Berlin Raceway was part of the inaugural MSR season with an event on September 25, 2010. In fact, Berlin has hosted at least one event each season since. Some years the series has appeared at Berlin Raceway as many as three times in a single season.
It’s no secret that Berlin Raceway fans love their winged sprints as evidence of the huge crowds that regularly attend MSR events. Berlin Raceway has also been the site of some very exciting MSR events over the past fourteen years.
Saturday’s twentieth edition looks to rival past events with a strong group of contending drivers who plan to entertain fans with another night of thrilling winged sprint car action.
Current points leader Joe Liguori is expected to compete and try to build on his current points lead.
Defending champion Jason Blonde is also entered and is looking to pick up his first MSR victory of the season. Blonde was victorious in the 2023 MSR season opener at Berlin.
Other expected entrants include five-time MSR champion Jimmy McCune, Brady Allum, Teddy Alberts, Adam Biltz, Tom Geren, Rick Holley, Bobby Komisarski, Ryan Litt, Kevin Mingus, Charlie Schultz, Dorman Snyder, Aaron Willison, and many more.
Weather conditions for Saturday’s Berlin Raceway are expected to be near perfect. A high of 71 degrees, and virtually no chance of rain, will greet fans and competitors this weekend. For more information on Must See Racing please like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Also visit www.mustseeracing.com for the latest news and updates.
Willison has been nothing short of sensational in MSR competition in 2024. Despite missing two races, he still finds himself sitting tenth in the series championship points chase.
He made his MSR debut at Lancaster Motorplex June 1 in Lancaster, New York. He was sensational right out of the box in the Dick Myers owned #50m Mopar powered machine. Starting in the seventh starting spot, Willison put on a thrilling drive to the front and worked himself into position for a shot at the win on the final corner of the final lap of the race. He was able to get alongside eventual race winner Bobby Santos III to no avail and was forced to settle for second place.
In victory lane he commented on his late race charge to MSR PA announcer Jacob Seelman. “One or two more laps, and I think we might have gotten him,” said Willison. “It was such a pleasure to drive this 50m for Dick Myers; he put together a rocket tonight. It was rolling really well. It’s a shame that track position got the best of us at the end, but we had fun driving up through the field.”
Even race winner Santos acknowledged how much of a threat Willison was. “That was tough, both in the middle and at the end,” said Santos in victory lane. “That 50 car has been the model of [asphalt] winged sprint car racing for a long time now, and then putting someone as talented as Aaron Willison in it is a scary thing. He was coming there at the end.”
In Willison’s most recent MSR appearance at Owosso Speedway on June 22, he put it all together and won his first career MSR feature victory in only his second career series start. He won in dominating fashion no less, winning by a ten second plus margin of victory. It was one of the most dominant MSR performances seen in many years.
Willison and car owner Dick Myers have formed a lethal combination. Many believe this is the most dominant the Myers owned car has been since the late Cameron Dodson wheeled the same car in the mid-2000’s.
Competing in MSR events is no easy task for Willison. It’s approximately 2400 miles one way and necessitates a whole day of travel time with layovers. Arriving at the airport early in the morning is a common place.
The duo will now head to Berlin Raceway where Myers has had tremendous success over the years, winning multiple winged sprint car races with different drivers. In addition, Willison is at the top of his game and is fresh off the 50K Open Wheel Showdown in Las Vegas last December. He also picked up 10K for victory in Colorado last month. If Willison and Myers have it their way, it could be a long night for the competition this Saturday night at Berlin Raceway.
Saturday’s event will also be the second round of the ’Fast Car Dash’ mini-series. For more information on Must See Racing please visit http://www.mustseeracing.com.
In the National Series, Joe Liguori has amassed a 34-point advantage over second place Bobby Santos III. Santos has won all three times he has competed in MSR competition in 2024. But he skipped the June 22 event at Owosso Speedway to participate in a USAC Silver Crown event. He’s committed to that series and will miss at least 2 more MSR events this season, which is good news for Liguori.
Behind Liguori the battle for second is tight. Only 7 points separate second through fourth. Kevin Mingus has been the surprise driver of the year. He finds himself only 4 points behind Santos in third place on the heels of back-to-back finishes including a podium finish at Owosso on June 22. Mingus is on pace to be crowned Most Improved Driver. Following Mingus currently are Bobby Komisarski and Rick Holley.
In the Midwest Lights Series, the points battle is tight, very tight. The top three are separated by only 10 points and the championship points chase will go right down to the wire.
