2010 Flat Rock, Toledo Champions Honored
2010 Flat Rock, Toledo Champions Honored
(SOUTHGATE, Mich. - November 8, 2010) - Race teams, officials, family and friends met Friday evening for the annual Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways banquet, held at the elegant Crystal Gardens Banquet Center in Southgate, MI. The evening was hosted by track announcer Gary Lindahl. All the track champions received their championship jackets as ARCA President Ron Drager led the toast to the champions.
Flat Rock's ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models saw Paul Pelletier claim his second Flat Rock Late Model crown at the ¼ mile paved oval. Paul's father and car owner, David, accepted the championship trophies and a check for $1500 on behalf of Paul, who was in Texas at work for the Whitney Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup team. Dennis Strickland was second, Ron Allen third, Stan Yee Jr. fourth and Royce Cornett fifth, with Eric Lee, Joe Hawes, Jeff MacZink, Nick Grodi next in line. Ricky Kargel and Steve Peters tied for the 10th spot. Oak Harbor, OH resident Nick Grodi was the Rookie of the Year. Pelletier and Lee also received product certificates from Penske Shocks for their efforts.
Jeremy Vanderhoof claimed his first-ever Flat Rock ARCA Figure 8 crown, edging Greg Studt by 25 markers to capture the title. Dennis Whisman, Jerry Lee, Anthony Terris, Sam Hall, James Rae, Chuck Pankow, Robbie Loving and Stephanie Bradley were next in line in the final standings. Jeremy presented his uncle, Larry Vanderhoof, with a championship trophy for his efforts to the title.
The ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock class is divided up into A and B divisions by qualifying each race night. Dan Ford Jr. made it 5 championships total and 3 in a row by capturing the A Main title in a great battle with Tim Moore. The duo traded the point lead back and forth as the season wound down, with Ford taking the title by 100 points. Chad Guinn, Clyde McKee, Danny Slater, Rich Frantz, Jeff Kurzyniec, Rob Moore, Tadek Stadniczuk and David Kind completed the top ten point finishers. Ford also took home a $500 product certificate, courtesy of AR Bodies.
James Rae grabbed his 3rd DTS Drive Train Specialists B Main crown over 2009 champ Anthony Camilli, with the chase going down to the final race of the year. Rae ended up 40 points ahead of Camilli in the final point tally. Lonnie York was third, Billy Cronce fourth and Jimmy Little fifth, followed by Rich Abel, Steve Chartrand, Shonda Harbin, Chris Diovardi and Kyle Metdpenningen. Frank Jiovani was the A Main Rookie of the Year, with the B Main Rookie award going to Harbin.
A first-time winner emerged in the ARCA 4 Cylinder class at Flat Rock as David Price slid by Brad Turner by 10 points to take the championship. Thomas Elmore, Mike Bershback and David Katafiacz took third through fifth, respectively.
The Toledo awards began with the Allegiant Air Glass City Gold Cup for the ARCA Late Models. The traditional championship Gold Cup for the 5 race series went to Grand Rapids, MI driver Mike Root, notching his second Gold Cup title in a row. Root edged Indiana ace Scott Hantz by a mere 5 points to take the title. Mike presented jackets and Gold Cups to his crew and sponsors, respectively. The 2010 series featured 3 races at Toledo and 2 at Flat Rock. 2-time Gold Cup champ Harold Fair Jr. was third, Ron Allen fourth and Paul Pelletier fifth. Brent Jack, Jack Varney Jr., Dennis Strickland, Chad Guinn and Nick Grodi completed the top ten in the final points. The top 3 drivers also received 2 round-trip tickets from Toledo to Florida, courtesy of Allegiant Air. Root and Pelletier collected the Penske Shocks product certificates.
Dennis Whisman notched his 4th Figure 8 title at Toledo Speedway over Anthony Terris, who recorded his top point finish of his career. Dennis is now tied with his late brother, Dave, for the most Toledo Figure 8 titles in the history of the speedway. Sam Hall was third, Allen Bland Sr. fourth and Chuck Pankow fifth, with James Rae, Tom O'Leary Jr., Stephanie Bradley, Randy Roberts and Robbie Loving next in line. Bland Sr. was the Rookie of the Year.
The ARCA Sportsman division saw Jim Froling capture his second ARCA title in the ½ mile division at Toledo, topping Ron Allen, Kyle DeLisle Jr., Scott Lockenhour, Kenny McKay Jr., Tom Adams Jr., Tom O'Leary IV, Norm Lewallen, Andy Harding and Rich Abel. Jim also received a $500 product certificate from AR Bodies for his title, and then presented a trophy to his team for their support. DeLisle Jr. was the Rookie of the Year.
The Toledo ARCA Factory Stock division crowned Landon Schuster the 2010 champ, the first title for the Toledo resident. Landon nosed out Cory McCaughey by a scant 5 markers in a very spirited battle for the crown. 2009 champ Eric Huston was third, Mike Hammer fourth and Rick Cousino Sr. fifth, followed by Craig Osenbaugh, Todd Perkins, Ramon Ortiz, Don Cox and John Rabideau. Landon thanked a multitude of sponsors and family members in his speech and brought his father, Mark, up to the stage to present him with a championship jacket. Perkins, a former flat track motorcycle racer, was named Rookie of the Year.
The ARCA 4 Cylinders saw 21 year-old Brad Turner make it 3 championships in a row at the Glass City oval. Michael Marlow took second, just 10 points behind Brad, while Michael's father, Perry took third. Fourth was David Katafiacsz and fifth was David Price.
The Flat Rock Speedway Enduro class saw Jeff Maran make it 2 in a row, capturing the 2010 title over Jeff Metdepenningen in a repeat finish of the 2009 season. Derrick Sheppard took third, Tristan Dupuis fourth and Robb Remick fifth, with Brian Ringger, Marc Ortega, Tom Sprotberry, Troy Brehmer and Brad Turner finishing out the top ten in points for the 4 race series.
Ford Jr., Anthony Camilli, Scott Lockenour and Tom O'Leary IV won $500 product certificates in a random draw for Street Stock and Sportsman drivers, courtesy of 5 Star RaceCar Bodies, while Street Stock driver Rich Frantz and Sportsman driver Andy Harding won the random draw $500 product certificates from AR Bodies.
Chelsea Wasnich was honored with a $500 scholarship from the Driven Women's Auxiliary group, which supports both tracks.
Jeff and Rose Wells of Jeff's Collision of Toledo were introduced as the new sponsors for the ARCA 4 Cylinder division at both tracks for the 2011 season. The division will compete for a purse for each of their events next season. Additional details will be announced in the future.
Point fund and contingency award sponsors for 2010 include Moran Chevrolet, ARCA, AR Race Car Bodies,
B & H Race Parts, DTS Drive Train Specialists, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Hoosier Tire, Penske Shocks, Bazell Race Fuels, Sunoco and Allegiant Air.
The Flat Rock office is now closed for the winter. All calls should go to the Toledo office at 419-727-1100 during the winter months. The 2011 schedules will be released around the holiday season. Always check the official websites at http://www.flatrockspeedway.com/, http://www.toledospeedway.com/ or http://www.arcaracing.com/.