Toledo Speedway

SOUTHGATE, MI—November 18, 2011:   Race teams, officials, family and friends met Friday evening for the annual Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways banquet, held at the elegant Crystal Gardens Banquet Center in Southgate, MI.  Each  track champion received their championship jackets as ARCA President Ron Drager led the toast to the champions.

Flat Rock’s ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models saw Eric Lee claim his fourth Flat Rock Late Model crown at the ¼ mile paved oval. Eric had 4 wins on the year, including the Moran Chevrolet/Stan Yee Memorial 150.  Eric and his father and car owner, Steve, the 1995 Flat Rock track champ, accepted the championship trophies and a check for $1500 from Pat Moran of Moran Chevrolet.  Dennis Strickland was second, just 10 points behind Eric.  Ricky Kargel, Paul Pelletier, Dan Ford Jr., Joe Hawes, Ron Allen, Dereky Wiley, Royce Cornett and Terry Bogusz completed the top ten.  Derek Wiley was the Rookie of the Year.  Strickland and Lee also received product certificates from Penske Shocks for their efforts.

 

Jeremy Vanderhoof made it back to back Flat Rock ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 titles, topping Greg Studt by 65 markers.  Dennis Whisman, Billy Earley, Robbie Loving, Sam Hall, Steve Chartrand, James Rae, Randy Roberts and Nick Bradley were next in line in the final standings.  Chartrand was named Rookie of the Year.

 

The ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock class is divided up into A and B divisions by qualifying each race night.  Veteran Tim Moore captured his first-ever track championship in the A Main title after finishing runner-up last season. Chad Guinn’s late-season charge got him to second spot in the final standings, with Tadek Stadniczuk, Landon Schuster, Dave Tanner, Frank Jiovani, Josh Bunting, Rich Frantz, Rob Moore and Grant Hedges completing the top 10.  Moore also took home a $500 product certificate, courtesy of AR Bodies.  Schuster took the A Main Rookie of the Year honor.

 

James Rae grabbed his 4th DTS Drive Train Specialists B Main crown and made it 2 in a row as he nosed out 2009 champ Anthony Camilli and newcomer Mark Lavoie.  Michael Phillips, Jimmy Little, Rich Abel, Steve Searles, Aaron Greathouse, Tony Camilli and Don Roberts followed in the final point tally.  Lavoie collected the B Main Rookie award.

 

The Flat Rock ARCA Jeff’s Collision 4 Cylinder championship went to Brad Turner, who edged defending champ David Price by 60 points for the title.  Billy Cronce III,  Katie Coseo and Scott Marshall were third through fifth, respectively.

 

The Flat Rock Speedway Enduro class saw Jeff Metdepenningen claim his first championship, winning 3 of the 4 events in the Series, which broke Jeff Maran’s 2-year hold on the title.  Derrick Sheppard took second, Rick McColl third, Robb Remick fourth and Maran fifth in the final standings.  Danny Bennett, Matt Ringger, Tom Sprotberry, Troy Brehmer and Rick Bennett completed the top ten.

 

The Toledo awards began with the Allegiant Glass City Gold Cup for the ARCA Late Models.  The traditional championship Gold Cup for the 5 race series went to Dennis Strickland, his third Gold Cup title, with the other 2 coming in 2004 and 2005.  Dennis won the 100 lap event at Flat Rock in June and was extremely consistent throughout the season.  2-time defending champ Mike Root was second, Harold Fair Jr. third, Dakota Carlson fourth and Steve Cronenwett Jr. fifth.  The top 3 drivers all received a pair of round-trip airline tickets, courtesy of Allegiant Travel.  Strickland also has the opportunity to test an ARCA Racing Series car at Daytona in December by virtue of his title.  Nick Grodi, Joe Hawes, Scott Hantz, Rick Sheppard and Derek Wiley completed the final top ten in the points.  Strickland and Root collected the Penske Shocks product certificates.

 

Jeremy Vanderhoof capped off a stellar year as he added the Toledo ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 title to go along with his Flat Rock championship.  The Toledo belt is Jeremy’s second of his career.  Dennis Whisman, the 2010 champ, was back just 30 points, Robbie Loving back 35, and Greg Studt back 40 in the great battle.  Sam Hall, James Rae, Randy Roberts, Anthony Terris, Dan Apperson and Nick Bradley followed in the final point tally. 

 

The Toledo ARCA ACME Dismantling Sportsman division saw Ron Allen capture his sixth ARCA title in

the ½ mile division at Toledo, topping Kyle DeLisle for the championship.  Greg Stilwell Jr., Mike Young, Tom O’Leary IV, Howard Kelley Jr., Dave Arnold Jr., Norm Lewallen, Kenny McKay Jr. and Jeff King trailed.  Allen also received a $500 product certificate from AR Bodies for his title.  Young collected the Rookie of the Year.  Allen then received a ring from ARCA President Ron Drager commemorating his 10^th ARCA track championship, which came in Late Model, Sportsman and Street Stock competition. 

The Toledo ARCA R & M Recycling Street Stock division crowned Eric Huston the 2011 champ, his third title on the short track.  Eric nosed out Dennis Whisman by 15 markers in a very spirited battle for the crown.  Mike Hammer was third, Cory McCaughey fourth and Matt Ringger fifth, followed by Luke Davis, Kyle Huston, Dennis Helsel, Craig Osenbaugh and Pat Fields.  Kyle Huston was honored by Drager as the first 15 year old to compete in ARCA weekly racing events.  Davis was named Rookie of the Year.

 

The ARCA Jeff’s Collision 4 Cylinders saw Michael Marlow nose out his father, Perry, and Matt Brazeau by just 5 points to claim his first track championship.  Mike had 5 wins on the season.  Fourth was David Katafiacsz and fifth was Jeff Wells.

 

Landon Schuster, Jeff King, Kyel DeLisle and Dave Tanner won $500 product certificates in a random draw for Street Stock and Sportsman drivers, courtesy of  5 Star RaceCar Bodies, while Tom O’Leary IV won the random draw $500 product certificate from AR Bodies.

 

A bonus program posted by Corrigan Oil at Flat Rock and Bazell Race Fuels at Toledo awarded cash to the top Sunoco Race fuel purchasers for the season.  Paul Pelletier, Ron Allen, Greg Studt, Dennis Whisman, Billy Earley, Scot Bunge and Tim Moore were the Flat Rock recipients, while Studt, Sam Hall, AJ Padgett, Greg Stilwell, Dave Arnold Jr., Norm Lewallen, Mike Hammer, Cory McCaughey and Eric Huston collected the Toledo bonus money.  Chuck Ewing from Corrigan Oil presented the checks to the winners.

 

Melissa Kenney was the recipient of the $500 Driven Women Scholarship Award, which was presented by Bonnie Stewart, representing the Driven Women group.

 

Point fund and contingency award sponsors for 2011 include Moran Chevrolet, Parts Galore,  ACME Dismantling, ARCA, AR Bodies, Allegiant Travel, B & H Race Parts, DTS Drive Train Specialists, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Hoosier Tire, Penske Shocks, R & M Recycling, Jeff’s Collision, Bazell Race Fuels, Corrigan Oil and Sunoco Race Fuels.

 

The Flat Rock office is now closed for the winter.  All calls should go to the Toledo office at 419-727-1100 during the winter months.  The 2012 schedules will be released around the holiday season.  Always check the official websites at www.flatrockspeedway.com, www.toledospeedway.com or www.arcaracing.com.