Toledo Speedway

FLAT ROCK, MI: (6-20-09): Flat Rock Speedway received nearly 4 inches of rain overnight, flooding the track and parking lot. Track officials worked up until race time to get the speedway in shape for Big Red Crème Soda Night, and the fans were treated to a night filled with action! The 3 oval features were decided by a car length or less and a pair of contests on the Figure 8 track were packed with excitement and fender banging. Jeremy Miller, Tim Moore, James Rae, Shawn Bershback and the duo of Howard Kelley Jr. and Tom O'Leary III were feature winners.

The ARCA Figure 8 20 lap main event got started with Jerry Lee darting into the lead at the green, followed closely by Jeremy Miller.  Miller made a clean move to get door to door with Lee, and the pair skirted up the track in turn 3 of the Figure 8 course.  That gave Jeremy Vanderhoof an opening and he took advantage, pulling up alongside Lee as they entered the corner.  As that pair ran wheel to wheel, they, too went up the track and made contact, sending Vanderhoof into a spin.  Lee held the point but encountered Vanderhoof on lap 18 and the pair tangled, sending both cars into spins.  Miller, who was still in striking distance, zipped into the lead and went on to victory.  Robbie Loving was second, Dennis Whisman third, Greg Studt fourth and Billy Earley fifth, followed by Gary Cronenwett, Anthony Terris, Brice Thomsen, Chris Cox and Tim Murphy.  Earley and Terris were the heat winners.  Whisman set the Loving Auto Care fast time at 20:743.

A great battle for the top spot in the 25 lap ARCA Street Stock feature saw Tim Moore take the flag by just a car length over Dan Ford Jr. for the win.  Moore led every lap, but had pressure from Derek Wiley the entire way.  The pair stayed glued together for much of the event.  With the track slick from the heavy rains, the inside groove appeared to be the way to go.  At the white flag, Wiley dipped low as the lead duo approached lapped traffic.  Both drivers held their line as they entered turn 3 and collided, bringing out the yellow and the incident collected third place runner Clyde McKee, ending his night.  Wiley stepped up and took the blame, giving Moore his spot back.  Tim held off a 1 lap dash to the stripe to win over Ford Jr., Dennis Strickland, Chad Guinn, Dave Tanner, Jeff Kurzyniec, Rob Moore, Tadek Stadniczuk, Joe Gramlich and Jim Alvis.

Former B Main champ James Rae had just enough to notch a victory in the 15 lap B Main over 2008 champ Rich Abel by less than a fender.  Abel closed in with 3 to go and made his move going down the back chute, pulling even with Rae.  The drag race to the finish saw Rae in front on the high side, with Abel low and just short of his great bid for victory.  Chris Diovardi was third, Troy Brehmer fourth and Billy Cronce fifth, followed by Anthony Camilli, Justin Boatman, Jason Chastain, Jim Stocker and Mike Hans.  Ford Jr. led the 36 car field in time trials with a lap of 13:459, while Abel was the fastest B Main car at 14:309.  Heat winners were Tim Moore, Kurzyniec, Ray Coop, Michael Phillips and Brehmer.

Shawn Bershback made it 2 wins a row, holding back Brad Turner by less than a car length to win the 20 lap ARCA 4 Cylinder main event.  Perry Marlow charged into the lead at the start and led the first lap while Matt Brazeau took the lead on lap 2.  Marlow would not go away, hanging tough on the inside lane while Bershback and Turner ran side by side, giving the feel of a 4 car dash for 5 laps in a row.  On lap 6, Shawn found an opening and powered into the lead, with Turner following his move.  They moved away from the rest of the field and battled for the final 14 laps, with Bershback taking the win over a challenging Turner.  Marlow, Brazeau, Michael Marlow, Jennifer Cronce and Tony Thomas followed.  Bershback took the heat win, with Turner setting quick time at 15:185.

The Figure 8 Train race ran the first of 2 events at Flat Rock this season, with Howard Kelley Jr./Tom O'Leary III taking home the win over Tom O'Leary IV/Adam Plonski.  The event features 2 cars chained together; the front car with the engine, the back car with the brakes!  After several early laps of contact, Kelley Jr./O'Leary III pulled away on the way to the win in the 12 lap contest.  Third was Tom O'Leary Jr./Joe Whisman,  followed by Lonnie York/Dennis Whisman.

Saturday, June 27 Flat Rock will host its biggest race of the year-the Moran Chevrolet/Stan Yee Memorial 150 for the ARCA Late Models.  The event is part of the Hantz Group/Allegiant Air Gold Cup Series, a 5 race challenge with events at both Flat Rock and Toledo.  A purse of over $25,000 has been posted for the night, and a field of 25-35 Late Models is expected.  The race pays $2533 to win and $533 to start, with the 33 in honor of Stan Yee Sr., a car owner for over 40 years.  Stan passed away in 2008.  Joe Ruttman will return to drive one of Stan Yee Jr.'s team cars for the event.  Ruttman was a short track star and NASCAR driver in the 1970's through the 1990's.  Short track legends Joy Fair and Danny Byrd, two of Ruttman's foes of that time, will be in attendance at the event.  The track's Figure 8 and Street Stock divisions will also be in action.  For more information, go to http://www.flatrockspeedway.com/.  Race time is 7 p.m.