Johnny VanDoorn Battles Back To Win Big Payday In 2nd Annual Battle At Berlin 251
Famed West Michigan speed plant; Berlin Raceway hosts Round II of the $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series
Marne, Michigan (July 19, 2014) – The prestigious $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series
for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS continued with race #2 of the three-
race series. The 2nd Annual Battle at Berlin 251 Presented by Primera Plastics was at
the historic Berlin Raceway (MI), located west of Grand Rapids in Marne, Michigan on
Saturday, July 19th. The famed West Michigan speed plant would see a stellar field of
cars from all over North America vie for the big $10,000 to Win payday. Making the show
was an accomplishment in itself as another cool $2,000 awaited those who would take
the green flag.
At the end of 251 laps, the driver standing in victory lane armed with a big paycheck after
a hard nights work would be three-time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Johnny
VanDoorn. The Coopersville, Michigan standout who set a torrid early pace in leading the
first 141 laps, battled back from a miscue on pit road to retake the lead for the third and
final time with 10 laps to go. After getting by Southern Super Series standout, Bubba
Pollard, who won the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race the night before and was going for
the clean sweep of the weekend, VanDoorn would check out from Pollard and the rest of
the field en route to his second consecutive Battle at Berlin 251 victory and a $10,000 pay
check.
"I drove my car the way Ted Nugent told me, 'don’t tread on me.'” VanDoorn said in victory lane next to his #71 LisaThomasSalon.com / VanDoorn Racing Development / Ford. “We had such a good car all night long and my brother (Crew Chief) Butch (VanDoorn) called an excellent race. This is my third race of the year and I didn’t crash like the first two at Milwaukee and Anderson. I really have to thank (Car Owner) Tom Kmak for letting us run his car and the entire T.K. Racing Team. They worked so hard this whole weekend. It was great how Tom came through at the last minute for us. Also Dewaine McGunegill at McGunegill Engine Performance for giving us such awesome power tonight." He added.
It would be VanDoorn and second fast qualifier, Jay Niewiek, who posted a career high placement in qualifying on his home track, leading the massive 30-car field to chief starter, Scott Menlen's green flag to start the 251. VanDoorn would beat out Niewiek to the first corner to grab the early lead while the rest of the field settled in for the long distance even in West Michigan. The first 51 laps went through with no problems as VanDoorn set an absolute torrid pace early on in the event. By the time the second caution came out on lap 141, VanDoorn had lapped the field up to the sixth place car.
In the first round of live pit stops, Brian Campbell emerged as the new leader and he was immediately pressured by VanDoorn who would retake the point on lap 151. Six laps later, Outlaw Super Late Model standout, Terry Senneker Jr., drove around the outside of the top three cars in one motion careening around turns three and four to lead his first career laps in a Template Super Late Model. A pivotal moment of the race occurred on lap 172 when 2013 Template Super Late Model Champion, Ross Meeuwsen and Campbell collided going into turn three sending Campbell backwards into the wall ending his night.
As the race resumed, Senneker Jr., continued to show the way. A caution on lap 214 brought the leaders down pit road for the final time. However, Senneker Jr., stayed out for track position and led the field back to the green. On lap 223 as another car was spinning off the backstretch, 2013 Southern Super Series Champion, Daniel Hemric, who was in second, went past a suddenly slowing Senneker Jr., to take the lead as moments later the caution flag came out. With Hemric now out in front, he had Bubba Pollard, who had also passed Senneker Jr., on his back bumper. Pollard was looking for the clean sweep of the weekend as the previous night, he won the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour portion of the weekend.
As Hemric and Pollard brought the field back to the green flag, VanDoorn was charging
back towards the front. He worked his way to third as Pollard drove by Hemric to take
the lead with 21 laps to go. VanDoorn followed Pollard by Hemric and the battle was on
for the lead. With 10 laps to go, the home track favorite, with a partisan home track
crowd cheering him on, made the winning pass and drove away to his second straight
win in the two Battle at Berlin 251's held at Berlin Raceway. Prior to the renaming of the
race in 2013, the event was known as the Rowdy 251.
Now it's VanDoorn as well as Hemric left as the only two drivers eligible for the $10,000
bonus left within the $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series. If either VanDoorn or Hemric
win the 43 Running of the Winchester 400, they will get a $10,000 bonus from
JEGS.com If neither driver gets the elusive Winchester rifle for winning the 400, then
the driver with the most points accumulated in the three Triple Crown Series races will
get a $5,000 bonus and be crowned the 2014 JEGS Super Late Model Triple Crown
Series Champion.
“I went into moron mode and stalled my car on that stop,” Laughed VanDoorn as he
explained the mishap on pit road during the first round of pit stops that relegated him
back to eighth. "The money is nice though, but come October, I don't care at all about
the money, all I want is that gun. I am a racer and the trophy, or in this case, the gun is what matters most. But this win is pretty special though. For VanDoorn Racing Development and for T.K. Racing who have really stepped up to be a part of my brother and I's business. I'll remember this one for a long time." He ended.
For VanDoorn it was his 18th career ARCA/CRA Super Series victory which moves him into a tie for third all-time with Canadian Legend, Junior Hanley. In addition, by leading a total of 158 laps, he moves into first place all-time in career laps lead in events 150 laps or more with 1,286 and is comfortably in second in total laps led with an impressive 2,488 laps led all-time. The win was also VanDoorn's 45th career top five finish as well as his 70th top 10 showing in his 96th career start. Good for sixth, seventh and 12th respectively in each all-time statistical category.
