2008 Boyne Machine Race Weekend will be a record-breaker

January 7, 2008

MARNE, MI -- Plans are shaping up for the third annual Boyne at Berlin presented by Wolverine Power Systems, scheduled for September 12 and 13, and the spectacular race weekend will boast an incredible seven different racing divisions competing for their share of the highest-paying purse in Berlin Raceway history.

The two-day show, managed by Boyne Machine company of Jenison, has a $130,000 (and growing) purse. All five of Berlin Raceway's local divisions, plus the travelling CRA Super Series and USA Modified Series, will compete in a 7-in-1 special event that is expected to jam-pack more than 200 race cars into the program for more than 500 laps of feature racing.

A new and unique aspect to this race weekend is the arrangement that Boyne Machine has with Berlin Raceway. Boyne Machine co-owner Mike Blackmer has rented the track for the weekend from Berlin Raceway in a deal that will allow Boyne Machine the authority to organize and promote the event.

Berlin Raceway Director of Operations Mike Strevel said the track rental by Boyne Machine was the next logical step in growing this race event.

"We worked very closely with Mike Blackmer to promote the 2006 and 2007 Boyne Machine race weekends, which were his vision from the start," Strevel said. "We've now arrived at the point where we feel comfortable handing the event over to him and giving him the liberty to set it up however he chooses. Berlin Raceway promotes 26-some events per season, but Boyne Machine and Blackmer have this one weekend that they can devote all their energy into creating the perfect event for the racers and the fans. We're fully behind Blackmer and will help him out in any way possible. I look forward to this being the crown jewel of the 2008 season!"

Blackmer said the combination of huge prize money and the exciting racing line-up will make this a knockout of a show. "This event is tailored to the true racers and the true race fans," Blackmer said. "If you like racing, it's not going to get any better than this."

The Boyne at Berlin was created in 2006 with a $75,000 purse that, at the time, was one of the richest in Berlin Raceway's history. The race was expanded in 2007 to include the CRA Super Series and an overall purse of $95,000, with well over 100 race cars competing. This year's event is growing further with the addition of Berlin's hot new 4-Cylinder division and the USA Modified Series, which is an exciting Midwest-based open-wheel series.

Other changes to the race format will also add to the excitement, including feature racing on both Friday and Saturday nights (instead of just qualifying and heat events on Day 1). In addition, the Coors Light Late Model division race format is friendly to out-of-towners, who typically don't qualify as well as the local racers on their home track, by offering both an Out-Of-Towners and a Locals qualifying race. This change is expected to draw the top racers from tracks around the Midwest. And in order to fit all the qualifying and race events into the two-day weekend, practice sessions have been added on Thursday, September 11, effectively making this the first-ever three-day event in Berlin history. Camping will be available on the grounds from Thursday to Sunday. Racing will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Tentative schedule of events for the weekend is as follows:

Thursday, September 11, 5 to 9 p.m.:
Practice for all divisions

Friday, September 12, 6 p.m.:
USA Modifieds feature
Coors Light Late Model "Locals" 40-lap feature (must have finished in top 20 in points at least once in the last five years) - top 10 lock in to feature
Coors Light Late Model "Out-Of-Towners" 40-lap feature - top 10 lock in to feature
Heat races for Super Stock, Pro Stock and Sportsman divisions
4-Cylinder $500-to-win 20-lap feature
School Bus Races
CRA Qualifying

Saturday, September 13, 6 p.m.:
CRA Super Series $10,000-to-win 125-lap feature
USA Modifieds 40-lap $1,200-to-win feature
Coors Light Late Model $5,000-to-win 100-lap feature
Engine Pro Super Stock $1,500-to-win 50-lap feature
De-Jay Slick Truck Pro Stock $1,000-to-win 40-lap feature
Instant Cash Advance Sportsman $750-to-win 30-lap feature
4-Cylinder $500-to-win 20-lap feature

Tickets for Friday's events, which include the ever-popular School Bus Races, are $12 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Saturday tickets run $18 for adults and $9 for children, and a two-day packaged ticket price is $28 for adults and $14 for children. A rain date is reserved for October 17 and 18. Berlin Raceway's 2008 season presented by Comerica Bank opens on Saturday, April 12. Season tickets and tickets for groups of 10 or more are available now; individual race tickets will go on sale in March. Visit www.boyneatberlin.com for complete race information.