Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio - August 24, 2012) - Sunshine and blue skies greeted race fans and teams for Friday’s Glass Bowl Lanes Season Championships and Autograph Night at Toledo Speedway.  Ron Allen, Dennis Whisman, Kyle Huston and Perry Marlow were crowned the 2012 track champions.  Jim Froling, Gary Cronenwett, Huston and Jeff Wells Jr. captured the feature events of the evening and visited the Sun Drop Winner’s Circle.  The fans took part in the on-track autograph session prior to the start of the race card.  The track also hosted Armed Forces Night, with all military personnel admitted as guests for Friday’s event.

Lap money is now available for the 24^th Running of the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200.  Lap money is $10 per lap.  The first 20 laps have already been sponsored:  First 10 laps: Port City Racecars, Second 10 laps Driven Women.  Your name will go in the program insert sheet, it will appear on the track’s website, and there will also be public address announcements made for your support of the race teams.  Call Toledo Speedway today (419) 727-1100. 

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - August 18, 2012) - Trenton, MI resident Paul Pelletier recorded his 5^th win of 2012, taking the victory in the 50 lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature Saturday night at Flat Rock Speedway.  Saturday was arguably the best weather of the season that greeted a good crowd that attended the Leppen Chiropractic/UAW Local 3000 Autograph Night.  Fans had the chance to walk on the track and meet the drivers prior to the start of the show.  Dr. Cecilia Leppen, together with her son and grandson, presented trophies to the winners, which also included Tim Moore, Rich Abel and Dennis Whisman.  The speedway also honored members of the military for Armed Forces Night, as all military personnel were guests of the track Saturday evening.

Michael A. Champagne of Dexter, MI, the son of former ARCA Figure 8 driver Mike Champagne, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, August 9 at the age of 21.  His grandfather, Russ Champagne, was also a former Figure 8 driver.

Michael was a member of the United States Navy and served on the U.S.S. Cape George.

The family will receive friends at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home in Chelsea, MI Monday, August 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m to 8 p.m.

Services will be held Tuesday, August 21 at 11 a.m. at Shalom Lutheran Church in Pinckney, MI.

(TOLEDO, Ohio - August 17, 2012) - Coopersville, MI driver Johnny VanDoorn captured the Miller Lite 100 for the ARCA Allegiant Gold Cup/Main Event Series outlaw Late Models Friday night at Toledo Speedway, while Cedar Springs, MI resident Dakota Carlson iced the 2012 Gold Cup title by virtue of his 4^th place run.  This is the first time that the 2 Series have teamed together for an event.  Josh Bunting won the companion ARCA R & M Recycling Street Stock feature, while Perry Marlow took top honors in the ARCA 4 Cylinder race.  PJ Sullivan of Northwest Ohio Beverage, the Toledo area Miller Lite distributor, presented the Gold Cup to Johnny in the Sun Drop Winner’s Circle.

Carlson, driving for Tony LeClair, was solid throughout the 6 race Allegiant Gold Cup Series as he captured the 2012 title.  The top 3 in the final points of the Series-Carlson, Mike Root and Harold Fair Jr., will each receive 2 round trip tickets courtesy of Allegiant Travel.  Carlson will get the opportunity to test an ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Stock Car at the annual December ARCA test at Daytona International Speedway.

Due to the inclement weather, tonight's Placer's Car Club Classic Car Show at Toledo Speedway has been cancelled.

The next car show is Thursday, September 6. Show time is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Car Club hosts shows at the track the first, second and third Thursdays of each month.

Couple weeks of racing in this column.

The races held on August 4. The races got started about a half hour late when a rain storm Under heavy skies, we got all but a few laps of the Figure 8 feature in.

Paul Pelletier and Dennis Strickland again had a great side-by-side battle in the Super Late Model feature. Pelletier took home his fourth win of the season. “The race with Dennis was a good competitive race. We only touched one. I’m going to make this quick so we get more races in before the rain comes. I want to thank my sponsors, Fraza Forklifts, Dusty's Collision, Exotic Automation, First Impressions Cement, ABC Plumbing, Berringer Law, Duane's Roadrunner's and my family and crew and all the fans for sticking it out tonight.”

(TOLEDO, Ohio - August 14, 2012) - 2-time ARCA/CRA Super Series champion and current Series point leader Johnny VanDoorn has entered the Miller Lite 100 for this Friday night, August 17 at Toledo Speedway.  The 100 lap feature for the outlaw-bodied Late Models teams the ARCA Allegiant Gold Cup and the Main Event Racing Series together for the first time. 

(TOLEDO, Ohio - August 12, 2012) - The field for the Miller Lite 100 at Toledo Speedway just got more impressive with the addition of several entries over the weekend.  The race, scheduled for this Friday night, August 17,  teams the ARCA Allegiant Gold Cup and the Main Event Racing Series together for the first time as the outlaw-bodied Late Models will battle in a 100 lap feature event.

August 13, 2012

To:  All ARCA 4 Cylinder teams

RE:  4 Cylinder rules

Effective immediately, all Neons will weigh minimum 2500 lbs., and have maximum 1½ inch inside diameter exhaust. 

Point of emphasis:  NO REAR CAMBER IN ANY CAR.

Thank you,

Jack Franzil

Chief Inspector

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - August 11, 2012) - Current Midwest Super Modified Association (MSA) point leader Trent Stephens sailed to a dominating win in Saturday’s 40 lap main event at Flat Rock Speedway.  The race, the first Super Modified event at Flat Rock in over 30 years, saw 10 cars in the 10 second bracket in qualifying in an impressive display of speed and power.  Heritage Newspapers served as the sponsor for the race card.  Other feature winners were Rob Moore, Gary Cronenwett and Chris Metdepenningen.

The 15 MSA cars on hand used the practice sessions to get familiar with the fast ¼ mile paved oval, as only a few drivers had ever competed at “The Rock” in the past.  Stephens got hooked up and put down a lap of 10:449 in the qualifying session.  The 40 lap main saw Trent start in the 8^th spot, and 3 quick yellows in the first 6 laps slowed the action.  The final 34 laps were straight green flag, and Stephens and the MSA stars showed their muscle.  By lap 3, Trent had moved into the lead by going both high and low to take control of the race.  In fact, he was on a rail as he flawlessly zipped through the pack and ran 30 laps in the 10 second bracket during the feature!  At the finish, only second place DJ Shullick and third place Charlie Schultz were on the lead lap as the furious pace set by Stephens put cars down a lap or more.  Kyle Edwards was fourth and Bobby Dawson came from the back to 5^th spot at the finish.  Zach Gibson, AJ Lesiecki Jr., Jon Henes, Bob Reisz and Brandon Fisher rounded out the top 10.  Kevin Shirey, Mike McVetta, Jim Paller and Matt Marlow completed the finishing order.  Jack Smith snapped an axle during a heat race and tagged the wall, ending his night.  Stephens and Schultz were the heat race winners.