Two-time and defending series champion Cody Gallogly holds a slim 1-point lead over JJ Henes who won the season opener at Owosso Speedway. Lurking in third place only 10 points behind points leader Gallogly is Andrew Bogusz. Bogusz has placed on the podium both times in 2024 and is a driver that can’t be counted out. Following Bogusz currently is Charlie Baur and Joshua Sexton.
With four remining races for the National Series, and five for the Midwest Lights Series, it’s shaking up be a great second half of the season and will see both series championships go right down to the wire.
For series will be in action this Saturday night August 3, 2024, for a twin-bill featuring both series at Midvale Speedway in Midvale, Ohio.
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SANDUSKY, Ohio (July 26, 2024) – Bobby Santos III kept his streak of perfection in the Must See Racing Perfit Sprint Car Series going by winning his third race in as many starts this season on Friday night.
Racing as part of the Fast Friday portion of Hy-Miler Supermodified Nationals week at Sandusky Speedway, Santos took the lead of the 30-lap feature from Charlie Schultz on a restart two laps prior to the halfway point.
From there, the Franklin, Mass., veteran grew his advantage to a full straightaway en route to his 10th career series victory – becoming just the fourth driver in history to reach double-digit wins and tying reigning champion Jason Blonde for third on the all-time list.
“The restarts in these cars are always unpredictable; the biggest thing is that Charlie is a good, clean racer and gave me plenty of racetrack so that the two of us could battle heads-up,” said Santos in victory lane. “Racing against competition like that is always valuable, and it’s cool to be part of Hy-Miler weekend with the sprints and supermodifieds racing on the same card.
“This is a great win for our team, and we’ll just keep working toward even more.”
Schultz did what he could to stay with Santos in the closing stages, but had to settle for second in the end. It was, however, the home-state driver’s best finish so far this season.
“I wouldn’t say that he [Santos] snookered me, but that he just had a better car,” said Schultz. “I just couldn’t get off the corner … in turn two, but to finish second after the season we’ve had so far … it feels like a win.”
Mike McVetta, who ran double duty by competing both with Must See Racing and the ISMA supermodifieds, finished third in the Dick Myers Racing sprinter after starting eighth.
Five-time series champion Jimmy McCune was fourth after having to drop to the tail for the initial start due to replacing a loose oil plug following his initial push start. Kevin Mingus closed the top five.
Sixth through 10th were Dorman Snyder, Luke Griffith, point leader Joe Liguori, Tom Geren, and fast qualifier Colton Bettis.
Bettis, the standout 14-year-old rookie driving for car owner Aaron Pierce, started off the evening with his first-ever Must See Racing Quick Time Award but was inverted to sixth in the feature lineup and fought a throttle linkage issue later in the race. He was the final driver to fall out and finished 10th.
Two-time defending Must See Racing Maxima Midwest Lights champion Cody Gallogly won the companion crate sprint car main event, using a restart on lap 13 of 25 to take the top spot from Andrew Bogusz and leading the rest of the way.
It was a special win for Gallogly, who was not only celebrating a birthday at the track, but whose stepson Blane was also assisting with the public address call of Friday’s Midwest Lights race.
“You can’t ask for much more than that,” Gallogly noted with a smile.
Bogusz hung on to finish second after leading the first 12 laps, with J.J. Henes completing the podium ahead of Sawyer Stout and Charlie Baur.
Polesitter Brandon Tregembo crashed in turn four with 12 laps complete, while running inside the top five, and failed to finish. He was credited with 12th in the final results.
Must See Racing teams head next to Ohio’s Midvale Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Winged 410 sprint cars are a rarity at Sandusky Speedway. In fact, this will be only the fourth time 410’s have graced Sandusky Speedway. Jeff Gordon won an All Star Circuit of Champions event in 1989, also on a Wednesday night. Aaron Pierce captured a HOSS / AVSS event in 2013. Jimmy McCune won a MSR event at the speedway on August 25, 2019, the last time 410’scompeted at the historic ½ mile speedway. Another interesting fact, this will be one of only three winged pavement sprint car races on a ½ mile track or larger in the entire country in 2024.
The official entry list is stout, very stout, for Wednesday night’s event. Nearly 20 of the best in the country representing seven states are already entered highlighted by defending 500 Sprint Car champion Kody Swanson. Bobby Santos III, who won a $10,000 to win race in Colorado July 6 is also entered.
