Toledo Speedway

Toledo, Ohio—August 26, 2016: Toledo Speedway crowned a pair of champions as part of the LKQ Night of Destruction Friday evening. Ron Allen is the 2016 ARCA Aramark Late Model Sportsman champ, while Derek Halka captured the ARCA Factory Stock title. Mike Young and Matt Ringger were the Season Championship feature winners Friday night. The evening was capped off with 4 “fun” type events, highlighted by the wild School Bus Figure 8 race, won by Dennis Whisman Sr.

Prior to the show, the fans were treated to an on-track autograph session and bus rides around the speedway.

There were 3 lead changes in the 40 lap ARCA Aramark Late Model Sportsman Season Championship feature event. Jeff Myers Jr. jumped out front at the start of the race on the ½ mile and held the top spot for 3 laps until Tom O’Leary IV darted under Jeff to take the point. Mike Young followed Tom through the gap to get to second and stayed glued to the leader’s bumper. On lap 17, Mike took command of the race and began to stretch his margin on now-second place Ron Allen. A yellow flag bunched the field 1 more time, but Mike stayed in control and zipped to his second win in a row. Allen’s second place finish secured the track title for Ron, his 9^th overall in the division. O’Leary IV was third, Greg Stilwell fourth and Gerald Wheaton fifth, followed by Dan Grigsby, Andy Harding, Dave Frantz, Craig Osenbaugh and Jim Froling. Froling’s bid to grab the title ended when his car’s engine expired. Allen and Wheaton took the heat race wins. Froling set quick time for the 18 car field s at 17:336.

The other track title decided Friday night was for the ARCA Factory Stock division. In the 25 lap Championship feature race, race leader Paul Martell came out of turn 4 in the final lap, but was tagged by Derek Halka. Paul spun, and with race procedure Halka was scored at the tail end of the lead lap,   Matt Ringger took the checkered flag for the win. Jacob Thomas was second, James Good third, Martell turned around and took fourth, with Halka fifth. Jesse Carrillo and Craig Osenbaugh completed the finishing order. Halka edged out Thomas for the 2016 track championship in his rookie season. Thomas claimed the heat race win.

Dennis Whisman Jr. topped Dave Lambert, Mike Miller, Jesse Carrillo, Thomas, Good, Travis Earley, Mike Luebke, Bill Carberry, Scott Apperson and AJ Padgett on his way to victory in the Flag Pole race.

Lambert floated his way to the win in the Boat Figure 8 contest, which saw 8 boats in action, with flips, rolls and boats and trailers dislodging from their tow race cars! Padgett, Halka, Carberry, Earley, Whisman Jr., Luebke and Carrillo were the other captains of the ships.

The duo of Kevin Stepinski/Erich Heuschele zipped to the win in the Train Figure 8 race over Troy Herrmann/Melissa Earley, Travis Earley/Whisman Jr., Jim Murphy/Randy Roberts Jr. and Billy Earley/Dennis Whisman Sr.

Not even 1 lap was in the books when Terrible Terry Smith rolled his bus in the grand finale’ School Bus Figure 8 race. Smith would have his bus righted and it started right up after not only the first roll, but the second roll as well! His third roll ended the event as Dennis Whisman Sr. was declared the winner. Billy Earley, Mike Young, AJ Padgett, Ron Allen, Smith and Jack Franzil steered the buses around the Figure 8 course. Whisman slammed into Earley in the first part of the race but was able to continue. Bus sponsors were LKQ Pick Your Part, PB Fabrication, Stevens Disposal, Hammer’s Grill, R & M Recycling and Central Avenue Truck Parts.

Just 1 race remains on the 2016 calendar at Toledo—the track’s signature event, the 28^th running of the Great Lakes Helicopter-Central Transport Glass City 200 presented the Holiday Inn Express and the Hampton Inn Saturday, September 17.

The 200 lap outlaw Late Model event will get the green flag at 6 p.m. Fans can save $5 on a ticket if purchased in advance. Call the track at 419-727-1100. Additional details for the race will be announced soon.