Deerfield Raceway Kicks Off 2014 Season

Deerfield Raceway kicked off it’s 2014 racing season Saturday Night. The temps were pleasant until the sun went down, then it turned cold. Most of the fans braved the cold, but honestly after the Easter Bunny visited even the die hard race families made their exit. There were some familiar faces in the winner’s circle along with some first timers. There was one event that warmed the fan’s heart on this cold evening and that was a marriage proposal from veteran Micro driver Ryan Fredericks to longtime girlfriend Alicia Greer, daughter of Deerfield’s flagman Rob Greer. It came after polesitter Fredericks won the feature event in Deerfield’s Micro Sprint division. Dave Hawkins started outside pole and ran a strong race right on Fredericks tail to the checkered for second. Right on Hawkins tail was Brandon Hawkins who started 3rd and finished 3rd. After 15 circuits of feature racing 4th place finisher CJ Davis had the longest trip to the top 5 coming from the 12th starting spot in this 20 car feature event. 5th place starter Brian Haney had a consistent run completing the top 5 finishers in the Deerfield’s Micro Sprints division. Only 2 cautions flew in this 15 lap, 20 car feature event. Heats – DJ Furney, Todd Reusser, Dave Hawkins

Feature- Fredericks, D. Hawkins, B. Hawkins, Davis, Haney, Walker, Keefe, S Hawkins, Forney, Young, Forney, P. Young, Reusser, Cavoto, Forester, Furney, Haefke, Borawiec Jr., T. Hawkins, D. Young, Eakin

Deerfield vet Ted Williams passed a fierce competitor and a Deerfield Hero Joe Grzelak Jr. on lap 12 for the victory in the Summit Racing Charger division. Williams was on Grzelak’s bumper on lap 4 but it took him 8 laps before he made the pass on this tough competitor, Grzelak. Grzelak ended the race 2nd. 2013 Hoosier Tire Point Champ Tiffany Williams ended the race 3rd followed by vet Art Williams and Rookie Jeremy Ross.This race was particularly monumental because Ted Williams endured some medical problems in the off season,proving you can’t keep a good man down. Heat – Grzelak

Feature – Ted Williams, Grzelak, Tiffany Williams, Art Williams, Ross, Rhoads, Ted Williams Jr.

In the Magrell’s Pizza Jr. Sprint division, 12 cars started off the year in the season opener of the 2014 season at Deerfield Raceway. 3rd place starter Roman Jones took home the first checkered in this youth division. Polesitter Ty Miller led the first six as the leaders Miller, Jones and Danielle Tuttle began to run down lapped cars. Miller got caught up in the high land and Jones advanced to the lead underneath the lapped cars. After 2 cautions on laps 8 and 9, the runner up Miller and 3rd place runner Tuttle retired to the pits. Completing the top 5 were, Mulrooney, Cozadd-Teeters, Brugman and Toto. Heats – Toto, Jones

Feature – Jones, Mulrooney Jr., Cozadd-Teeters, Toto, Monreal, Arrington, Cipriano, Dye, Simmons, Tuttle, Miller

Matt Good won his first ever feature in the Summit Racing Sportsman Classic division opening night at Deerfield Raceway. Good left 14 of the 15 laps after Maranda Myers led lap one. The first and only caution flew on lap one. Good started the race in the third spot getting past polesitter Brandon Smith and Maranda Myers. Jason Myers ended the race 2nd coming from the sixth place starting position. Adam Buttermore climbed 2 spots to finish 3rd followed by Rookie Rich Johnston who started dead last for an awesome debut race. 2013 feature winner, 2nd yr. Classic driver Brandon Smith completed the top 5. Heats – Ohl, Buttermore

Feature – Good, J. Myers, Buttermore, Johnston, Smith, Davis, Went, Myers, Loy, DNS – Burns, Ohl, Chambers

2013 Hoosier Tire Point Champ Carson Miller took home the win in this 7 car youth division. Miller started on the pole but was quickly challenged by outside polesitter Austin Teeters. Teeters worked the outside for 13 laps on the outside getting in the high groove losing some real estate yet going back after Miller catching up again. On lap 13 in the high groove Teeters almost looped it but held on not to bring out a yellow. He fell back to 5th and ended the race 4th. Miller also drove a great race not being intimidated by the pressure of his competitor. Miller drove his line and maintained his lead. Vivian Jones was running 3rd in this tough little division and after driving a solid race finished second. 4th place starter Brian Toto ended the race 3rd. Completing the top 5 were Teeters and Tyler Purnell. Heats – Purnell, Teeters

Feature – Miller, Jones, Toto, Teeters, Purnell, Walters, Eakin

In Deerfield’s E-Mod division one car finished the late night feature event. Only 3 cautions plagued the feature event but driving errors and mechanical mishaps definitely thinned out the herd. Bill Thorla took home the season opener earning the title “Survivor”. Tim Schmitt Jr. took home 2nd followed by CJ Orth, Christian Walker, and 2013 Hoosier Tire Point Champ Josh Mueller. Heats – Ray Gregory, Schmitt

Feature – Thorla, Schmitt, Orth, Walker, Mueller, Hrdlicka, Lapcevich, Craig Humphreys, Gregory, Carl Humphreys, DNS – Dellinger

Jason Shaw in the Mel’s Towing Compact division drove a whale of a race in Deerfield’s Season Opener feature event. Shaw interviewed with announcer Tim Phillips, as the last race winner of the night, to empty bleachers due to cold temps. Kudos to Shaw for great racing. Deerfield’s own Robert Workman ended the race second followed by Jason Large who traveled from the 7th spot. Johnny Bruce ended the race 4th, Jaret Sams 5th for a great run and finish. Heats – Shaw, Large

Feature – Shaw, Workman, Large, Bruce, Sams, Peebles, Wilkinson, Madison, Ring, J. Peebles, Marshall, Campbell, Means

Deerfield Vet and Polesitter Todd Rhoads started off the season on a positive note by winning his feature event in the Smith Body Shop Mod Lite division. Chris Logan got by outside polesitter Nick Groves on lap one to get into the second spot to the checkered. 4th place starter Dave Innes grabbed that 3rd spot on lap one as well for 15 circuits while Brain Stuhldreher traveled the farthest of the top 5, from 8th to take home 4th. Groves, just a second year Rookie in this division had to settle for 5th in this fast paced group of heroes. Heat – Doug Stanley, Mark Marcucci

Feature – Rhoads, Logan, Innes, Stuhldreher, Groves, Stanley, Good, Marcucci, Shaw, Sisk, Smith, Gump, Kintz

Scott Scholl started the 2014 season taking the checkered in the 600 Micro division. Polesitter Scholl led all 15 followed by Dave Hawkins, Noah Hedrick and Brooke Coggin. Heat- Scholl