JOHNSTON, RUSSELL HELP POWER US 131 TO TEAM TITLE

The main event not only crowned WDRA champs in the Northern region, winners and other racers, who qualified by being a WDRA member and signing up for the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series, earned them the rights to compete in the WDRA Summit World Championships at Darlington, S.C., on Oct. 20-22.

Making significant contributions to the overall Team Championship was recently crown Beginner Jr. Dragster Champion Ethan Russell of Adrian, MI and Jeremy Johnston of Kalamazoo, MI. Trailing for the first 3 rounds of competition, team US 131 kept scratching and battling to take the lead, but the score stayed even after both round 4 and 5. It was not until round 6 that US 131 took the lead for the first time during the event. That is when Johnston and Russell claimed main event victories and sealed the Northern Division WDRA Track Championship for US 131.

Also making significant contributions during the event were US 131’s newly crowned Lane Automotive Series Jr. Dragster Champions Evan Muchler of Grass Lake, Parker Novak of Monroe and Ethan Russell of Adrian. Muchler won Saturday’s Jr. Dragster Race of Champions, Russell won the main event Saturday after taking out teammate Novak in the final. Novak also came away with a semifinal finish during Friday’s Gamblers race.

Saturday’s festivities started off with the event favorite track operator’s race, this race in the past has had VP of Operations Jason Peterson taking the seat, as well as Track Manager Jay Gilman. This year the reins were given to young protégé Samuel Peterson. Young Peterson did not disappoint as he drove Craig Blossom’s street legal low 6-second Demon Challenger to victory over Mid Mid-Michigan’s Lisa Gramlich. Not to leave anyone out this event actually kicked off Thursday evening, with a new to the event Pit Vehicle race, with some 60+ entries it was US 131’s own Justin Wanamaker of Kalamazoo, MI taking the victory.

Saturday WDRA reintroduced the Track Champions race. This race pitted each track’s newly crowned champions in each class against each other for a three round race to determine an overall Champion of Champions. US 131 MSP was able to claim victory in two of the four classes with Jr. Dragster racer Evan Muchler, Grass Lake and Sportsman racer Kyle Wanamaker, Plainwell each taking the win.

Friday’s gamblers race saw US 131 MSP’s own Joe Brown, Fennville taking claim to the No Box category with Jim Sebright falling in the semifinals, and Bob Payton defeating teammate Keith Shafer in the finals in the Box category.

Sunday’s gamblers victories were secured by Kevin Groeneveld, Dorr, Trevis Pitsch, Dorr and Jeff Klimp, Portage, all from team US 131 Motorsports Park.

It is clear that Michigan has some very successful competitors. Congratulations to Team US 131 and great job Mid-Michigan Motorplex Bracket Final racers.

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MARTIN, Mich. – Results from the inaugural World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) Northern Bracket Finals at US 131 Motorsports Park. Hometowns are Michigan unless otherwise indicated. Results include reaction time, track time, target time where applicable, and finish line speed:

TEAM TOTALS – 1. US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, 65; 2. Mid-Michigan Motorplex, Stanton, 62; 3. Grand Bend Motorplex, Centralia, Ontario, 33; 4. Ubly Dragway, Ubly, 23; 5. Lapeer International Dragway, Lapeer, 6; 6. St. Thomas Dragway, Sparta, Ontario, 3.

FRIDAY NO BOX GAMBLERS – Joe Brown, Fennville, .006, 6.261 on a 6.260, 110.00 mph, def. Dustin Loynes, Pinckney, .032, 5.854 breakout on a 5.860, 112.19 mph. Semifinalists – Jim Sebright, Holland, and Donnie Hagar, Clarkdale.

FRIDAY BOX GAMBLERS – Bob Payton, Fowlerville, .005, 4.823 on a 4.820, 142.36 mph, def. Keith Shafer, Climax, .015, 4.549 on a 4.540, 151.16 mph. Semifinalists – Bob Lutzke, Kent City, and Wade Matte, Amherstburg, Ontario.

FRIDAY JR. DRAGSTER GAMBLERS – Nick Kassin, St. Clair Township, .041, 7.849 on a 7.840, 78.26 mph, def. Ryden Selleck, Fenwick, .127, 8.972 breakout on an 8.980, 71.98 mph. Semifinalist – Parker Novak, Monroe.

FRIDAY SPORTSMAN GAMBLERS – Ken Hansen, Crystal, .031, 8.390 on an 8.360, 79.56 mph, def. Jeff Klimp, Portage, .103, 7.521 on a 7.500, 86.44 mph. Semifinalists – Jesse Cochran, Fennville, and Gerald Wheaton, Fostoria.

