Toledo Speedway

Richard "Dick" G. Frantz, age 71, the father of ARCA Street Stock driver Rich Frantz and Ron Frantz, passed away Sunday, March 4. 

Dick was a longtime supporter of ARCA and actually began his racing career as a driver at the Cloverleaf (Cleveland) Speedway, and was a big part of getting his sons Ron and Rich involved in racing.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia, sons Ron and Rich, a brother, Ed and sister, Betty, along with 6 grandchildren. 

Services will be held at the A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home, 18149 Bagely Road, Middleburg Heights, OH  44130.  Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 7 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and 6 p.m.-8 p.m.  Interment will follow on Thursday, March 8.

Flat Rock, Michigan—February 29, 2012:  When Flat Rock Speedway opened in 1953, the Telegraph Road facility featured a ¼ mile asphalt paved oval, the first “rubberized asphalt track” in the country!  Built by Detroit area paving company owner Sheldon Hayes Sr. and his business partners, Flat Rock ran 3 nights a week and included several NASCAR-sanctioned events. 

Through its initial years of operation, the track saw numerous changes in promoters of the racing cards, as well as divisions of race cars.  But with the 1962 season looming, 2 changes were made at the track that have etched “The Rock” in the history books of short track racing.  A man by the name of John Marcum became the promoter of Flat Rock Speedway and, the installation of a Figure 8 track inside the paved oval became a reality. 

And from that day on, Figure 8 racing became a mainstay at Flat Rock, and, in 2012, the track will officially celebrate 50 years of wild action on the Figure 8 course!

Toledo, Ohio—February 26, 2012:  Congratulations to the winners of the prizes given away at Sunday’s Daytona 500 race party at the Toledo Speedway Bar and Grille.

Bar and Grille Gift Certificates:  Todd Perkins, Rich Frantz

Flat Rock Speedway tickets:  Craig Osenbaugh

Toledo Speedway tickets:  Kathy Diovardi

Flat Rock pad rental:  Dave Stadniczuk

Toledo pad rental:  Rich Frantz

Flat Rock test session:  Tadek Stadniczuk

Toledo test session:  Nick Bradley

Gift Cards:  Sara Pencola, Craig Osenbaugh

Hats:  Chris Diovardi, Shelly Stadniczuk, Dakota Minda, Kelly Karlet, George Zyinda, Mike Barker

This is the fourth of our monthly off-season bulletins.  It will be posted here on the webpages and emailed to our members who have provided email addresses.  If you would like to be added to that list, email your address to Sherry at smiller@arcaracing.com.  These bulletins will not be mailed. 

Please direct any calls to the Toledo office during the winter months; the Flat Rock office is closed.  The Toledo phone number is 419-727-1100.

 DAYTONA 500 PARTY!  Tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 26 at Toledo Speedway Bar/Grille!  Doors open at Noon, over $1000 in prizes to be given away-pad rentals, track rentals, tickets and more!  Join us!!!

February 24, 2012:  Pit pad rental forms are now available for both Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways for the 2012 racing season. 

They may be downloaded from the track’s web pages.  Click on the forms button. Pad rental forms will NOT be mailed this season.  Forms must be downloaded from the website. 

Please fill out the form in full and return it with payment as noted. All pad rentals are due no later than April 20, 2012.  A $50 late fee will be added to any rentals paid after this date. 

If you have questions, please contact Scott at 419-727-1100. 

TOLEDO, OH:  (2-9-12):  Toledo Speedway is proud to announce the return of Great Lakes Helicopter as the sponsor of its signature event, the Glass City 200 Super Late Model invitational.  The Almont, MI based business has agreed to enter into its 3rd season of support for the 24th running of the event at the Glass City oval.

“We are very pleased that Great Lakes Helicopter will again be a part of the Glass City 200 weekend this season,” said Ron Drager, promoter of the Toledo track.  “Our thanks to John Lojko and his group for their great support of this prestigious event.”

Alabama resident Augie Grill made his first attempt at Toledo in an outlaw Late Model a historic one at last season’s Glass City event, capturing the 200 lap contest in a car prepared by Canadian Jerry Artuso.  The date for the 2012 edition of the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200 is Saturday, September 29.

Great Lakes Helicopter also serves as the sponsor of the #116 Late Model driven by Jack Varney Jr. 

