HOLLY, Mich. (Aug. 4, 2022) – Saturday’s Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series headliner during the Bob Frey Classic at Lorain Raceway Park will be a meaningful tribute to a longtime and departed supporter of the winged pavement sprint car tour.
The 40-lap feature at the third-mile oval will be named in honor of late veteran driver Jerry Caryer, who passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 15, 2020, just hours before he was scheduled to compete in a Must See Racing event at Lorain.
In the middle of a 45-year career in racing, Caryer began transitioning from dirt to pavement sprint cars in 2000 before moving exclusively to pavement racing in 2005. He ran parts of every Must See Racing season from the tour’s inception in 2010 until his passing two years ago and finished as the runner-up in series points in 2016 – his best showing with the traveling circuit.
“I had a lot of fun racing and that’s what it’s about for me,” Caryer said just two weeks before his passing, ahead of his final Must See Racing start on Aug. 8, 2020, at Wisconsin’s Golden Sands Speedway. “That was always my goal, to keep racing as long as I’m having fun.”
Caryer finished sixth in that final race, one of his best results in several years with Must See Racing.
His hometown of Ney, Ohio, is just two hours west of Lorain Raceway Park, making this weekend’s Bob Frey Classic the perfect event to honor Caryer’s legacy and career at.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t miss Jerry Caryer and the impact and perseverance that he brought to our pit area,” reflected Must See Racing founder and owner Jim Hanks. “He was one of the fiercest budget racers that I had the pleasure of watching and, even if he had to stretch a few dollars to get from race to race, you knew any time he was in the pit area that he was going to give it everything he had that night to earn the best possible finish that he could.
“I was looking around the pits during our last race at Berlin (Raceway) and got a little choked up thinking about Jerry,” Hanks added. “I know he’d be proud to see how the series has continued to grow over the past few seasons and would be right here alongside us, still having fun, if he could be. This weekend’s race is in his memory and we hope to put on an entertaining show in his memory and for all those that we’ve lost over the years.”
After Caryer’s passing, Must See Racing officials created the Jerry Caryer Ironman Award, a perpetual honor first awarded at the 2021 season banquet that recognizes the driver who competed in the most Must See Racing sprint car features over the preceding five seasons.
Prior to his death, Caryer had raced in the most Must See Racing main events from 2016-‘20.
Saturday’s Bob Frey Classic at Lorain Raceway Park, featuring the Jerry Caryer Memorial 40 for the Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series, will be streamed live through SPEED SPORT TV as a SPEED SPORT Spotlight Event, offered free to active SPEED SPORT TV subscribers.
Subscriptions to SPEED SPORT TV start at just $14.99/month or $99/year.
HOLLY, Mich. (Aug. 2, 2022) – As the Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series heads to Ohio’s Lorain Raceway Park for its penultimate race of the season, its drivers will have a chance at a hefty payout on Saturday night.
Through four eligible features this year, no driver has elected to take the Steadfast for Veterans Challenge, a bonus program that gives the fastest qualifier the option to drop to the rear of the starting grid prior to the main event in exchange for a guaranteed $500 payout.
Should that driver come through the field to win the race, they would earn an additional $500 bonus for a total of $1,000 in addition to their normal feature winnings.
However, the caveat to the challenge is that when the fast qualifier declines to drop to the tail on a given night, the $1,000 left on the table rolls over to the next event to create an increasing jackpot.
That means that Saturday’s 40-lap Bob Frey Classic at Lorain poses the opportunity for the fast qualifier to start from the rear and earn a total bonus of $5,000 if they can capture the checkered flag.
Combined with heat race payouts and currently confirmed lap money for the event, one driver has an opportunity to pocket more than $7,700 if they were to set fast time, win their heat race, and then win the feature from last after taking the Steadfast for Veterans Challenge.
“As a sponsor for the series, I’m honestly a little surprised that nobody has attempted the challenge to this point,” admitted Tony Roberts, the founder of Steadfast for Veterans. “The fan in me is excited, though, to be able to have a potential jackpot this large heading into one of the biggest races of the season on the Must See Racing calendar. It’s definitely quite a carrot to have out there for the drivers and their teams, especially after some of the great races we’ve seen already through the summer.
