Mt. Pleasant, MI (Saturday, August 11, 2018) – The American Ethanol Modified Tour Presented by Allstar Performance (AEMODT) played host of the Third Annual Tommie Bauer Memorial Presented by YellowHose.com from Mt. Pleasant Speedway. The event, organized by AEMODT driver Chad Bauer, featured an impressive payout, with nearly $23,000 in purse money handed out at the end of the night.
Forty of the area’s best UMP Modified drivers from the Great Lakes area made the trip to try and claim the prize and the honor of winning the Third Annual Tommie Bauer Memorial Race. The event started with Motul Motor Oil and Lubricants Qualifying, featuring four groups of cars. Group one was led by Curt Spalding, who turned a lap of 15.412 seconds around the 0.285 mile oval. Group two was led by Brian Ruhlman at 15.124, a lap good enough for the Motul Motor Oil and Lubricants overall fast qualifier award. Jacob Poel led the way in group three with a time of 15.568 and Dave Baker lead group four at a 15.802 second lap time.
As part of the Third Annual Tommie Bauer Memorial Race, a six car dash was held featuring the fastest six qualifiers overall. Ruhlman, Jamie Lomax, Nathan Loney, Spalding, Poel, and Andy Galgoci made up the field for the six lap dash. The race went uninterrupted and Ruhlman picked up the victory.
Four heat races were scheduled on the night but featured another difference from the regular AEMODT format. The first four cars transferred directly into the main event, while cars five through seven went to the B-Main and cars finishing seventh on back went to the C-Main. Allstar Performance Heat Race number one featured six caution flags and a red flag, five of such yellows were due to on-track accidents. Of the accidents featured a turn four pileup that included Rick Gokee, Austin Harnick, and Mark Beard, Jr. The race came down to a green-white-checkered overtime finish that saw Spalding out race Chad Spencer by four-one-hundredths of a second at the line. Other heat race winners were Nathan Loney, Curtis Deisenrtoh, and John Taylor.
In the Allstar Performance C-Main, AEMODT regular and fourth place points driver Collin Thirlby started near the back and was charged for a lap two caution that sent him to the tail. Thirlby drove back through the field to take the lead on lap 10 and bring home the win to transfer to the B-main; other transfers were Josh Knoll, Luke Hubble, and Andy Galgoci. The Bilstein Shock Absorbers B-Main saw Chad Bauer pick up the win, finishing ahead of Brent Banning, Kyle Novak, and Collin Thirlby who all transferred to the main event.
That all set the stage for the 40 lap Tommie Bauer Memorial Race Presented by YellowHose.com. The race got off to a slow start that featured a lap six pile-up, triggered by Poel who got sideways going into turn three, taking Banning, Caleb Kill, Bauer, Paul Johnson, and Novak along with him – all cars were able to continue in the event. Several other minor incidents slowed the race throughout the evening, but the story was watching David Mielke work his way through the field.
Mielke, who started the event 11th, was the sole car on the outside of the semi-banked oval who was making passes. Mielke, who took the lead after a big move into turns three and four passing for second and the top spot in one corner, took the top spot at the half-way point with 20 laps to go. A late race caution closed things up and allowed Jeffery Erickson, Jr. a four lap attempt to take the lead however, Mielke was able to hold him off for the win and the $2,519 pay day.
Next up for the AEMODT is today’s NAPA Auto and Truck Parts 30 from Lake City, Michigan’s Merritt Speedway. The event is the first double-header of the 2018 season for the AEMODT, and the third trip to Merritt thus far. If you can’t make the trip, log onto aemodt.com and click “Race Day Live” to enjoy flag-to-flag coverage of the race, presented by Motorsports Broadcasting of Michigan, as well as LIVE timing and scoring powered by Motor City Racing Promotions.
Stay up to date with the AEMODT by following them on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Official news and information including schedule, points standings, and more are available at aemodt.com.
