Berlin Raceway Points Contenders Looking to Gain Ground Saturday

Champions to be crowned September 22

Marne, MI—Berlin Raceway’s points season is coming to and end; with two weeks until Championship Night, one including the Boyne Machine weekend where double points are on the line, no one can feel like they are out of the woods just yet.  It would take something major to knock Tom Thomas or Andy Stormzand from the top spots in their divisions, but in a sport where luck is the name of the game, anything is possible.

In the Coors Light Late Model division, Tom Thomas of Grandville is well on his way to becoming a back-to-back track champion and nabbing the $10,000 year-end points fund bonus prize.  With six wins this year, four fast qualifiers and just one finish outside of the top ten, Thomas seems to be in control of the top spot with 2,845 points.  He also managed to get 20 bonus points this season by earning the hard charger award four times.  While Thomas seems to have the lead locked up, West Olive’s Billy Shotko (172 points behind) and Hudsonville’s Terry VanHaitsma (184 points behind) have a great battle going on for second; they are separated by a mere 12 points.  Shotko earned his first-ever victory in the Coors Light Late Model division this year, has 4 fast qualifiers and has only finished outside of the top 10 three times.  VanHaitsma, who finished 2^nd in the point standings last year, also got his first feature this season, has earned three fast times in row and received five bonus points for being the hard charger once. Shotko and VanHaitsma have been cutting Thomas’ lead down each week, but they might run out of time.

Brian Wiersma and Mike Bursley have been battling for the point lead in the Engine Pro Super Stock division all season long.  Wiersma, of Coopersville, is a two-time division champion and has accumulated 2,785 points and heading in to the double points weekend, Holland’s Bursley is trailing by just 44 points.  Wiersma and Bursley have been dominating the Super Stock division; Wiersma has won two features and seven fast qualifiers and has finished outside of the top 10 one time.  Bursley has five wins to his name and four fast times, but mechanical problems caused Bursley to finish outside of the top 15 four times.  The race for third is also exciting; Ray VanAllsburg of Grand Rapids is 316 points behind Wiersma but is 14 points ahead of Rookie Andrew Nylaan of Hudsonville.  Howard City’s Dave Lake is trailing VanAllsburg by 19 points.

The De-Jay Slick Truck Pro Stock division has had the closest points battle at Berlin Raceway all season with three drivers still in contention.  The top spot belongs to Byron Center’s Brian Tillema, accumulating 2,938 points, but he only has an 11 point lead over Lee VanDyk of Grand Rapids.  Grand Haven’s Bruce Chase isn’t out of it yet, but trouble on the race track in recent weeks has left him 87 points behind Tillema.  Tillema has had three wins, eight fast times and he has yet to finish out of the top five at the end of a race.  Chase has four wins, three fast times, finished outside of the top five once and has racked up 10 bonus points by being the hard charger on two occasions.  VanDyk is leading in the win column with seven and like Chase, he has two hard chargers.   Also coming on strong is Scott Root of Sparta.  He has three wins this season and while he sits 376 points behind leader Tillema, he is in a battle for 4^th with Jenison’s Kevin DeGood and Hudsonville’s Travis Nylaan; just 82 points separates the three drivers.

Lowell’s Andy Stormzand has been a dominated force in the Instant Cash Advance Sportsman division; his point tally is at 3,046.  He started the season off with a win and has been very consistent all season, rarely finishing outside of the top ten (twice).  Stormzand has improved greatly from last year when he finished 3^rd in points with 1 win.   Currently he leads the Sportsman division in wins with six; he is one of four repeat winners in that division.  While Stormzand is 205 points ahead of second place Ken Roelofs of Allendale; Roelofs is in a tight race for that position.  Just 23 points separate him from Wyoming’s Allen Davis and Garison Jewett of Coopersville. 

With two points races left in the season, one being a double points race, no driver is entirely safe in their positions. 

Coming up at Berlin Raceway is the Boyne Machine weekend, slated for Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15.  It was announced earlier in the season that the traveling CRA (Champion Racing Association) Super Series will join this action packed weekend since their race was rained out.  The Friday event will feature qualifying and heats for all divisions, a Late Model and CRA Dash for Cash, School Bus Races, $1 beer and $1 hot dogs and a post race party with The Law.  Saturday will bring 400 laps of feature racing!  There will be a Late Model and CRA Late Chance Race, the $7,500-to-win 125-lap CRA Super Series race, $7,500-to-win 150-lap Coors Light Late Model race, 50-lap Engine Pro Super Stock race, 40-lap De-Jay Slick Truck Pro Stock race and 30-lap Instant Cash Advance Sportsman race.  Tickets for Friday, September 14 are $12 for adults and $30 for pit passes; tickets for Saturday, September 15 are $20 for adults and $35 for pit passes.  A two-day combo ticket costs $30 for adults and $60 for pit passes.  Tickets are half-price for children 6-12, 5 and under are free.  Gates open at 12:15 p.m. and racing starts at 7:00 p.m. on both days.  Must be 16 to enter the pits. 

On Saturday, September 22, Berlin Raceway will crown champions in its four divisions after a 4-in-1 show. Berlin Raceway’s Cruise-In classic car show will take place on Championship Night and it will also feature all divisions autographs and the night will be capped off with fireworks!  Tickets for Championship Night are $12 for adults; a pit pass for those 16 and older is $25.  Tickets are half-price for children 6-12, 5 and under are free.

Berlin’s racing season doesn’t end when the champions are crowned as three special events round out the 2007 racing season.  The Open Wheel Extravaganza is scheduled for Saturday, September 29; Bus Mania returns to the track on Saturday October 6 and the season finale is the 4-Cylinder 150- lap Enduro on October 13.