“Last week, we saw Ryan Litt get inverted to 10th and still come through the field to win at Berlin (Raceway) … so I believe that it’s doable for someone to win from last and collect that bonus money, especially with the extended distance of the feature and the ability to use the high lane in the corners at Lorain,” Roberts continued. “I think that if the challenge does get taken this weekend, it will make for a very entertaining race and create a lot of added excitement for the race fans.”
Litt, the only Canadian driver in the Must See Racing field, appears primed to take on the “favorite” role when it comes to the Steadfast for Veterans Challenge. He roared from 10th starting spot to the lead in just three laps at Berlin over the weekend en route to his first victory with the series since 2013.
However, the native of London, Ontario, isn’t the only driver capable of charging through the field for a victory.
Championship rivals Joe Liguori and Charlie Schultz have both shown race-winning pace at various times during the season, while Jason Blonde has been victorious from deep in the past and raced from eighth to second at Berlin.
It all makes for a pot that’s just waiting to be stirred Saturday night in Northeastern Ohio.
Saturday’s Bob Frey Classic at Lorain Raceway Park will be streamed live through SPEED SPORT TV as a SPEED SPORT Spotlight Event, offered free to active SPEED SPORT TV subscribers.
Subscriptions to SPEED SPORT TV start at just $14.99/month or $99/year.
Joe Liguori (left) and Charlie Schultz (right) are battling one another for this season’s Must See Racing national sprint car championship.
After a period of six consecutive years – from 2015 through 2020 – of McCune Motorsports entries having the points championship virtually on lockdown at this stage of the season, Schultz tipped that he believes this year’s back-and-forth battle is “good for business” as it pertains to Must See Racing.
“It definitely gives a lot of our fans, both mine and Joe’s, something to really get behind and get amped up over,” said Schultz prior to last weekend’s event at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway.
Driving for veteran car owner John Reiser, Schultz is seeking his first Must See Racing sprint car championship and has led the points after all but one race this season.
However, he’s seen his advantage dwindle in recent weeks, thanks to a string of three straight fast qualifying efforts by Liguori that helped erase a portion of the championship lead.
Joe Liguori (13) has won in everything he’s driven during his career, including a pavement sprint car. This season he’s chasing a championship with Must See Racing.
“The way our points system is now (with bonus points for qualifying and heat races), you have to think about everything from the moment you unload the race car,” Schultz noted. “It’s qualifying, the heat race and the feature. You can swing a lot of points back and forth depending on how you do in each of those parts of the night. Joe has outqualified me a lot lately, but we’ve finished ahead of him in most of the heat races and features to somewhat balance things out.
“At the end of the day, though, you have to win races. That’s what pays the most points, and we haven’t done a good job of closing the deal this year,” added Schultz, who is winless with Must See Racing this season. “Feature wins make the biggest difference and that’s what we really need to put our focus on.”
As both the driver and car owner of the No. 13 car, Liguori knows that the majority of the pressure to succeed down the stretch falls squarely on his shoulders, and he’s proven recently that he can step up and perform when the chips are down.
Charlie Schultz (9s) hopes to add a sprint car championship to his racing resume this season with Must See Racing.
Liguori is the reigning Must See Racing Driver of the Year and would have been crowned champion officially last year, had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic forcing alterations to the season format.
This time around, he’s hoping to get the “real big trophy” and put his name alongside the likes of Troy DeCaire, JoJo Helberg, Brian Gerster, Jimmy McCune and Anthony McCune as a champion under Must See Racing sanction.
“I got a nice plaque (for winning Driver of the Year), but my trophy case would look a lot better with one of those tall championship trophies that (series owner Jim) Hanks gives out at the banquet every year,” Liguori said with a chuckle.
The Tampa, Fla., native – now living in Lebanon, Ind. – admitted that, while his qualifying performances of late have helped him make up ground in the standings, they have actually hurt him somewhat in his quest for feature victories.
“I guess I have to learn how to slow down just a little bit,” Liguori joked. “I go out and drive my heart out every lap, and the inverts have come back to bite us lately. We’ve struggled in dirty air and have just been too tight during some of these features.