TEAM CAPTAINS RACE – Samuel Peterson, US 131 Motorsports Park, .052, 6.045 on a 6.020, 110.08 mph, def. Lisa Gramlich, Mid-Michigan Motorplex, .223, 10.159 breakout on a 10.180, 70.91 mph. Semifinalist – Larry Satchell, St. Thomas Dragway.

NO BOX RACE OF CHAMPIONS – Michael Gramlich, Mid-Michigan Motorplex, .012, 6.424 on a 6.410, 101.97 mph, def. Jay Talbot, Grand Bend Motorplex, .020, 6.257 on a 6.250, 101.06 mph. Semifinalist – Dan Kaatz, Lapeer International Dragway.

BOX RACE OF CHAMPIONS – Paul Wolf, Mid-Michigan Motorplex, .004, 4.970 on a 4.960, 138.72 mph, def. Warren Smith, Ubly Dragway, .008, 6.220 breakout on a 6.230, 110.89 mph. Semifinalist – Keith Shafer, US 131 Motorsports Park.

JR. DRAGSTER RACE OF CHAMPIONS – Evan Muchler, US 131 Motorsports Park, NA, 7.749 on a 7.760, 83.58 mph, def. Owen Buchner, St. Thomas Dragway, foul. Semifinalist – Lauren Roy, Grand Bend Motorplex.

SPORTSMAN RACE OF CHAMPIONS – Kyle Wanamaker, US 131 Motorsports Park, .009, 8.993 on a 9.020, 74.75 mph, def. Ed Carlile, Lapeer International Dragway, foul. Semifinalist – Jerry Wheaton, Ubly Dragway.

SATURDAY NO BOX – Jeremy Johnston, Kalamazoo, .052, 6.944 on a 6.550, 81.37 mph, def. Mike Gramlich, Maybee, foul. Semifinalists – Dustin Loynes, Pinckney, and Andrew Selleck, Orleans.

SATURDAY BOX – Kevin Knight, Corinna, Ontario, .016, 4.632 on a 4.630, 147.69 mph, def. Dean Schwemler, Amherstburg, Ontario, .036, 4.534 breakout on a 4.550, 154.06 mph. Semifinalist – Chelsea Duffy, Amherstburg, Ontario.

SATURDAY JR. DRAGSTER – Ethan Russell, Adrian, .006, 11.987 on an 11.960, 54.72 mph, def. Parker Novak, Monroe, .075, 8.816 on an 8.800, 73.57 mph. Semifinalist – Molly Parish, Kalamazoo.

SATURDAY SPORTSMAN – Jeff Talbot, Heidelberg, Ontario, .048, 8.084 on an 8.020, 76.03 mph, def. Jennifer Orr, Crediton, Ontario, .116, 7.579 on a 7.570, 90.42 mph. Semifinalist – Greg Dennis, Muir.

GOLF CART RACE – Justin Wanamaker, US 131 Motorsports Park, def. Jeff Burdess, Mid-Michigan Motorplex, foul. Semifinalists – Mark Howard, US 131 Motorsports Park, and Mike Holcomb, unaffiliated.

SUNDAY NO BOX GAMBLERS – Kevin Groeneveld, Dorr, .039, 5.633 on a 5.644, 126.19 mph, def. Stan Jones Jr., Byron Center, .005, 5.989 breakout on a 6.000, 113.26 mph. Semifinalist – Will Steckly, Milverton, Ontario.

SUNDAY BOX GAMBLERS – Trevis Pitsch, Dorr, .028, 4.470 on a 4.450, 156.85 mph, def. Jeff Burdess, Hemlock, .005, 5.714 on a 5.670, 112.81 mph. Semifinalist – Alan Connors, Niles.

SUNDAY JR. DRAGSTER GAMBLERS – Megan Kassin, St. Clair Township, .045, 7.922 on a 7.900, 81.79 mph, def. Henry Jenkins, Coleman, foul (-.001). Semifinalist – Molly Parish, Kalamazoo.

SUNDAY SPORTSMAN GAMBLERS – Jeff Klimp, Portage, .050, 7.525 on a 7.500, 87.18 mph, def. Ken Hansen, Crystal, .021, 8.428 on an 8.340, 73.88 mph. Semifinalists – Deegan Orr, Grand Rapids, and Lewis Robertson, Imlay City.

-www.us131msp.com-