Toledo Speedway

SOUTHGATE MI (11-10-08)--A large crowd of 600 guests converged Friday evening at the annual Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways banquet, held at the elegant Crystal Gardens Banquet Center in Southgate, MI. The evening was hosted by track announcer Gary Lindahl. All the track champions received their championship jackets and garage banners as ARCA President Ron Drager led the toast to the champions.

Flat Rock's ARCA Moran Chevrolet/Miller Lite Late Models saw second-generation driver Eric Lee claim his second Flat Rock Late Model crown.  Eric and his car owner, his father Steve, who also is a past Flat Rock Late Model champ, accepted the championship trophies and a check for $2000.  2007 champ Dennis Strickland, Ricky Kargel, Ron Allen and Greg Studt completed the top 5 in points.  Justin Schroeder, Scott Giroux, Steve Cronenwett Jr., Paul Pelletier and Chris Benson rounded out the top 10 point men for 2008.  Randy Cronenwett Jr. and Jeremy Vanderhoof were named Co-Rookies of the Year, while Schroeder notched Sportsmanship honors.  Pat Moran of Moran Chevrolet presented the trophies and checks to the drivers.

Dennis "The Rebel" Whisman nosed out 2007 king Robbie Loving by 55 points to take his 3rd ARCA Speedway Bar and Grille Figure 8 crown at Flat Rock.   Bar and Grille Manager Barb Selpuveda doled out the point fund checks and trophies to the Figure 8 drivers.  Greg Studt, Jeremy Miller, Jeremy Vanderhoof,  Billy Earley, Anthony Terris, Jerry Lee, Scott Apperson and Chuck Pankow were next in line in the final standings.  Loving garnered the Sportsmanship Award for the class, while Terris was named Rookie of the Year.

The ARCA Greater Detroit Auto Auction Street Stock class is divided up into A and B divisions by qualifying each race night.  2-time division champ Dan Ford Jr. returned to the class this season in the car that his brother, Regan, drove to the 2007 title.  Dan made it number 3 for the books as he grabbed this year's title.  Tim Moore completed his best-ever season with the runner-up position to Ford Jr. in the final point tally.  Derek Wiley, Randy DeMaggio and Regan Ford completed the top 5, with Dave Tanner, Rob Moore, David Kind, Jeff Kurzyniec and Danny Slater rounding out the top ten in points.  Rich Abel notched his first-ever championship by grabbing the B Main title over James Rae, Joe Gramlich, Chris Diovardi, Jim Kourtakis, Tony Camilli, Jim Stocker, Mike Hans, Bob Swanson and James Pankow.  Jason Shinn was the A Main Rookie of the Year, with the B Main Rookie award going to Gramlich.  Sportsmanship honors went to Stocker and Tadek Stadniczuk. 

The Toledo awards began with the Allegiant Air Glass City Gold Cup for the ARCA Late Models.  The traditional championship Gold Cup went to Harold Fair Jr., who captured 2 of the point races at the ½ mile paved oval on his way to back-to-back Gold Cup titles.  Justin Schroeder trailed Fair Jr. by 65 markers to claim second with his performance at Toledo.  Dennis Strickland, Paul Pelletier, Brent Jack, Harold Fair Sr., Bob Mikolajczyk, Steve Cronenwett Jr., Joe Hawes and Ron Allen trailed the top two.  The top 3 received 2 round-trip tickets from Toledo to Orlando, Florida, courtesy of Allegiant Air.

It was Whisman's turn to double up this season by notching the Toledo Speedway Bar and Grille Figure 8 crown to go with his Flat Rock title, the same feat accomplished by Loving last season.  Dennis edged Jeremy Vanderhoof by 5 markers for the championship.   Scott Apperson, Anthony Terris, Randy Roberts, Chuck Pankow, Loving, Brice Thomsen, Jeremy Miller and Eddie Snorf filled out the top 10 point men for 2008.