“That’s something that we have to work on, but Charlie has said the same thing … you have to win races and that’s what our goal is this last month of the season.” While they may be fierce rivals on the track, the pair of title contenders are good friends in the pit area and away from the race track – something both drivers say they relish most about this year’s battle.
“When you’re racing against someone like Joe, who you know works on his own stuff and races with respect, it makes it a lot of fun to go out and do what we’re doing this year … because you know you can trust him to fight you clean,” Schultz said. “We’re enjoying racing with him and I hope it comes down to the last few laps at Jennerstown in a few weeks – just with our car on top at the end of it all!”
“Charlie’s a friend, but it doesn’t mean that either one of us wants to beat the other one any less,” added Liguori. “We’re both super competitive and that’s what’s fun about this year; we know that whoever wins it all at the end of the day will have earned it because we both gave it our all.”
Saturday’s Bob Frey Classic at Lorain Raceway Park will be streamed live through SPEED SPORT TV as a SPEED SPORT Spotlight Event, offered free to active SPEED SPORT TV subscribers.
Subscriptions to SPEED SPORT TV start at just $14.99/month or $99/year.
MARNE, Mich. (July 31, 2022) – The running joke in the pit area following Saturday night’s Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series race at Berlin Raceway was that Ryan Litt had forgotten how to celebrate properly, given he nearly stumbled off the top wing of his race car in victory lane.
Litt was quick to note, of course, that it had been more than nine years since his last win in a Must See Racing-sanctioned event, and to cut him some slack for his less-than-graceful slip on the frontstretch.
However, though he might not have celebrated as smoothly as his prior win at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway, Litt made one thing abundantly clear at Berlin – he hasn’t forgotten how to wheel a pavement sprint car against the best in the business.
The Canadian’s near-flawless performance – driving from 10th to the lead in three laps and opening up an advantage of more than four seconds at one point – was accentuated by his perfect placement of his race car in the second half of the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash, when he held every advance of fellow veteran Jason Blonde at bay en route to the $2,500 victory in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
“I guess it’s like riding a bike,” Litt joked afterward. “You don’t forget how to do it; everyone just eventually gets better after a while, and you have to learn how to keep up and get better.”
Litt’s progression this season – his first campaign back with Must See Racing since 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on travel across the United States border with Canada – has been steady.
His first race back at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway on Memorial Day weekend in May netted a fourth-place finish, and he followed that up with a third-place effort at Michigan’s Birch Run Speedway in June.
But Saturday night’s victory at Berlin felt like a culmination of Litt’s comeback trail – a reminder to fans of pavement sprint car racing and his competitors on the race track that the London, Ontario, native is still a force to be reckoned with.
“We never doubted ourselves as a team, but people always start to talk, you know, when you haven’t won in a while,” Litt admitted. “Our car has just been off since the start of the year, and we’ve been working to get it back where I’m most comfortable. We tried some things with the setup at the beginning of the season that just didn’t work for us. I mean, we were terrible for the first bit.
“This race here at Berlin … a place I’m pretty comfortable at, we just went back to some of our old notes and the car responded exactly how I was hoping it would,” he added. “I knew from the minute we started in practice that we’d have a bullet, and I think we proved it out there.
“To set fast time (in qualifying), be inverted to 10th and then still drive through the field to win the race, there’s not much more that you can prove than what we did in this one.”
Saturday’s win for Litt wasn’t one that had an impact on the championship race, since he missed the opening two races of the year at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway and hasn’t been in contention for the title as a result.
But it was a confidence builder, and a moment that Litt said should make the other teams in the Must See Racing pit area take note – the No. 07L team will be ready when the points reset and 2023 begins.
“All we can focus on this year is race victories, but we’re one of the teams out here that doesn’t have that championship trophy yet, and I know everyone on this team world like to change that eventually.”
Litt also took time to relish the moment, noting that, as a driver, you never know when – or if – that next race victory will come along.
“This is amazing,” Litt smiled. “I’ve won, I think, two or three (sprint car) races at this track, but this win is by far the sweetest of the bunch. I’ve struggled on these (American Racer) tires to get the right handle that we need for our race car … but we learned a lot this weekend and I think found more of what we need.
