Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio - September 27, 2011) - Speed51.com is reporting that Southern Late Model star Augie Grill will be at the wheel of a car owned by Jerry Artuso for Saturday’s Great Lakes Helicopters Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway.  Speed51.com will carry live up-to-the minute updates from the track on race day.  Bonus awards that have been posted will push the total cash payout to nearly $57,000.

Grill, one of the top Super Late Model drivers in the country, was recently crowned the 2011 Blizzard Late Model Series champion at Pensacola, FL Speedway.  The Glass City event would mark Augie’s first ride in an outlaw Super Late Model and his first attempt at making a Glass City 200 field.

Artuso, who resides in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and races in the Michigan-Ohio area in the summer and then down south in the winter, drives a template-bodied car owned by Grill when running in the Southern states.  Jerry has offered up his outlaw car to Grill for the prestigious event in Toledo for this weekend.

Track officials have received no entry and have had no contact with Grill or Artuso, but an associate of Grill has told track management to expect contact from the driver soon.

With the addition of entries from area drivers Rick Sheppard (Mt. Clemens, MI) and Derek Wiley (Belleville, MI), and, if Grill does enter the event, the pre-entry list would move up to 39 cars as of Tuesday evening.

The weekend begins on Friday, September 30 with an optional practice session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  The main grandstand will be open for the Friday practice at no charge to race fans.  Friday pit pass purchasers will be treated to a bbq dinner after the practice session, sponsored by Francis Engineering.  The Basement Dawgs will hit the stage at the Speedway Bar and Grille at 9 p.m., which is located on the track grounds, to kick off the weekend of fun, food, music and great racing!

Race day on Saturday will see practice beginning at noon and time trials are at 3 p.m.  Pre-race ceremonies will follow.  Tom Treece of Monroe, MI will sing God Bless America and Toledoan Steve Zilka will perform the National Anthem on his trumpet. 

Racing begins at a special time of 5 p.m. and includes features for the track’s Figure 8, Street Stock and Sportsman divisions in addition to the Glass City 200.  Sunday, October 2 will serve as the rain date for the event.

Race fans will have the chance to win 2 round-trip tickets from Toledo to Florida, courtesy of Allegiant Travel.  Fans will enter the drawing upon arrival to the track.  A special cash give-away to race fans is also in the works, courtesy of PASSTIME, the $500 fast qualifier sponsor for the Glass City 200.  PNC Bank will sponsor the Nickel/Penny grab for kids 12 and under at 4:30 p.m., just prior to the start of the race card.

Additional sponsors include EarSmart of Northwest Ohio, Allegiant Travel, Francis Engineering, Moran Chevrolet, DTS Drive Train Specialists, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Port City Racecars, Kish Ambulance, All Star Performance, Lane Automotive, R & M Recycling, Burge Wrecking, PNC Bank, Penske Racing Shocks and PASSTIME. 

Tickets are now on sale for the event by calling the Toledo track office at 419-727-1100.  The entire schedule for the weekend, current entry lists and the lap money sponsor list are posted on the website.  Stay up to date on all the racing information by logging onto www.toledospeedway.com or go to the Glass City 200 button at www.arcaracing.com.