Toledo Speedway

By Debi Domby
(5-6-10) - Defending division champion, Eric Lee, won the opening night Super Late Model feature by about a half lap over Paul Pelletier. It was Lee's 15th career win at Flat Rock in the Late Model division. "The car was pretty good tonight, we changed a bunch of things over the winter to the car so I was a little nervous about the outcome tonight.

"Lapped traffic was tough at times but for the most part they did a great job watching the flagman and giving me a lane out there. Special thanks to my crew Steve, Joe and John and sponsors, Arrow Uniform Rental, Dusty's Collision, LaBelle Electric, D&E Landscaping, Posen Construction, Auto/Con Powertran Transformers, CPS Services, and new this year is Nortown Autoglass," said the driver of the #5.

Paul Pelletier was involved in the only caution of the 50-lap feature... spinning on the initial start after someone in front of him got loose and he was spun and hit by Jeff MacZink. Everyone was given their spot back. Pelletier has some new sponsors this season. Detroit Tube Mill, Fight XC cage fighting, along with returning sponsors ABC Plumbing, Dusty's Collision, Exotic Automation, Berringer Law.

Dennis Strickland tangled with Brad Birr in hot laps. The team worked hard replacing the radiator. He finished 3rd.

The color was the familiar blue, but this year Ron Allen is racing under the #86. He finished fifth in tonight's feature. Last night at Toledo, he won the sportsman feature.

Brad Birr returns to racing after being off the last two years, driving for Bob Ward. Birr started on the pole for the feature and finished eighth. I think it may be a career high for him at Flat Rock, I'll find out next late model race at Flat Rock.

It was an evening of career bests for Kevin Butzin with an eighth place qualifying run and a sixth place finish in the feature. Butzin has one if not the only V-6 running in the Late Model division.

Rookie Corner: Four rookies were on hand tonight - Jimmy Alvis and Chuck Lindenmuth moved up from street stocks; Kenny Mathews comes from road course racing in Go-Karts and Skip Barber racing and Derrick Sheppard comes from the 4 cylinders (although he did run a few heats last season).

Alvis finished tenth in the feature, the highest finisher of the four. He also finished fourth in his heat. "Things went really well for our first race night in the late model. We got fourth in our heat and 10th in the feature. I want to thank our new sponsors Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Jets Pizza of Toledo, Moore Lawn Service and Extreme Sign," said the rookie driver.

Lindenmuth, who's car is Royce Cornett's championship car from XXX, won his heat in his first outing in the division. "The car was running great for the heat race everything was going how we wanted it to. But during the feature we suffered a collision, which ripped, off our spoiler and we just couldn't get the car to bite the track so in turn we just decided to pull of the track to not waste the car anymore. We suffered so panel damage but other than that the car is still in decent shape," said the driver of the Romulus and Belleville Auto #88.

Matthews has driven in Go-Karts and the Skip Barber division. "Our first race went as well as could be expected, no mechanical problems and finished the race in one piece. We had to tweak the car to make it a bit more drivable for me through practice. Qualifying I couldn't get the car to stick because of old tires. In heat race I made one lap before I over did it with our tires and ended up on the infield, and finished fifth. In the feature, Paul Pelletier went around and Jeff MacZink clipped Pelletier. I didn't have my brakes up to temperature and just barely had enough to not pile into Jeff. The rest of the race was just turning laps, learning the track, and getting some seat time. I can say that I enjoy racing short tracks a lot more then being on big road courses like Road America or long ovals like Atlanta or Darlington even Bristol. You're always in some kind of traffic and always have to be on top of your game, no time to relax, I love it! We'll be back out this weekend with some fresh tires, ready to learn, and hoping to go faster," said the driver of the #27.

Sheppard drove a few heat races last year, but tonight was his first feature race... he finished 15th.

Rob Moore won his first feature in almost two years ... his last being in August 2008. "It's been a long drought since my last win but a good way to start this season after such a bad one last year. I want to thank my sponsors, North American Scrap Iron, Downriver Coney Island, Carsa, Beyond Reality Tattoo, Jerry's Ace Hardware, Dow Engines and my biggest sponsor, my great wife. I also want to tell my crew that help me every week that they are the best, always there when I need help on the car. This was a fun race to win (aren't they all) not only because it's the first race of the year, the first one in two years but to beat my little brother. Finally! I loved racing him and hope to do a lot moore door to door racing with him all season," said the driver of the #82. (and yes he wrote it as "moore")

Mike Jaynes returned to racing after two years. His last race was in the car he drove tonight when Stevie Cronenwett was driving it. Jaynes finished ninth and will share driving duties in car this season with car owner Mark Sherrard.

Harold Davis Jr. made it out for opening night for the first time ... driving part time for most of the 10 years he's been racing. He won his first career A main heat (and is a rookie in the A division). We wrote me and told me that he'll soon have his new car out when he gets his engine done. His sponsors are Craig DeCarlo from Snap on Tools, MRFS Auto and JS Motorsports

It's been a couple years since Paul Duffin has raced but it was worth the wait, he won the B main. (I think that may be a career first).

Billy Earley won the Figure 8 feature. "We didn't have the fastest car tonight. I'm back in my own car this year. But that's how it started last year, the first three races with my car and the rest of the season with Robbie's (Martel) car. I want to thank my dad, Ray and my family," said the defending division's co-champion.

Stephanie Bradley also had a night of best career runs. She posted her first career Figure 8 win at Flat Rock and then a career high seventh place finish in the feature. And her dad, Chuck Pankow, not to be outdone by his daughter, posted a career best finish in the feature, fourth (and recorded his first career win at Toledo in his heat).

Several cars had troubles in hot laps... Don Burkhart (SLMs), Billy Cronce II (SS), and Aaron Buford all had some kind of engine problem; Gary Camelet had a carburetor problem.

I can be reached at icechips@hotmail.com or on Facebook. Send me tidbits... I don't get to Toledo very often, so would love to hear from you...