Toledo Speedway

Eric Lee won his first Stan Yee Memorial race, and his third 150-lap feature at Flat Rock Speedway on Saturday. The win was the third race in the Allegiant Air Gold Cup Series. The 150-lapper at Flat Rock has been run all 16 years of the Gold Cup Series. Only three drivers have won the 150 more than once ... Bill Steinhilber with four wins and Lee and Dave Kuhlman with three each.

Lee’s win was worth, including the $235 of lap money, $2,758. In his two Gold Cup races this year he finished first and second. “This is a really very special race to me, Stan Sr. was a great man, he thought my dad a ton about race cars throughout the years when he drove for him.  Without all his help and knowledge I wouldn’t be standing here.  It's really an honor to win this race, I can't thank the whole Yee family enough.  I also have to thank my crew Joe and John and my dad Steve, he's spends countless hours working on this car,  trying different setups, making this car better and better each week.  I couldn’t do it without him.  I also have to thank my sponsors for all their support.  What a great race, my plan was to save my tires and race the last 50 laps.  After the red flag my car started working really good and I was able to get by Root for the lead.  I didn’t want to see that last caution, I was using up my tires pretty good to get away from Root and knew it would be tough to hold him off after the restart.  It all worked out and we were able to get the win,” said the driver of the Lee Motorsports Car Sales, Arrow Uniform Rental, Whitneys Collision, LaBelle Electric, D&E Landscaping, Posen Construction, Powertran Transformers, Nortown Autoglass #5.

Second place went to the defending two time champion of the Gold Cup Series, Mike Root, who led the majority of the race. His race high 86-laps led was worth $430 in lap money. He also led the 33rd lap for another $200 bonus. “Got around Eric (Lee), but drove too hard into turn two and he got around me again. I want to thank Dave. The way the day began, wasn’t sure what was going to happen. We had a miss in the engine and changed plugs and it cleared it up,” said the driver of the #9 Universal Graphic Solutions (USG), Creatingaccents.com, Renegade, Amsoil, Ace Auto Body, Extreme Images and Buck the Dog #9.

Dan Ford Jr. got third in his two Gold Cup races this year. He beat out Dennis Strickland for the position by about a foot. “The car worked pretty good. I did all I could to get third place. It was good clean racing all through the race. Had a good time out there,” said the driver of the #20 sponsored by Remerica Country Homes, Baker Performance.

Fourth went to Dennis Strickland, the only driver with a top 5 in each of the three Gold Cup races this year, with a win and second in the first two events. “That looked like a great race from my vantage point. I think I waited a little too long. Dakota Carleson and Harold Fair Jr. (second and third in points) fell out or finished way back, so we probably padded our points lead,” said the driver of the Strategy One Computers, MichWiFi.net, Victory Christian Fellowship, Trenton Forging #90. Strickland was also the event’s fast qualifier, his first fast time in three years. Tonight’s fourth place was the eight time in a row that Strickland has finished in the top 5 and the 10th time in a row he’s finished in the top 10 in the 150.

Jack Varney, Jr. finished fifth, his career best finish in the Gold Cup Series. He was as high as third during the first half of the race. “It was a hard battle. I got my toe-in knocked out early and it started pushing. I would’ve liked to finish in third, but with this field of cars, there’s no shame in finishing fifth. There’s a good caliber of cars and drivers here,” said the driver of the #116 Great Lakes Helicopter, Collin’s Heavy Hall, AF Vohs Contractors, Boulevard Communications, Port City Racing.

Scott Hantz started on the pole and led the first 17 laps (for a total of $85 in lap money) before being sent to the pits by officials for a possible leak. It turned out his grille was full of grass and he was overheating. The team brushed off the grille also took some tape off the grille, which is working on the car and he had to go to the rear. The car was tight before that and got looser afterwards. Hantz probably passed the most amount of cars and got back to eighth at the end.

Six cars dropped out of the event: Royce Cornett, engine/oil leak; Harold Fair Jr., handling; Ron Allen, damage from hitting backstretch wall; Terry Bogus, Jimmy Theil and Derek Wiley, mechanical.

There were 31 cars in the pits. Darrell Howard Jr. was on hand, but suffered a major engine failure during hotlaps.

Stan Yee Jr., Rick Sheppard, Terry Bogus and Ron Allen transferred from the last chance race. Royce Cornett was the Flat Rock Speedway provisional (

Jarod Allison, Jim Bailey, Todd Perkins, Kenny Matthews and Danny Slater were unable to transfer to the feature.

Scott Selmi returned after not making it to the track for the 100-lap feature a few weeks ago (which Chad Guinn won) ... and as been the case the last four previous races he was in, he found himself in Victory Lane for his fifth win of the season ... his fifth in a row. The last time a driver won 5 in a row was Kale Asztolis at the beginning of the 1993 season, although his was five consecutive races. “That’s five (in a row). I worked hard on the car after qualifying and it almost looked like Chad (Guinn) was getting ready to pull up on me. Glad he didn’t get there,” said the driver from Detroit.

I’m not sure if this is ever happened before but it is six consecutive wins for the Selmi family, with Dad, Jim winning on the night Scott didn’t run (three flat tires on the tow rig will do that).

Ian Jezylo returned to racing in the #41 car tonight. His last race was in August 2008. “I want to thank Robby Martel and Robbie Loving for letting me drive tonight. Hopefully I’ll get to drive it a couple more times this year.”

Jimmy Rae won the B division Street Stock feature. “It’s been a year since I’ve been up here (winning a race). Thanks to the fans and sponsors. Without my family I couldn’t do this.”

Unfortunately, his Figure 8 feature didn’t go nearly as well, as an accident with Danny Apperson ended his night in that division and brought out the first red of the night in the Figure 8 feature.

The second wreck was a hard crash between Stephanie Bradley and Anthony Terris. Stephanie walked to the ambulance under her own power but was alright, other than some soreness, but the cars were done for the night.

Jeremy Vanderhoof took home the win in the Figure 8 feature. “First I hope Stepahnie’s okay. This is dangerous, what we do. I want to thank my family and sponsors.”

Remember if you have any tidbits you want to send me my email's icechips@hotmail.com or send me a message on Facebook. I would love to hear from you, especially the Toledo drivers since I don't get to the track often.