Schultz Seeking a Berlin Must See Repeat
HOLLY, Mich. – Last August, Berlin Raceway was the site of one of the more-thrilling breakthroughs in recent Must See Racing Sprint Car Series history, as Charlie Schultz picked up his maiden tour victory in a thrilling finish.
Schultz held off eventual series champion Jimmy McCune in a battle for the ages, picking up a trophy for car owner and friend John Reiser and establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with going forward.
As the series returns to Berlin for Saturday night’s Engine Pro Fast Car Dash event at the seven-sixteenths-mile oval, Schultz would like nothing more than to repeat his prior success at Berlin and inject his name into the Must See Racing championship mix with another win.
“Obviously, to come into Berlin being the defending winner is cool for both me and for the No. 9s team, considering we haven’t been able to say that before with Must See Racing,” said Schultz. “It’s a good deal, because you’ve always got confidence going back someplace you’ve run well in the past. Anytime you’ve been successful at a venue it gives you confidence to build on.
“I think our biggest thing, though, is that we go looking to race competitively and to have fun doing it,” Schultz added. “We would definitely check both of those boxes with another victory, for sure.”
Schultz enters Berlin off a frustrating start to the year, with a seventh-place finish during the season opener at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway not what he’d hoped for as a kickoff to the year.
However, his qualifying and heat race performances at Anderson salvaged his position in points, keeping him third in the title race behind Jimmy McCune and Anthony McCune, just nine tallies off the top spot.
That’s good news for Schultz, who aspires to knock the McCunes down a peg in points this year. He’s not letting any potential pressure get to him, however.
“There’s always the pressure that you put on yourself at any race, and maybe a little more being a past winner at a track, but it’s only as much pressure as I put on myself,” Schultz noted. “We know what our situation is and we know the stakes, but it’s also really early in the season and you can’t win the whole year in just the second race. You can definitely dial yourself out though if you have a bad outing.
“We’re just focused on one race at a time right now and performing at our peak each time out.”
For Schultz to reign at Berlin again, however, he’ll have to outlast a star-studded field, including both McCunes; former NASCAR modified champion and pavement ace Bobby Santos III; series veterans Jeff Bloom and Jason Blonde; as well as rookie standouts Tyler Roahrig and Joe Liguori.
Newcomers to the series expected to make their first Must See Racing starts at Berlin include Bobby Komisarski, Ivan Shaver and Jacob Dolinar, another of the nephews of four-time Must See Racing champion Jimmy McCune.
The Fast Car Dash format will be in effect for the event, with the top eight cars from qualifying participating in a fully-inverted, eight-lap heat race which will help to set the pre-inversion lineup for the night’s 30-lap main event.
In addition to the Must See Racing sprint cars, the VROA modifieds, Berlin Raceway modifieds, and super stocks will also be on the racing card for the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash.
Pit gates open at 1 p.m. Saturday, with hot laps kicking off at 3 p.m., qualifying hitting the track at 4:45 p.m. and feature racing beginning at 6:30 p.m., following the night’s opening ceremonies.
For more information on Must See Racing, visit the series on the web at www.mustseeracing.com.
Sources: Jacob Seelman/ Must See Racing Sprint Car Series PR
PHOTO CAPTION: Charlie Schultz is the defending Must See Racing Sprint Car Series winner at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway. (Chris Seelman photo)