Merritt Speedway
Marcoullier rallies from 13th, captures Who 55
Dona Marcoullier (6) moves around Brian Ruhlman (49). (Jim DenHamer)
MERRITT, Mich. (June 10) — Tuning his car with the extra laps of his consolation race, Dona Marcoullier of Houghton Lake, Mich., maintained that momentum from the previous prelim and raced from the 13th starting spot to victory in the third annual Who 55 at Merritt Speedway. | Slideshow
"It's always good coming out of the B," said the 25-year-old Marcoullier, who started inside the seventh row in the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned 55-lap Wednesday night special.
Marcoullier raced to the front, overtaking outside front-row starter Wayne Chinn of Bradford, Ohio, on the 39th lap between turns three and four. Chinn ended up settling for second after towing more than six hours north. Ninth-starting David Hilliker of Midland, Mich., finished third followed by polesitter Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., and 16th-starting Rich Neiser of Fruitport, Mich.
Notes: Marcoullier is sponsored by Billsby Lumber and Jimmy's Collision. ... The top two finishers (Marcoullier and Wayne Chinn) won the first two features of the season at competitive Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio. ... The previous two Who 55 winners, multitime track champion Frank Seder of Alger, Mich., and Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., weren't entered. ... Jeff Kohn made a last-lap pass of Curt Spalding in the second consolation for the second and final transfer spot. ... The ninth-finishing Kohn piloted the No. 18 normally driven by Rusty Seaver of Stanton, Mich. ... Beside Spalding, other drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Justin McNeill, Terry Sroufe, Joe Pomeroy, Brandon Thirlby and Kevin Nelson Jr. ... Fast qualifier Rob Harden failed to transfer through his heat or consolation but tagged the tail of the feature field. ... RIch Neiser won the Race of Champions. ... The 55-lap feature was slowed by four cautions, all between laps 30-45. ...
Who 55: (1) Dona Marcoullier, (2) Wayne Chinn, (3) David Hilliker, (4) Brian Ruhlman, (5) Rich Neiser, (6) Jeep Van Wormer, (7) Scott Baker, (8) Andy Sprague, (9) Jeff Kohn, (10) Don Marcoullier, (11) Adam Thrush, (12) Devin Shiels, (13) Chris Bradley, (14) Matt Saxton, (15) Rob Harden, (16) Andy Chester, (17) Ryan Vanderveen, (18) Donald Erickson, (19) Mark Andersen. Fast qualifier (among 48 cars): Harden. Heat race winners: Thrush, Chester, Andersen, Chinn, Ruhlman. Consolation winners: Dona Marcoullier, Van Wormer, Don Marcoullier. Provisional starter: Harden.
Correction: Adds UMP sanctioning and other details.
