Sr. and Jr., Fred Campbell, Randy Sweet, Tim Devos, Joe Bush, Tom Thomas and many others in terms of championships and features won.
Any driver will tell you Berlin's rounded oval is a very difficult track to win on consistently, so few have five - and so far this year, ahead in points - championships even if you include all divisions they've raced. No driver has more than one championship in the Super Stock class, except Brian with his five. Last season finished with the team two victories behind Ross Meeuwsen (defending Late Model Champ) who sat atop the Super Stock feature wins list with twenty-seven. Since then he's added two more to tie him and doesn't show any signs of stopping, though he says, "We joked in the pit after winning last year's championship that I came out of retirement to win it, because with the kids getting older and wanting to spend time with them, I almost didn't race that season."
Not to get too superstitious, but Brian and his crew of Al Hill and car owner Todd Westveld are well aware that the first four championships came in pairs with time in between, and that to win this year makes another pair. A little belief goes a long way in racing, and this team of believers goes back to the first race Brian ever won in the mid 80’s at Kalamazoo. Their first feature win came later that year. The team traveled to K-Zoo, Hartford, Mottville, Galesburg, and Crystal winning two MARC Times Dealers Awards in 1993 and 94’ , in it’s early years. They settled into Berlin over time because it is ten miles from home. Family, farm and work come first to these gentlemen.
In younger days when Todd and Brian raced BMX and Motocross (Brian even placed in the top ten in the BMX World Finals) the need for speed was top, but to win his first championship in racing took patience and the understanding that settling for second or lower in one race puts you farther ahead then crashing because, as he puts it, “Even with the great sponsors we have had for so long, nobody can afford to fix a car weekly ... and the season results always turn out better.”
His job of twenty plus years as a machinist at Valley Truck Parts has helped pay for cars and many race nights, especially in the early years. Good sponsors like Don Westveld of SaniSweep and Northern Trails, Kerleroux Konstruction, and Allendale Auto Supply help more these days. “Winning doesn’t hurt either.” he laughed when I caught him with a phone call in between haying the cows and putting the kids to bed. He credits, “Respect for equipment and not pushing the limits of the car” with the teams success. His thankful manner, cautious approach and grounded home and work ethics ring true in the shy way he answers questions in the winner’s circle. “I’m much more comfortable when you put me behind the wheel, then I’ll show you something.” was as close to a boast as he would go.
A miraculous one week turn around after the ‘Big One’ of 7-12-08 (car torn down to bare frame and delivered to Port City Race Cars Sunday, back Tues. ready by Fri. racing Sat.) brought with it problems in finding the new set up until October sixteenth when a new front clip set them up to win again. That, and of course, help from Play Station Pub, Neal’s Truck Parts, Campus West, Kerkstra Septic, and BFE Sports Bar.
Bee Green recently joined them adding to the sponsor list; a list that can be the life blood of a car as sure as it’s fuel. A stroll down pit lane will show you a number of drivers struggling to find one, so the number of folks helping this team and the length of time they’ve stayed is a testament to it’s staying power. Brian’s wife Karla and kids Hunter and Jacob still farm some of his Dad’s land keeping a good home base underneath him when he’s not on Berlin’s asphalt.
Jodi Marcus, Berlin’s ‘track brat’ because she grew up at the track when her Father pitted for Johnny Benson, was a great help on this article with stats and history in her new PR role with the team and ASAP Marketing. “The guys just want to work on the car and race. They were surprised to hear the numbers of wins and championships, because they don’t focus on it much.” she told me on an off night where they hang out in Berlin’s safety crew parking. Todd, when not in the pits working, also runs the SaniSweep truck that cleans up after accidents every race night. This evening they watched racing from above turn two and Todd was very busy with USA Mod.,Pro Stock and 4 Cylinder crashes. Both he and Brian have been getting more excited in talking about the season lately, I think, driven by the realization of how high Brian has reached at a track so famous and full of great history.
A history remembered back to the beginning, not lost to team Wiersma, but present at every race. You see, the first ever championship (midseason of 1951) won on the Berlin Raceway went to team member Al Hill’s grandfather, Bill Sherman. That is just one of the proud reasons the team calls Berlin home.
Even with new rules that make it harder to pull away from the others with a points lead, the No. 1 car is No. 1, something Brian’s record say’s loud and clear to any driver thinking of passing, or unlucky enough to find him coming up from behind.