For his efforts, VanDoorn walked away with a plethora of contingency awards including the Team Construction Clean Sweep Award after winning the EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award as well as the race. He also grabbed the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his winning pass on Pollard with 10 laps to go. VanDoorn also won the Hamner Racing Engines/DUBZ Engine Cooling Halfway Leader Award for leading lap 126 and finally the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award for turning the fastest lap of the event.
Pollard's bid for a clean sweep of the weekend in Michigan came up one position short for the Senoia, Georgia driver who would bring home a second place showing. The 27-year-old in his #26 JEGS.com / Chevrolet took the lead from fellow Southern Super Series invader, Daniel Hemric with 21 laps to go only to lose the lead 11 laps later to eventual winner VanDoorn. Pollard didn't head back to the Peach State empty-handed as he would take the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award.
Finishing off the podium positions would be 2013 Berlin Template Super Late Model Series Champion, Ross Meeuwsen who raced with the leaders for the majority of the race before coming home in third. The Zeeland, Michigan veteran, who is also a five-time track champion in the tracks Outlaw Super Late Model division in his #99 Bill Huizinga for Congress / Ford is a former winner in ARCA/CRA competition at his home track. The 56-year-old picked up his lone win in the series back on August 20, 2005. He also won the VanDoorn Racing Development Fastest Practice Lap Award as well.
Outlaw Super Late Model star, Terry Senneker Jr., in his second appearance of the season in the template bodied Super Late Models within the ARCA/CRA Super Series back up his second place run on May 31st with a fourth place finish. The 34-year-old Wayland, Michigan driver led 61 laps during the race, earning the VanDoorn Racing Development Lap Leader Award, in his #36 Senneker Performance / Chevrolet. He also scored the first Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award after starting 15th.
Completing the top five was defending ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Travis Braden who overcame a slow pit stop, which resulted in him losing a lap while on pit road. The 20-year-old got his lap back on a wave around while under a caution. He then drove his #01 West Virginia University / Chevrolet to a fifth place finish. Braden earned the Hedman Hedders Husler Award for his strong showing and with the top two drivers ahead of him in points having off nights, Braden, who is third in the standings, has closed the gap even more so in a tight points race to just 13 markers heading into the next event at Lucas Oil Raceway on July 25th.
Hemric's bid for a chance at $100,000 in October came up short as he finished sixth ahead of Brandon Hermiller who posted a season high of seventh. 15-year-old Grant Quinlan made the most of his ARCA/CRA debut as the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie points leader in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour finished eighth while also grabbing the second Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award. Wes Griffith Jr., picked up the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race Award by finishing ninth over Joe Bush who completed the top 10. Andrew Nylaan, who was also making his ARCA/CRA debut, picked up the C.V. Products Hard-Charger Award with his 25th to 12th place run.
The Battle at Berlin 251 was also the second race of the $10,000 Boyne Machine Company Michigan Challenge Series, which will pay a driver a $10,000 cash bonus if they can win all four Michigan based series events. With Brian Campbell winning at Berlin back on May 31st and VanDoorn winning the Battle at Berlin 251, the remaining two events at Kalamazoo Speedway on August 13th and Flat Rock Speedway three days later on August 16th will decide the inaugural series champion based on points with the highest point getter earning an extra $1,000 for their efforts.
In EDCO Welding Qualifying held earlier in the afternoon, VanDoorn out-qualified the stout 37-car field with a 16.223 which equals out to 97.195mph. The ARCA/CRA Super Series Track Record at Berlin stands at a 15.832 which was set back on October 10th, 2009 when three-time series champion, Scott Hantz laid down the lap at an average speed of 99.615mph. In the 15-Lap Last Chance Race, Trevor Berry, who was making his ARCA/CRA Super Series debut, picked up the win to transfer into the show ahead of Terry VanHaitsma, Chris Davidson and Lauren Bush who also got into the 251.
There's little time to reflect upon the outstanding event at Berlin as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS teams are right back in action on Friday, July 25th. The template bodied Super Late Model teams will join their counterparts within the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards at the famed Lucas Oil Raceway (IN), located west of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana for an All ARCA double header. The ARCA/CRA Super Series teams will race in the Circle City 100 Presented by JEGS.com before the ARCA Racing Series teams race under the bright lights and the cameras of Fox Sports 1 in the SCOTT Get Geared Up 200 Presented by Federated Car Care.
In 21 previous appearances at the Circle City speed plant, three-time series champion, Scott Hantz, two-time series champion, Brian Ross and Canadian Legend, Junior Hanley have all picked up three victories apiece. Inaugural series champion, Kenny Tweedy along-with Brian Campbell have two trips to victory lane apiece while 2013 series champion, Travis Braden has the most recent triumph which came in the 2013 CRA Fall Brawl on September 22nd.
Current ARCA/CRA Super Series Points Leader, Ross Kenseth won the July 2013 event at LOR as Fred Campbell, Brian's Father, as well as 2007 series champion, Chris Gabehart have single wins. Kyle Benjamin became the youngest driver in ARCA/CRA history to win at LOR when he did so at 14 years old in 2012. Evan Jackson, Jeff Lane and Kenzie Ruston also have single checkered flags as well.
For more information about all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, please go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.comYou can also follow along with all of CRA's touring series' all season long on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Lucas Oil Raceway, the host facility for the seventh points race within the 18th season of ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS racing, go to the track website at: www.lucasoilraceway.com
Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in four professional touring series and local weekly events including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards as well as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS, the ARCA Midwest Tour and the ARCA Trucks Series. In addition, weekly racing is held at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
