9/21/2025
Birch Run Speedway
Big hits and big wins highlight Birch Run's final Eve of Destruction!
The Monster X Metals and Gold Eve of Destruction finale of 2025 featured more carnage, chaos, and thrills, as well as Pit Bikes! For the first time, Birch Run Speedway and Event Center welcomed The Damned Wheels Club to present Pit Bike and Mini Moto racing. Joel Stockton took the win in Pit Bike Race one. Nine-year-old Owen Smith garnered the win in Mini Moto race one. Josh Heiser picked up Pit Bike Race two, and Jason Bradley won the Lemans-style start Super Moto. Birch Run Speedway looks forward to the group coming back in 2026!
The regular Destruction divisions kicked off with the Pull Race. Close calls between all the vehicles and spin-outs didn't deter Justin Pepitone and Gery Persails Jr. The duo held off Anthony Richardson and Maverick Morrow to take their second Pull Race of the season.
The Push Race featured one of the closest finishes in recent memory. Anthony Richardson and Justin Pepitone raced each other hard around the third mile as they kept their teammates on their front bumpers. Richardson and teammate Cody Luark had the lead on the white flag entering turn three when Pepitone tried to get to the outside. Richardson and Luark edged Pepitone to visit victory lane while Maverick Morrow finished third.
The Back-to-School Race featured the same craziness that happens when you mix nearly 40 vehicles and a bus. Maverick Morrow made no mistakes as he bobbed and weaved around other competitors and the bus to win ahead of Andrew Burton and Doug Hennessy.
A first-time winner emerged victorious in the Front Wheel Drive Flagpole Race. Zaine Stacey mastered getting around the flagpoles and other drivers to take his first Birch Run Speedway destruction checkered flag! Kenneth McNarney brought home his 006 in second for his highest finish. Third was Caitlin Scully.
Justin Pepitone grabbed his second checkered flag of the night, winning the Rear Wheel Drive Flagpole Race. Anthony Richardson finished second, and Gerry Persails Jr was third.
The 25-lap Oval Enduro win went to Maverick Morrow. Maverick started near the front and navigated the back of the field, beating Anthony Richardson and Doug Hennessy to the stripe first.
A trio of Figure 8 races closed out the night for the fans. First up was the Figure 8 Enduro, and as has been the case all season, the drivers did not disappoint. Near misses in the intersection, bent metal, and one red flag highlighted the action when Justin Pepitone and Kevin Ryle collided in turn one. Andrew Burton had amassed a huge lead at that point and never looked back on his way to his second Figure 8 win of the season.
For the first time in 2025, the popular Trailer Figure 8 race was run. Particle board and pieces of trailer metal littered the track, and that caused major chaos! Darby Christensen ended up with part of a trailer under his front end that started a spark show. Anthony Richardson ended up hitting what was left of the trailer and ended up not making the turn into three. Richardson slammed the wall passenger side first, bringing out the red flag. He was okay, and when racing resumed, Gerry Persails Jr was able to finish with just the frame of his trailer attached to score the win. Travis Michael and Gary Drexler secured their best Eve of Destruction finishes, crossing the line second and third, respectively.
The drivers in the School Bus Figure 8 race gave it their all in the season ender. The track surface looked like a war zone from the previous race, and all of the buses looked like they had been in a war at the end. Anthony Richardson rebounded from his accident in the Trailer Figure 8 to score the win in the School Bus Figure 8 to close out the night.
The Birch Run Speedway and Event Center will play host to the Birch Run/Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce Trucks, Trucks, and Treats event on Saturday, October 25th! The event is from 1 to 4 and will feature vehicles from the Birch Run and Bridgeport Fire Departments, McNally-Nimergood crane rentals, as well as many other vehicles on site. There will be a petting zoo provided by Wilderness Trails Animal Park, and the first 800 people attending will get a free hot dog from the Birch Run Meijer. More details can be found on the Birch Run/Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, as well as the website www.birchrunbridgeportchamber.com
Then on November 1st, the Speedway will hold the 2025 Awards Banquet at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 11105 Dixie Highway. Doors will open at 5:30, and the dinner will begin at 6:30. The awards ceremony will begin immediately after the dinner, as the NASCAR Regional Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series Track Champions, Rookies of the Year, and other award winners will be recognized. Tickets are $30 for the event and are available at the track during regular business hours.
Submitted By: Charles Darling
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