Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – ORRVILLE, OH – For the second time in four starts, and for the second time of 2022, “Hunter Percent” Hunter Schuerenberg is a Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 main event winner, accomplishing his recent feat in front of a packed house at the legendary Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on Saturday, May 14.
Schuerenberg, who earned his first All Star victory of the season at Lernerville Speedway on April 29, led all 30 circuits at “Orrville’s Historic Oval,” forced to fend off persistent challenges by Friday night winner and fellow All Star title contender, Justin Peck. Overall, Schuerenberg is now a three-time winner with “America’s Series,” each accomplished in a different state including New York, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio.
“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of this team. Giving Clinton and Danny more responsibility, and taking the wrenches out of my hands to focus more on driving, has been a big game changer for this team, and they’ve proven themselves,” Hunter Schuerenberg explained, ace of the Vermeer Motorsports/Logan Contracting/No. 55 sprint car. “Clinton has been a part of my family since he was ten years old. And he’s a race car driver, too, so he’s very good at understanding what I’m trying to relate. And Danny, I’m not sure I know anyone that likes working with tires as much as he does. He works harder at it than anyone in the pit area. This whole combination is special right now.”
Although Schuerenberg led them all, a caution with two laps remaining would actually stir the pot for Orrville fans, giving Peck one last chance to pounce on the Sikeston, Missouri, native. The ensuing single file restart would ultimately prove to be unproductive for Peck, having to settle for second with Zeb Wise, Parker Price-Miller, and a hard-charging Tyler Courtney in tow. Wise, who started fifth, claimed the final podium spot in the final corner.
At the time of the final caution, traffic was a huge factor, finding the back of the pack for the first time on lap 23; prior cautions on laps three, eight, and 15 would help keep Schuerenberg’s nose clean.
“I would have rather raced through traffic than see that last caution come out,” Schuerenberg added, who scored $6,000 for his win. “I’ve grown to be really comfortable in traffic and I knew with slower cars on the bottom, I could use them as a block and keep others from racing below me. Actually, that caution made me nervous for those last two laps because I was getting so tight through the corners. Momentum changes like that sometimes gives your tires a chance to cool and lose pressure…it all worked out in the end.”
From one Wayne to the next, Waynesfield Raceway Park in Waynesfield, Ohio, will cap the weekend tripleheader with an All Star program on Sunday, May 15. Originally slated for Sunday, May 1, but rescheduled due to Mother Nature, the visit Waynesfield’s highbanks will award a $6,000 prize, giving teams an opportunity to test their limits before returning to the western Ohio bullring during Ohio Sprint Speedweek. America’s Series made two appearances at Waynesfield Raceway Park in 2021 with Kyle Larson and Cole Duncan each earning one triumph.
Contingency Awards/Results: Wayne County Speedway | May 14, 2022:
Event: Wayne County Speedway | $6,000
Kistler Racing Products Pill Draw | Entries: 27
Nunzi’s Advertising Hot Laps: Cale Thomas | 14.934
Dixie Vodka Fast Qualifier: Zeb Wise | 14.625
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #1 Winner: Justin Peck
Competition Suspension Inc Heat #2 Winner: Cale Thomas
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #3 Winner: Hunter Schuerenberg
Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts Dash Winner: Brandon Spithaler
Classic Ink USA B-Main Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.
