Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - June 4, 2011) - Despite temperatures in the mid-90’s and high humidity, a good crowd turned out for Monroe Evening News Night at Flat Rock Speedway Saturday evening.  Sponge Bob Squarepants greeted race fans, some wild incidents and 2 at-the-stripe finishes kept things exciting.  The Volcano Fireworks Company capped off the night with a fantastic fireworks display.  The track also hosted its annual Racing Fan Club Night.  The Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club presented Late Model driver Dan Trosen Jr. with a duffel bag in honor of his dedication to the sport.

A pair of feature races from the rained-out event of May 21 were up first on the race card.  Robbie Loving, looking for a big sweep for the weekend, took the lead on lap 11 from Anthony Terris to win the 20 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 feature race.  Loving had captured Friday night’s race at Toledo, and stayed in the groove by grabbing the Flat Rock win.  Jeremy Vanderhoof, Billy Earley, Dennis Whisman, Terris, Greg Studt, Scott Apperson, Randy Roberts, Steve Chartrand and Sam Hall completed the top ten.

The ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock B Main contested their 15 lap main event from May 21 as the second race of the evening.  Jimmy Rae appeared to have control of things, but on the final lap, Jimmy Little darted up to the door of Rae and nipped him at the stripe to record his first-ever feature win.  Rae, Anthony Camilli, Larry Smouthers, Randy Padgett, Mark Lavoie, Steve Theobald, Billy Cronce, Shonda Harbin and Michael Phillips were next in line at the finish.

 

 

 

A total of 25 ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models were on hand for their weekly program at “The Rock”.  Eric Lee started things off by setting the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts quick time at 11:761.  And the action started even before the feature!  In the first heat race, Don Burkhart made it 3 wide down the back chute on the 1^st lap, which created a wild 3-car accident that sent Don’s brother, Jason, up and on top of the turn 3 wall.  The car scaled the catch fence and became entangled in the chain-link, leaving Jason and his car dangling from the fence.  Jason was able to get out of his car and was through for the night.  Derrick Sheppard also got caught up in the incident and the wreck also ended his night.  Derrick’s father, Rick Sheppard, went on to win the heat race.  Steve Peters and Joe Hawes took the other 2 heat race events.The 50 lap feature was filled with action right to the checkered flag.  Hawes and Steve Cronenwett started on the front row and ran side by side until contact between the pair brought out the yellow flag, sending both to the tail.  Ricky Kargel inherited the lead and set sail on the re-start as Paul Pelletier closed in on the leader after 2 more brief yellow flag periods.  Eric Lee joined the lead duo for the final 10 laps, setting up the run to the flag!  Pelletier took a peek to the high lane with 4 laps to go as Lee also looked there for a bit.  The trio ran in tight formation as Pelletier tucked in on Kargel’s bumper entering turn 4 on the final circuit.  Lee reeled up to the high lane as Pelletier nudged Kargel, allowing Lee to dart by on the outside and to edge Kargel by less than a fender for the victory.  Kargel held in for second, Pelletier was third, Royce Cornett fourth and Ron Allen fifth, followed by Dan Ford Jr., Nick Grodi, Terry Bogucz, Hawes and Derek Wiley.  Dennis Strickland, who came from the back of the field and into the top five, spun into the infield toward the end of the event, dropping him back in the finish.

There was more action and excitement as the 25 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock division went at it in their main event.  Front row starter Paul Duffin took the lead at the green flag, but the pressure was on right from the start, as Dave Tanner dipped under Paul several times, with Duffin slamming the door.  Tanner had to back out of the throttle and that allowed Brad Wyatt to take a shot at the lead.  Wyatt also went low on Duffin, but the duo tangled and spun, bringing out the yellow and sending Wyatt to the infield with damage to his machine.  Tanner was now the leader as the field got going again.  Duffin had the leaders bearing down on him and everyone took evasive action to miss the #51, but Tadek Stadniczuk fell victim to the incident and got up on the side of Duffin’s car, causing another yellow and ending both Tadek’s and Duffin’s night of action.  Things got exciting again once racing resumed.  Tanner held the point, with Tim Moore and Chad Guinn taking turns to take a stab at the lead in the final 7 laps.  Coming down to the white flag, a lapped car made the field choose lanes, and Scott Selmi, who sat back in 4^th spot, zoomed to the outside and surprised the leaders as he zipped by.  Tanner had a handful of steering wheel as he tried to avoid the darting cars and eventually looped his machine into the infield with no room to move.  Selmi notched the victory over Guinn, Tim Moore, Josh Bunting, Rob Moore, Frank Jiovani, Jarod MacZink, Landon Schuster, Clyde McKee and Tanner.David Kind did a great job of displaying patience as he slowly worked his way to the front, ran side-by-side with Michael Phillips for several laps and took the lead coming to the white flag on his way to the win in the 15 lap Street Stock B Main event, which ran without a yellow flag.  Phillips hung on for second, Lavoie was third, Steve Searles fourth and Anthony Camilli fifth.  Jeff Luttermoser, Little, Theobald, Rae and Matt Bunting completed the top ten finishers.  Selmi set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts fast time for the 38 car field at 13:597, while Little topped the B Main field at 14:382.   Stadniczuk, Rob  Moore, Rich Abel, Camilli and Kind took the heat race wins. 

Looking for the hat trick, Robbie Loving was ready to go as the 20 lap Parts Galore Figure 8 feature of the night made its way onto the racing surface.  It was not to be, however, as Robbie pitted on an early red flag when Anthony Terris lost the steering in his car.  Loving tacked on the back of the field before the race re-started, but had too much distance to make up as Greg Studt came back from a tough race in the first contest to lead every lap and collect the win.  Jeremy Vanderhoof stayed right with Greg the entire distance and came home in second spot as the duo dodged some wild and unreal intersection traffic on almost every lap!  Earley, Jerry Lee, Whisman, Scott Apperson, Loving,  Ron Allen, Chartrand and Roberts filled out the top ten finishers.  Vanderhoof led the field in time trials with a lap of 20:552 on the Figure 8 track.  Lee and Chartrand captured the heats, with Chartrand scoring his first-ever Figure 8 checkered flag.

Bring the kids next Saturday night to Flat Rock Speedway-it’s Kids’ Night, sponsored by Lakeshore Utility Trailer Sales!  All kids to age 14 will be admitted FREE and will receive a FREE hot dog, chips and a drink, courtesy of Sherwood Foods, the Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group and Seyfert’s Snacks.  The Parts Galore Figure 8’s, the DTS Drive Train Specialists and the Jeff’s Collision 4 Cylinders will be joined by the Michigan Legend Car Series for the Saturday, June 11 race card.  The gates open at 4 and racing begins at 7 p.m.  Log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com for further information.