The National City Bank ARCA Sportsman division saw Jim Froling capture his first-ever ARCA title in the ½ mile division at Toledo.  Katy White, representing National City, presented the point fund checks and trophies.  Froling edged out defending champ Ron Allen by 45 points, completing a very competitive season for the group.  Chad Guinn finished third, Jarod MacZink fourth, with Greg Stilwell and Tom O'Leary IV tying for fifth spot.  Jeff King, Howard Kelley Jr., Scott Bross and Scott Lockenhour were 7^th through 10^th, respectively.   O'Leary IV and King were honored as Co-Rookies of the Year, with Sportsmanship honors to Lockenhour.

The Toledo ARCA A-1 Auto Parts Factory Stock division crowned a new champ, as another second-generation driver collected the championship trophy.  Dave Arnold Jr. was solid all season long on his way to his first-ever track title.  2007 champ Eric Huston took second, Cory McCaughey was third, Landon Schuster fourth and Mike Hassen fifth, followed by Josh Bunting,  Archie Padgett Jr., Brian Ringger, Gary Cronenwett and Jesse Carillo.  Cronenwett was named Rookie of the Year while Amanda Bland took the Sportsmanship award. 

The ARCA David's Jewelry 4 Cylinders saw a new champ emerge as 19 year-old Brad Turner slid by Matt Brazeau by 35 points and Michael Marlow by 65 to take his first-ever championship.  David's Jewelry presented gift certificates to the top 10 in the final points.  The 4 Cylinder crown combines points for the 2 tracks for the year.   Jimmy Little, David Price, Eric Padgett, Mike Bershback, Perry Marlow, Ray McClure and Mark Davis trailed the top trio in the final points.  Michael Marlow garnered Sportsmanship honors.

For just the second time, the Flat Rock Speedway Pepsi Enduro class crowned a points champion as Michael Dailey repeated his 2007 accomplishment by claiming the title again this season in the final event, which included a last-lap win at the stripe to secure top honors.   Tom Sprotberry, Rick Johnson, Tristan Dupuis, Robb Remick, Derrick Sheppard, Jeff Maran, Troy Brehmer, Rick Bennett and Tony Rumble took spots second through tenth, respectively.

The Late Model, Figure 8 and Sportsman champs all received product certificates from Pioneer Performance Products, while Strickland and Jack received product certificates from Penske Shocks.  The Driven Women's group also presented $500 scholarships to Jordan Ormsby and Jessica Martin.  Justin Schroeder, Ricky Kargel and Chad Guinn each received certificates for a head/neck restraint system for their efforts this season, courtesy of LFT/Safety Solutions.  Street Stock champ Ford Jr. and Sportsman champ Froling also received $500 product certificates toward the purchase of a Master Kit body package, courtesy of ARP Race Car Bodies. 

Several random drawings were also held for the drivers during the evening.  Jason Shinn, Tim Moore, Jeff King and Jarod MacZink won certificates for Re-Skin body packages from 5 Star RaceCar Bodies, while Jim Kourtakis and Tom O'Leary III were winners of a $500 product certificate from ARP Race Car Bodies in a random draw.  Lincoln Welders awarded welders to a pair of drivers present at the banquet; AJ Padgett Jr. and Howard Kelley Jr.

Point fund and contingency award sponsors for 2008 include Moran Chevrolet, Miller Brewing, O & W, Inc., A-1 Auto Parts, ARCA, ARP Race Car Bodies, National City Bank, B & H Race Parts, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Hoosier Tire, David's Jewelry, Lincoln Welders, Penske Shocks, Pioneer Performance Products, Bazell Race Fuels, Sunoco, Speedway Bar and Grille, Allegiant Air, Greater Detroit Auto Auction and LFT/Safety Solutions.

The Flat Rock office is now closed for the winter.  All calls should go to the Toledo office at 419-727-1100 during the winter months.  Flat Rock kicks off the 2009 season Saturday, April 25, while Toledo opens its weekly 2008 racing season Friday night, May 1.  Toledo's first race of the year is the ASA race April 25. 

Season tickets, $25 gift cards, DVD's, jackets and hats are available just in time for the Christmas season.  The order form may be downloaded from the website or call the Toledo office at 419-727-1100.

The 2009 schedules are expected to be released after January 1.