Merritt Speedway
Schlenk earns $5,500 ALMS payday at Merritt
Rusty Schlenk earned $5,500. (Steve Datema)
MERRITT, Mich. (July 6) — Outside front-row starter Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., captured Tuesday’s Who 55 at Merritt Speedway to grab a $5,500 payday and the points lead on the Sunoco American Late Model Series. Schlenk won his third ALMS event of the season and 10th of his career. | Slideshow
Last year’s race winner, Dona Marcoullier of Houghton Lake, Mich., rallied from 11th to finish second while polesitter Tom Sprague Jr. of Muskegon, Mich., was third at the 3/8-mile oval. Scott Baker of Ionia, Mich., rallied from 15th to finish fourth and Andy Chester of Kingsley, Mich., rounded out the top five in the second-ever ALMS feature at Merritt.
Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., who entered the event with a one-point lead on Schlenk in the ALMS standings, advanced six positions to finish seventh.
Notes: Schlenk's Rayburn Race Car is sponsored by Time Out Bar & Grill and Main & Company Inc. ... Schlenk’s 10 career ALMS victories rank him seventh on the all-time list behind Jerry Bowersock, who has 12. ... Adam Thrush of Farwell, Mich., who won last year’s ALMS visit to Merritt, finished 15th. ... Next up for ALMS competitors is a July 23 visit to Hartford (Mich.) Motor Speedway. ... Merritt Speedway’s annual Wood Tic 100 is scheduled for July 16-17, a multidivision event that pays $4,000 to the Late Model winner.
Who 55: (1) Rusty Schlenk, (2) Dona Marcoullier, (3) Tom Sprague Jr., (4) Scott Baker, (5) Andy Chester, (6) Kris Patterson, (7) Brian Ruhlman, (8) Kyle Borgman, (9) Curtis Roberts, (10) Sam Epling, (11) Rich Neiser, (12) Dave Hartman, (13) Kevin Nelson Jr., (14) Devin Shiels, (15) Adam Thrush, (16) Frank Seder, (17) Steve Zakrajsek, (18) Alan Vochaska, (19) Ryan Vanderbeen, (20) Don Marcoullier, (21) Mike Nichols, (22) Adam Erickson. Heat race winners (among 49 cars): Erickson, Nelson, Schlenk, Sprague, Patterson. Consolation winners: Epling, Vochaska. Race of Champions winner: Vochaska.
