The Berlin Raceway is about to celebrate it’s fifty-ninth anniversary this summer while the Berlin Fair is in it’s 154th year . Together they put on quite a show the entire week that ranged from Ottawa County 4-H kids and many animals to national acts like Jesse McCartney. Even C. Thomas Howell was there Thursday filming an episode of his new show ‘ All Jacked Up’, due to air sometime in the fall on CMT. Watch your local listings to see the Berlin Raceway on National television
After a $3 admission to the fair grounds most events were free including all animal showing events, Barnyard Express featuring Farmer John, Lumberjack Show, Nick’s Kids Show, DJ’s or live music in the beer tent and even the opportunity to try milking a cow. Only the midway and racing events at the track came with a price tag. Dan Harris, barn superintendent and Fair board member, was happy to report that during the animal sale a memorial pig was auctioned in the name of his friend, 4-H leader and former Fair Director Scott Maxwell. Scott passed away last year, but the pig sold for over twenty-one thousand dollars and that money will go directly into the projects Scott loved.
Nightly track events started Tuesday with Burnips Equipment 4-Cylinder racing where Dan Riemersma and Jake Losch took home feature wins in the ‘A’ and ‘B’ feature respectively. A Demo Derby to cap the night came down to a battle of wrecks between winner Cary VanBronkhorst and Ted Cooper who, when he finally couldn’t restart the car any more, waved Cary in for a few more free rear-enders to excite fans before the derby was called.
A couple of short School Bus races were thrown in as a preview of the next night’s Bus Mania.
Kept secret until Thursday, was the appearance of film crews at the Monster Truck Show. Actor C. Thomas Howell was prepped for one day by High Maintenance driver Joslyn Perrinand then mounted a truck to crush a few cars. He then filmed commentary during the smoke filled donut, wheely and free style competitions, all of which were dominated by Perrin with fans deciding the winners.
Saturday things returned to normal with Coors Light Late Model, Engine Pro Super Stock, Kerkstra Services Pro Stock, and Young Guns racing. Super Stocks led the way with a one foot difference separating the winning No. 18 of Denny Anderson from second place Brian Wiersma who currently leads the points standings in the division. Anderson was winless this season after coming in second to Wiersma for last year’s championship. He gained the lead on the last restart of the feature and appeared to be running away with the win opening up a quarter lap space between himself and the pack. But Brian’s No. 1 chipped away bit by bit and managed to pull up close, then get inside. For five laps they fought it out trading leads with just the nose of their cars until the checkered fell in Denny’s favor.
Fourteen-year-old Gabe Ensing continued his dominance of the Young Guns Division in spite of Kelsey Steele’s hard charging No. 16 putting on the pressure. Steel’s team started the season in style, but since then Gabe says, “We’ve changed the setup and a few other things week to week, but it comes down to the driver.” The difference in his confidence level from the first part of the season, when he was figuring out his new car and how to race it, is dramatic. Even having a microphone to talk into in the winner’s circle is no big deal anymore, so autograph seekers now find him ready and able.
The Late Model feature got off to a slow start with a crash in turn four that took defending division leader Ross Meeuwsen out of the race before the green flag fell with a smashed left front quarter and wheel assembly. For a while the lead was up for grabs until Chris Anthony’s No. 55 got it’s chance up front. He never looked back and left the pack behind after each restart, finishing the race with a lead of almost half a lap. Terry VanHaitsma, who last week took the division lead from Meeuwsen, Tim Devos, and both Thomas brothers raced each other hard for spots at the finish, but couldn’t get close to Anthony’s smoke.
The silver No. 50 of Justin Regnerus finished just ahead of Pro Stock leader Brian Tillema, after they raced each other close while moving through the pack from their starting positions in the middle. When they reached the second place car and got held up three wide, with Justin trying to pass on the inside and Brian on the outside, it didn’t seem as though there was any catching the leader. Once they got around it there was no stopping them and they quickly caught and passed to race for the lead. Regnerus had just a bit more grip at the checkered, leaving it up to the math to tell us if he will pass Tillema in the points standings.