Several local drivers will be represented including Luke Griffith, Charlie Schultz, Kevin Mingus, and Adam Biltz.
Other drivers entered include current MSR points leader Joe Liguori, current BG Southern Srint Car Shootout points leader Colton Bettis, Tom Geren, Davey Hamilton Jr., Rick Holley, Bobby Komisarski, Tommy Nichols, Dorman Snyder, Steven Hollinger, and five-time MSR champion Jimmy McCune.
The ‘Fast Car Challenge’ will be in effect for this race. If the fast qualifier elects to accept the challenge, he will automatically receive a $500 bonus with a chance to earn additional bonuses in his heat race and feature event. If he can break the all-time sprint car track record, he will receive an extra $200 courtesy of MSR and Pavement Pounders. The feature inversion will also be 0-4-6.
The event will be part of the annual Hy-Miler Super Modified Nationals and will see the ISMA-MSS Super Modifieds take center stage Friday and Saturday night.
The Midwest Lights will feature a solid group of cars headlined by current MSR Lights Series points leader JJ Henes. The MSR Lights Series will also be in action again Friday night July 26.
General admission tickets are only $!5 for this event. The racing action starts at 7pm and officials have vowed to keep the show moving along to get fans home at a decent hour.
For more information, please visit www.mustseeracing.com or www.sanduskyspeedway.com
July 19, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – The next time the Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Perfit-Parts hits the track, it will do so with an abundance of drivers either living in Florida, or who were born in Florida. Seven drivers in total are entered for the Wednesday July 24 event at Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, Ohio. The event will also feature the Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series to give fans a lot of winged sprint car racing. Open Wheel Modifieds are also on the racing program.
Here are the Florida drivers already committed for the Sandusky event:
Colton Bettis – 14-year-old Lutz, Florida resident who will be making his first-ever MSR start driving for AP Development. He is currently enjoying a sensational 2024 season. Nicknamed “The Bolt”, he is tied for the National Pavement Sprint Car Feature Wins lead with five wins thus far in 2024. He is the current BG Products Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series points leader. Picked up the Dave Steele Sprint Car Championship Series at Showtime Speedway in Pinellas Park, Florida in February.
Shane Butler – Florida born driver who just recently moved to Galveston, Indiana. Three-time T.B.A.R.A. champion as well as the 2014 CCS Wingless Sprint Car champion who is looking for his first MSR victory.
Davey Hamilton Jr. – Current Tampa, Florida driver who already has two feature victories in 2024. 2022 BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series champion. Also, former King of the Wing champion who has had the most pavement sprint car feature victories of any driver in the country the past two seasons. Picked up three MSR wins and a lone USAC Silver Crown Series win in 2023.
Steven Hollinger – Current Melbourne, Florida driver who will be making his first MSR start. Currently has two BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series victories in 2024.
John Inman – Dover, Florida driver who has competed with MSR previously, including twice already in 2024. Two-time BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series champion. Has one feature victory already in 2024.
Joe Liguori – Tampa, Florida born driver who now calls Lebanon, Indiana home. Current MSR points leader. Picked up $10,000 when he captured the co-sanctioned MSR / BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series event in March. Had won previously with the BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series prior to his March win.
Tommy Nichols – Tampa, Florida driver who is a full-time MSR competitor. Already has a Florida victory in 2024. This veteran driver has competed across the country including full-time with the USAC National Sprint Car Series for several years in the 1990’s.
This Sandusky Speedway event will be a real treat for fans of winged pavement sprint car racing. In addition to the Florida contingent, and Midwest Lights Series, it will be a very rare chance to see winged pavement sprint cars compete on a ½ or larger speedway in the entire country this year. In fact, it will be one of only three visits to a ½ or larger speedway for this type of car this year.
This is an event you do not want to miss. Grandstand tickets are only $15, and officials have pledged to keep the show moving, to get fans and competitors headed home as early as possible, since it’s a mid-week race. The event is also a part of multi days of racing as part of the annual HY-Miler Super Modified Nationals.
For More information please visit www.mustseeracing.com or like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
July16, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – Rick Holley hasn’t gotten off to the start that he would have liked this season. But despite his early season disappointment, he has a lot going for him. He currently sits in third place in the Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Perfit-Parts point standings and just became a grandfather to baby girl Francis.
When Holley returns to racing action Wednesday night July 24 at Sandusky Speedway for the next stop on the MSR 2024 title chase he will be in a completely different mindset. He finds himself in the thick of the MSR title chase and now carries the title of grandpa.
