Sams, from North Port, Florida, drove from the pole to win the GLSS portion of the event over Ryan Ruhl, Keith Sheffer Jr, Chase Ridenour, and Dustin Daggett. Ruhl’s second place finish helped him secure the 2021 GLSS point championship.
Irwin, from Fention, Michigan, started fourth and held off Keith Sheffer Jr. for the victory. Dustin Daggett, Chris Pobanz, and Kent Gardner rounded out the top five.
The Great Lakes Traditional Sprints wrap their 2021 season Saturday, September 19, 2021 during the Great Lakes Nationals at Crystal Motor Speedway in Crystal, Michigan.
Merritt Speedway
Merritt, Michigan
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Great Lakes Super Sprints
Qualifying
1. 7C-Phil Gressman, 12.142[16]
2. 16W-Chase Ridenour, 12.260[18]
3. 71H-Ryan Ruhl, 12.301[7]
4. 86-Keith Sheffer Jr, 12.373[19]
5. 27-Brad Lamberson, 12.434[1]
6. 49T-Gregg Dalman, 12.542[4]
7. 42-Boston Mead, 12.566[3]
8. 12-Corbin Gurley, 12.567[17]
9. 85-Dustin Daggett, 12.617[12]
10. 24D-Danny Sams III, 12.647[11]
11. 10S-Jay Steinebach, 12.657[14]
12. 23-Devon Dobie, 12.672[5]
13. 70-Eli Lakin, 12.739[8]
14. 11G-Luke Griffith, 12.778[20]
15. 611-Kevin VanHouten, 12.882[15]
16. 88N-Frank Neill, 12.884[2]
17. 8-Justin Ward, 13.042[6]
18. 84-Kyle Poortenga, 13.065[13]
19. 31-Mike Astrauskas, 13.070[9]
20. 2-Tyler Bearden, 13.164[10]
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 24D-Danny Sams III[1]
2. 7C-Phil Gressman[4]
3. 86-Keith Sheffer Jr[3]
4. 88N-Frank Neill[6]
5. 70-Eli Lakin[5]
6. 31-Mike Astrauskas[7]
7. 42-Boston Mead[2]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 16W-Chase Ridenour[4]
2. 27-Brad Lamberson[3]
3. 8-Justin Ward[6]
4. 2-Tyler Bearden[7]
5. 10S-Jay Steinebach[1]
6. 12-Corbin Gurley[2]
7. 11G-Luke Griffith[5]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 85-Dustin Daggett[2]
2. 71H-Ryan Ruhl[4]
3. 23-Devon Dobie[1]
4. 84-Kyle Poortenga[6]
5. 49T-Gregg Dalman[3]
6. 611-Kevin VanHouten[5]
A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 24D-Danny Sams III[1]
2. 71H-Ryan Ruhl[3]
3. 86-Keith Sheffer Jr[7]
4. 16W-Chase Ridenour[2]
5. 85-Dustin Daggett[4]
6. 27-Brad Lamberson[6]
7. 7C-Phil Gressman[5]
8. 88N-Frank Neill[10]
9. 12-Corbin Gurley[17]
10. 23-Devon Dobie[9]
11. 70-Eli Lakin[13]
12. 49T-Gregg Dalman[15]
13. 2-Tyler Bearden[11]
14. 8-Justin Ward[8]
15. 84-Kyle Poortenga[12]
16. 10S-Jay Steinebach[14]
17. 31-Mike Astrauskas[16]
18. 611-Kevin VanHouten[18]
19. 11G-Luke Griffith[20]
Great Lakes Traditional Sprints
Qualifying (2 Laps)
1. 86-Keith Sheffer Jr, 13.698[4]
2. 0-Steve Irwin, 13.846[8]
3. 89-Chris Pobanz, 14.238[13]
4. 3A-Mike Astrauskas, 14.455[11]
5. 85-Dustin Daggett, 14.523[5]
6. 49T-Gregg Dalman, 14.564[12]
7. 14-Danny Sams III, 14.632[7]
8. 2-Mike Galadja, 14.632[10]
9. 33-RJ Payne, 14.661[14]
10. 25-Max Frank, 14.741[3]
11. 23-Ralph Brakenberry, 14.894[9]
12. 4G-Kent Gardner, 15.307[15]
13. X-Colton Stepke, 15.459[1]
14. 10S-Jay Steinebach, 15.865[2]
15. 3T-Tank Brakenberry, 15.969[6]
16. 9-Gary Hayward, 17.056[16]
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 85-Dustin Daggett[2]
2. 14-Danny Sams III[1]
3. 86-Keith Sheffer Jr[4]
4. 89-Chris Pobanz[3]
5. X-Colton Stepke[7]
6. 23-Ralph Brakenberry[6]
7. 3T-Tank Brakenberry[8]
8. 33-RJ Payne[5]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 0-Steve Irwin[4]
2. 2-Mike Galadja[1]
3. 49T-Gregg Dalman[2]
4. 3A-Mike Astrauskas[3]
5. 25-Max Frank[5]
6. 10S-Jay Steinebach[7]
7. 4G-Kent Gardner[6]
8. 9-Gary Hayward[8]
A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 0-Steve Irwin[4]
2. 86-Keith Sheffer Jr[5]
3. 85-Dustin Daggett[3]
4. 89-Chris Pobanz[7]
5. 4G-Kent Gardner[14]
6. X-Colton Stepke[9]
7. 33-RJ Payne[15]
8. 9-Gary Hayward[16]
9. 23-Ralph Brakenberry[11]
10. 3T-Tank Brakenberry[13]
11. 14-Danny Sams III[1]
12. 2-Mike Galadja[2]
13. 3A-Mike Astrauskas[8]
14. 25-Max Frank[10]
15. 49T-Gregg Dalman[6]
16. 10S-Jay Steinebach[12]