Toledo Speedway

TOLEDO, OH: (8-21-09): A hearty group of fans and race teams endured a nearly 1 hour rain delay Friday evening at Toledo Speedway. Just as the Glass Bowl Lanes Autograph session was concluding, the skies opened up, backing up the racing card. The program was altered to keep things moving and an action-packed night of racing took place. Terry Jones, Cory McCaughey, Ryan Beabout, Perry Marlow and Dennis Whisman took their respective features. Glass Bowl boss Ron Gorney presented trophies in the Glass Bowl Lanes Winner's Circle.

The 35 lap ARCA Sportsman feature saw Chad Stilwell take the lead on the green flag.  Fast qualifier Ron Allen (17:361) drew an 8 for the inversion, with second quick Terry Jones starting 7^th.  Jones darted quickly to the inside to go 3 wide on the first lap, going to 3^rd spot.  By lap 4, Jones had the lead and set sail as the green stayed out for the first 24 laps.  Allen began to reel in the leader as the lead duo approached lapped traffic.  On that lap 24, Norm Lewallen spun while battling for position with a big pack of cars.  Allen tried to slide by, but clipped Norm's car, flattening a tire and sending him down pit road for the night.  Jones now had Howard Kelley Jr. on his bumper, with Art Rozane in third.  On lap 33, Rozane's car went up in smoke, setting the stage for a 2 lap shootout.  Kelley drove right up to Terry's bumper, looked inside and almost lost it in the front straight, but gathered it back in as Jones took the victory.  Kelley Jr. was second, Jim Froling came from the back of the pack to finish third (in Todd Hamilton's car), Tom O'Leary IV came on strong in the final laps to take fourth and Dave Arnold Jr. drove a great race to take fifth spot in his first start on the ½ mile.  Chad Stilwell, Lewallen, Kenny McKay Jr., David Frantz and Jeff King completed the top ten finishers.

A great battle to the finish saw Cory McCaughey just nose out Ramon Ortiz to take a thrilling 20 lap ARCA Speedway Tire and Auto Factory Stock feature event.  Ortiz held the point from the start as McCaughey worked hard on the outside groove with Eric Huston on the inside.  On lap 18, Huston looped his machine in turn 1 and quickly kept moving, keeping the green flag out.  McCaughey got to the door of Ramon as the duo got into heavy lapped traffic at the white flag.  Cory eased his way in front and took the win by less than a car length for the victory.  Ortiz had a great run with second, third was Landon Schuster, fourth went to Mike Hassen and TJ Miller scored his best finish to take fifth spot.  Huston, Josh Bunting, Alan Bland Jr., Craig Osenbaugh and Matt Bunting were next in line at the stripe.  Ryan Beabout led every lap to take the 10 lap B Main, topping John Rabideau, Randy Padgett, Ken Davis, Brian Moore, Nick Grzesik, Kevin Little, Andy Holly, Mark Davis and Dylan Winterhalter.  Matt Bunting and Don Cox took the last-chance races.  Huston led the 33 car field at 11:852.

A new winner emerged in the 20 lap ARCA 4 Cylinder feature as Perry Marlow withstood the late-race charge of his son, Michael, and Brad Turner to take the big victory.  Perry led every lap, but the pressure came late as Marlow and Turner knocked down Perry's lead.  On the final lap, the duo got to the leader's bumper, but Perry had enough for the win.  Michael Marlow, Turner, David Price, Matt Brazeau, Dave Stadniczuk, Nick Walentowski and Doug Beasley were next in line.  Brazeau set quick time at 13:095. 

A wild 20 lap ARCA Figure 8 feature saw Dennis Whisman survive spins, fender, paint-swapping action to claim the victory.  Robbie Loving took the lead for 3 laps, with Jeremy Vanderhoof zipping by after Loving tangled with Whisman.  On lap 8, Vanderhoof got involved with a pack of lapped cars, causing damage to his machine and ending his night.  Loving took control again but Whisman dove under Robbie on lap 13 to grab the checkered flag.  Loving, Jerry Lee, Scott Apperson, Alan Bland Sr., James Rae, Stephanie Bradley, Tom O'Leary Jr., Nick Bradley and Vanderhoof followed Whisman across the stripe.  Heat winners were Whisman and Loving. 

Friday, August 28 is the All Sport Season Championships at Toledo Speedway.  The ARCA Sportsman, Figure 8 and Speedway Tire and Auto Factory Stocks will crown their 2009 track champions.  The front gates open at 5, time trials begin at 6:15 and racing starts at 7:30 p.m.