Toledo Speedway

 

TOLEDO, OH (7-3-2008)--  The Imperial Stunt Drivers Thrill Show entertained a good crowd Thursday night at Toledo Speedway to kick off the holiday weekend.  The event, sponsored by Cumulus Radio and the Toledo Blade, featured a trio of wild Figure 8-type contests and the night was capped off by a sensational fireworks display.  Dan McClintock of 94.5 WXKR Radio welcomed the crowd in pre-race festivities.

The Thrill Show is a replica of the stunt shows that toured the county fairs and short tracks of the nation during the 1960’s and 70’s.  Several groups have resurrected the show, and the Imperial Stunt group began their 2008 tour at Toledo, one of over 60 stops for the show this season.  Ramp to ramp maneuvers, slides, the crash through the wall of flames and the lap around the track on 2 wheels excited fans both young and young at heart at the Glass City oval.

 

After the break to clear the track, the Factory Stock class at Toledo competed in an entertaining 15 lap contest on the Figure 8 track.  Race winner Dave Arnold Jr. and Art LaFreniere swapped the lead back and forth the entire contest, using every piece of the all-asphalt surface while battling for the top spot.  Young Arnold was able to slide to victory over a great effort by LaFreniere, with Mike Hassen third, Eric Huston fourth and Anthony Terris fifth, followed by Mike Mills, Alan Bland Jr., Craig Osenbaugh, Amanda Bland, Kent Jones and James Harmon.  The race ran non-stop and featured 3-wide intersection traffic going both ways, creating some strange moves to get through the cross-over!

 

Next up was the Figure  8 Train race, with the front car with the engine, the back car with the brakes, and, of course, the cars are chained together.  The duo of Howard Kelley Jr. and Tom O’Leary III held back a last-lap challenge from Tom O’Leary IV and Adam Plonski to win the 12 lap shootout and $750 in the process.  The challengers chased down the leaders in the final 2 laps and got door to door with them.  Their strategy almost worked as young O’Leary/Plonski swung wide on the final turn and stood on it in a run to the stripe.  Kelley/O’Leary III hung on for the win, with Darren Koester/Kelly Koester third and Paul Duffin/Lonnie York fourth.

 

Figure 8 Boat racing.  What is it?  Try Factory Stocks towing boats in a race on the Figure 8 course and you have a crazy, hilarious and unpredictable event that keeps you laughing.  And that’s just what the 12 lap contest did!  Early leader Mike Mills lost his boat and trailer heading to the start/finish line, with the boat and trailer sailing hard into the frontstretch wall!  No harm, everyone kept going and so did the race.  That gave Eric Huston the lead with Anthony Terris gliding through the water, er, the track to challenge for the win.  In a matter of just 2 or 3 laps, Huston had his boat flip sideways, back upright, then over again on its side until someone clipped the trailer and sent the boat flying across the track, ending his night.  Just after that incident, Terris lost his boat but still had his trailer, but in Boat Figure 8 racing, the boat has to be on the trailer!  That gave Bill Carberry the lead on the final turn and Bill repeated his win from last season in the race.  Second was Amanda Bland, third went to Terris, fourth was Craig Osenbaugh in a shower of sparks the entire race, with Huston fifth and Mills sixth.  The next boat race is Friday night, September 5.

 

The evening was capped off with a great fireworks display that sent the crowd home with a night of fun already in the books as the 4^th of July holiday weekend gets going strong.  Many attendees checked out the carnival rides in the track parking lot during the evening.

 

It’s back to weekly racing next Friday, July 11 with the Velvet Ice Cream-sponsored Christmas in July Prize Give-away!  Santa Claus will be on hand to present gifts to the winners of the great list of prizes to be given away July 11.  The ARCA Sportsman, Factory Stocks, Figure 8’s and 4 Cylinders will all hit the track to provide the racing action.  And the plywood races are also on the race card!  The Toledo UAW Cap Council will also have a large contingent of guests at the track.  The gates open at 5 with racing at 7:30 p.m

 Saturday and Sunday, July 12/13 is the Speedway Jam Concert weekend, featuring rock music on Saturday with Seether, Finger Eleven, Radio Craft and the Sick Puppies Saturday.  Sunday is Country Music day, with Heidi Newfield, James Otto, Hunter Brucks and Buck 69 on stage.  The gates open at 5 each night and the music starts at 6 p.m.  Tickets are on sale at the Speedway Bar and Grille by walk-in or by phone at 419-729-9182 or at Toledo Harley Davidson and Super Fitness.