Hoosier State Veteran, Mark Zumbrun Scores First Career Midwest Indoor Racing Series Feature Win
Birch Run Expo Center Brings in the Christmas Holiday with Wall-To-Wall Features
Birch Run, Michigan (Saturday, December 22, 2013): The 2nd annual Christmas Holiday Spectacular was held at the Birch Run Expo Center, located south of Saginaw in Birch Run, Michigan on Saturday, December 21st as cold and blustery weather greeted the fans and teams who pulled into the parking lot in anticipation of celebrating the holiday season with the Midwest Indoor Racing Series. Despite the weather, 89 teams were in the building and treated fans who braved the weather conditions to an outstanding show.
The 600cc Non-Winged Mini Sprints served as the headliners once again and closed out the night with their big 50-Lap Feature as Larwill, Indiana veteran, Mark Zumbrun started on the pole of the main event and would go the distance in his #35 M-D Custom Cabinetry / Sroufe Chassis machine as he would lead all 50 laps to give the 45-year-old his first career MIRS Feature Win.
“It’s been a long time coming,” The emotional Hoosier State driver remarked in victory lane after climbing from his racecar. “When the Midwest Indoor Racing Series was announced, we decided we’d get one of these, go racing and just have some fun. We almost won here back in March, but tonight it all came together for us and I couldn’t be happier for this team. I wish my whole family was here to see this. I’m really happy thought that at least my daughter was here to share this with everyone.” He smiled.
Rod Henning, who was filling in for Howard McCormick, the MIRS Mini Sprints Points Leader coming into the weekend, broke the Track Record is Qualifying with a fast 6.493 around the indoors 1/12 (0.083) mile flat concrete oval, which eclipsed the previous mark of a 6.698 set back on December 22, 2012 by Larry Joe Sroufe by 0.205 seconds. Zumbrun won the Dash while A.J. Lesiecki won the Qualifier Heat Race.
The Arena / Mini Cup Cars 30-Lap Feature would witness the only two drivers who have won Features in the division in series history were Todd Cowan and Scott Quaal. Going into the night, the Birch Run Expo Center was the only facility in MIRS history that Cowan, the current point’s leader, had not won in. The 40-year-old changed that after holding off a hard-charging Quaal to score his third straight Feature Win to start the new season in his #96 Action Mold & Engineering / Chevrolet and the fifth of his MIRS career to move into a tie for third all-time in Feature Wins.
Earlier in the day, 13-year-old Zach Nichols broke the Arena / Mini Cup Cars Track Record with a 7.316 as he dismantled the old record by 0.345 seconds, which was a 7.661 set by Quaal back on March 23, 2013. 15-year-old Billy Frey collected the Qualifier Heat Race Win.
The Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts featured five divisions led by the fastest class in the building, the Open division as Fremont, Ohio veteran, John Ivy, a weekly competitor in full-sized cars on the dirt tracks during the outdoors season who won Two Track Titles in 2013 at Fremont Speedway in a 305 Sprint Car as well as a Dirt Truck, jumped onto his #90 Weaver Performance Go-Kart for the second race in a row, and just like at the previous event at Kellogg Arena over the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, swept the entire night en route to his second consecutive Feature Win.
Earlier in the day, the 45-year-old Ivy set the all-time MIRS Track Record in series History as well as the Birch Run Expo Center Track Record with a blistering fast 6.039 lap in Qualifying. He also won his Qualifier Heat Race while Tyler Morrison collected the other Qualifier Heat Race victory.
The Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts 360s / Clone saw a MIRS record 18 competitors take to the unique layout of the Birch Run Expo Center as Aaron Morrison, the points leader coming into the weekend in the Open division, climbed behind the wheel of Nate Jones’ #79 No Limit Karts & Parts machine and after flipping his Kart in his Qualifier Heat Race, the Westland, Michigan driver rallied back in the Feature to pick up the thrilling victory.
Earlier in the day in Qualifying, Shawn Kluck destroyed the previous track record by a whopping 0.659 seconds as Kluck toured the 1/12 mile at a fast 6.065 second lap. The old record was a 6.724 set by Les Stimac back on December 22, 2012. Kluck won two Qualifier Heat Races and so did Daniel Hoffman. Charlie Schultz, who finished third in the Feature, remains the 360s point’s leader.
The remaining three Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts divisions did not Qualify as in the Champ Caged Karts, 13-year-old Anthony Deming, who turns 14 on December 27th, celebrated the Christmas Holiday with a clean sweep of both Qualifier Heat Races and then the Bayport, Michigan teenager went on to win his first career MIRS Feature in his #77 Superior Tree Service kart.
For the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts Gold Plate division, 14-year-old Sam Weaver made the trip from Fremont, Ohio worthwhile as the driver of the #24 Weaver Performance machine would collect his first career MIRS Feature Win after he had already won his Qualifier Heat Race earlier in the afternoon. 13-year-old Arron Vincent, the new point’s leader at the end of the night, would emerge victorious in the other Qualifier Heat Race.