“Jason is one of the best there is on restarts, and I knew he’d be trying (to get past) me on the outside, but I just put my foot in it until we could get a gap. I think they remember that we’re here now, too.”
Litt and the rest of the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series will return to action on Saturday, Aug. 6 at Lorain (Ohio) Raceway Park when the inaugural Bob Frey Classic hits the road at the third-mile oval.
The race is being run in honor of legendary Ohio sprint car and Indy car competitor Bob Frey, who was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame earlier this summer as part of the Class of 2022. It will be streamed live through SPEED SPORT TV.
MARNE, Mich. (July 30, 2022) – After a nine-year winless drought with the Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series, Canadian Ryan Litt returned to victory lane in style Saturday night at Berlin Raceway.
The native of London, Ontario roared from 10th starting spot to take the lead on lap three, then held off every advance made by a determined Jason Blonde in the second half of the 30-lap Engine Pro Fast Car Dash main event en route to his second Must See Racing-sanctioned victory.
It was the first time Litt stood in victory lane with the series since March 22, 2013, when he won at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.
“Fast time, start 10th and win the race – how about that?” a jubilant Litt told the standing-room-only crowd in victory lane. “We tried something new with the setup the last few weeks and it was just terrible. Tonight we decided to go back to our old notes and it was the best this car had run all year.
“From the first lap of practice today, I knew I had something for them,” Litt added. “It’s amazing to finally win again in the caliber of field that Must See (Racing) and Jim Hanks bring to the track each week. I’ve won a few races in the past, but this is definitely one of the sweetest victories we’ve had.”
After a roll of 10 on the inversion die placed past Must See Racing rookie-of-the-year Rick Holley on the pole, a chaotic opening lap saw National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jeff Bloom surge from the outside pole into the lead before a multi-car accident on the frontstretch forced a yellow flag with one lap scored.
The incident saw Tom Jewell slap the outside wall exiting turn four before his blue No. 7 came down the track into the orange No. 48 of Jacob Dolinar, who spun to the bottom of the first turn in a cloud of smoke and was unable to restart – a broken frame ending his race prematurely.
When racing resumed, Bloom held serve briefly at the point before Litt came soaring forward, moving from third to first on the third lap before running out to as much as a four-second advantage just before halfway.
A lap-14 caution for debris did little to slow Litt’s roll, as he charged back away from the chasing No. 42 of Blonde on the restart. Instead, it was late lap traffic and a yellow with five laps left that gave Litt a scare.
A shredded tire on the rear of championship leader Charlie Schultz’s No. 9s forced Schultz to stop high in turn four from third place, putting a dent in the Ohioan’s title hopes and setting Blonde up with another chance at Litt in the closing moments.
However, Litt held serve – both on that restart and the final restart of the night following a Bobby Komisarski spin in turn two – leading the final five circuits comfortably en route to a 1.681-second win.
Blonde settled for second and admitted afterward that he burned up his equipment trying to catch the leader as the laps wound down.
“I just wore out the tires trying to get to him,” the Litchfield, Mich., native said. “It was a heck of a battle, though. He raced me hard, and it was all really clean. You love to be part of nights like that.”
Joe Liguori finished third and cut his deficit to Schultz down to a single point with two races remaining in the hunt for the season title. Rick Holley was a career-best fourth and Schultz rallied back for fifth.
Litt kicked off the program by ending Joe Liguori’s qualifying streak, setting fast time with his Diablo Chassis No. 07L at 13.097 seconds (120.257 mph). It marked Litt’s second fast time of the season and the sixth of his Must See Racing career.
The Canadian’s fast lap was also the quickest Must See Racing qualifying time recorded at Berlin since Aug. 19, 2017, when Bobby Santos III toured the seven-sixteenths-mile oval in 12.913 seconds.
Holley and Blonde won their respective eight-lap heat races prior to the main event.
The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series season continues Aug. 6 at Lorain (Ohio) Raceway Park with the inaugural Bob Frey Classic. The event will be streamed live in its entirety through SPEED SPORT TV.
For more information on Must See Racing, visit the series website at www.mustseeracing.com.