Rayce Rudeen Foundation First Non-Transfer: Chris Myers
Tezos A-Main Winner: Hunter Schuerenberg (2)
Hercules Tires A-Main Hard Charger: Tyler Courtney (+11)
Carquest Perseverance Award: Shawn Hubler
Qualifying
Group (A)
10-Zeb Wise, 14.625; 2. 11-Parker Price Miller, 14.737; 3. 11K-Buddy Kofoid, 14.805; 4. 13-Justin Peck, 14.955; 5. 26-Cory Eliason, 14.959; 6. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 14.972; 7. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 14.998; 8. 101-Cale Thomas, 15.035; 9. 28-Brandon Spithaler, 15.128; 10. 17B-Bill Balog, 15.178; 11. 4-Cap Henry, 15.205; 12. 7-Scott Bogucki, 15.329; 13. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 15.335; 14. 9-Andrew Palker, 15.411; 15. 3J-Trey Jacobs, 15.430; 16. 8-Zach Ames, 15.431; 17. 38K-Chris Myers, 15.463; 18. 97-Greg Wilson, 15.479; 19. 9K-Kevin Thomas Jr., 15.631; 20. 38-Leyton Wagner, 15.679; 21. 20B-Cody Bova, 15.732; 22. 21-Carson Short, 15.756; 23. 14Z-Wyatt Zimmerman, 15.762; 24. 19-Chris Windom, 15.841; 25. 16-Danny Mumaw, 15.976; 26. 70M-Henry Malcuit, 16.118; 27. 11H-Shawn Hubler, 16.162
Heat 1 (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
13-Justin Peck [1]; 2. 10-Zeb Wise [4]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog [3]; 4. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [2]; 5. 21-Carson Short [8]; 6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [5]; 7. 9K-Kevin Thomas Jr. [7]; 8. 8-Zach Ames [6]; 9. 16-Danny Mumaw [9]
Heat 2 (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
101-Cale Thomas [2]; 2. 4-Cap Henry [3]; 3. 11-Parker Price Miller [4]; 4. 26-Cory Eliason [1]; 5. 70M-Henry Malcuit [9]; 6. 38-Leyton Wagner [7]; 7. 9-Andrew Palker [5]; 8. 38K-Chris Myers [6]; 9. 14Z-Wyatt Zimmerman [8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
55-Hunter Schuerenberg [1]; 2. 7-Scott Bogucki [3]; 3. 97-Greg Wilson [6]; 4. 3J-Trey Jacobs [5]; 5. 28-Brandon Spithaler [2]; 6. 19-Chris Windom [8]; 7. 11H-Shawn Hubler [9]; 8. 11K-Buddy Kofoid [4]; 9. 20B-Cody Bova [7]
Dash (6 Laps)
28-Brandon Spithaler [2]; 2. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [4]; 3. 13-Justin Peck [1]; 4. 11-Parker Price Miller [6]; 5. 10-Zeb Wise [3]; 6. 101-Cale Thomas [5]
B-main (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
9K-Kevin Thomas Jr. [3]; 2. 9-Andrew Palker [2]; 3. 11H-Shawn Hubler [4]; 4. 8-Zach Ames [5]; 5. 16-Danny Mumaw [9]; 6. 38K-Chris Myers [6]; 7. 11K-Buddy Kofoid [1]; 8. 14Z-Wyatt Zimmerman [8]; 9. 20B-Cody Bova [7]
A-main (30 Laps)
55-Hunter Schuerenberg [2]; 2. 13-Justin Peck [3]; 3. 10-Zeb Wise [5]; 4. 11-Parker Price Miller [4]; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [16]; 6. 101-Cale Thomas [6]; 7. 97-Greg Wilson [10]; 8. 26-Cory Eliason [11]; 9. 4-Cap Henry [7]; 10. 28-Brandon Spithaler [1]; 11. 17B-Bill Balog [9]; 12. 19-Chris Windom [18]; 13. 21-Carson Short [14]; 14. 3J-Trey Jacobs [13]; 15. 9K-Kevin Thomas Jr. [19]; 16. 7-Scott Bogucki [8]; 17. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [12]; 18. 38K-Chris Myers [24]; 19. 8-Zach Ames [22]; 20. 16-Danny Mumaw [23]; 21. 70M-Henry Malcuit [15]; 22. 9-Andrew Palker [20]; 23. 38-Leyton Wagner [17]; 24. 11H-Shawn Hubler [21] Lap Leaders: Hunter Schuerenberg (1-30)