8/22/2025
I-96 Speedway
Stemler Captures Win #100 On Kids Night!!
Feature Winners 8/8/25
UMP LM-#4 Travis Stemler
HUBBCO IMCA Mods-#12 Jeff Reay
Pro Stocks-#35 Billy Trueblood Jr.
Street Stocks-#65 Bill Brandt Jr.
Compacts-#11 Dominic Morehouse
MW Unrestricted-#42jr Vivian Nelson
MW Restricted-#85 Axel Smith
Friday August 8th was kids night at I-96 Speedway and all the fans had an opportunity to step out on the Speedway and meet their favorite drivers. Prizes, giveaways, and alot of other cool things for all the fans in attendance was what the evening offered along with the usual action packed dirt track racing.
It was an historic night for one of our local drivers in the UMP Late Model class. Travis Stemler won his first Feature back in 2006 in the Street Stock division at I-96 Speedway, so it would only be fitting to collect Feature win number 100 at the very same track, this time winning in UMP Late Model action. The race would start with #21 Logan Nickerson leading lap 1 from the pole but be quickly overtaken by #18 Chase Burda. Chase looked like he was in line to capture the checkered until a late race caution bunched the field back up. Before that caution came out, Stemler, who was running 3rd in the bottom groove along with Nickerson and Burda, would jump to the outside to see if there was anything up there. After the caution, turns out there was as Stemler would use the high side to take the lead on lap 15 and never look back going on to visit victory lane for his 100th career Feature win. 1st-#4 Travis Stemler 2nd-#21 Logan Nickerson 3rd-#18 Chase Burda 4th-#27 Eric Spangler 5th-#42 Chad Finley. Heat winners were Stemler and Nickerson and fast time was a 15.762 also by Stemler. So a complete sweep on an already historic night for the 4 team.
Every week, point leader, “The Real Deal” Jeff Reay, seems to have tough odds to overcome, and somehow, every week, he overcomes them. This week would be no different as it would have the #12 machine starting from the 10th position trying to get by some of the best Modified drivers in the nation and we would see him succeed to capture feature win number 6 at I-96 for the 2025 season. The race would begin with “The Portland Powerhouse” Casey Smith leading the first 3 laps with a brand new power plant in the #83. Smith would be overtaken by veteran driver, #7 Myron Deyoung, on lap 4. Deyoung would hold the lead until lap 13 when Reay finally found his way through the field to take the lead on lap 14 and cruise to victory. 1st-#12 “The Real Deal” Jeff Reay 2nd-#7 Myron Deyoung 3rd-#71 Brenten Deyoung 4th-#19jr Kody Johnson 5th-#05 Ryan Heskett. Heat winners were Johnson and Myron Deyoung.
Domination is a word mentioned many times when discussing the Pro Stock division at I-96 Speedway. And, that domination is by the Trueblood Racing Team. Nine times this season, we have lined a feature up, and 8 of those 9 times, #35 Billy Trueblood Jr. has been the victor. This evening, after watching the #77 of Rob Brillhart win the heat easily, and lead at the start of the feature for 6 of the first 7 laps,fans thought it might be the night the 35 was denied victory, but fans were wrong. Trueblood would get around Brillhart on lap number 8 and set sail to the Lane Automotive/Allstar Performance Victory Lane for his 8th Feature win of the season. 1st-#35 Billy Trueblood Jr. 2nd-#77 Rob Brillhart 3rd-#87 Rob Putt. As mentioned, Brillhart was the heat winner.
The point battle for the season in Street stocks has been tight all year and got a little tighter this Friday night. The night would start with just 8 points separating leader, #67 Carlind Forsythe, from 2nd place, #65 Bill Brandt Jr. Both drivers are consistently in the hunt for victories, but this evening would see the 65 team sweep the night by winning the heat and feature. But, Forsythe would finish 3rd in the heat and right behind Brandt in the feature to only gain 1 point on the leader. So, now there is just a 7 point gap from 1st to 2nd. Bill Brandt Jr. would start 3rd, but grab the lead right away and never relinquish it, to go on to take the win. 1st-#65 Bill Brandt Jr. 2nd-#67 Carlind Forsythe 3rd-#96 Mike Lynn 4th-#46 David Schmidt 5th-#27 Peyton Cunningham. And again, as mentioned, Brandt also won the heat.
Some very fast cars came out to I-96 Speedway in our Compact class and put on an absolute banger of a show to close the night out. The nights feature winner would come all the way from Ashley, Indiana. Starting on the pole, #11 Dominic Morehouse, would take off to dominate the compact feature to park it in victory lane. Our point leader, #14 “The Muskegon Missile” Jordan Siegel, would put pressure on Morehouse and even had a few laps where he had a shot, but Morehouse proved to be too strong out front to overtake and would claim the checkers. 1st-#11 Dominic Morehouse 2nd-#14 “The Muskegon Missile” Jordan Siegel 3rd-#00 “Madman” Mike Currier 4th-#70 Nick Williams 5th-#49 Austin Terryn. Heat races were won by #88 Estevan Martinez and Morehouse.
The Unrestricted Mini Wedge (10-14) would be full of action and passing as some of the faster, more experienced drivers would have to work their way through the field. It was full of great racing and would be won by a driver coming out for the first time this year, #42jr Vivian Nelson. 1st-#42jr Vivian Nelson 2nd-#73A Alexis McMillan 3rd-#37 “Baby Shark” Robert Sternberg Jr. 4th-#71k Karsyn Crosby 5th-#9 Braden Yonker. Heat winners were Sternberg and Crosby.
It's been quite a battle all season between two young drivers in our Restricted Mini Wedge (6-9) division. Every week, either #85 “Wild Child” Axel Smith or #6 Lola Stemler, are the feature Winners and this week it would be Smith using a lapped car on the last lap to claim victory. Stemler would lead most of the race until choosing to pass a slower car on the outside allowed Smith to shoot to the inside of both drivers to take the top spot and go on to victory. 1st-#85 “Wild Child” Axel Smith 2nd-#99 Gwenlynn Nelson 3rd-#6 Lola Stemler. Nelson and Stemler would win the heats.
August 15th is the next night to catch some great dirt track racing action at I-96 Speedway as Sprint Cars invade the Speedway for round 2 of The Battle of The Sprints with both Great Lakes Super Sprints and Great Lakes Traditional Sprints coming out for Racing action. Don't miss your chance to watch high flying action this Friday at I-96 Speedway “Where Excitement Lives”!!
Photo Credit: Just Shoot Me Photography & Design by Katie
Article Credit: Jeremy Crash Pearson
Submitted By: Justin Sharp
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