Johnny VanDoorn is all smiles in victory lane after scoring the win in the inaugural Battle At Berlin 251 at Berlin Raceway. Photo courtesy CRA Media
The inaugural Battle at Berlin Weekend wrapped up a great weekend of racing at the historic Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS were the headliners for the three-day weekend and the West Michigan crowd witnessed one of their own take home a $15,000 payday as three-time and reigning series Champion, Johnny VanDoorn finally broke through at his home track.
The Coopersville, MI native picked up his second win of the 2013 racing season in two starts, his 15th career Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS victory to move into sole possession of fourth all-time, but in his previous 14 wins, none of those came at his home track, a mere 10 minutes from home, until the first jewel in the $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series.
“I’ve won a few of these races in my career, but this one tops them all,” VanDoorn said. “We’ve been trying since 2006, my first year in the ARCA/CRA Super Series to win one of these races here. Many times we’ve had a car capable of winning, but too often, bad luck would win out, tonight, things went our way and I couldn’t be happier for this team.”
VanDoorn’s night started off with his second EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award of the season over the 35-car field and with the event an extended distance race, he would start the Inaugural Battle at Berlin 251 from the pole position. He was scheduled to start next to 19-year-old Travis Braden, the 2012 ARCA/CRA Rookie of the Year, who won the previous night and was seeking the $5,000 bonus offered by the track if the same driver could win both events during the weekend.
However Braden’s car wouldn’t start once the command to fire the engines was given due to coil wire going bad, which forced him to pit. He would have to start the race from last in the 32-car starting field. This moved T.J. Reaid up to the outside front row starting spot, but it would be VanDoorn grabbing the early lead and after surviving the first of 13 cautions on the first lap.
VanDoorn would pace the field for the first 103 laps of the 251-lap affair with Chad Finley, who after battling with an impressive Kyle Jones for the first 33 laps as both got by Reaid on the start for second and third, would take over second spot. All the while VanDoorn kept Finley at a safe distance behind him to set the early tone of the race by placing several lapped cars between him and Finley.
A caution on lap 102 slowed the field down and the first round of pit stops occurred with all of the lead lap cars coming down pit road for fresh tires and fuel. Ross inherited the lead with Derrick Griffin on his back bumper.
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The most serious incident of the night occurred on lap 138 when Terry VanHaitsma slammed the turn three and four wall collecting Brent Downey, as well as Landon Cling, Tim DeVos and Jay Niewiek in the process. All five drivers were done for the night as the red flag flew to allow for clean-up.
Once the track went back under yellow flag conditions, VanDoorn pitted for the second time of the night. Reaid began to mount a charge as he drove by the new second place driver of Ross Meeuwsen and then Griffin to take over the lead on lap 143. Meeuwsen was able to regroup and after getting past Griffin, he drove back by Reaid on lap 153 to take over the lead for the first time of the night. Another caution flew on lap 156 and Meeuwsen would pit, which gave the lead back to Reaid.
By this time, VanDoorn had charged his way back through the field and found himself on Reaid’s back bumper for the restart. He grabbed the lead away from the Southern Super Series invader on lap 166. Austin Theriault got around Reaid, then set his sights on VanDoorn. However, Meeuwsen made the most of his new tires and fought his way back to the second spot and tried his hand at dethroning VanDoorn from the point.
When one more caution flew on lap 202, VanDoorn pitted, handing the lead back to Meeuwsen. It didn’t take long for VanDoorn’s fresh rubber to take effect as he would grab the lead for the final time on lap 209 and tried to pull away from the rest of the field.
However, Finley would have something to say about that as he overcame two separate issues on pit road as well as being involved in two separate cautions to fight his way back up to second place and within striking distance of VanDoorn. Meanwile, a pair of Georgia speedsters, Bubba Pollard and Reaid, trailed him.
As hard as the trio tried, VanDoorn wasn’t to be denied as he took the checkered flag first to the roar and approval of the partisan home track crowd on hand.
“We were a little tight during the race, but man that last pit stop was awesome,” VanDoorn said. “My guys did a great job and my brother (Crew Chief, Butch VanDoorn) gave me a great car all night long. I’ve never been more proud of any win than I am tonight.”
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