Berlin
Raceway - Saturday, September 27, 2008 |
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Berlin Raceway top
three, third place finisher Bob Bond,
winner Chris Perley and second place Russ Wood. |
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Jim Feeney Photos |
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An early
feature battle between Jeff Holbrook 35, Mark Sammut 78 and Mike
Ordway Jr 41. Ordway would drop out with an ill handling car.
Sammut and Holbrook would go on to finish fourth and fifth
respectively. |
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Jeff
Holbrook 35 tries to hold back a charging Chris Perley 11. Here
Perley gets underneath Holbrook in the first turn. |
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Russ Wood
29 held off Chris Perley 11 for many laps. Here they try to work
there way by Brandon Bellinger 02. |
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Chris
Perley 11 makes a high move on Russ Wood 29 to try and take the
lead. |
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Dave Trytek
70 and Larry Lehnert 92 fight for position late in the feature.
Lehnert went on to finish sixth and Trytek eighth. |
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On lap 44
Bob Bond 25 gets under Jeff Holbrook 35 to take away a podium
spot. |
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After a
tough day of battling a stomach bug, then some even tougher
competition on the track, Chris Perley is all smiles in Berlin
Victory Lane. |
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CHRIS PERLEY BEATS
BUG AT BERLIN |
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Marne, MI - Saturday was a
perfect fall day for racing in Michigan, but Chris Perley's day
started with a stomach virus. He spent most of the day trying to
rest and recover in the confines of a busy pit, but despite the
ailment he was able to muster up just enough energy to bring
home his fourth straight Berlin Raceway win. Three-time Berlin
winner Russ Wood was the man to beat for Perley on the track.
Wood took over the lead on lap 8 and looked to be a sure winner,
but even Wood knew Perley was out there somewhere. By lap 30,
the 11 was right on the tail of the 29. In two laps, the lead
switched and never switched back despite trepidations from both
the winner and the pursuer.
"I thought for sure Russ would be back because we kept getting
tighter and tighter," said Chris in victory lane. "I thought I
was going to lose it at the end. I didn't know how close he was.
I really laid low today. I tried to get a little bit of rest. I
certainly don't feel good but these guys give me an awesome car
so I can't give up on them at any time. I just gave it
everything I had and we were lucky enough to come out on top
tonight.
"Today it seemed like such a chore to just get in the car and
get hooked up. After the heat I was worn out. I didn't know how
I was going to make 50 laps. I guess I had enough adrenaline to
get me going and keep me going. The car was tight most of the
time, which made it easier for me to drive. I didn't think I
would have enough for Woody. When I got by him I expected him to
come back by me. I thought we had slowed up, but we held on.
"Thanks to all the fans who came out to watch. I hope it was a
decent race to watch. I love coming to Berlin. It's been a great
track for me. It's a blast running here. I wish we'd had a
little more competition and that Johnny (Benson) had made it
with his new car. But, I'll take what I got and again thanks to
everybody for coming out."
Second place finisher Wood, who continues to be Perley's keenest
competition, knew that nothing would keep Perley from being his
challenger once in the lead.
"We had a really good car again tonight. The guys did a really
good job. I was watching the scoreboard. I knew he was coming.
When you see the camera flashes, you know he's there. I was
getting loose, trying to hang in there. I knew Chris was going
to get me. I'm happy to finish second. I'd like to thank all the
fans for coming out tonight and Randy Sweet of Sweet
Manufacturing for helping us out all the time and to Doc
Hathaway who does a really good job on the car. We're happy with
tonight's results."
Bob Bond took over the third spot late in the going from Jeff
Holbrook for his best ISMA finish to date.
"It was a good run. We just took our time. The car was good
getting in and we were loose getting off. It was a little tight
coming off four probably like everybody was. Jeff was kind of
running a tough groove. I was faster getting in and I finally
squeezed underneath him there going into three. I think
everybody was getting a littler slower as I got faster. I was
just getting the hang of the track. This is a great crowd here
tonight. I'm glad to see them all. I hope they enjoyed the show
and hope they come back next year."
Early attrition shortened an already shorter than normal field,
when Johnny Benson Jr. and Dave Shullick Jr. both had engine
problems in their cars. But when the green flag dropped, the
remaining cars showed they had come to race. Brandon Bellinger
put the 02 out front at the start but things slowed on lap 3
when Doug Didero's 3 slid off the backstretch. A rash of pit
stops followed while Didero was brought back onto the track.
Rob Summers took over the lead from Bellinger on lap 4 and
pulled away, but moving up quickly was Russ Wood to take over on
lap 8.
As Wood began to pull away from Summers, and the racing began to
sort out, Mike Ordway Jr. called it a day after something caused
the 41 car to handle so badly that he pulled pit side.
Yellow fell again on lap 17 when the 84 of Mike Lichty stopped
out front with steam pouring from his car. An errant radiator
hose was the cause and Lichty was able to make a quick repair
and return. Unfortunately during the same yellow Summers pitted
and repitted for good.
Out front Perley used the restart to grab off second from Jeff
Holbrook as Danny Lane and Mark Sammut waited in the wings right
behind.
The Wood-Perley duel was heated as the race approached and
passed the halfway mark. Holbrook, Lane, Bob Bond, Larry Lehnert,
Doug Didero and Mike Lichty were the next in line.
On lap 32, after many attempts at an outside pass, Perley was
able to complete the maneuver, taking the lead from Wood off
turn four. Behind, Bond just getting used to the new venue for
him, was on the move getting by Lane after a spirited battle for
the fourth place spot. Mark Sammut was also moving up the
scoreboard when Doug Didero brought out his second yellow. This
time Didero did not return as the field bunched for the final 9
laps.
