Toledo Speedway

(Toledo, OH—May 23, 2014):  Toledo Speedway kicked off the Memorial Day holiday weekend with the Woodville Auto Finance Night of Destruction!  The fans were treated a great night of fun and entertainment.  Jack Franzil took the School Bus Figure 8 race, Dennis Whisman was victorious in the ARCA Praxair Figure 8 event, while Tommy O’Leary captured the ARCA R & M Recycling X Car race.  Race Loving won the Road Rage Race, John Rabideau took the Boat Figure 8 event, Jeff King captured Race Car Bowling and the duo of Howard Kelley Jr. of Tom O’Leary III notched the Train Figure 8 war.

The School Bus Figure 8 action started even before the green flag.  Archie Padgett rolled his bus entering the turn before the race actually started, and from there, several crunching hits inflicted plenty of damage.  Jack Franzil hung on for the win.  Scott Apperson, Robbie Loving, Jeff King, Awful Knawful, Dennis Whisman and Padgett completed the field.  Bus sponsors were Woodville Auto Finance,  Burge Wrecking, Froggy’s Saloon of Daytona Beach, FL, Central Truck Parts, the Mayfly Tavern, First Choice Auto, R & M Recycling, The New Glass Bowl Lanes and PB Fabrication.

A wild 20 lap ARCA Praxair Figure 8 feature went down to the wire as Dennis Whisman held off a last-lap charge by Jeremy Vanderhoof and Robbie Loving for the victory.  Scott Apperson was the early leader until Whisman snuck by for the lead.  With 2 to go, lapped traffic caused Whisman to go to the high side, while Vanderhoof slipped low, with Loving in tow.  The trio stood on the gas in the final turn and to the flag, with Whisman taking the victory #28 of his Toledo career, which moves him to second on the all-time ARCA-Toledo Figure 8 win list, trailing only Chuck Hall’s 35 victories. The heat win went to rookie Race Loving.

Defending champion Tommy O’Leary got around leader Kyle Worley and sped to the win in the 25 lap ARCA R & M Recycling X Car feature race.  Greg Studt, Worley, Archie Padgett, Dennis Whisman, Craig Osenbaugh, John Rabideau and James McClure trailed the winner.  Studt won the heat race and set fast time at 11:361.

The very first Road Rage Race saw rookie Race Loving take the win.  The pace car ran laps on the Figure 8, oval, backwards on the oval and backwards on the Figure 8 course, much to the delight of the crowd.  The only rule was you could not pass the pace car at any time, and when the car pulled off the track, the next flag was the checkered flag!  Padgett, Whisman, Rabideau, Jeff King, Dennis Whisman Jr., Kyle Worley and John Lambert were next in line.

Rabideau took the hilarious Boat Figure 8 race, outlasting Jeff King, who smashed his way around the track as the crowd roared its approval.  King, Padgett, Whisman Jr. and Lambert also participated in the event.  King was the victor in the Race Car Bowling contest.

6 teams entered the Train Figure race as Howard Kelley Jr. and Tom O’Leary III captured the 12 lap classic.  Tom O’Leary Jr./Charlie Williams, Scott Apperson/Joe Vanderhoof, Kevin Stepinski/Erich Heuschele, Tommy O’Leary/James McClure and Adam Plonski/Jim Brazeau were next in line.

The next action at Toledo Speedway is set for Friday, May 30, as the ARCA Aramark Sportsman stock cars will hit the big ½ mile paved oval for fender to fender action!  On the short track, the ARCA R & M Recycling X Cars and the always-entertaining ARCA Praxair Figure 8’s will thrill the crowd with their daredevil-driving style dodging each other at the intersection!  The speedway will also host its annual Racer’s Reunion Night, honoring drivers from the past during the intermission.

The front gates open at 5, practice begins at 5, time trials are set for 6:30 and racing gets the green flag at 7:30 p.m.  The track phone number is 419-727-1100.  Toledo Speedway is located at the I-75/Alexis Road exit on the Michigan-Ohio border.  Log onto www.toledospeedway.com for further information.  Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toledoflatrock or follow us on Twitter @toledospeedway.