Murphy Makes His Mark!
- Tim Scrogham
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
The Mid-Am Racing Series wrapped up its season with an impressive 31 cars taking the green flag, once again proving the depth and strength of the tour.
The night began with Scott Gardner Jr. (#13) firing the first shot, blistering the track with a 20.779-second lap to set fast time in qualifying. The effort not only showcased the speed that defined his season but also earned Gardner a $100 Fast Qualifier Bonus from Powersource Racing Engines.
In preliminary action, heat race victories went to Andrew Meyerhofer (#14), Timmy Stewart (#18), and Tadd LaBuda (#22). LaBuda’s performance also earned him the Richards Body Shop Heat Race Bonus, adding to an already strong night.
When the feature rolled around, it was Kevin Murphy (#427) who stole the spotlight. Murphy scored his first-ever Mid-Am Racing Series victory, edging Cameron Preisler (#5) by just over half a second in a thrilling finish. Preisler made his runner-up drive even more memorable, running pink instead of his traditional green to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a classy tribute that didn’t go unnoticed.
Robert Turzinski (#51) also made his mark on the night, coming home a strong third and putting his car on the podium in front of one of the toughest fields of the year. To make the moment even sweeter, Murphy collected the Oval Engineering Bonus, thanks to the continued support of Dave Gentile and Oval Engineering.
While Murphy celebrated his breakthrough win, Gardner had even more to celebrate. His fifth-place run capped a dream season, one where he never finished outside of the top five. That streak of consistency carried him to the 2025 Mid-Am Racing Series Championship.
Chasing him all season was Josh Nelms (#0), who put together a season that in almost any other year would have secured the championship. With just one finish outside the top five all year, Nelms showcased remarkable consistency, but Gardner’s perfect record was simply unbeatable.
The rookie battle also reached its conclusion. Kyle Brick (#3), who earlier this season took part in one of the closest finishes in Mid-Am Racing Series history at Winchester, officially secured the Rookie of the Year title, holding off Michael Gerike (#8) in the standings.
Further back in the pack, the Villa Park U-Haul Mover of the Race went to Andrew Borntreger (#15), who charged from 27th on the grid to finish 14th, a gain of +13 positions in the ultra-competitive field.
And in one of the night’s most meaningful recognitions, Marqus Hoover (#00) was honored with the Respect Under Fire Award, highlighting his perseverance, attitude, and sportsmanship when it mattered most.
At the end of the night, Murphy, Preisler, Turzinski, Gardner, Brick, LaBuda, Meyerhofer, Stewart, Borntreger, and Hoover all had reason to celebrate — a first-time winner, a hard-charging runner-up, a podium finisher, a champion, a rookie standout, heat race heroes, the night’s biggest mover, and a driver who earned respect when it was toughest to do so.
Official Feature Results:
427 Kevin Murphy
5 Cameron Preisler
51 Robert Turzinski
0 Joshua Nelms
13 Scott Gardner Jr.
3 Mark Sontag Jr.
6 Phil Speciale
76 Bobby Gash III
90 Tytus Helgestad
23 Cody Clubb
14 Andrew Meyerhofer
9 Tim Schmitt
43 Connor Kosowski
15 Andrew Borntreger (+13) – Villa Park U-Haul Mover of the Race
3 Ricky Mathis Jr.
56 Shane Sapp
8 Michael Gerike
42 Rick Tackman Jr.
18 Timothy Stewart – Heat Winner
74 Rick Redig-Tackman
10 Dusty Mann
28 Ron Vandermeir Jr.
4 Daniel Calhoun
28 Tom Sorem
80 Cris Harmon
48 Jason Stark
54 Joey Miller
3 Kyle Brick – Rookie of the Year
22 Tadd LaBuda – Heat Winner + Richards Body Shop Bonus
86 Joshua Fehrmann
00 Marqus Hoover – Respect Under Fire Award