Must See Racing Sprint Car Series; Berlin Raceway; Marne, Mich.; July 30, 2022
Qualifying (best of two laps): 1. Ryan Litt, 07L, Litt-13.097; 2. Joe Liguori, 13, Liguori-13.289; 3. Jason Blonde, 42, Nosal-13.435; 4. Charlie Schultz, 9s, Reiser-13.537; 5. Adam Biltz, 8a, Reiser-13.847; 6. Teddy Alberts, 44, Wolverine-14.084; 7. Tom Jewell, 7, Fogle-14.105; 8. Jacob Dolinar, 48, McCune-14.207; 9. Jeff Bloom, 26, Bloom-14.212; 10. Rick Holley, 85, Holley-14.287; 11. Tom Geren, 11g, Geren-14.349; 12. Todd McQuillen, 2k, Koyan-14.747; 13. Andrew Bogusz, 17, Bogusz/Sachs-15.002; 14. Joshua Sexton, 3k, Koyan-15.071; 15. Tim Henthorne, 45, Bare-15.921; 16. Bobby Komisarski, 81, Blake-16.091.
ARP Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Rick Holley [4], 2. Tom Geren [3], 3. Todd McQuillen [2], 4. Jeff Bloom [5], 5. Joshua Sexton [1], 6. Andrew Bogusz [8], 7. Bobby Komisarski [7], 8. Tim Henthorne [6].
Nitro Black Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. Jason Blonde [4], 2. Charlie Schultz [3], 3. Ryan Litt [6], 4. Joe Liguori [5], 5. Jacob Dolinar [8], 6. Teddy Alberts [1], 7. Tom Jewell [7], 8. Adam Biltz [2].
Engine Pro A-Feature (30 laps): 1. Ryan Litt [10], 2. Jason Blonde [8], 3. Joe Liguori [9], 4. Rick Holley [1], 5. Charlie Schultz [7], 6. Tom Jewell [4], 7. Adam Biltz [6], 8. Teddy Alberts [5], 9. Todd McQuillen [12], 10. Andrew Bogusz [11], 11. Bobby Komisarski [16], 12. Joshua Sexton [14], 13. Tim Henthorne [13], 14. Jeff Bloom [2], 15. Tom Geren [15], 16. Jacob Dolinar [3].
Lap Leader(s): Rick Holley Grid, Jeff Bloom 1-2, Ryan Litt 3-30.
July 26, 2022 – Holly, Michigan – The Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro is in the midst of its busiest stretch of the season. This weekend the series will be back in action when it invades Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan. This will be the second of three consecutive weeks of racing. It will also be the first and only visit to Berlin Raceway in 2022.
The battle for the championship is shaping up to be one of the closest in series history. Only five points separate current point leader Charlie Schultz and second place Joe Liguori. Bobby Santos III is coming off the most recent series victory at Birch Run Speedway last Friday night. Santos III has been unbeatable in MSR competition in 2022 with three wins in three starts, buts sits ninth in points due to not competing in the entire schedule.
The series suffered a heartbreaking blow after 5-time series champion Jimmy McCune was lost for the season after suffering severe burns to his feet while competing in a winged dirt sprint car race Saturday night. McCune announced he was done for the season as he will begin a lengthy healing process. McCune has become the face of the series over the past decade and leads nearly every series statistical category.
The series will be competing at Berlin Raceway for the first time since 2019. A complete racing program is on tap complete with single car qualifying, heat races, and a 30-lap feature event.
The Steadfast For Veterans Challenge was introduced in 2022. The program offers a $500 bonus to the fast qualifier if he elects to start from the rear. If he wins the race, he will collect another $500. Currently no driver has accepted this challenge to date. With quality competitors like Liguori, Schultz, Ryan Litt, Jason Blonde, Kevin Feeney, Jason Dolinar and others it’s possible the challenge could be accepted this week at the fast 7/16 mile raceway. This would certainly add drama to an already anticipated great racing program on tap.
BIRCH RUN, Mich. (July 22, 2022) – Despite a litany of wild occurrences during a zany Friday night, the second Must See Racing Sprint Car Series visit of the year to Birch Run Speedway ended with a familiar result.
