Toledo Speedway

Flat Rock, MI  (9-4-10) -- Despite very cool temperatures and gusty winds, a good crowd ventured to Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night for the Diamond Racing Products Season Championships.  Stan Yee Jr., Dennis Whisman, Dan Ford Jr. and Steve Chartrand took the feature wins, while Paul Pelletier, Jeremy Vanderhoof, Ford Jr. and James Rae secured the 2010 track championships.  The evening was capped off with a fantastic fireworks display.

2003 champ Stan Yee Jr. led all 50 laps to post his first win of the season in the Moran Chevrolet Late Model finale at "The Rock" Saturday night.  11 cars qualified in the 11 second bracket, and Yee took off from his front row spot on the green flag.  The race saw just 3 yellows for minor spins.  Paul Pelletier, the fast qualifier at 11:620, made his way from 11^th to 5^th by lap 13, then settled in to maintain his point lead.  Yee battled with 3-time Flat Rock king Eric Lee for much of the contest.  On lap 23, Lee took a shot at the lead in lapped traffic, but Stan used a lapped car as a pick and held on to the number 1 spot.  Eric made a bid in the final laps to get around Yee Jr. but Stan held on for his win over Lee.  Jeff MacZink recorded his best-ever run at Flat Rock with a third place showing, Ron Allen was fourth and Pelletier fifth, giving Paul his second Flat Rock championship.  Dennis Strickland, Ricky Kargel, Joe Hawes, Gary Cronenwett and Royce Cornett completed the top ten.  Allen, Cornett and Jim Bailey won the heats.  21 Late Models were on hand for the season-closer.

"The Rebel" Dennis Whisman led all 25 laps in the non-stop ARCA Figure 8 Championship feature race, while Jeremy Vanderhoof capped off a great battle with Greg Studt to grab his first-ever Flat Rock title.  Whisman moved in and out of traffic while Vanderhoof, with a 20 point lead over Greg heading into the contest, followed Studt's every move in the feature, earning the points needed to take the title.  Jerry Lee, coming back from an engine problem last week, was second, Studt third, Vanderhoof fourth and Gary Cronenwett was fifth, followed by Anthony Terris, Robbie Loving, Sam Hall, Chuck Pankow and James Rae.  Vanderhoof set a new track record in time trials with a lap of 20:334.  Jeremy and Dan Apperson took the heat race wins.

Dan Ford Jr. endured a two-week spell a few weeks ago of mechanical problems and finished strong, taking the win in the 25 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A Main race to nail down his 4^th track championship in the division.  Division Rookie Brad Wyatt led the first 7 laps while Ford Jr., working from 2 rows back, made his move on lap 8 to take the lead.  Dan maintained a 2-3 car length advantage the rest of the way to the stripe.  Tim Moore completed a great season with second spot and second in the final points, Chad Guinn duplicated that effort by placing third and third in the final point tally.  Scott Selmi took fourth and Wyatt fifth.  Rookie Frank Jiovani, fellow rookie Josh Bunting, old pro Clyde McKee, Pastor Danny Slater and James Hazlett completed the top ten in the finishing order.

Rich Abel had it all going his way for 16 laps in the DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock B Main 20 lap contest.  The race was 4 laps too long for the former B Main champ as his engine let go, giving Billy Cronce the lead.  Steve Chartrand had other ideas as the former B Main titlist zipped by Billy on the ensuing restart and led the final 4 circuits to grab the victory.  Cronce, Lonnie York, James Rae and Anthony Camilli filled in the top 5.  Rae edged 2009 champ Camilli to grab the B Main championship, Rae's third B Main title.  Jimmy Little, Chris Diovardi, Craig Lange, Kyle Metdepenningen and Shonda Harbin were the next five in line to make up the top ten. 

Tadek Stadniczuk, Hazlett, Jeff Kurzyniec, Chartrand and  Metdepenningen were the heat race winners.  The track was shut down for 25 minutes when Alan Beno went 4 wide in his heat race, getting up on top of the wall and taking out 2 fence posts in the process.  He was fine and the track staff went to work to make repairs so the show could be completed.  Tim Moore paced the 39 car field at 13:375.

Saturday, September 11 is the date for the Griller's Select BBQ Sauce School Bus Figure 8 races!  Much more action will be provided by the Michigan Legends, the Toledo ARCA Factory Stocks, Street Stocks and race car bowling, the boat Figure 8 race and the backup race! 

Reserved seat tickets are now on sale by calling the track at 734-782-2480.  Visa and Mastercard are accepted for phone orders. 

The pits will open at 4:30, with the front gates also opening at 4:30 p.m. race day.  Practice begins at 5, with race time set for 7 p.m.  Log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com for further information.