Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio - June 17, 2011) - The blend of speed and power was once again evident and the large crowd loved every minute right from the start of time trials at Toledo Speedway's All American Coach Fastest Short Track Show in the World Friday night. Charlie Schultz, pulling double duty, set fast time for both classes and electrified the crowd with an astounding lap of 12:389 in Dick Myer's Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprint (AVBBSS) machine, setting the new mark at Toledo.  Bobby Dawson scored the victory in the MSA Super Modified portion of the night, while hometown driver Jimmy McCune was victorious in the AVBBSS Sprint Car main.  All American Coach owner Tom McGuire and his family presented the trophies in victory lane ceremonies.

The sensational night of open-wheel racing at the fast Glass City ½ mile paved oval started with time trials.  Charlie Schultz set the pace for the Town Money Saver MSA Super Modifieds with a lap of 13:010, just 2/100 off of last year’s fast time, also set by Schultz.  With the AVBBSS Sprinters up next, the anticipation began to build for the crowd already assembled some 2 hours before race time.  A total of 7 drivers dipped into the incredible 12 second bracket.  Jeff Bloom (12:995), Dave Baumgartner (12:853), 71 year old Hank Lower (12:834) and Ryan Litt (12:757) notched great laps in the qualifying session.  Jim Swain then jumped up to the leader board at 12:634, getting below Derek Snyder’s 1 year old mark of 12:656.  Jason Cox then ripped off a lap of 12:544 as the crowd cheered.  And setting on pit row was Charlie Schultz, ready to put his machine to the test.  Schultz was quickest in hot laps as everyone at the track waited.  Charlie knocked down a lap of 12:389, giving the crowd what they waited for….another unbelievable speed record at Toledo!

The Town Money Saver MSA Super Modified feature set the tone for the feature races by going 40 laps without a yellow flag, taking all of 9 minutes and 34 seconds!  Veteran Bobby Dawson captured his 3rd win of 2011 for the Series, leading every lap. But the story was watching the unreal chase from Johnny Benson and Schultz. The duo got locked into a great traffic battle for position early, allowing Dawson to stretch his lead to nearly a half-track. Benson and Schultz put on a show and whittled Dawson's lead to less than a straight-away as time ran out, giving Dawson another big win. Schultz got by Benson in the final stages to grab second spot, with Benson third.  Mike Lichty was fourth and Lou Cicconi fifth, followed by Jim Paller, Tim Ice, Moe Lilje, Trent Stephens and Jack Smith.  Despite the incredible pace and no yellow flags, the top ten all finished on the lead lap.  The race was perhaps the best Super Modified feature race at Toledo in many years.  Dawson, Cicconi and Stephens took the heat race events.

After many years of competition at Toledo in several types of open-wheel machines, Toledo resident Jimmy McCune “finally”, in his words, grabbed a feature race win at his hometown track by virtue of his win in the 30 lap AVBBS Sprint Car Main.  McCune jumped into the lead on the green and the freight train ensued as the lightning-quick cars moved up through the pack.  The 10 car inversion gave fans more great racing action as the faster cars moved to the front of the field.  Several yellow flags slowed the pace, but Charlie Schultz was on a mission and zipped by his competition to take the lead from McCune and zoomed out to a solid lead, but a flat tire ended his night on lap 15, giving McCune the lead back again.  Dave Baumgartner, another fellow area resident, took up the challenge and stayed glued to McCune’s nerf bar, looking high and low to grab the point.  Jason Cox took up the charge with 8 laps to go as the trio pulled away, but McCune had enough to stay out front to grab the emotional and popular victory.  McCune thanked race sponsor Tom McGuire and his family, as Jimmy grew up in the same neighborhood.  Ottawa Lake, MI resident Baumgartner came home second, Cox was third, Jeff Bloom fourth and Jason Blonde made a great charge from deep in the field to take fifth.  Lower, Kevin Feeney, Troy DeCaire, JoJo Helberg and Kyle Flint completed the top ten.  Blonde, Bill Tyler and Baumgartner captured the heat race wins.

Toledo Speedway’s next race is set for Friday night, June 24, with Qualite Sports Lighting Night on tap. The ARCA ACME Dismantling Sportsman, the R & M Recycling Street Stocks and the Jeff’s Collision 4 Cylinders hit the track.  The Road Course race, featuring parts of the ½ mile, ¼ mile and pit road, has been rescheduled for June 24 from the June 10 rainout.  Friday’s event is part of the Valvoline Instant Oil Change Summer Racing Series.  The gates open at 5 and racing begins at 7:30 p.m.