“It’s different now being a grandpa” explains Holley. “I don’t get over enough, of course. It’s amazing how 7 pounds can change your perspective on family and life. You’ll probably see her at the track later this summer” Holley proudly stated.
In the meantime, it’s back to business for the “Smoke Show”. Currently sitting third in points, he hopes to move up a position or two before the season ends.
One of the highlights for Holley in 2023 was setting quick time at Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Michigan both times MSR competed there. With new pavement, Holley’s driving style mixed well with the new asphalt. He ended up with the all-time track record at the second event there over Labor Day Weekend. He thought he had a chance to lower it even more before the rains came during the June 22 event just a few weeks ago.
“We’re close right now. The last race at Owosso kinda messed me up. I went out and scuffed some new tires in the final practice before qualifying. Then the rain came, and they used our times from the second practice to set the feature lineup. In the first practice I was second quick. The car in practice felt better than what it did in the fall. I think I had something for them. I’m looking forward to getting back there in the fall”.
Holley relies on his son Chance to do the setups. The duo seems to click everywhere they go and are always competitive.
“A few years ago, I was trying to do the set-up and everything else. One day I told Chance I’m turning all the set-up stuff over to you. You take care of that, and manage that, and I’m gonna drive the car. We talk about everything, but I usually just go with what he suggests. We’ve been good the past couple years”.
Holley is selling his own t-shirts this year with a picture of his car throwing an enormous amount of smoke. The shirts are courtesy of the nickname “Smoke Show” given to him by Joe Liguori.
“I was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of my car with smoke coming off the right rear. Joe Liguori saw it and said, ‘That’s quiet the smoke show’. It’s stuck ever since” laughs Holley.
“I like Sandusky a lot. It’s a track where you must pick your battles. You must decide if you’re gonna drive it hard and stay on the outside or finesse the car and be on the bottom. But I like our chances there. I’m going for a top three, but a win would be great” concluded Holley.
In other Must See Racing news longtime series car owner John Reiser will be returning to competition with driver Adam Biltz at the July 24 Sandusky Speedway event. The Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series will also be in action giving fans a double-header of winged sprint car action.
For more information on Must See Racing please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or visit http://www.mustseeracing.com.
David Sink Photo – Sprint cars battle it out at Sandusky Speedway in 2019
July 11, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – After two failed attempts to get the Must See Racing event at Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway held, the Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Perfit-Parts will attempt to get the event off the ground Wednesday August 24.
Two previously scheduled MSR events were cancelled this spring due to saturated grounds. The area received record amounts of rain for the month of April. Now both the MSR National Series and the Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series will join forces for a mid-week twin-bill of winged sprint car racing. This will be the first time the MSR National Series has competed at Sandusky Speedway for the first time since August 25, 2019.
The MSR Wednesday night event will kick off a busy weekend that will conclude Friday July 26 and Saturday July 27 with the annual Hy-Miler Super Modified Nationals. ISMA-MSS Super Modifieds will roll into town to conclude one of the most iconic open wheel weekends in Northern Ohio.
The early expected entry list for this event is now over 20 cars and may be one of the strongest fields seen in a while. Eight states and Canada make up the expected entry list.
Current MSR champion Joe Liguori headlines a list of expected entrants that also includes former MSR champions Charlie Schultz, Jimmy McCune, and defending series champion Jason Blonde.
Seven-time USAC Silver Crown champion and three-time Little 500 champion Kody Swanson is expected to compete in his first winged pavement sprint car race since 2015. Other drivers expected to compete include Adam Biltz, Jeff Bloom, Shane Butler, Tom Geren, Davey Hamilton Jr., Rick Holley, John Inman, Bobby Komisarski, Ryan Litt, Kevin Mingus, Tommy Nichols, Johnny Petrozelle, Dorman Snyder, Joe Speakman, and Macy Williams.
The expected list also includes Bobby Santos III who won the first two MSR events of the season including the $5,000 to win event at Lancaster, New York in June. Santos is also coming off a $10,000 victory this past Saturday night at Dacono, Colorado. He will be looking to add even more money to his bank account.
MSR officials also announced today that the Midwest Lights Series have been invited to participate in Friday night’s event along with the ISMA-MSS Super Modifieds. The Midwest Lights Series now competes two times in three days. It will be a busy three days for the Midwest Lights Series to say the least. A full field of Midwest Lights Series competitors is expected both days. For more information on Must See Racing please visit http://www.mustseercing.com
Willison, a multi-time asphalt sprint car champion from Langley, British Columbia, raced from fifth to first in eight laps at the three-eighths-mile oval and then led the rest of the way in the No. 50m RAM Engineering Midwest sprinter for legendary car owner Dick Myers.
