Toledo Speedway

(Toledo, OH—August 26, 2014):  2012 race winner Terry Senneker, veteran Johnny Belott, August Toledo race winner Nick Bailey and Ohio speedster Jake Francis are the first four entries to arrive to for the 26^th Running of the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200, set for Saturday, September 20 at Toledo Speedway.  Presenting sponsors include Francis Engineering, Discount Tire, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, the Hollywood Casino and Cassens Transport. 

Second generation star Terry Senneker has been on a winning tear for the past several seasons and will be looking for his 2^nd Glass City win.  Terry qualified 3^rd and finished 3^rd last year at Toledo.  The Wayland, MI driver captured the prestigious Kalamazoo Klash in August at the Kalamazoo, MI Speedway, his 4^th win in that event.  Terry made his Glass City 200 debut in 2002, setting fast time but ended his day against the turn 3 wall.

Mt. Morris, MI driver Johnny Belott has been close to a win, with a 3^rd place run in both 2001 and 2011.  Belott finished 14^th last year.  Johnny was the fast qualifier for the race in 2006. 

Toledo native Nick Bailey captured his first-ever win in the Miller Lite 100 presented by Grogan’s Towne for the ARCA Discount Tire Gold Cup Series August 15 at Toledo and will be looking for the 200 victory to cap off his season.  Nick drove to a 4^th place finish in 2013.  Leroy, OH driver Jake Francis will be looking to add his name to the list of winners of the track’s signature event.  Jake finished 5^th last year.

Past winners include the late Joy Fair (1968), Joe Ruttman (1969, 1973), Bob Senneker (1970, 1971, 1977), Danny Byrd (1972), the late John Anderson (1974), the late Jim Bickerstaff (1975) and Ed Cooper (1976).  The idea of the late John Marcum, founder of ARCA and the promoter at Toledo, the Glass City 200 was run through 1977, until the track was sold.  The 200 was revived in 1999 when Marcum’s grandson, Ron Drager, the current President of ARCA, purchased Toledo with his business partner, Roy Mott.  The race was immediately revived and regained its status as one of the premier short track Late Model races in the nation.

Tim Felver wheeled Larry Zent’s #5 to the win in 1999, while Tim Ice captured the 2000 edition when teammates Zent and Jr. Hanley crashed with 9 laps to go.  Hanley came back to capture the 2001 race.  The next 3 years history was made as Steve Sauve accomplished the incredible feat of winning 3 Glass City 200 races in a row—2002, 2003 and 2004. 

John Doering Jr. won the rain-shortened 2005 event, while Jack Landis put his name in the record books with the win in 2006.  Brian Campbell dominated the field in 2007 for the win, Harold Fair Jr. grabbed the victories in 2008 and again in 2010, sandwiched between the long-sought 200 win for Dave Kuhlman in 2009.  Alabama driver Augie Grill was a surprise entry and sailed to the win in 2011, with Senneker’s first win of the 200 coming in 2012 after perhaps the save of the night as he narrowly escaped tagging the turn 2 wall just laps from the finish.  Local favorite Dennis Strickland stunned the crowd with his huge victory in the 2013 edition of the Glass City 200.

Associate sponsors and special award sponsors that have signed on include Stevens Disposal, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, DTS Drive Train Specialists, PASSTIME, R & M Recycling, Penske Shocks, First Care Ambulance and Burge Wrecking.

The 200 lap classic for the outlaw-bodied Late Models is the longest race of the year and the track’s signature event.  The race will award $6500 to the winner, with $1100 posted to start the race. 

Race fans will have the opportunity to save $5 on advance ticket purchases by calling the track at 419-727-1100.  The advance sale will end at 5 p.m. Friday, September 19.  Both reserved and general admission tickets are being sold in this advance sale.  The ticket order form may also be downloaded from the track’s web page-click on the ticket button for the form.  The order form may be emailed, but there are no online sales for this race.

Lap money is now being taken for the 200 lap event at $10 per lap.  The sponsor’s name will be listed in the souvenir program insert sheet and will also include several public address mentions.  Support the Glass City 200 by becoming a lap sponsor!  Call the track office to add your name to the list today!  Performance Images, the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club, Rand Thompson in Memory of Joy Fair and Naughton Insurance have all pledged lap money to date.

Friday, September 19 the pit gates will open at 2 p.m.  An optional practice session for both classes will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Rig parking, pit pass sales, limited tech and tire sales will take place on Friday.  All pit pass purchasers on Friday will receive a complimentary dinner after practice, courtesy of Francis Engineering. 

The Cassens 40 lap Sportsman Invitational is also part of the 200 weekend.  The race day schedule has the pit gates opening at 9:30 a.m., practice begins at Noon, the run for the PASSTIME $500 pole award goes at 3 and racing begins at a special time of 5 p.m.