Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio - October 14, 2011) - Toledo Speedway, a half-mile motor racing facility operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America and owner/promoter Ron Drager, announced today plans for capital improvements that are scheduled for completion prior to the start of the 2012 racing season.

This fall and next spring, Toledo Speedway will install a new steel and aluminum grandstand seating system in four locations at the racing oval, which has been in operation since 1960 and under ARCA's ownership since 1999. Over 5000 industry-standard, closed-deck seats will replace the current tube scaffold understructure and wooden walkways & bleacher seating which comprise most of the facility's current seating area.

Drager made the announcement this morning at a special press conference at Toledo Speedway, which this weekend will host the national championship races for the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series and ARCA's signature division, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Officials from the City of Toledo and Michigan International Speedway, the supplier of the grandstands, attended today's event.

The project represents commitments to the continuing improvement of the overall fan experience and the level of guest safety at Toledo Speedway.

"Adding a new grandstand system at Toledo Speedway is another phase of our long-term capital improvement strategy which began in 1999 and has seen multiple projects and phases produce over $2 million in enhancements," said Drager. 

Toledo Speedway was built over 50 years ago by Toledo business owner Herb Koester. The site on Benore Rd. near I-75 and Alexis Rd. was once a tomato field, but now stands as the home for weekly racing shows and numerous special national events every summer.

"When the track was constructed in 1960, our current bleachers were state-of-the-art," Drager said. "That system has withstood the test of time and served its purpose very well. As we look to continue improving the speedway, our next area of focus is seating. We have the opportunity to make structural and aesthetic changes that will be safe, convenient, and fan-friendly."

(The current system is visible at right.)

With television showcasing Toledo Speedway to national and regional audiences on multiple occasions each year - including Sunday's live SPEED telecast - and a reputation and schedule that bring hundreds of race teams from across the country and Canada to Toledo every year, the family-oriented business has become a source of pride for the Glass City.

Thousands of race fans fill Toledo Speedway week after week - many of whom travel from far outside metropolitan Toledo for the major events on the schedule - placing the facility among the premier sporting venues in the area.

Since ARCA's purchase of the track in 1999, Toledo Speedway has seen vast improvements, including:

• A full track repaving
• A new debris fence and cable system
• Installation of pavement and concrete to move the infield pit area to outside the backstretch
• Six skybox suites
• Track lighting
• Municipal water and sewer service
• Upgrades of spectator seating in the speedway's concrete grandstand, which will stay intact
• Addition of a paved pit road with concrete pit stalls to provide for live pit stops during major events
• Construction of a new 4400-square foot auto service building with five service bays plus an office and showroom
• Construction of a new 3000-square foot pit area service building for technical inspection of race cars
• Installation of a new electronic, lighted scoreboard providing real-time scoring results

Private funding, as well as people and labor from Toledo companies, sourced nearly all of Toledo Speedway's prior upgrades, and the same remains true for the new grandstand project.

"We've always believed in the hometown concept," Drager said. "A lot of our support comes from racers and fans in the Toledo area, so we always strive to reinvest in the city."

With the materials currently in preparation for transit to Toledo Speedway, local crews will begin installation at the track later this fall, following this weekend's conclusion of the racing season. Two large grandstands will be constructed on the Turn 1 side of the start/finish line, on the track's northern edge. Smaller seating sections will be erected at the western and eastern ends of the racing facility.

"We can tailor the resources made available to us," Drager said. "We literally have the parts and pieces - the I-beams, the seats, the bolts, everything - to custom design these seats to fit our facility. Our goal is to maintain the character and tradition of the Toledo Speedway seating plan. The fan that likes to sit at the top of Turn 1 or in the fifth row of Turn 4 will still be able to do just that."

Sunday's Federated Car Care 200 at Toledo Speedway will close the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season, completing a schedule of 19 races over speedways, short tracks, dirt tracks, and a road course.

Toledo Speedway will host two practices on Saturday, October 15, with one from noon to 12:45 p.m., and the second from 1:40 to 2:25. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will decide the final ARCA pole winner of 2011 at 4 p.m., preceding a USAC Midget feature and a USAC Silver Crown feature to close the first day of the track's championship weekend.

On Sunday, October 16, an on-track autograph session for all fans from noon to 1 p.m. will precede the 200-lap, 100-mile Federated Car Care 200, which will start at 2 p.m.

Advance discount tickets for the Federated Car Care 200 are available at Toledo-area Menards stores, including locations in Sandusky, Findlay, and Defiance.  Race fans can save on ticket prices through October 14.

Toledo Speedway is located at 5639 Benore Road in northeast Toledo, just off I-75 and Alexis Road.  More information is available by calling (419) 727-1100, or by visiting ARCARacing.com.