Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - July 30, 2011) - With 4 cars under a blanket at the finish, Eric Lee pulled off an exciting and thrilling victory in Saturday night’s Moran Chevrolet/Stan Yee Memorial 150 presented by CGS Imaging at Flat Rock Speedway.  Pat Moran of Moran Chevrolet presented the traditional Gold Cup to Eric, while Ann Yee, Stan Yee Sr.’s widow, awarded the 5 foot trophy to Eric in victory lane ceremonies.  Ann also gave the command to start the engines and Stan Yee Jr. sang the National Anthem and received a huge round of applause, then ran to get in his car for the first race (which he won).  

Perfect weather brought out a great crowd and they were treated to a great night of racing.  The 150 lap contest for the ARCA Allegiant Gold Cup Late Models saw 31 cars on hand.  Dennis Strickland topped the field by setting the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts quick time at 11:661, then drew a 15 for the feature inversion.  The 15 lap last chance race was won by Stan Yee Jr. over Rick Sheppard, Terry Bogusz and Ron Allen, as those 4 drivers moved into the main event.  Royce Cornett took the Flat Rock point provisional, with Joe Hawes the Gold Cup provisional starter.  Todd Perkins, Ken Mathews, Jim Bailey, Danny Slater, Jared Allison, Keith Nelson and Darrell Howard Jr. did not make the starting field. 

With the Moran Chevrolet Indy 500 Camaro replica pace car leading the field to the green, Scott Hantz beat Mike Root to turn 1 to take control.  Hantz stayed there until a lap 17 yellow flag, as Scott took the #72 to pit road due to overheating issues.  Root now had the lead and stayed out front as the big inversion made for some great racing as drivers moved up through the 24 car starting field.  Harold Fair, Eric Lee, Greg Studt and Ricky Kargel were the top 5 in the first 30 laps.  Hantz had rejoined the field and began to move up, as Strickland had moved from 15^th to 7^th spot by lap 36.  Jack Varney Jr., from 11^th, Mike Luberda, from 9^th, Paul Pelletier, from 13^h, and Dan Ford Jr., from 12^th, also began to make their way to the front of the field.  A total of six yellow flags for minor incidents slowed things in the first half of the race.  With Hantz on the outside lane picking off cars, Dakota Carlson also went up top and moved quickly into the top ten.  At lap 78, Root, Lee, Pelletier, Fair and Varney made up the top 5.  A lap 86 yellow quickly turned into a red flag on lap 88 as Royce Cornett encountered problems and oiled down the track surface.  Fair Jr. pitted and his mechanical problems took him out of his bid for the win. 

The lengthy delay for cleanup set up the next and final 62 laps of straight, all-green flag racing.  The battles were numerous and the action really got going with about 50 laps to go.  Root now had Lee tucked right in on his bumper as the duo moved out just slightly to set up their war for the lead.  At lap 103, Lee drove around Root with some great driving in the second lane and took command.  Root gathered things up and began to hunt down Lee and zoomed by with another great side by side battle with Eric and took the top spot back on lap 133.  The very next lap, Mike went in too strong into turn 2, opened up the bottom lane and Lee shot by to again take the point.  While this sensational and awesome race for the lead went on, Dan Ford Jr. and Dennis Strickland were on the fly and closing in on the lead duo.   

Strickland went to the high side to take 3^rd spot from Ford on lap 142, but Dan stayed right with him as that pair closed in on the leaders.  And now lapped traffic was in the sights of the top 4 for the final 5 laps.  Lee cautiously maneuvered his way as he got to those cars and Root sailed by on the top side, only to tag the backstretch wall on lap 146, but never got off the throttle and continued his charge for the win, but now Strickland and Ford were right there, making for a 4 car pack for the prestigious win.  With the white flag now out, the front four used every inch of asphalt looking for an opening.  Lee stayed on the high side to grab the huge victory over Root, Ford Jr. went to the low side to nip Strickland for third and Varney Jr. was  fifth.  Ricky Kargel came from the back and came home with a solid sixth place run, Luberda was seventh, Hantz got back up to 8^th, Nick Grodi was 9^th and Pelletier, who was a very serious contender, faded in the final 40 laps, but still grabbed 10^th.  Michael Simko, Steve Cronenwett Jr., Studt, Carlson (who pitted just before the lap 88 re-start), George Rangel, Joe Hawes, Yee Jr., Sheppard, Fair Jr., Cornett, Bogusz, Allen, Derek Wiley and Jimmy Thiel completed the rundown at the finish. 

