Copen Thunders into Midvale to Win Great Lakes Truck Tour

By Jim Foose/Speedway Action Magazine

(MIDVALE, OH) The Medina Upfit Great Lakes Truck Tour Thundered into the Appalachian Foothills with a stop at Midvale Speedway.  With temperatures in the 90’s and storms on horizon, the fourth round of the Medina Upfit Great Lakes Truck Tour was held.  Early trouble for last week’s winner Jeffrey Fade, Jr. sent the #33 to the trailer before qualifying.

Due to a rain delay shortly into the racing program, Great Laker Truck Tour Officials and Midvale Speedway Officials agreed to drop the heat race from the race schedule, leaving the 30 lap feature event as the only racing action as part of the program.  Brad Copen qualified fastest with a lap of 14.676 seconds.

Chad Squires and Glen Jewell started on the front row for the 30 lap feature event.  Joe Markowski’s #15 stopped on the track just prior to going green, he was able to restart and join the field as the 30 lap feature event took the green flag.  Jewell jumped out to the early lead, using his years of experience at Midvale Speedway to his benefit and was able to fend off an early challenge from Brian Taylor.  Taylor would drop back to third as Brad Copen sliced through the field to take second on the third lap.  Copen then set his sights on leader Jewell, making the pass for the lead on lap four.  Copen set a torrid pace in the #1 truck as his closest competition, Bailey Delfosse got stuck in traffic.  Delfosse would eventually pass Jewell for second as Copen began catching lapped traffic as the race neared the halfway point.  Delfosse began to reel in Copen’s #1 as the 10 to go signal was given, Copen had lapped the third place truck of Jewell.  A caution with five laps to go for Chad Squires spinning in turn 3 tightened the field up for the finish.  Copen got the jump on the restart with Delosse right on his back bumper but Copen was able to hang on to take the victory, his third of the Medina Upfit Great Lakes Truck Tour in 2025.  Delfosse (2nd), Glen Jewell (3rd), Brian Taylor (4th) and Bredan Squires (5th) completed the top five finishers.

Feature Finish: 1. #1 Brad Copen; 2. #04 Bailey Delfosse; 3. #24 Glen Jewell; 4. #32 Brian Taylor; 5. #26B Brendan Squires; 6. #26 Chad Squires; 7. #15 Joe Markowski; 8. #33 Jeffrey Fade, Jr. DNS