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Tempers were running hot Friday, July 31 at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway as the track hosted a Taco Boy sponsored Mt. Pleasant and Clare Automotive Stock Mini $400 to win feature special! This was in additionto a full show in their Miller Lite UMP Late Model, Chuck’s Discount Foods UMP Modified, Smokers Club Street Stock and NAPA Modified Mini Stock classes.
Prior to the racing action beginning, Taco Boy owner Bob Baltierrez, known to fans as “Taco Bob,” brought his No. 711 Stock Mini over to the main grandstands for fans to sign.
Up first in the main event lineup were the Smokers Club Street Stocks. A 12-car field took the green flag with No. 55 Joe Pomeroy, who was driving double duty on the night with a car also in the Late Model class. Pomeroy jumped out front and held the lead for the entire race in picking up his first feature win of the season. Pomeroy was followed across the line by No. 11 Josh Loomis, who started ninth, and No. 87 David Mielke, who began 12th. Rounding out the top five were No. 51 Mike Fecko and No 49 Greg Tragis.
A strong field of Stock 4s then came out onto the racing surface for the Taco Boy sponsored Stock Mini $400 event. The event was co-sponsored by driver No. 62 Steve Keeler. A late race caution took out the cars of rookie No. 13 Richie Haynes and Baltierrez and No. 37 Patrick McNamara. McNamara was ruled as the caution car after spinning Haynes. Baltierrez then could not stop in time and ran into the back of McNamara, causing his truck to overturn. Since McNamara was the caution car and Baltierrez could not continue, McNamara was sent to the pits. Newcomer No. 12 Charles Peterson II celebrated his first trip to Mt. Pleasant Speedway by capturing the $400 to win feature unofficially over Keeler, No. 28 Rob Nieman, No. 11X Randy Clingan and Haynes. 
The Chuck’s Discount Foods UMP Modifieds were up next for their feature event. A caution-filled event would eventually find No. 0X Zack Olger, another driver doing double duty with cars in the Modified and Late Model classes, doing battle with rookie No. 13 Andrew Galgoci. Galgoci took the lead from the drop of the green flag and led much of the race until Olger found his way by. Then Galgoci and Olger would fight it out for the win, but as the checkered flag flew, Galgoci was unable to find his way around Olger and had to settle for second place, still his best feature finish ever in a Modified. Galgoci would also pick up his first career win earlier in the night by getting a victory in a Modified heat race. The rest of the Modified feature top five unofficially included No. 43 Kevin Miller, No. 15 Rich Robinson Jr. and No. 71 Darrin Easlick.
The NAPA Modified Mini Stock class then rolled out for their feature. No. 68 Trever Fedewa looked poised early on for his first feature win of the season. However, as the race progressed No. 29 Jeff Fowler and No. 21 Derick Neitling, who have been battling it out all season long, again gave battle. Fowler would get the victory to increase his points lead over Neitling, who would settle for second place in the feature. The remaining top five included No. 89 Mark Eastman and No. 25 Cindy Malcolm.
The Miller Lite UMP Late Models came out last on the night for their feature event. During the event the class of the cars of No. 6M Dona Marcoullier, No. OX Zack Olger and No. X1 Justin Robinson formed a three-car breakaway. Marcoullier had the lead, with Olger and Robinson in hot pursuit. Marcoullier kept the lead as Robinson found his way to second. Eventually Marcoullier would find his way into lapped traffic and maneuver carefully through the traffic. When the checkered flag came out Marcoullier got another feature win in his dominating 2009 season. After Marcoullier, the top five would be Robinson, Olger, No. 117 Kevin Reeve and No. 28 Sam Epling.
Following the Late Model feature, tempers erupted as No. 18 Alvie Haynes, who ran inside the top five early on, got into the back of Epling’s car following the race and then Epling climbed from his car an threw punches at Haynes, who was inside his car at the time. Haynes climbed from his car and went after Epling, but as restrained by track safety officials.
This Friday, Aug. 7 is a full show of racing plus Mt. Pleasant and Clare Automotive Night and the third annual Carl McCrumb Memorial Street Stock $300 feature. My wife, Debbie, and I are sponsors of the Smokers Club Street Stock feature this week as we pay tribute to my late grandfather Carl McCrumb, a former racer at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway who died in 1998. This week’s Street Stock feature winner receives the $300, which is a bonus of an extra $100, and a plaque in from my wife and I.