Despite three caution flags during the 40-lap main event, Willison still drove to a mammoth 10.762-second margin of victory over runner-up Joe Liguori, putting together one of the most impressive Must See Racing performances in recent memory.
“Dick and the whole RAM Engineering crew brought an absolutely outstanding race car to the track this weekend,” said Willison in victory lane. “For an old pail, she rolls hard and I’m honored to be driving it. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities lately to contend for wins, and to come out here and get my first Must See Racing win is a great feeling.”
Aaron Willison (50m) poses in victory lane at Owosso Speedway after winning Saturday’s Must See Racing sprint car feature. (David Sink photo)
Willison’s winning move came courtesy of an outside sweep in turn one, when he drove around early leader and reigning series champion Jason Blonde in commanding fashion.
“In the warm-up laps before the feature, I got up [in the high lane] and felt around a bit, so from that point I knew we had a stellar piece and the field might be in trouble,” he added with a big grin. “I had that move in my back pocket from the drop of the green and we made it pay off there.”
Behind Willison and Liguori, reigning Must See Racing rookie-of-the-year Kevin Mingus crossed the finish line in third place, earning a career-best finish for his family-owned No. Z10 team and putting himself into the conversation of contenders going forward.
Michigan’s Dorman Snyder was fourth and 2022 series champion Charlie Schultz, who started from the pole but had to rally back from a lap-20 spin in turn four, completed the top five.
Rick Holley, John Inman, Tommy Nichols, Teddy Alberts, and reigning series champion Jason Blonde were the balance of the top-10 finishers.
Blonde was in position to finish third Saturday night, but fell out of contention with a broken water line coming to two laps to go in the main event.
Schultz’s spin at the halfway point caused the only yellow flag during the 410 sprint car feature.
By virtue of his runner-up finish, Liguori assumed the unofficial point lead in the battle for the season championship.
In other racing action Saturday, inaugural Must See Racing Maxima Midwest Lights Series champion J.J. Henes opened his 2024 account with a victory in the night’s 30-lap Midwest Lights feature.
The third-generation racer powered from fourth to the lead on the outside lane during the opening lap and never trailed after that, defeating runner-up Andrew Bogusz by 5.858 seconds in the end.
Bogusz and two-time defending series champion Cody Gallogly filled out the podium, followed by sprint car rookie Luke Krick – a three-time Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway track champion – and polesitter Charlie Baur.
Cautions at laps three and eight – both for issues befalling the No. 38 of John Dale Evans – set up a pair of double-file restarts, but Henes got the advantage on the bottom groove both times and was never seriously threatened.
Bogusz eventually passed Gallogly with six laps left after the latter had a right-rear tire that began to delaminate, forcing Gallogly to nurse his familiar No. 27 to the checkered flag.
Scattered showers throughout the evening led to a two-hour rain delay just after qualifying had begun, leading track and series officials to move to an expedited program and scrap time trials and heat races.
As a result, practice times and an inversion dice roll set the lineups for both sprint car classes Saturday, but the weather held off long enough for both feature races to be completed.
Must See Racing will continue its season Friday night, July 5 at Birch Run Speedway and Event Center, where the tour’s national 410 sprint cars will race on the four-tenths-mile and the Midwest Lights will do battle on the facility’s inner, one-third-mile flat track.
For more information, visit the series website at https://mustseeracing.com/.
The results:
410 sprint car feature (40 laps): 1. Aaron Willison, 2. Joe Liguori, 3. Kevin Mingus, 4. Dorman Snyder, 5. Charlie Schultz, 6. Rick Holley, 7. John Inman, 8. Tommy Nichols, 9. Teddy Alberts, 10. Jason Blonde, 11. Bobby Komisarski, 12. Jeff Bloom, 13. Shane Butler, 14. Tom Geren, 15. Joe Speakman (DNS).
Midwest Lights crate sprints (30 laps): 1. J.J. Henes, 2. Andrew Bogusz, 3. Cody Gallogly, 4. Luke Krick, 5. Charlie Baur, 6. Josh Sexton, 7. Brandon Tregembo, 8. Matt Double, 9. Richard Wichtner, 10. J.D. Evans.