Bobby Santos III bounced back from a DNF in USAC Silver Crown Series competition one night earlier and landed in victory lane with his winged sprint car, despite a power outage, 45-minute red flag and a fierce charge from Jimmy McCune in a seven-lap sprint to the finish line.
Bobby Santos III poses in victory lane Friday night after winning at Birch Run Speedway. (Must See Racing photo)
Santos took the lead on lap 10 of 30 – during the restart after the night’s only stoppage – and paced the remaining distance for his third Must See Racing sprint car victory of the season and first since late April.
In victory lane, the Franklin, Mass., native stood next to his Beast Chassis race car and dedicated his win to the late Bobby East, who was tragically killed on July 13 in Westminster, Calif.
“This Beast Chassis was on rails when it counted tonight,” Santos said. “Bob and Janice (East) have always built fantastic race cars, but I think I had baby Beast (Bobby East) riding with me at the end there.
“We’re all thinking about them during this time, but I’m happy to get a Beast Chassis in victory lane tonight in their honor.”
Though East never competed with Must See Racing, he was a stalwart in open-wheel, short-track competition through the years, winning two USAC Silver Crown titles and a USAC midget championship.
Tom Jewell led the field to the green flag after a nine-car inversion, but it was outside pole-man Rick Holley who jumped out to the early lead and paced the first four circuits before Schultz roared from fifth starting spot to assume command of the field.
From there, Schultz led the next five laps and steadily pulled away from nis nearest pursuer, Bobby Santos III, before a red flag stoppage was needed on the ninth lap for a power outage in the control tower that knocked out the track’s electronic scoring system.
That interruption ended up being the turning point that led to Santos’ victory, as he jumped past Schultz on the outside when racing resumed after a 45-minute delay and never looked back again.
Despite a caution with seven circuits to go for a crash on the backstretch involving veteran Joe Speakman, Santos never relinquished control on the final restart and ultimately won by a half straightaway over five-time series champion Jimmy McCune in the end.
Even though the night was a bizarre one, with the power outage and other interruptions leading to a stop-and-start feel, Santos said afterward that he was never concerned with the quality of racing.
“The battles with Schultz and McCune were tough, but everyone with Must See and Birch Run kept their cools in what could have been a lot worse situation, with the power outage happening when it did,” Santos noted. “They’re good at running the radios and running the race, and as far as I’m concerned nothing was different from where I was sitting behind the wheel.
“I think we all felt comfortable and safe to continue on, and it definitely worked out in our favor,” he added. “It was crazy coming up through traffic; there were a lot of tough cars tonight, but we came here to win and I’m grateful we were able to do that.”
After starting 12th due to a broken nose wing during his qualifying run, McCune clawed his way through a gaggle of slower traffic to eventually end up with the runner-up honors in a remarkable comeback.
“This was a heck of a good run for us, considering everything,” McCune admitted. “It was just a lot of stupid things that set us back. We had a little oil leak in practice, the front wing broke during qualifying and then we just had to pull the suit up and drive from the back. We did some modifications for the feature to get everything working … and then my old man bet me a thousand bucks to win from the tail.
“We came up one spot short, but hopefully we put on a great show for all the fans that came out here.”
Kalamazoo winner Jason Blonde completed the podium ahead of Charlie Schultz and Joe Liguori, the two chief contenders for the season championship.
With their finishes Friday night, Schultz leaves Birch Run with a five-point lead over Liguori. Three races remain before the champion will be crowned at Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway in late August.
Liguori earned $100 as the night’s Dowker Engines Fast Qualifier, setting a time trial lap of 13.172 seconds (109.323 mph) around the four-tenths-mile, semi-banked oval to kick off the program.
It was the third straight race and the sixth time in Liguori’s Must See Racing career that he led the way during single-car qualifications.
The Florida native became the fourth driver in series history to qualify first in three consecutive events.
McCune, Jewell and Blonde each won their respective eight-lap heat races prior to the 30-lap main.
The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series season continues in eight days’ time with the return of the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash event at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway. It marks the first time in three years that Must See Racing’s national sprint cars will compete at the seven-sixteenths-mile oval in Marne, Mich.
