Toledo Speedway

RUTTMAN-FAIR-BYRD-COOK-SOMMERS-HAGE-IS IT THE 1970'S AGAIN????
FLAT ROCK, MI: (6-22-09): If you were a race fan back in the 1960's and beyond, you are in for a real treat Saturday night at Flat Rock Speedway. Let's go back in time, say the mid 1970's. Maybe you were at Mt. Clemens, Flat Rock or Toledo.....and there they were...Fair, Ruttman, Byrd, Cook, Sommers, Hage....the heroes, the heavy hitters, the fan favorites. These stars of the past will meet and greet today's Late Model drivers at the prestigious Moran Chevrolet/Stan Yee Memorial 150 Saturday night, June 27 at Flat Rock Speedway!

These drivers and more are making the trip to Flat Rock this Saturday to honor Stan Yee Sr., a hugely successful car owner for over 40 years.  Stan passed away May 18, 2008, just 2 days shy of his 76^th birthday.  Stan's son, Stan Jr., competes in the Moran Chevrolet/Miller Lite Late Model class at Flat Rock.  Stan Sr. and his drivers captured numerous titles and big race wins, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment may well have been mentoring Stan Jr. to the 2003 Flat Rock Speedway Late Model championship.

Stan was a fixture in Midwest Late Model racing since the 1960's.  Both on dirt and the asphalt, Stan's famed #33 cars won countless races.  Drivers such as Marv Parenteau, Joe Ruttman, Artie Sommers, the late John Anderson, Rick Sheppard, Danny Byrd, Harold Cook, Chuck Roumell, Steve Lee and his son, Stan Jr., piloted Yee's Collision machines.

Let's start with Ruttman, who resides in Franklin TN.  At the age of 64, Joe will return to Flat Rock and race, yes race in Stan Jr;'s team car for the 150 lap contest.  An imposing figure on the short tracks in the 1970's, Ruttman moved on to become a star in ARCA, USAC and NASCAR over the years.  Joe was the winner of an ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Flat Rock in the early 1990's, using the third groove!  Ruttman has 6 Flat Rock and 17 Toledo Late Model wins in his history, many superspeedway wins and a USAC Stock Car championship.

In short track circles, everyone knows the name Joy Fair.  While Fair never drove for Yee, the 10-time Flat Rock and 7-time Toledo champion will be in attendance to pay homage to Stan Yee, as will Danny Byrd, Yee's driver in the late 70's.  And joining them will be Artie Sommers, another one of Yee's former drivers.  Toledo resident Harold Cook, who joined this elite group in the late 70's and early 80's, will also be in attendance.  Steve Lee, who claimed the Flat Rock crown in 1995 for Stan, is now the car owner for defending Flat Rock champion and current point leader Eric Lee, his son.  Lee is entered and will be one of the favorites for the 150.  Rick Sheppard is expected to compete also on Saturday night, another of Stan's former drivers.

More drivers are calling each day inquiring about Saturday's event.  Ypsilanti, MI resident Ed Hage still has the fires burning and indicates he will be at the track to vie for one of the 24 starting positions for the event. 

Additional bonus money will once again be added to the purse for Flat Rock Speedway's biggest Late Model race of the season, the Moran Chevrolet/Stan Yee Memorial 150, set for Saturday evening, June 27 at the ¼ mile paved oval.  Each of dollar figures for the 24 starting positions will now end in 33, which adds money to each spot.  And new for 2009, the fast qualifier will have the chance to take The Challenge, which will award a $1000 bonus if he starts last and wins the 150 lap event. 

If the fast qualifier chooses not to take "The Challenge", the offer will be made to the second fastest driver and on down to the 5^th fastest if each of the previous drivers decline.  Additional bonus money includes $333 for the Diamond Racing Products fast time, while an additional $333 bonus will go to the leader of lap 33. 

The event will now pay $2533 to win and $533 to start the contest, with drivers from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Canada expected.  The track's Figure 8 and Street Stock classes will also be in competition as support divisions.

Should a driver sweep the awards (fast time, lap 33 leader, challenge and win), he could go home with $4199, a record amount for a Late Model race at Flat Rock.  The additional bonus money is being posted by friends and the family of Stan Yee Sr.  The bonuses now push the June 27 total purse for the night to over $26,000.

An open practice is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the track for race cars of all types.  The pit area will open at 4 p.m.

All tickets for the event are general admission and are available beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 27.  The pit area opens at 1, practice begins at 3, time trials are set for 5 and racing begins at 7 p.m.  For the current entry list, go to http://www.flatrockspeedway.com/