Berlin Spring champioship night turn up some neat sounding numbers. 32-26-32 are Saturday’s official main feature winning numbers of the unofficial team of Coors Lite Late Model Champ Ross Meeuwsen No. 32, Engine Pro Super Stock Chris Muyskens No. 26 and Young Guns’ Gabe Ensing No. 32, not a ladies measurements.
Ross Meeuwsen’s return to the winners circle, in part, was due to the blown transmission of race leader Caleb Bisacky No. 222. With ten laps, of the seventy-five lap feature, to go and more then a half lap lead built up his car fell off like it ran out of gas. Josh Barnes, of the Bisacky team, said, “We were running away with it and Caleb said all at once the motor whined and there was nothing there.” Ross Meeuwsen said, “I couldn’t even see him in front of me, then there I was passing him like he’s standing still.”
After a couple of restarts got called back due to the eagerness of Tim Devos and Meeuwsen (officials are always watching), the field had no counter to Ross’ car. With a field finishing behind him of Devos, Joe Bush, Scott Thomas, and Hall of Famer John Grega, he had his work cut out for him. He did hold them off though, taking home his first feature win this season.
Chris Muyskens pits his car next to Meeuwsen, works at the same garage, and the two have been instrumental in helping the Ensings in their Young Guns bid. Three trophies on three cars next to each other is seldom seen here, but was the talk of the track when autograph time came.
Chris Muyskens won the Super Stock feature. The race was full of actions that started with a first lap, first turn pile up that eliminated Brian VanZalen, Bob Spencer, and James Haney. “Too bad for VanZalen. He got turned around there back at the beginning and we managed to get around that. Then [I] got past Dave Lake and Billy Eppink and I ran door to door for quite a few laps of good clean racing until his battery blew up. That’s what the fans come to see, not to see cars out front just running away. Denny Anderson pulled up (finished second) and we got away form him in about a lap, then it was lights out.”, Muyskens said, talking me through the race afterwords.
Chris gave special appreciation to Harley at Port City Racing (PCR cars are vistiing the winners circle more and more, and have taken first, second and third in features this season) for all their help.
The third part of the team, Gabe Ensing, finds himself in a tight Young Guns season race with only eighteen points separating the top three of Kelsey Steele, Mitch Meppelink (who did not run Saturday) and himself, going into the feature. He lead most of the race fending off Steele’s attempts to bring home her second win. She tried so hard on the last lap, she spun on the front stretch just before the finish line and took fourth. Dalton Haney No. 19 tried a last minute charge, but ended up three seconds behind in second place.
More afraid of Norm Jelsma’s microphone in the winner’s circle than any race, Gabe thanked his Dad, uncle Steve and Mom for putting up with him through the winter building the car. His sponsors include his Father’s business, Modern Window Cleaning, and brother’s RPM Discount. “Some rubbing made it feel like real racing and I wasn’t giving up.” he said.
Four Cylinder racing finished the night with so many cars, two features were needed. 2008 season Champ Jason Devos found himself on the infield wall in his feature. He took an ambulance leaving the track, but was reported in to be OK shape. Ryan Hamm No. 7 and Joe Norder No. 42 took home wins in a type of racing known for rubbing and bumping, on a night that was no exception. Restarts are the rule and this class produces plenty of turn one bunching that repeatedly brings fans to their feet.
A good turn out in the stands and $1 Budweiser and Dogs from the Berlin Raceway on Spring Championship night made racing into an event that measured 32-26-32 for me, many a family, and Pro Stock feature winners Brian Tillema and Ken Smith Jr., to name a few. They were off for the weekend but still could be found at their favorite place.
The next two weekends, Super Stock and Pro Stock nights respectively, they will be back, along with some of the best racing in the country leading up to a ‘Rowdy’ visit in a templated 125 race Wednesday June 10th. Kyle Busch fans were given a chance to win tickets for the night in their Berlin programs. The winner knew his middle name and the date of his first Nascar win; a true fan you would expect to find where we ‘Love Skidmarks’.