On lap 43, Bond finally made good on his try for third putting
Holbrook back a notch and one lap later Sammut took away fourth
from the 35. Jeff said later, "I did not need that last caution.
I was solidly in third and when that caution came out I was
loose and I knew somebody would be coming. But, we had a pretty
good weekend. I was hoping Russell would win. But Chris Perley
is Chris Perley so I'm happy. We did good."
Perley was a lap car out front of Wood at the checkered as Bond,
Sammut and Holbrook held their ground in the top five.
Sammut said of his top five, "Our car was off all day. We were
so loose right from the time we got here. We kept tightening it
but we still didn't get it tight enough for the feature. But
there it was the best it had been all day. I just ran around and
drove my own car. I didn't have anything for the 11 or 29. But I
think we were pretty much as good as everybody else. Maybe in
another few laps we might have gotten the 25 but maybe not. It's
one thing to catch them and another thing to go by. Considering
how bad the day started out and how it ended, I'm more than
happy to finish fourth."
Larry Lehnert, Danny Lane, Dave Trytek, Brandon Bellinger and
Doug Didero rounded out the top ten.
Summary Berlin Raceway - ISMA 50 - Sept. 27, 2008
Heat 1: Dave Trytek, Danny Lane,
Mike Lichty, Dave McKnight, Chris Perley, Jeff Holbrook, Bobby
Bond, Larry Lehnert
Heat 2: Rob Summers, Mike Ordway Jr., Russ Wood, Mark
Sammut, Brandon Bellinger, Doug Didero, Mike Ordway Sr.
DNS: Johnny Benson Jr. (21), Dave
Shullick Jr. (61)
ISMA 50:
1. Chris Perley (11), 2. Russ Wood (29), 3. Bobby Bond (25),
4. Mark Sammut (78), 5. Jeff Holrbook (35), 6. Larry Lehnert
(92),
7. Danny Lane (5), 8. Dave Trytek (70), 9. Brandon Bellinger
(02),
10. Doug Didero (3), 11. Mike Lichty (84), 12. Dave McKnight
(94),
13. Mike Ordway Sr. (74), 14. Rob Summers (97), 15. Mike Ordway
Jr. (41).
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ISMA HITS THE ROAD
FOR AN INTERNATIONAL DOUBLEHEADER
SEPTEMBER 26 AND 27 |
Oswego, NY –
The ISMA contingent is on the road again for a two-day-two race
stint in Canada and Michigan. First up is the Friday night,
Sept. 26 North of the Border event at Delaware Speedway in
Ontario, Canada. Then it’s across Michigan the next day for
another 50 lapper at Berlin Raceway in Marne. This series wraps
up the last two races on the 2008 schedule before the finale at
Thompson, CT in October.
Delaware Speedway has a storied
history of supermodifieds and some of the greats in the ranks
from that division came graced the track over the years. ISMA
winners over the years since 1976 include Steve Gioia Jr.,
Bentley Warren, Mike McLaughlin, Gary Allbritain, Chris Perley
and now finally, a Canadian. Last year Dave McKnight stopped his
roller coaster season on top with a win before a very partial
Canadian crowd. McKnight was followed by ISMA champ Chris Perley
and in third, by Ryan Litt, another Canadian favorite. To boot,
Canadians prevailed in the top five with a great run by London,
Ontario’s Mark Sammut for fourth and Innerkip, Ontario’s Mike
Lichty in fifth. Michael Barnes, Craftsman Truck star Johnny
Benson Jr., Mike Ordway Jr., Dave Trytek and Robbie Summers
completed the top ten.
The Delaware event is presented by Brad Lichty’s Patco
Transportation and will feature the ISMA supers and the Powerade
Modifieds. ISMA team gates open at 2 pm, with Delaware team
gates opening at 4:00 pm. Spectators will be admitted at 6:00 pm
with racing to begin at 8:00 pm. Tickets are priced (pst and gst
included) at Adults, $30; Seniors (65+), $25, Student (with
Valid Student Card), $25 and Kids (12 and under) Free. Reserved
seating is $45. For further information: Delaware Speedway Track
& Office; Phone: (519) 652-5068; Fax: (519) 652-5069l; E-mail:
info@delawarespeedway.com. The track is located just a short
distance from London, Ontario at 1640 Gideon Drive, in Delaware.
(N0L 1E0).
Leaving Canada, the ISMA group heads across the state of
Michigan to its western shores. In Marne, Michigan, another
hotbed of supermodified racing lies at
Berlin Raceway. While ISMA’s official history goes back
to Bentley Warren’s 1990 win, the track and the area include
many exciting supermodified battles. Russ Wood has been a
three-time ISMA Winner at the wide 7/16th’s mile oval, as has
Chris Perley. Other solo winners include Dave Shullick Sr., Joey
Payne, Randy Ritskes and Lou Cicconi. This year’s event will see
the debut of second-generation supermodified pilot Johnny Benson
Jr.’s new car numbered 21 after his famous father’s ride. Benson
led the 2007 50-lapper in the Lichty 74 until a broken rear end
finished his night early. Chris Perley went on to win over Mike
Ordway JR., Dave McKnight, Mike Lichty and Michael Barnes.
The Saturday, Sept. 27 Open Wheel Extravaganza includes ISMA
Supermodifieds; Auto Value Super Sprints; USAC/UMARA/WOMS
Midgets. The action starts at 7:00 p.m. (tickets $20; pits $30).
Buy tickets online at www.berlinraceway.com. E-mail @berlinraceway.com.
The raceway is located at 2060 Berlin Fair Drive - Marne, MI
49435. Telephone: 616-726-7373. |
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Johnny Benson
testing his new Xtreme chassis which he numbered 21 in honor of
his father who raced supermodifieds for years and was an
International Classic winner in 1966. |
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Comments
or Questions: isma@ISMAsupers.com |
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