Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - September 3, 2011) - With brilliant flashes of lightning and thunder and the ensuing rain on the horizon, a great effort by the Flat Rock Speedway race teams allowed 3 of the 4 Diamond Racing Products Season Championship feature events to be completed.  With the final event of the night, the Street Stock B Main Championship lined up on the track and on its pace lap, the storm arrived at the speedway, ending the night of racing.  The B Main finale will not be rescheduled.  The fireworks show that was planned will not be rescheduled.

On the track, Eric Lee (Moran Chevrolet Late Models), Tim Moore (DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A Main), Jimmy Rae (Street Stock B Main) and Jeremy Vanderhoof (Parts Galore Figure 8’s) sealed up the 2011 track championships.  Feature winners were Dan Ford Jr. in the Late Models, Frank Jiovani (Street Stocks) and Dennis Whisman (Figure 8’s).  A total of 13 of the 14 events were completed, making the show a complete racing program.  No rain checks will be issued.

The 50 lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature saw rookie Derek Wiley jump out front on the green flag.  Wiley held the point with pressure from Ricky Kargel and Dan Ford Jr. early on.  Ford got by Ricky on lap 20 and set his sights on the leader.  On lap 23, Dan dove low in the front straight and went by Wiley, then sped away to the win, his second of the season at Flat Rock.  The race was slowed by just 1 yellow flag.  Second was Wiley, Dennis Strickland was third, Kargel fourth and Paul Pelletier fifth, followed by Eric Lee, George Rangel, Joe Hawes, Ron Allen and Nick Grodi.

Lee’s finish was enough to secure the 2011 track title by just 10 points over Strickland.  Strickland set the Fastime Racing Engine and Parts fast time at 11:780.  Derrick Sheppard, Grodi and Allen captured the heat race wins.

Dennis “The Rebel” Whisman was the third and final leader of the 25 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 Season Championship event, his second win in a row at the track.  Sam Hall took the lead on the start, then tangled with Danny Gaddis, giving Gaddis the lead, but only for less than ½ a lap.  Whisman shot by and took control, with Jeremy Vanderhoof and Greg Studt in tow.  Vanderhoof dropped back in the late stages as Studt took second and pushed Whisman to the stripe.  Greg dove low in the final straight-away but came up less than a car length short as Whisman took the win.  Third went to Vanderhoof, fourth was Billy Earley and fifth went to Jerry Lee.  Gaddis, Chris Cox, Steve Chartrand, Scott Apperson and Robbie Loving were next in line to complete the top ten.  Vanderhoof notched his track championship with his finish Saturday night to go along with his 2011 Toledo title.  Studt set fast time at 20:683, with Lee and veteran Chuck Pankow taking the heat race wins.

Tim Moore had a comfortable point cushion over Chad Guinn heading into the season finale’, but the duo battled back and forth as they chased Frank Jiovani to the checkered flag in the 30 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock Season Championship event.  Jiovani, who has run strong for much of the season, led every lap of the contest, which ran the first 27 laps without a yellow flag.  While Frank held the top spot, Tim Moore, from his 7^th starting spot, and Chad Guinn, from 8th, quickly moved up through the field to challenge the youngster for the win.  Jiovani was able to stay in command to post his first-ever feature win at Flat Rock.  Moore and Guinn ran bumper to bumper and finished second and third, respectively, securing Tim’s initial track title at “The Rock”.  Tadek Stadniczuk took fourth and fifth spot went to Landon Schuster.  Rich Frantz, Grant Hedges, James Hazlett, Josh Bunting and Dave Tanner finished out the top ten.  Bunting, Darrell Krause, Al Hasenfratz, Eric Fitzpatrick and Steve Theobald took the heat wins.  It was Theobald’s first checkered flag of his career.  Guinn set fast time for the 38 car field at 13:575.  Jimmy Rae led the B Main field at 14:039. 

Saturday, September 10 is the date for the popular Griller’s Select BBQ Sauce School Bus Figure 8 races at Flat Rock Speedway.  A race card of the Street Stocks, Michigan Legends, Boat Figure 8 and more will provide a great night of family fun and entertainment.

Reserved seats are now on sale by calling the track at 734-782-2480.  Major credit cards are accepted for phone orders.  ALL General admission tickets and children’s tickets will go on sale race day at 4 p.m. at the track.  The front gates open at 4:30 p.m.

The pits gates open at 4, practice begins at 5 and racing begins at 7 p.m.  The track phone number is 734-782-2480.  For more information, log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com.