By Greg Chrapek
Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Contributor
greer@wktv.org
On Sunday, NASCAR stars Carson Hocevar and Erik Jones battled it out in the FireKeepers Casino 400 in front of a sold-out crowd at Michigan International Speedway. This Wednesday, the Michigan natives will bring their talents to Berlin Raceway as they headline the Money in the Bank race.
One of the highlights of the yearly schedule at Berlin Raceway, the Money in the Bank race, is a 150-lap National Super Late Model race with an $80,000 purse, including $15,000 to the winner.
Hocevar, a native of Portage, and Jones, a Byron native, come into the second stage of their Michigan week riding plenty of momentum. Jones finished second at the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, while Hocevar finished close behind in fifth place. Low tire pressure at the end of Sunday’s race prevented Hocevar from possibly an even loftier finish.
Hocevar is no stranger to either Berlin or the Money in the Bank race. The 23-year old is a Berlin veteran who began his racing career there at age 12 when he won the Outlaw Late Model Division in 2015. Two years later as a 14-year old, Hocevar won the track championship at Berlin in the Super Late Model Division.
Hocevar is the defending Money in the Bank champion having won the race for the third time in his young career last June.
This year’s Money in the Bank race is the 10th. Last year’s win by Hocevar broke a three-way tie for the most wins in the race as Brian Campbell of Wyoming and Bubba Pollard also came in with two wins each in the history of the race.
Hocevar edged Andrew Scheid by 2.392 seconds to win last year’s race with Brian Campbell placing third, Erik Jones finishing fourth and Tyler Rycenga, fifth.
Jones, from Byron, southwest of Flint, won the Money in the Bank 150 in 2023.
This year’s field also includes Ty Majeski who was the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. Majeski, a Seymour, Wisconsin native, is one of the top Late Model racers in the country.
Other big names in the field include Pollard and Campbell, who are both looking for their third Money in the Bank checkered flag, Austin Hull of Belmont and Terry Senneker of Wayland.
The field includes the top Late Model drivers at Berlin so far this season, including Dylan Stoval, Wayland, who is atop this year’s leaderboard. Stovall has finished in the Top 10 in all four feature races he has competed in this season. Senneker is second in this year’s standings, while Sparta’s Andrew Scheid, third; Campbell, fourth and Hull, fifth.
Hull is one to watch as he bested a field that included Hocevar, Jones, Pollard and Majeski to win the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin last August. Hull also won the 2025 Super Late Model season track championship at Berlin.
Also slated to run are Keith Herp (Alto) who’s sixth in points; Scott Thomas, Holland, seventh; Boris Jurkovic, eighth; Rockford’s Ken Wobma, 10th; Justin Thomas, Middleville, 11th; Buddy Head, Middleville, 12th; Lawton’s Chris Shannon, 13th; Evan Shotko, Coopersville, 15th; Blake Rowe, 16th and Tyler Lupton, 18th.