“We have been working so hard for this,” noted Eric in the post-race victory lane interview.  “If it weren’t for Stan Yee Sr., I probably would not be here today.”  Eric’s dad, Steve, drove for Stan Sr. during his career.  Eric and Stan Yee Jr. grew up together at the race track and worked together for several years as crewmen until they began racing. Eric took home $2,758 for his efforts.

Several bonus awards were also up for grabs for the event.  Root was the winner of the Moran Chevrolet reverse-raffle that awarded 4 Hoosier Racing Tires.  Former ARCA official Jack Wyman posted $125 to the 4 drivers that traveled the farthest to compete-Allison, Carlson, Root and Luberda.  Root also took the lap 33 $200 bonus posted by ARCA official and former car owner Earl Bonner.  Lap money at $5 per lap went to the leader of each lap in the 150 lap contest. 

Former Yee drivers Marv Parenteau, Danny Byrd, Chuck Roumell, Joy Fair and Steve Lee were all on hand for the race and signed autographs for the fans.  CGS Imaging boss Chuck Stranc provided the huge banners that dressed the back of the grandstands in sensational colors and artwork for the event.

Mark down victory number 5 for Scott Selmi as he bided his time, worked the second groove, moving up lap after lap and taking the lead from race leader Dave Tanner in the final 6 laps to win the 25 lap DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A Main feature.  Selmi, from 10^th  spot, was smooth throughout the contest and was strong on the outside lane on his charge to the front.  Chad Guinn followed in Selmi’s tracks and went up top and got to second at the finish, Frank Jiovani, also going to the high side late in the race, took third, with Tanner fourth and Tadek Stadniczuk fifth.  Kyle Worley,  Arnold Kirsch, Tim Moore, Rich Frantz and Rob Moore completed the top ten. 

 

Jimmy Rae got around Aaron Greathouse in the first 5 laps and stayed in control, topping Rich Abel and Jim Selmi for the win in the 15 lap B Main race.  Michael Phillips, Anthony Camilli, Greathouse, Steve Searles, Jimmy Little, Mark Lavoie and Don Roberts completed the top ten finishers in the event.  Selmi set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts fast time at 13:539, while Selmi led the B cars at 14:320.  37 cars were on hand for the night’s race card. 

 

 

 

2 red flags stopped action in the 20 lap Parts Galore Figure 8 race, with all drivers ok in 2 hard crashes.  Gary Cronenwett, in just his 2^nd race of the year, dashed out front at the green and ran strong.  The first red was displayed on lap 8 when Dan Apperson and Jimmy Rae crashed.  On the restart, Gary stayed in the number 1 spot but fast qualifier Jeremy Vanderhoof (20:530) moved up quickly.  At the lap 16 mark, Stephanie Bradley and Anthony Terris crashed hard at the intersection, stopping the race while their cars were towed back to the pits.  Jeremy wasted no time on this restart as he out-dragged Cronenwett through the turn to take the lead and the win, his second of the season.  Cronenwett’s great run got him second spot, Robbie Loving was third, Dennis Whisman fourth and late arrival Billy Earley came from 16^th to take fifth place.  Jerry Lee, Chris Cox, Randy Roberts, Steve Chartrand and Sam Hall were next in line.

 A variety of racing action is set for next Saturday, August 6 at Flat Rock Speedway.  The ARCA Truck Series returns for a 100 lap feature, the 250 lap Enduro race is also on the card, along with a Figure 8 Train race and the ARCA Jeff’s Collision 4 Cylinders.  The front gates open at 5 and racing begins at 7 p.m.  For additional information, log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com