VanMeter Grabs CRA Win; McManus, Lechota Grab Local Wins at Birch Run

📸 Aubrey Diebert

Birch Run, MI - Birch Run Speedway and officials with the Turn One CRA Pro Series welcomed fans and drivers into the facility for the running of the VanDoorn Racing Development Dixie 100 under near-perfect weather conditions.  A huge fan turnout was treated to a three-class show featuring the O’Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modifieds and Showcase Auto Sales Street Stocks, joining the Turn One CRA Pro Series in action.

Albert Francis set the pace for the Turn One CRA Pro Series with a 15.585.  David McManus led the field in qualifying for the O’Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modifieds, turning a 16.259 lap.  Nick Lechota paced the Showcase Auto Sales Street Stocks field with a 17.090 time.

Brendan Marr picked up his first Street Stock Heat race win, and Nick Lechota grabbed heat race win number two for the Showcase Auto Sales Street Stocks.  O’guinn Family Funeral Homes Modified heat wins went to Al Berry and Nick Clemens.

After pre-race ceremonies concluded, the field rolled off for the Dixie 100.  Billy VanMeter and Albert Francis brought the field to green, with VanMeter taking the lead from the pole.  The top three of VanMeter, Francis, and Chase Pinsonneault opened up a gap over fourth through seventh, where Jimmy Tucker, Dan Leeck, and Blake Rowe all battled.  Francis dropped out of the race on lap 20, handing second spot to Pinsonneault.  Rowe made his way past Tucker and then, five laps later, got by Leeck to move into third.

A caution with 63 laps to go bunched the field up and lined up VanMeter on the inside and Pinsonneault to his outside for the ensuing restart.  VanMeter got to the lead as Rowe got to the inside of Pinsonneault to take over second.  The field battled around the four-tenths mile while VanMeter opened up a healthy lead up front.  At the halfway mark, Rowe maintained second over Pinsonneault, Leeck, and Tyler Lupton.  The field was shown the caution on lap 87 for running 50 consecutive laps under green. 

VanMeter elected the inside for the restart, and Rowe went to his outside with Pinsonneault and Leeck in row two.  Rowe cleared VanMeter in turns three and four on the high side and took the lead at the line.  With 10 laps to go, the top five were Rowe, VanMeter, Pinsonneault, Lupton, and Leeck.  VanMeter powered back to the inside of Rowe in turn one with seven laps to go and would go on to claim victory in the VanDoorn Racing Development Dixie 100.  Rowe held on for second over Pinsonneault, Lupton, and Leeck.

The Showcase Auto Sales Street Stocks had Bob Farley and Rob Sullivan on the front row for the start of their feature.  Sullivan led off turn four to complete lap one as Farley, Duane Damon, and Jakle Thompson were in a cluster.  Fast qualifier Nick Lechota moved into third around Thompson, and as Damon moved into second, he went to his outside in turn three.  Down in turn one, Lechota utilized the high line to get around Sullivan as Damon pressed for the lead as well.  Lechota came out ahead and would go on to score his fourth feature win of 2026.  Thompson finished second with Sullivan, Farley, and Chaz Taylor completing the top five.

A caution at the completion of lap one reset the field for the start of the O’Guinn Family Funeral Homes Modified feature.  Matt Mueller and Nick Clemens, who was involved in the caution, led the field to the green.  Clemens got by Mueller to take the lead as former Rookie of the Year Luke Warhurst moved by Mueller into second and David McManus followed suit.  A lap 10 caution erased Clemens’ lead and put Warhurst to his outside.  Warhurst didn’t get a great restart, but got a reprieve with a quick caution.  On the next restart, Warhurst powered alongside Clemens and took the lead away on the high side coming off of turn four.  Warhurst held the lead, but three-time track Champion, David McManus hounded him for the lead for several laps before finally getting by with six laps to go to return to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Victory Lane.  Warhurst finished second, Tim Ryan third, Clemens fourth, and Al Berry fifth.

This Friday will see the inaugural visit by the Tri-State Sprints as the winged warriors tackle the four-tenths mile along with the Limited Late Models competing in the Wilson and Son’s Challenge Series and the Finish Line Seamless Gutters Pure Stocks.  The Sport Compacts and the Outlaw Figure 8s will all tackle the third mile for an action-packed night of racing!  Advanced tickets can be purchased at www.birchrunevents.com