Log onto www.toledospeedway.com for current information and the 2012 schedule.

February 7, 2012:  With racing season right around the corner, Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways are preparing for the race schedules with the printing of the 2012 edition of the souvenir program.   Inventory is also available for all types of signage and race night sponsorships at both facilities. 

The official souvenir program is sold at both tracks for each racing event.  Program advertisements begin at just $100 for the entire season with the creation of a business directory page, which is new for 2012.  Your business name, address, phone number and website address can be included in the listing.  The standard 1/8, ¼, ½ and full page program ads are also available, starting at just $225.  Individual race tickets are included with each advertisement.

 Both Flat Rock and Toledo offer all types of signage opportunities and race night sponsorship packages, along with group ticket sales and suite rentals (Toledo only for suites).  Season passes are included with signage purchases. 

The print deadline for program copy is March 1.  For additional information, please contact Scott at 419-727-1100.  

Roseville, MI—February 6, 2012:  To follow in a father’s footsteps is a proud tradition, one that is quite evident at Stan Yee’s Collision in suburban Detroit, MI.  Upon the passing of Stan Yee Sr., founder and patriarch of the Yee family, Stan Jr. took control of the business with the help of Stan Sr.’s widow and Stan Jr.’s mother, Ann. 

Stan Jr. literally grew up at the shop and, needless to say, at the race track.  The famous Yee-prepared #33’s captured several dozen top pavement and dirt Late Model races in the Midwest in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and continued to rack up wins and championships in the 1980’s and 1990’s on the local short tracks. 

As Stan Sr. began to spend more time away from the shop, Stan Jr. took the reigns, and, like his father, ran the business by day and worked on race cars at night.  Perhaps Stan Sr.’s proudest moment was realized when Stan Jr. captured the 2003 ARCA-Flat Rock Speedway Late Model championship.

Flat Rock Speedway will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Figure 8 racing this season at the Telegraph Road speedplant.  The official celebration will take place Saturday, May 12, with a special 50 lap Figure 8 feature and the Racer's Reunion, complete with the introduction of all former racers on hand for the event.

We are looking to contact as many former Figure 8 drivers and any former racer that raced at "The Rock" over its 58 year history.  We also are searching for old photos, with an emphasis on the Figure 8 class.

You may contact Scott Schultz at 419-727-1100 or at sschultz@arcaracing.com.

Look for weekly stories, photos and tributes to the rock-em', sock-em', Fabulous Figure 8's at www.flatrockspeedway.com leading up to the 50th Anniversary celebration!

This is the third of our monthly off-season bulletins.  It will be posted here on the webpages and emailed to our members who have provided email addresses. 

If you would like to be added to that list, email your address to Sherry at smiller@arcaracing.com.  These bulletins will not be mailed. Please direct any calls to the Toledo office during the winter months; the Flat Rock office is closed.  The Toledo phone number is 419-727-1100.

Toledo, Ohio—January 27, 2012:  For many drivers, driving a race car at Daytona International Speedway is a dream.  For the 2012 ARCA Glass City Gold Cup Late Model Champion, that dream will come true.  For the second consecutive year, the champion of the 6-race Series will get a test in an ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards stock car, courtesy of Fast Track High Performance Driving School.  

Dennis Strickland, the defending Gold Cup champion, took to Daytona during the annual ARCA test in December, giving the Carleton, MI wheelman the ultimate thrill for a stock car driver—running around Daytona!  “It was an experience I will not forget,” noted Strickland, who clocked in a lap at 180.748 in his final session of the 2-day test.  Dennis ran 42 laps for the weekend.

As a tribute to the memory of Joy Fair, a special memorial decal is now available.  Fair, who passed away December 10, 2011, was one of the top racers in the country, accumulating over 800 career victories around the Midwest short tracks in his lifetime.  Joy was a 10-time Flat Rock Speedway champion and 7-time Toledo Speedway champ and is the all-time win leader at both tracks.

The decals are $4 each or 3 for $10, with all proceeds from the sale of the decals to go to the American Diabetes Association.  Please add $1 per order for shipping/mailing costs.

Long-time friend Rand Thompson is conducting the sale of the decals.  Please make all checks payable to the American Diabetes Association.  Checks may be sent to:  Rand Thompson, 10537 Loughrea Lane, Cement City, MI  49233.