Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Mich. - September 18, 2010) - A large crowd ventured to Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night for the final race of the season. The evening was filled with action, fun, and excitement as the rescheduled Griller's Select BBQ Sauce School Bus Figure 8 race highlighted the big event. Costa Cardasis of Griller's Select presented trophies and a case of BBQ sauce to each of the feature winners. David Price and Jeff Maran secured their track championships Saturday night.

Jeff Metdepenningen capped off a great night by notching 2 thrilling wins.  Jeff was the 4^th different leader in the 25 lap ARCA Factory Stock main, grabbing the lead with 3 to go to take his first win for the evening.  Mike Hammer led the first 2 laps, until 2010 Toledo champ Landon Schuster took control.  Eric Huston slipped by on lap 21 in heavy traffic to assume command, with Metdepenningen looking for the lead.  Jeff also took advantage of lapped traffic on lap 22, taking the point and holding on for the victory over Huston, Schuster, Hammer, Rick Cousino, Rick Bennett, Don Cox, Danny Bennett, Craig Osenbaugh and Jeff Braun. 

The 300 lap Enduro championship was completed in an amazing 1 hour and 24 minutes.  The extra 50 laps for the final event involved pit strategy for several teams as they stopped for fuel, and with great competition for the lead, the entire distance featured a battle for the lead.  Eric Huston led the first 24 laps, with Jeff Maran taking over on lap 25.  Maran had company in Metdepennigen and Tristan Dupuis early on.  Metdepenningen took the lead on lap 75 but only held it for a handful of laps as Maran came back and motored by on lap 85.  He stayed out front but the lead trio diced back and forth, running side by side, 3 wide and even 4 wide at times as the intensity continued lap after lap.  The top 3 were the only cars on the lead lap by lap 92, with the pace extremely fast.  Dupuis decided to go to the front and grabbed the number 1 spot on lap 162, keeping a 5-10 car length lead at the most.  Maran pitted first among the leaders on lap 163.  Just 5 laps later, the first red came out when Ed Case pounded the turn 4 wall, ending his night.  When the race went back to green, Dupuis and Metdepenningen both pitted for fuel, with Dupuis making a quick stop for a splash of fuel and held the lead when he came back on the track.  Tristan stayed out front a lap up, but Maran unlapped himself as did Metdepenningen.  Tristan motored along out front but began to slow when an apparent exhaust problem gave Jeff Metdepenningen his opportunity.  Lap by lap, Jeff made up ground on the leader and finally caught and passed Dupuis on lap 265, just 35 laps from the finish.  Tristan dropped out on lap 271 and Metdepennigen sailed to the big win and the $1100 first place money. Maran came home second, giving him his 2^nd Enduro championship in a row at Flat Rock for the 4-race series.  Derrick Sheppard was third, Marc Ortega fourth and Tom Sprotberry fifth, followed by Bob Swanson, Brian Ringger, Dupuis, Bobby Hugo and Mark Lavoie.  32 cars started the event.

Brad Turner won the 25 lap ARCA 4 Cylinder feature, but David Price made his 3^rd place finish enough to grab his first-ever track championship.  Turner held back the charge of Mike Bershback and Price to take the victory.  David Katafiaz was fourth and Thomas Elmore fifth.

Dan Ford Jr., fresh off his track title, was the winner of the 25 lap Street Stock battle.  David Kind was the early leader and battled with Ford for the lead as the race wound down.  Kind spun while the duo diced back and forth for the lead, Ford took the point and held on for the win over rookie Frank Jiovani, rookies Brad Wyatt, James Hazlett and Paul Duffin.  Clyde McKee, Harold Davis Jr., Lonnie York, James Rae and Kind rounded out the top ten in the 27 car field.

The Michigan Legends car 30 lap main event was a great battle as Tyler Rycenga made a slick move going into turn 1 to wrestle the lead away from John Turnbull Jr. to score his first win of the season on the tour.  Turnbull took the lead from Chance Rice on lap 3, with Rycenga in his tracks.  That duo traded paint lap after lap until Tyler took the opening and snared the top spot.  A late charge by Bryan Nuckles got him to second as Rycenga crossed the stripe first.  Turnbull Jr., Rice, Matt Todd, Rick Kilbourn, Tony Monge, Sean McPherson, Ben Rouster and Chris Bither were next in line to complete the top ten finishers in the 16 car field.

Each of the oval features provided great action and entertainment, and upon their completion, it was time for more fun! The Boat Figure 8 race saw 4 contestants take the green.  Anthony Terris lost the wheel on his trailer on the green and Bill Carberry ran out of fuel after running the Enduro.  Well, it didn't look like much on the entertainment side for the fans, but Don Cox and Rich Abel put on a wild show which had the crowd laughing and cheering.  Cox looped his car at the intersection and had his trailer, with the boat still attached, tip over on its side.  Abel cautiously motored around for a lap and Cox, who got stuck in a small mud area, finally hit the pavement as the crowd roared its approval.  Don pulled out and immediately tagged the boat/trailer of Abel, knocking it loose from his machine.  Cox spun around, his boat/trailer righted itself up on the wheels and he sped away!  Abel chased him for more fun and each time Cox went into the corner his boat/trailer tipped over on its side, only to right itself on the next turn! 

And the School Bus Figure 8 race did not disappoint the crowd that made the trip to Flat Rock after last week's washout.  Described by Figure 8 drivers Dennis Whisman and Robbie Loving as "some of the hardest bus intersection hits" they have been a part of, the field knocked the front ends off most of the buses!  Danny Gaddis got over on his side not once, but twice much to the delight of the fans.  Ray Gaddis came home the winner over Jack Franzil, Loving, Gary Majchrzak, Danny Gaddis, Dennis Whisman, Anthony Terris and Jeff Kurzyniec.  Bus sponsors were Griller's Select BBQ Sauce, Sterling Printing/Glass Unlimited, Suburban Oil, Global Pawn, Jim's Butcher Shop, Sportway Go-Karts and the Toledo Speedway Glass City 200.

Flat Rock Speedway will host the Flat Rock Historical Society Flea Market Sunday, October 3 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Admission to the grounds is free.  For space rental information, please call 734-782-5220.