Must See Racing Sprint Car Series; Birch Run Speedway; Birch Run, Mich.; July 22, 2022
Dowker Engines Qualifying (best of two laps): 1. Joe Liguori, 13, Liguori-13.172 [$100]; 2. Bobby Santos III, 22a, Fieler-13.484; 3. Jason Blonde, 42, Nosal-13.501; 4. Charlie Schultz, 9s, Reiser-13.514; 5. Ryan Litt, 07L, Litt-13.544; 6. Jacob Dolinar, 48, McCune-13.733; 7. Adam Biltz, 8a, Reiser-13.823; 8. Rick Holley, 85, Holley-13.984; 9. Tom Jewell, 7, Fogle-14.012; 10. Jeff Bloom, 26, Bloom-14.043; 11. Todd McQuillen, 2k, Koyan-14.153; 12. Joshua Sexton, 3k, Koyan-14.293; 13. Tom Geren, 11G, Geren-14.407; 14. Jimmy McCune, 88, McCune-14.415; 15. Teddy Alberts, 44a, Wolverine-14.449; 16. Joe Speakman, 72s, Speakman-14.536; 17. Kevin Feeney, 99, Stickney-15.061.
ARP Heat #1 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Jimmy McCune [3][$100], 2. Teddy Alberts [2][$50], 3. Joe Speakman [1][$35], 4. Tom Geren [4], 5. Kevin Feeney [5].
Nitro Black Heat #2 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Tom Jewell [2][$100], 2. Rick Holley [3][$50], 3. Adam Biltz [4][$35], 4. Todd McQuillen [5], 5. Joshua Sexton [6], 6. Jeff Bloom [1].
Mahle Heat #3 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Jason Blonde [2][$100], 2. Charlie Schultz [1][$50], 3. Joe Liguori [4][$35], 4. Bobby Santos III [3], 5. Jacob Dolinar [6], 6. Ryan Litt [5].
Engine Pro A-Feature (30 laps): 1. Bobby Santos III [8], 2. Jimmy McCune [12], 3. Jason Blonde [7], 4. Charlie Schultz [6], 5. Joe Liguori [9], 6. Jacob Dolinar [4], 7. Rick Holley [2], 8. Ryan Litt [5], 9. Tom Jewell [1], 10. Adam Biltz [3], 11. Tom Geren [13], 12. Todd McQuillen [11], 13. Teddy Alberts [15], 14. Kevin Feeney [16], 15. Joshua Sexton [10], 16. Joe Speakman [14], 17. Jeff Bloom (DNS).
Lap Leader(s): Tom Jewell 1-4, Charlie Schultz 5-9, Bobby Santos III 10-30. Hard Charger: #88 – Jimmy McCune (+10)
July 19, 2022 – The Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro will be back in action this Friday night July 22 when the series invades Birch Run Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan. It will be the first time the series has been in action since July 1.
Friday’s event will be race #6 towards the 2022 MSR title chase. The 2022 season has been highly competitive. In the five races held thus far, there have been four different winners. Charlie Schultz holds a slim 8-point lead over Joe Liguori in the points chase.
The return to Birch Run Speedway will be a quick turnaround. The series was just there on June 10. It appeared Jacob Dolinar would collect his first MSR feature win. He would spin out late in the race after leaking fluid got on his tires and caused him to spin with a huge lead. Five-time MSR champion Jimmy McCune would ultimately capture that event.
Birch Run Speedway has provided great racing when MSR comes to town and Friday will be no exception. A full night of racing is planned to include time trials, heat races, and a 30-lap feature event for the ‘Fastest Short Track Cars in the World’.
Pavement ‘hot shoe’ Bobby Santos III will highlight the roster of expected drivers for Friday. Santos swept the opening two MSR events in South Boston, Virginia. Santos hasn’t competed in MSR competition since early May as he has been focusing on other racing interests.
Other drivers expected to compete include Jason Blonde, Kevin Feeney, Ryan Litt, Jimmy McCune, Liguori, Dolinar, Tom Jewell, Jeff Bloom, Schultz, and Rick Holley among others.
July 2, 2022 – Loves Park, Illinois – Before Saturday night, Joe Liguori had never raced at Rockford Speedway. By the end of the night, it looked like he had visited the track on multiple occasions.
