FLAT ROCK WINS TO PELLETIER-WORLEY-GADDIS; STRICKLAND-HEDGES-STUDT-ABEL 2013 CHAMPS
FLAT ROCK WINS TO PELLETIER-WORLEY-GADDIS; STRICKLAND-HEDGES-STUDT-ABEL 2013 CHAMPS

(FLAT
ROCK, Michigan - August 31, 2013) - While
Paul Pelletier, Kyle Worley and Danny Gaddis visited the Sun Drop Winner’s
Circle for the first time this season at Flat Rock Speedway, Dennis Strickland,
Grant Hedges, Greg Studt and Rich Abel locked up their respective 2013 track
championships on Heritage Newspapers Season Championship Night. The exciting night was capped off with a
fireworks display.
The 50 lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model championship
event saw the first 29 laps run without a yellow flag. Paul Pelletier nosed out in front of pole
sitter Derek Wiley to take control of the race on the start. Paul, running with the #6 on his car to honor
car owner Bob Ward, who passed away recently, stayed in control the entire
distance to grab the win. Dennis
Strickland got by Wiley in the final 12 laps to take second, cementing his
second Flat Rock Late Model title in the process. Ron Allen made a slick move on a restart and
was able to grab third, rookie Frank Jiovani was fourth and Steve Cronenwett
Jr. fifth. Wiley was sixth, followed by
Stan Yee Jr., Eric Lee, Scott Pemberton and Chris Benson. Wiley set fast time at 11:825 for the 21 car
field, with heat wins to Allen, Joe Hawes and Brad Turner. Strickland topped Cronenwett Jr., Pelletier,
Pemberton and Jiovani in the final points.
A very competitive 30 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train
Specialists Street Stock A Main championship race saw Danny Bennett zoom out
front at the start. Scot Bunge nosed
under Danny on lap 8, but Bennett came right back to take the top spot on lap
11. On lap 14 the fireworks started
early. Clyde McKee looped his machine in
turn 2, and while the rest of the field checked up, Gary Calhoun got sideways
and was t-boned by Rich Abel, bringing out the red flag. Both drivers were ok, but done for the
evening. On the restart, a mad scramble
for the top spot saw 3 wide racing as Kyle Worley eased under Bennett and Bunge
to take the point on lap 15. Kyle stayed
in command to grab his first-ever feature win at Flat Rock. Bunge came home second, Scott Selmi was
third, Guy Fire fourth and Steve Searles fifth, followed by Craig Lange, Corey
Duane, Rob Moore, Darrell Krause and Grant Hegdes.
Chelsea, MI resident Grant Hedges, who sustained front
end damage in the lap 14 incident, stayed on the track and nursed his car to
the finish as he clinched his first-ever track championship. Grant began racing at Flat Rock just 3
seasons ago. Rob Moore, Selmi, Bunge and
Duane trailed Grant in the final point standings. Rich Abel will be crowned the Street Stock B
Main champion for the 2013 season. With
a short field, there was no B Main event.
Rookie Corey Duane posted the Fastime Racing Engines and
Parts quick time for the 25 car field at 13:595. Heat race winners were Searles, Chris
Fitzpatrick and Rick Bennett.
Well, as far as excitement and point racing drama goes,
they saved the best for last! Greg
Studt, down 25 markers going into the night to Jeremy Vanderhoof, was able to
make up that gap during the preliminary races, putting the duo into a tie
heading into the 25 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 championship race. Studt, setting the Fastime Racing Engines and
Parts fast time (20:922), rolled a 7 for the inversion, putting him 7th
and Jeremy 6th for the feature race.
Dan Apperson snared the lead on the green and on lap 7,
some of the most wild and exciting action was about to take place! Apperson closed in on the lapped car of Mark
Lavoie, and while Apperson chose the low side, several of the challengers went
to the other side of Lavoie, and with contact between several cars, the ping
pong ball effect took place. With cars
bouncing off each other, back and forth across the Figure 8 track as they
crossed the stripe and into turn 1, Apperson, Vanderhoof and Studt became
tangled up together in the infield grass.
Studt broke loose, got back on the track and stayed on the lead lap,
while Apperson and Vanderhoof ended their nights with damage to their
machines. Danny Gaddis somehow avoided
most of the action while running second, took the lead and never looked back as
he sailed to his first win of the year.
Billy Earley was also able to avoid most of the mayhem to notch second,
Robbie Loving was third, Dennis Whisman fourth and Studt’s fifth place run gave
him the 2013 Figure 8 crown. Randy
Roberts, Ian Jezylo, Stephanie Bradley, John Lambert, and Jeremy Fragazzi
competed the top ten. Gaddis and Jezylo
took the heat race wins. The top 5 in
the final point tally were Studt, Vanderhoof, Whisman, Loving and Earley.
Saturday, September 7 Flat Rock Speedway will have plenty of racing action and family entertainment on tap! The remainder of the races on the 2013 schedule will now begin at 6 p.m. A 250 lap Enduro race, the ARCA 4 Cylinder championship, the MCR Dwarf Cars and a Figure 8 train race are on the race card. Practice begins at 4, time trials are at 5 and racing at 6 p.m.