Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - July 14, 2012) - Tadek Stadniczuk pocketed over $1400 for his win in Saturday night’s ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock 100 lap main event at Flat Rock Speedway. Santa Claus was on hand for the track’s annual Christmas in July prize giveaway, as over 50 prizes were given out to the fans.  Troy Brehmer edged out Rick Bennett to win a great 30 lap Street Stock B Main race, while Greg Studt held off a strong, strong run by Gary Cronenwett to win the 20 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 feature race.

The track’s Street Stock class, regarded as one of the most competitive groups in the area, had 39 cars in the pit area for their biggest race of the season.  Rich Frantz set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts quick time with a lap of 13:452, while Joe Haener was the B Main fast qualifier at 14:098.

A 12 car inversion set the stage for the 100 lap event, the longest of the season for the Street Stocks.  Terry Lilley and Rob Moore made up the front row, and Lilley got the jump on the green flag.  Terry had a battle with Stadniczuk right away, as Tadek used the high lane, with Lilley in the inside groove.  The duo exchanged the lead back and forth for the first 10 laps until Tadek nosed out front on lap 11.  Scott Selmi, Dan Ford Jr. and Frantz began their move to the front of the pack, with all three using the outside lane to advance.  With plenty of door to door racing throughout the field, Stadniczuk was able to maintain his lead, but never could get more than 5 car lengths out front.

On lap 32, a wild scramble ensued as 8 cars went sliding and spinning in the melee’ in turn 3.  Darrell Krause and Grant Hedges received heavy damage to their cars, ending their night.  Paul Duffin also dropped out after receiving damage.  After the cleanup, the double-file restart bunched the field and again side by side action was the name of the game.  Chris Hebert brought out the yellow on lap 47 when his driveshaft broke, sending his car to the infield in flames.  Chris was fine, but was done for the evening.  The green flag came back out and at lap 50 the top five consisted of Stadniczuk, Frantz (from 12^th), Selmi, Ford Jr. and Frank Jiovani. 

The second half of the race had just a couple of yellow flags for minor incidents and by lap 65 the leaders got into lapped traffic.  Tadek went to the high side and zipped by the lapped vehicles, with Frantz in tow.  At lap 71, Ford Jr. got by Frantz for second and began to cut the gap on the leader.  Tadek appeared to get stronger in the final 20 laps as he was able to pull out to an 8 car length advantage on his way to the big win.  Ford Jr. was second, Frantz third, Jiovani fourth and Rob Moore fifth.  Selmi, Arnold Kirsch, Lilley, Tim Moore and Clyde McKee completed the top ten, all on the lead lap.

Nick Shanks, Billy Cronce, Steve Chartrand, Kevin Stepinski, Bob Swanson, Matt Bunting, Landon Schuster, Jeff Luttermoser, Hebert, Kyle Worley, Hedges, Krause, Paul Duffin and Larry Smouthers were next in line in the finish of the 100 lap contest.

Not to be outdone in terms of competition and excitement, Rick Bennett and Troy Brehmer ran side by side for 20 of the 30 laps in the Street Stock B Main feature event.  The duo swapped the lead back and forth and never touched, putting on a great show for the fans.  Brehmer stayed on the outside and Bennett was glued to the bottom of the track.  On the final lap, the pair encountered a lapped car.  Both drivers went around the top as the lapped car stayed low, making it a very tight 3-wide coming out of turn 2. Brehmer was able to nose ahead just enough to gain the lead as Bennett made a valiant effort to stay out front, getting just a bit sideways, giving Troy the victory over Bennett, Rich Abel, Chris Fitzpatrick and Chris Diovardi, who recovered for a fine fifth place run after the front end of his car was run over on the first lap.  Ray Coop, Don Roberts, Steve Searles, Lonnie York, Craig Lange, James Pankow, Mark Lavoie, Jim Selmi and Anthony Camilli completed the rundown.

Former track champ Greg Studt led every lap and had pressure from Gary Cronenwett on every turn and straightaway on the Figure 8 course, as Greg collected the win in the 20 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 feature event to close out the night.  The lead duo, with Dennis Whisman watching it all right behind the lead pair, battled hard every lap.  Cronenwett would stand on the gas going to the intersection and almost came up with the lead on several occasions.  Studt, however had just enough to score the win over Cronenwett, Whisman, Danny Gaddis, Jeremy Miller, Jerry Lee, Scott Apperson, Sam Hall, Steve Chartrand, Allen Bland Jr., Stephanie Bradley, Ian Jezylo and Nick Bradley.  Greg set fast time at 20:852, with Miller and Hall capturing the heat wins.

Up next at Flat Rock Speedway on Saturday, July 21 is the third race of the 4 race Enduro Series at “The Rock”.  The 250 lap event will highlight the night of racing. The ARCA 4 Cylinders will be in action, and a Figure 8 Train race (front car with the engine, back car with the brakes) is also on the race card.

Fans that attended the July 14 show may present their ticket stub on July 21 and receive a 2 for 1 admission offer on this date only.

Due to the continued high temperatures and several other factors, a special time schedule is in effect for this race. 

The pits will open at 5 p.m., practice begins at 6, and racing starts at 7 p.m. The front gates and ticket office will open at 6 p.m.  The 4 Cylinder class will use their fastest lap in practice to determine their qualifying times for this event.

Saturday, July 28 Flat Rock will host its biggest race of the season, the Moran Chevrolet Stan Yee Memorial 150 for the ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models.  The race is number 5 for the ARCA Allegiant Gold Cup Late Model Series, and a field of over 30 cars is expected.  Race time is 7 p.m.

For more information, log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com.  Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toledoflatrock or follow us on Twitter @flatrockspeed.