In the beginning division within the Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts, the Purple Plates would see 11-year-old Victorya Truemner in her #10 Romeo Ford Go-Kart take home her second Feature Win of the season and fourth of her young career to move her into a tie for fifth all-time in career MIRS Feature Wins. She also moved into the points lead for the Purple Plates after Samuel Crawford moved up to the Gold Plates. Truemner also scored the win in her Qualifier Heat Race while 12-year-old Brandon Varney also visited victory lane after his Qualifier Heat Race win.
The Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets saw five divisions compete starting with the beginners division within the class, the Junior Honda’s. Seven-Year-Old Tyler Wolfersberger, the current point’s leader, has been the kid to beat in the class as the Battle Creek, Michigan youngster in his #8 Next Generation Lawn Care entry swept the entire program by winning his Qualifier Heat and then his third consecutive Feature to start the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Season.
In the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Light 160 / Heavy 160 Combination Feature, 10-year-old Connor Zbozien scored his first career MIRS Feature Win for the Hazel Park, Michigan pre-teen in his #33 Michigan Independent Door Company quarter midget. Eight-Year-Old Chase Burda won the Qualifier Heat Race.
Burda, in his #18 Rob’s Service machine wouldn’t be denied though during the night as the all-time MIRS Feature Wins Leader in series history, who turns Nine-Years-Old on December 30th, added another Feature Win to his lead as the Columbiaville, Michigan stand out scored his Ninth Career Feature triumph with this victory coming in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Senior Honda Feature. For Burda and out of his nine career trips to victory lane after a MIRS Feature, six of those wins have come at the Birch Run Expo Center. Nine-Year-old Joe Morrissey won the Qualifier Heat.
For Morrissey, who was making his MIRS debut, his night wasn’t a total loss as the Leonard, Michigan driver would score his first career MIRS Feature Win in the Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets Senior Animal / Junior Animal Combination Feature in his #22 Morrissey Motorsports ride. Burda would score the Win in the Qualifier Heat Race for the combined divisions.
In the final Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets division, the Heavy Honda’s, 10-year-old Jerry Osterhouse made the trip from Galesburg, Michigan worthwhile as the youngster in his #40 Clip Systems International quarter midget would score his second MIRS Feature Win of the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Season. Osterhouse would start the sweep of the entire night by also winning the Qualifier Heat Race.
Lastly in the Lawn Mowers division, the group was divided up via Qualifying into an A and B division format. After Qualifying set the two fields, Forest, Ontario / Canada invader, Turner Lichty made the trip across the border worthwhile as earlier in the day he broke the Lawn Mowers Track Record in Qualifying with a 7.362, almost 3/4s of a second quicker than the old record, which was an 8.063 set by Adam Nunn back on December 22, 2012. The Lichty in his Lichty Racing grass cutter dominated the Feature en route to scoring his first career MIRS Win. Fellow Canadian, Mike Wick won the A division Qualifier Heat Race.
In the Lawn Mowers B Division, Brian Gager scored his third career MIRS Feature and first of the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Season aboard his #76 Freedom Engineering & Millwright machine. The Sumner, Michigan driver swept the B portion of the program after also winning his Qualifier Heat Race.
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The 2014 portion of the Winter Racing Season begins on Saturday, January 11th as Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan will host the Midwest Indoor Racing Series for the second time of the 2013 / 2014 campaign in the Welcome to 2014 Weekend. The 600cc Mini Sprints will once again highlight the holiday weekend and they’ll be joined by the Arena / Mini Cup Cars, Lawn Mowers, Great Lakes Tire Go-Karts, Outlaw Shock Company Quarter Midgets and possibly one more division ‘To Be Announced’ will all be in action for another action packed weekend in Southern Michigan. There will be a Practice Day on Friday, January 10th.
The February and March dates that are currently listed as “To Be Announced” are both in the process of becoming finalized. As soon as the official paperwork is completed, those dates will be announced. The Winter Racing Season Finale is set for Saturday, April 5th as the Summit Sports Complex, located southwest of Lansing in Dimondale, Michigan will serve as hosts as the 2013 / 2014 Winter Racing Series Champions will be crowned on that night.
MGM Motorsports LLC, is based out of Eaton Rapids, Michigan and features MIRS sanctioned short track racing inside sports arenas throughout the Midwestern United States. For more information, please call Jack Gritter at: 1 (616) 813-5965 / Scott Menlen at: 1 (586) 201-0378 or Scott Mathews at: 1 (313) 909-4270.
To learn more about the Midwest Indoor Racing Series and to inquire about sponsorship opportunities within the 2013/2014 Winter Racing Season, please go to the website located at: www.midwestindoorracingseries.com You can also go to the series’ Facebook Fan Page located at: www.facebook.com/midwestindoorracing and don’t forget to follow MIRS on Twitter by going to: www.twitter.com/MIRSracing