Photos by David Sink
Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro made its first appearance at Rockford Speedway since 2018. Jimmy McCune won that event nearly four years ago on a last lap pass of Charlie Schultz.
Liguori was the night’s fastest qualifier when he ripped off a 11.732 second lap around the high-banked quarter mile despite it being his first time at the track.
A 7 was the number drawn for the feature inversion. At the drop of the green, veteran Tom Jewell got the jump on outside front row starter Adam Blitz. Jewell would lead the first four circuits before surrendering the lead to Jacob Dolinar. On lap thirteen, Dolinar and Schultz would make contact exiting turn two while battling for the lead. Unfortunately, Dolinar would come to a stop and have to restart at the tail.
When the green flag waved again, Jimmy McCune became the new race leader before Liguori took command a lap later. Liguori would survive a couple of double-file restart that saw Schultz and Jimmy McCune lined up next to Liguori. Liguori would get the jump both times to remain in control.
McCune and Schultz would make heavy contact coming to the checkered. McCune still managed a second-place finish and Schultz a third-place finish despite damage to both cars.
In victory lane Liguori explained he used lap traffic to his advantage to go from seventh into the lead in only fourteen laps. “I knew lapped traffic was gonna be really big” explained Liguori. “This track has two lanes, I changed my line but their just really narrow. You just gotta be methodical. I played with my wing a little bit. We were tight at one point. I got free and put the wing where the car felt neutral. I changed my line and did what I had to do to be fast. Once you get into clean air you can control the race” concluded Liguori.
The Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro will now be idle until July 22, when the series invades Birch Run Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan.
Feature (50 laps): 1. Joe Liguori 13, 2. Jimmy McCune 88, 3. Charlie Schultz 9s, 4. Adam Biltz 8a, 5. Rick Holley 85, 6. Tom Jewwll 7, 7. Tom Geren 11g, 8. Tim Henthorne 15, 9. Jacob Dolinar 48, 10. Joshua Sexton 3k, 11. Jeff Bloom 26, DNS Joe Speakman 72
June 30, 2022 – When Charlie Schultz heads to Rockford Speedway this weekend, he will do so as the current Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro points leader. It will be the first time the MSR 410 winged sprints have raced at Rockford Speedway since 2018.
If anyone would remember the last visit of MSR to Rockford Speedway, it would be Schultz himself, unfortunately. Schultz led 49 out of the 50-lap feature only to be passed by Jimmy McCune for the lead on the final lap. An ill-handling race car was the culprit, ultimately costing Schultz a victory. Schultz returns to Rockford Speedway for this Saturday night’s MSR event as the current MSR points leader, with several solid finishes, and a new track record under his belt thus far in 2022.
“You never really think about the points” explained Schultz. “But we started off the season strong with a second and a fourth. Jimmy’s (McCune) had some issues. You gotta go into every race wanting to win and be fast qualifier. At the end of the night, if you come up short, you say it was a good points night so-to-speak. Hopefully we’ll knock off one or two wins here soon. Obviously, this Hurricane has been treating us well since we got it put together late last year”.
Even though his last visit to Rockford ended in sorrow, he’s eager to return.” I’ve been there twice. The last time I was there I led 49 of 50 laps and Jimmy McCune stole one from me and we finished second. We were pretty good early in the feature. We weren’t sure what the track would do when the sun went down. I was already fighting a tight condition. The car continued to get tighter as the race went on.
There are two grooves at Rockford. I was running the high line because it was better suited for what the car was doing at that time. Jimmy was able to get underneath me on the last lap. I couldn’t get it done with the tight condition. I got beat at the line by just a little bit. I needed it to be 40 laps instead of 50.” laughed Schultz.
“It wasn’t all that bad. I got my First MSR win a week later at Berlin. One thing I’ve learned, you can win or lose them on the last lap” concluded Schultz. Schultz will take a 14-point lead over Joe Liguori into Rockford Speedway, hoping to get his first win of the season, and extend his lead. Schultz will be joined by other MSR regulars for a full night of racing capped off by a 50-lap feature event.
For more info on Must See Racing please log onto www.mustseeracing.com or follow us on Facebook.