Tommie Bauer Memorial A-Main Presented by YellowHose.com
1. 87 David Mielke
2. 1E Jeffery Erickson Jr.
3. 36L Jamie Lomax
4. 47 Collin Thirlby
5. 49 Brian Ruhlman
6. 19 Chad Bauer
7. 82 Jacob Poel
8. 15B Dave Baker
9. 5CS Curt Spalding
10. 2D Curtis Deisenroth
11. 99 Brent Banning
12. 77 Joe Rokos
13. 21W Brad Wilson
14. 12 John McClure
15. 313 Clayton Smith
16. 10 Bradley Jameson
17. 3T John Taylor
18. 24N Kyle Novak
19. 4J Paul Johnson
20. 39 Chad Spencer
21. 92 Caleb Kill
22. 10L Nathan Loney
Bilstein Shock Absorbers B-Main
1. 19 Chad Bauer
2. 99 Brent Banning
3. 24N Kyle Novak
4. 47 Collin Thirlby
5. 92 Caleb Kill
6. 87K Josh Knoll
7. 0 Garrett Jameson
8. 9 Garrett Rons
9. 4J Paul Johnson
10. 13 Andy Galgoci
11. 26P Michael Patrick
12. 15H Austin Harnick
13. 77D Anthony Deming
14. 23 Luek Hubbell
15. 15R Rich Robinson
Allstar Performance C-Main
1. 47 Collin Thirlby
2. 87K Josh Knoll
3. 23 Luke Hubbell
4. 13 Andy Galgoci
5. 71 Larry Passenier
6. 29 Steve Shellienberger
7. 96 Richard Swan
8. 38 David Boeing
Poet BioFuels Heat 4
1. 3T John Taylor
2. 12 John McClure
3. 15B Dave Baker
4. 10 Bradley Jameson
5. 19 Chad Bauer
6. 15R Rich Robinson
7. 4J Paul Johnson
8. 87K Josh Knoll
9. 38 David Boeing
10. 47 Collin Thirlby
Lane Automotive Heat 3
1. 2D Curtis Deisenroth
2. 87 David Mielke
3. 1E Jeffery Erickson Jr.
4. 82 Jacob Poel
5. 24N Kyle Novak
6. 77D Anthony Deming
7. 9 Garrett Rons
8. 71 Larry Passenier
9. 06 Jarrett Randel
10. 22S Brian Speelman
Zoye Vegatable Oil Heat 2
1. 10L Nathan Loney
2. 36L Jamie Lomax
3. 48 Brian Ruhlman
4. 313 Clayton Smith
5. 99 Brent Banning
6. 92 Caleb Kill
7. 0 Garrett Jameson
8. 13 Andy Galgoci
9. 29 Steve Shellienberger
10. 96 Richard Swan
YellowHose.com Mobile App Heat 1
1. 5CS Curt Spalding
2. 39 Chad Spencer
3. 21W Brad Wilson
4. 77 Joe Rokos
5. 15H Austin Harnick
6. 26P Michael Patrick
7. 18 Chase Burda
8. 23 Luke Hubbell
9. 31G Rick Gokee
10. 28 Mark Beard
Six Car Dash
1. 49 Brian Ruhlman
2. 10L Nathan Loney
3. 36L Jamie Lomax
4. 82 Jacob Poel
5. 5CS Curt Spalding
6. 13 Andy Galgoci
Awards
Allstar Performance Hard Charger: 47 Collin Thirlby
CompCams Halfway Leader: 87 David Mielke
ARP Most Laps Lead: 87 David Mielke
Quarter Master Move of the Race: 87 David Mielke
Dirty Girl Raceway P10 Award: *2D Curtis Deisenroth
Motul Motor Oil Fast Qualifier: *49 Brian Ruhlman
Lane Automotive Member A: 1E Jeffery Erickson Jr.
QuickCar Member B: 9 Garrett Rons
* = Non-Member, not eligible to receive award certificate