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Update 8/13/2024 From Brian Ledford:
Kaleva-
Blue Oval Battle XII certainly was a memorable event for the racers this past weekend. Ford Motor Company racers kept it close nearly all weekend before losing the final tally by a score of 212-198.
Jason McClelland had a brief introduction to Northern Michigan Dragway in 2022 after crashing into the guardrail at a no prep event downstate at Onondaga Dragway the same weekend as NMD's Blue Oval Battle X. Devoting his racing efforts to NMD in 2023, He didn't exactly make a quick rise in the standings of Bracket II. His best finish was a third-round exit in Blue Oval Battle VI. Third round doesn't pay anything, so his total winnings in Bracket II last season were non-existent and he finished 96th in the standings.
Earlier this year, his Chevy Camaro decided to do some violent wheelstands. He just about put it back into the guardrail while crossing the centerline at the Bonfire Salute event in May. Even though he had broken parts, he earned his first-ever Bracket II winnings with a fourth-round exit that weekend. Fast-forward three months and McClelland found himself in an 8th-round final against a newcomer to NMD, Joe Wright from Lawton with his Chevy Monza. $10,000 was on the line for the winner. Wright crossed the finish-line first, but was too quick on his dial prediction, handing McClelland his first-ever victory with a $10,000 payday. After splits, Wright still earned $4,500 while semi-final finishers Brad Harris and Dylan Walker each got $2,000 after securing multiple round-win points for the Blue Oval fans.
Jason Preston of Six Lakes got the Saturday Bracket I $3,000 win with his dragster, defeating Muskegon's Thomas Whitaker in the finale. Whitaker was on a mission to take two victories with his Chevy Camaro this weekend, as he pulled off the Friday night $2,000 win in the class over Bud Roof of East Jordan. Whitaker moved into sole possession of first place in the Authentic 231 points standings with the stellar weekend performance.
Chad Brintnell of McBain drove a Ford Maverick to the big win for $2,000 on Friday night in Bracket II. Cody Near of Roscommon captured the Top Doorslammer $2,100 victory with his Chevy Camaro. Pro Trophy had a pair of racers cash in for over $1,000. Phil Anderson of Maple City won Friday with his Pontiac Phoenix, while Ted Green of Manistee won Saturday with a Chevy S-10.
NMD is idle for Labor Day Weekend, while it prepares for a busy September finale. Full weekend results are listed below.
AKA Manistee County Dragway
Eighth-mile dragstrip in Manistee County. Owned & operated by Tom & Sharon Ledford. Track managers Wayne & Brian Ledford. Track first opened Memorial Day 1970. TSI timing system. Fully lighted for night racing. 30 acre paved expansion spring 2017. 120' new concrete launch pad for 2016 season. New concrete burn boxes, expanded staging lanes and tower expansion in 2018. Complete resurfacing of race track from 60' to finish line in 2021 in addition to more paved pit roads, return roads and staging lanes.
This time, it's Ford's turn to take on all other contenders. A great forecast has racers eager to get on track with this weekend's Blue Oval Battle 10.0 at Northern Michigan Dragway.
This Ford vs. World scorecard has been a nail-biter the past few seasons. Last year's event ended in a tie score, as an 8th-round Pro Trophy final decided the outcome.
Sponsored by C. Petersen and Sons Trucking and Excavating, along with Manistee Ford, this event will determine the championship for NMD's Top Doorslammer 2022 season.
Sean Nagy of Houghton Lake took a convincing championship at Mopars Against the World last month, setting another new track record for doorslammers. With his Ford Mustang's victory and bonus points for being #1 qualifier, Nagy moved into 3rd place in the season standings with 51 points. Ron Brow of Belmont is holding onto the lead in the class with his "Blue Mamba" '66 Chevy II, while Bill Heiges of Beulah is currently 2nd with his classic '37 Chevy. With up to 41 points up-for-grabs in the $2,500 to win race, any of the top 6 racers in the standings have a legitimate shot at taking the championship. Two qualifying rounds will take place Friday evening, and the 3 round main event goes down throughout Saturday evening.
A whopping $10,000 will go to the winner of Bracket II on Saturday evening, and $3,000 to the Bracket I winner. Friday evening will have great competition in both classes, as each competes for $2,000 to win. Over $40,000 in total payouts is set to be disbursed.
Action begins on Thursday evening with time trials starting at 4 pm for all classes, and will feature eliminations for Street Trophy and Junior divisions. Friday and Saturday both feature an 11am start time, with eliminations set to be underway at approximately 2 pm each day.
More info can be found on the NMD website at NorthernMichiganDragway.com. NMD is located three miles north of Kaleva on Potter Road.