Carnage and Fireworks Highlight Round II
of the Muffler Man Eve of Destruction Series at Dixie Motor Speedway
By Matt Prieur
Birch Run, Michigan (July 4, 2010): -
The Fourth of July
Holiday
Weekend wrapped up in grand fashion on Sunday, July 4th at the
Dixie
Motor Speedway Presented by Draper Auto Group with Round II of
the
Muffler Man Eve of Destruction Series as the biggest crowd of the
season, an overflow capacity crowd jam-packed the Birch Run, Michigan
speed plant for a great night of Carnage, Fireworks, and a ton
of
Family Fun.
Up first was the exciting Spectator Drags, an old school favorite
of
the Muffler Man Eve of Destruction Series. Fans in the grandstands
get
their chance to drive their passenger vehicles around the 1/3 mile
in
a one lap match against a fellow fan drag style.
The winner moves on, the loser heads back to the parking lot.
When
two fans are left, it's then best two out of three with the first
driver to win two races declared the winner. After all was said
and
done, James Bloss from near-by Clio, Michigan in his Chevrolet
Blazer
won his second straight Spectator Drags feature in two starts.
Then the true destruction really began with the Chain-Gang Races.
The
object of a Chain-Gang Team Event is the front car, or truck, or
van
in some cases, pulls their teammate, who has no power, around the
oval, but do control the brakes. First Team to complete the mandated
distance wins.
The first Chain-Gang Race was an action filled event, with cars
being
whipped all over the track with the turns acting as a parking lot
for
the cars hitting each other. But through the havoc, Brothers Cam
and
Cory King were the winners of the first Chain-Gang feature.
The second Chain-Gang feature brought with it a lot of beating
and
banging through the field with the finish coming right down to
the
wire, as Donald Dennie and Jeff Severn were able to grab the win
while
under assault from several other teams. A total of 23 Chain-Gang
Teams
participated in the two Features.
The Flagpole Races were next as this event is always exciting
with a
huge Tractor Tire is placed at the center of the start / finish
line
as well as a few more tires strategically around the 1/3 mile oval.
The object of the race is to run a regular lap around the oval
while
navigating around the tractor tires to complete that lap. First
one to
complete the required number of laps wins.
Jimmy Sayan in a Pontiac Montana Van was able to maneuver around
the
tractor tires much better than his competition, as he would be
able to
take the first Chain-Gang feature win running away from the field
and
winning in dominating fashion.
Cory King, who had early been a co-winner in the first Chain-Gang
Feature earlier in the afternoon, would come back and claim his
second
checkered flag of the evening in a wild second Flagpole Feature.
A new race was introduced to the Muffler Man Eve of Destruction
Series, the Reverse Race! Participants race in reverse around the
1/3
mile while carrying a Tractor Tire on the Hood of their vehicles.
If
they lose the tire at any time, they're out. First one to complete
the
required distance or last one left with their tire wins!
Andre Bergivin would be the last man standing, keeping the Hoosier
970
securely in place on his hood, while all the other competitors
would
be left "tire-less" So Bergivin will go down in the history
books as
the first ever Reverse Race feature winner!
The Chain-Gang participants returned only this time for the Crash
Cars
events. For the Crash Cars Team Event, the scenario for this event
is
just the opposite of the Chain-Gang Race, which features disabled
cars
being propelled or pushed around the track by teammates shoving
them
around the oval. A truly hysterical event to watch and the first
team
to take the checkered flag wins.
The first Crash Cars event would be won by Donny Matteson Jr.,
who is
a regular competitor in the O'Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modifieds,
and his teammate, James Rifki, when they made a pass for the lead
coming out of turn four coming down to the white flag.
Donald Dennie and Jeff Severn would win their Second Feature of
the
night in the second Crash Car Feature that nearly saw one car flip
and
saw several hard crashes. Earlier in the day, they collected the
second Chain-Gang Feature.
At the request of Eve of Destruction Drivers, a special 50-lap
Enduro
was added to allow the stars of the Muffler Man Eve of Destruction
Series to do as the stars of the Weekly Local Racing Series do
every
Friday night and race a straight up race on the historic 1/3 (0.333)
mile semi-banked paved oval.
