Rain doesn’t dampen race action at Bark River

BARK RIVER -- After two days of racing through rain, mud and sunshine, the 46th Annual Island Resort and Casino Off-Road Rumble in the U.P. held Friday through Sunday proved once again that success, or failure, at the big, looping track at Bark River International Speedway will play a key role in deciding who will lead the pack when the 2022 AMSOIL Championship Season concludes in Crandon, Wis., Labor Day weekend.

Elliott Burns of Sagola, a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force team and driver of No. 8, earned a seventh-place finish in the Pro Turbo SXS Sunday behind CJ Greaves of Suamico, Wis. and Kyle Chaney of Millersport, Oh. and explained why the speedway was so attractive to racers.

"It has a lot of spins and technicalities to it," he said. "You ask a lot of people, and they'll say this is their favorite track."

The final racing Sunday offered points swings that could lever seasons in an opposite direction, and some local drivers were left in the lurch.

After a win Saturday, Felch's Porter Inglese suffered a broken wheel assembly Sunday in the Mod Kart division leading to a last place finish.

Troy Johnson and Andy Johnson of Bark River also missed Saturday's success, dropping from a second and third place finish, respectively, to seventh and eighth.

Bark River wasn't out of luck however, as Zach Wirhanowicz surged into a second-place finish behind Michael Fun of Oconomowoc, Wis.

Escanaba native Danny Beauchamp finished seventh in Pro 4 Saturday and Sunday.

Kyle LeDuc of Fairhope, Ala., finished ahead of Beauchamp for his fourth win of the season in the series Sunday after a second-place finish Saturday.

After early setbacks, LeDuc notched the win on a track he hasn't won on since 2009.

"I didn't even think about that, how I haven't won here in well over a decade, so I'm very excited," said LeDuc in a news release. "That back corner, Cemetery Corner, was so sick to slide and drift into and lug it coming out. But hats off to my crew. We're a small team that works hard, so thank you for coming and watching and supporting what we do, and there's gonna be more. Crandon is going to get bonkers, for sure."

In Super Stock Truck, Gladstone's Braden Beauchamp was knocked out of the lead due to a flat tire, allowing Kyle Cooper of Mason, Minn., and Nick Byng of Abrams, Wis., to take first and second.

The 170 SXS division saw Ishpeming's Tanner Thibeault cruise his first career win.

Gladstone's Bryce Carlson made an exciting late corner pass Sunday around the Sportsman SXS points leader Ben Berger to take third.

In the Pro Spec field, Nick Visser of Summit Lake, Wis., earned the win and put himself into a tie for the points lead. Alongside Visser, Gray Leadbetter of Morganton, N.C., finished third, and now, the two are tied at the top of the overall standings.

Wisconsinites pulled in their fair share of wins Sunday, taking top honors in Pro Am SXS, 1600 Light Buggy, Stock Truck, 1600 Single Buggy, Short Course Karts, Sportsman SXS and 570 SXS.

For more information on the AMSOIL Championship series, visit www.champoffroad.com.