Toledo Speedway

FLAT ROCK, MI: (9-12-09): A standing-room only crowd packed Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night for the Grillers Select BBQ Sauce School Bus Figure 8 race show. Perfect weather greeted teams and fans and a great night of racing action, coupled with the destruction of the school buses capped off the event. Costa Cardasis of Grillers Select greeted the race winners with a case of bbq sauce and trophies, while providing numerous prizes for the lucky number program drawing.

Race Car Bowling was up first and Factory Stock driver Cory McCaughey topped Don Cox and Ken Davis with his side-slamming style of knocking down the barrels, set up in bowling pin order.  Eric Huston cruised to the win in the backup race, while Rich Abel took the Figure 8 boat race over Trina Apperson, Bill Carberry and Amanda Bland.

McCaughey came right back and took the win in the 25 lap ARCA Factory Stock main event, which saw a great finish.  Ken Davis led the first 7 laps, with Jesse Carillo taking charge on lap 8.  The pack battled back and forth for position behind Jesse, with McCaughey breaking loose on lap 11 and getting to the front to take the lead.  Eric Huston was on the charge and reeled in the leader with 10 laps to go, setting up a crowd-pleasing run to the checkered flag.  On the final lap, the lead duo sandwiched the lapped car of Dusty Brunt, with McCaughey going low and Huston to the high lane.  Cory had just enough to take the win, his first at Flat Rock.  Huston was second, Josh Bunting third, Danny Bennett fourth and Archie Padgett fifth, followed by Tim Shine, Matt Ringger, Brian Moore, Mark Davis and Brunt.  Rick Bennett battled with Randy Padgett to the wire to take the 15 lap B Main contest for the class.  Kent Jones, Brad Turner, Andy Holly, Nick Grzesik and Dan Gregg were next in line.  Dave Arnold Jr. set fast time for the 30 car field at 13:811, but had to drop out of the main event with overheating problems. 

The Michigan Legends Cars 30 lap main event saw 4 different leaders.  Tony Monge took control on the green flag, which stayed out for the first 19 laps.  Tyler Rycenga dipped under Monge on lap 4 for the lead, only to have Brandon Mahoney grab the top spot on lap 8.  That lead, however, was short-lived as Rycenga came right back to take over the top spot on the next lap.  The red came out at the lap 19 mark when Monge had an engine let go, sending his car into a ball of flames.  The fire was quickly extinguished.  Rycenga had company as his lead was erased, and on the re-start Chance Rice used the stoppage to take a shot for the lead.  Chance grabbed the top spot on lap 21 but Rycenga continued to apply pressure all the way to the finish.  Rice held on to take the victory over Rycenga, Matt Todd, Mahoney, Levi Rouster, Cody Mahoney, Sean McPherson, Roy Nicholson, Tom Lovern and Christopher Porco.  Cody Mahoney and Rice took the heat race wins.  

A combination class of the Street Stocks/Figure 8's were also a part of the race card Saturday night.  The 25 lap main event was a dandy, as a pack of 10-12 cars stayed in tight formation, wheel to wheel for 21 laps straight of green flag racing.  Dave Tanner and David Kind stayed glued together side by side, with heavy competition lurking right behind.  For several laps, 4 rows of 2 by 2 were lined up, battling for position.  Kind nosed out front on lap 21, staying on the outside groove, with Tanner tucked low.  The yellow came out on lap 21 when Dan Ford Jr. and Dennis Whisman got together.  On the restart, Kind again went to the high side and Tanner dove low again, digging hard to challenge David for the win.  The duo raced side by side coming to the checkered flag as Kind held on for his first Flat Rock win.  A great effort by Tanner in the final 2 laps saw Dave make up a least 2 car lengths, but spun coming down to the stripe.  Jeff Kurzyniec took second, Ford Jr. was third, Billy Earley fourth and Regan Ford fifth, followed by Jerry Lee, Greg Studt, Rich Frantz, Jeremy Vanderhoof and Kevin Stepinski.  James Rae took the 15 lap B Main win over Brian Bauman, James Pankow, Jimmy Little, Marvin Krause Jr., Jim Stocker, Chris Diovardi, Stephanie Bradley, Dee Powell and Nick Bradley.  Vanderhoof set fast time for the 30 car field at 13:386. 

It was wild, filled with fireworks from atop the Gaddis buses and plenty of demolished school buses.  In a cloud of smoke and haze, Ray Gaddis steered to the win in the School Bus Figure 8 feature.  Although none of the 8 buses got over on their side, the hits were hard enough to wipe out the front ends on pretty much the entire field.  Kevin Rapley coaxed his bus to keep running, the only other one able to move, albeit very little, at the finish.  Kevin Stepinski, Dan Apperson, Danny Gaddis, Dennis Whisman, Jeff Kurzyniec and Jack Franzil completed the field.  The father/son duo of Ray and Danny Gaddis won the heat races.  Bus sponsors included Grillers Select BBQ Sauce, George's Used Cars, the employees of Chrysler SRT, A & M Transmission, Suburban Oil, Sportway Go-Karts/Batting Cages/Miniature Golf/ and the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club.

Flat Rock Speedway now takes a week off and will conclude the racing portion of their 2009 schedule Saturday night, September 26 with a 250 lap Enduro race and a 4 Cylinder feature event.  It's also Scout Night, with all scouts in uniform and leaders in uniform or with an ID card admitted FREE.  A ticket stub from the September 12 School bus race may be redeemed at the ticket office for just a $3 admission charge for the event.

The final event at the track is the Flat Rock Historical Society Flea Market Sunday, October 4 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Admission to the grounds is free.  For table rental information, call 734-782-5220.