Ron Haynes would master the historic 1/3 mile oval and at one
time had
the entire field one lap down, before a spin in turn number three.
Despite the spin, Haynes would still end up leaving just one other
car
on the lead lap, as he put on a dominating performance while taking
the checkered flag.
With the oval track carnage and destruction completed, it was time
to
get down to business with the first of two co-headliners, the hugely
popular School Bus Figure 8s as Full-size School Busses race around
the inner Figure 8s track located within the adjoining 1/3 oval.
These mammoth machines can really get going around the longer
than
normal 1/3 mile Figure 8s course and the excitement is non-stop!
First
Bus to take the checkered flag is the winner. Seven Busses came
out of
the chute in turn four to the roar and a standing ovation from
the
overflow capacity crowd on hand!
Doug Kreibehl would make his return to the bus racing wars in
glorious
fashion, as he would go on to win the School Bus Figure 8s. Several
times the intersection would get dicey; with early race leader,
Adam
Baker making what would eventually be a costly move, when he made
contact with another bus at the X at the 1.2 way point of the 12-lap
Feature. In the end it was Kreibehl taking his first win of the
year.
Finally to close out the night, the second co-headliner of the
Muffler
Man Eve of Destruction Series, the Figure 8 Trailer Race! This
race is
always reserved as the last event of the evening due to the sheer
debris that results' from these races.
The object of the Trailer Race is to keep your trailer attached
at all
costs while negotiating around the inner Figure 8s coarse. Cars
(and
Trucks, and even a Van or two) will have a trailer attached and
must
have "something" on the trailer. The event is usually
scheduled for 12
laps, however, the race could end when it either reached its scheduled
distance or only one car remains with its trailer attached.
While boats, jet skis and various other objects were dumped onto
the
track in the always chaotic headlining event. Dixie Motor Speedway
resembled a war zone when the dust settled. However it was James
Rifki, who has become the man to beat in the Figure 8 Trailer Race,
would start on the pole, and never look back as he took the win,
his
second of the night as he shared a Crash Cars Feature Win earlier
in
the day with Donny Matteson Jr.
The next Muffler Man Eve of Destruction Series event will be Round
III
on Sunday, August 8th as ServPro of Saginaw brings in the third
edition of the Often Copied, Often Imitated, But Never EVER Duplicated
Night of Carnage.
The next event Overall on the 2010 schedule will be the one and
only
Autograph and Picture Night / Kid's Bike Night of the 2010 Racing
Season, which is set for Friday, July 9th as all Six Divisions
within
the Weekly Local Racing Series will be in action for a HUGE Six
in One
Show and it's all Presented by the Birch Run Chamber of Commerce
and
Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
Fans in the Grandstands will be able to go out onto the frontstretch
and meet and greet their favorite cars and stars of the Dixie Motor
Speedway Presented by Draper Auto Group. In addition, the young
fans
of the Birch Run, Michigan speed plant will get the chance to take
a
bike home courtesy of the great sponsors that patronize the
62-year-old facility every Friday Night.
On the 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked d-shaped paved
oval,
the Speedway Grafix Pro Late Models and O'Guinn Family Funeral
Homes
Modifieds return after taking the Fourth of July Holiday Weekend
off
while the RacerChic.us Pro Stocks will keep the 4/10s mile busy
throughout the evening.
On the adjoining 1/3 (0.333) mile semi-banked paved oval the
RacingPartSales.com Street Stocks and Birch Run / Bridgeport Herald
Bombers will be in action while the Mike's Auto Parts Figure 8s
will
close out the show on the inner Figure 8s track.
For Friday, July 9th, Ticket Prices are: Adults (18-59) $12.00
-
Seniors (60 and Over) $10.00 - Teens (13-17) $8.00 - Children (6-12)
$5.00 - Kids (5 and Under) FREE - Pit Passes $25.00. The Pit Gates
will open at 2:00p.m., with Practice Beginning at 3:00p.m. The
Grandstands Open at 5:00p.m., as Qualifying starts at 5:15p.m.
Racing
is set for 7:30p.m.
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