Toledo Speedway

TOLEDO, OH  (5-24-09)--  If you were at Toledo Speedway Sunday night for the Burge Wrecking Night of Destruction, you were treated to a great night of fun, laughs and cheers.  If you didn’t make it, shame on you!  Every event was filled with something that gave the large crowd a reason to applaud the action on the track!

Race Car Bowling kicked off the night, as 6 cars took shots at knocking down plastic barrels with their cars, but only by sliding into them.  After 2 frames, Don Cox defended his title with the victory over John Rabideau, Jason Schalte, Amanda Bland, Thomas Elmore and Greg Turner.  The boos cascaded down from the grandstands when no barrels were knocked over, yet loud cheers erupted when the barrels went flying!

Archie Padgett steered his #11 machine to victory in the 15 lap Factory Stock Figure 8 race, topping a fast-closing Alan Bland Sr. for the victory.  Cox, Schalte, Amanda Bland, Anthony Terris, Turner, Rabideau and Elmore followed.  Padgett also took the win in the backup race.  He lost the lead to Alan Bland Sr. but Alan spun on the final lap, allowing Archie to collect the checkered flag.

The Plywood race features the drivers holding on to a sheet of plywood atop the roofs of their cars while racing around the short track.  Padgett and Schalte won the qualifying heats, with Schalte collecting the final win.

A great 15 lap Figure 8 Train race kept the fans laughing the entire distance.  Train Figure 8 features 2 cars chained together; the front one with the engine, the back car with the brakes.  Five teams lined up and the action started right at the green flag.  Kelly/Darren Koester took the lead until Howard Kelley Jr./Tom O’Leary III zipped by.  Dave Arnold Jr./Dennis Futrel dropped out when their chain broke, and Tom O’Leary Jr./Archie Padgett stalled in turn 3 of the Figure 8 course, setting up somewhat of an obstacle course.  For the final 6 laps, the Koesters looked inside of the stalled cars and on the final lap, dove under them, setting up a side by side finish, with Kelley/O’Leary III taking the win over the Koesters, Tom O’Leary IV/Adam Plonski, O’Leary Jr./Padgett and Arnold Jr./Futrel.

The hilarious Boat Figure 8 race saw Amanda Bland beat her dad Alan to take the popular win.  Amanda, the fan favorite at Toledo, received a huge ovation from the crowd.  On the start, Amanda’s boat flipped on its side, flipped back over, back on its side and finally back down on the next corner, bringing laughter from the stands.  Alan’s boat/trailer got up on its side also on a few occasions and also lost the tires, but with the stalled car of Jason Schalte and his boat and trailer in turn 3, Alan’s boat and trailer slammed into the back of Schalte’s boat lap after lap, making a huge thump each time! 

The grand finale, the School Bus Figure 8 race, made the Burge Wrecking Night of Destruction live up to its billing.  Figure 8 regular Dennis Whisman finished off Troy Herrmann and Joey Koester by slamming repeatedly into their buses, bringing out the red flag when Whisman’s bus stalled after losing a bunch of oil and getting lodged into the side of Herrmann’s machine.  With the other buses having some sort of damage, defending race winner Jack Franzil tagged first-time bus Figure 8 driver Norm Lewallen, getting Norm over on his side as the crowd roared.  Norm was also clipped several times by Denny Stilwell until Denny’s bus gave out with no radiator left!  Franzil was declared the winner, giving the track’s chief technical inspector his second bus win in a row.  Bus sponsors included Burge Wrecking, PB Fabrication, Jeff’s Collision of Toledo and the Mayfly Tavern and Paul Never.

Friday, May 29 is Valvoline Instant Oil Change Scout Night at Toledo Speedway.  All scouts in uniform will be admitted FREE and leaders in uniform or with an ID card will also be admitted FREE.  Fans can go to their local Valvoline store for $5 admission coupons, while supplies last.  The ARCA Sportsman, Factory Stocks and 4 Cylinders will provide the action, beginning at 7:30 p.m.