Meet Our Team

Meet our team powered by Baker Engineering

The Owners

Jeff Striegle
Jeff is employed at GFS Marketplace in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When not at GFS, Jeff is a radio broadcaster for the Motor Racing Network, which covers NASCAR. 2011 makes the 15th year of broadcasting for MRN Radio. Prior to MRN, Jeff co-hosted radio broadcasts of the Berlin Raceway. Striegle got his start in racing back in 1983 as a driver in open-wheel cars.

Norm Jelsma
Norm is employed at Magnum Coffee in Nunica, Michigan. In addition to selling coffee, Norm is also the voice of the Berlin Raceway. Norm has served as the track’s Public Address Announcer for 15 years and has been the recipient of the State’s Track Announcer of the Year award. Prior to announcing, Norm worked with the Berlin Raceway Safety Crew.

The Place

The opening of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital on 1-11-11 marks a new era of children's health care in West Michigan. The 206-bed, 14-floor, 464,000 square foot facility represents more than four decades of steady progress in improving pediatric care and bringing pediatric specialists to the region.

Now children have a hospital dedicated exclusively to their health care needs. All of the care is provided by pediatric nurses, therapists and clinicians and there are more than 150 pediatric specialist physicians in 40 pediatric specialties

The Kids

More than 7,600 in-patient admissions happen annually. Children of every age from newborn through teen, as well as children of every size, shape and race are patients. All come with one common need, and that is for the best care available.

The Doctors & Staff

There are more than 150 physicians in 40 pediatric specialties with over 9,000 surgeries performed a year. A mission of caring for children and their families with compassion, excellence and innovation, and a vision to be among the nation's leading comprehensive children's hospitals, delivering the highest quality health care is the goal

The Corporate Partners

You see our list of corporate partners, but what you don’t see are the extraordinary leaders that make these companies special. Each of our partners is unique in their own way, but share one common belief, that there is more to life than just sales.

Grand Rapids, MI. native Johnny Benson Jr. will be driving the team’s new Premier Boyne Machine Super Late Model car at the Berlin Raceway in 2011. While Benson’s NASCAR commitments remain plentiful, his current schedule allows him to drive in up to six races in the new series.

Benson, who currently resides in Cornelius, North Carolina, grew up in Grand Rapids as a second generation race car driver. Johnny followed in his dad’s footsteps that lead him to becoming a NASCAR Champion. Benson won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in 1995 before winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship in 2008. In addition, Johnny has 274 starts and one win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Benson recorded 3 wins in the Nationwide series and 14 wins in the Camping World Truck Series. Johnny is also a former Track Champion at the Berlin Raceway, as well as a former series champion with the American Speed Association, ASA.

The new Boyne Machine Premier Super Lates Series is the brainchild of Berlin track owner, Mike Blackmer. Mike patterned the new series and rules around the Championship Racing Association, CRA. The track’s schedule aligns to CRA’s off weekends for their 2011 schedule. “We anticipate the biggest names in the series running at our track this summer. Our schedule allows the teams to race at Berlin when the CRA series is not in action. This makes it a win - win for everyone involved,” says track owner Blackmer.

Benson is currently scheduled to make his debut behind the wheel of the RA template car on Tuesday, June 21st, for the Rowdy 251, named for NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, who is also scheduled to compete.

RacingAwareness.com team announced veteran driver Dave Lake, as the driver of the number 97L Modified that competes at the Berlin Raceway. The 2010 Super Stock champion from Marne will put his focus on the Modified Championship in 2011. Lake will be in search of earning a championship in three different divisions of racing at the Berlin Raceway, which celebrated its 61st anniversary this past year.

Lake, who began racing at Berlin in 1992, was the 2006 Pro Stock Champion. In 2007 he jumped up into the Super Stock class. In all, Dave has racked up an incredible 36 feature wins during his time at Berlin. In 2010 the goal of winning a championship was realized again as Dave out distanced the field by wrapping the Grand Prize for the Super Stocks on the final night of racing.

Dave, along with his wife Trina and their two children are happy to be a part of the RA family. “This is just a great program. I am thrilled to represent their foundation and what this program stands for. The opportunity to drive the car is just a bonus,” said Lake.

Lake brings long time friend and car owner, Keith Alexis (State Farm Insurance) to the team. Look for the official 2011 Berlin Raceway schedule release in January.