Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - August 4, 2012) - For the first time since April 28, rain fell on a Saturday at Flat Rock Speedway.  But a great effort by the race teams and track officials kept things moving along and allowed the Glass Unlimited Night to be nearly complete, as the Figure 8 feature was called after 14 of the 20 laps.  Paul Pelletier, Rich Frantz and Billy Earley captured the wins.  Walter Krause of Glass Unlimited presented the trophies and bonus money to the winning trio.

The clouds started to roll in around the 4 p.m. practice start and continued to build as approaching storms just missed the track.  At 6:45, 15 minutes before start time, a heavy 10 minute downpour caused a delay, pushing the race card back to a 7:30 p.m. start.  The race teams were ready and kept the race card moving through the heats and features.

Current point leader Paul Pelletier had another great battle with Dennis Strickland as the duo ran door to door for over a dozen laps in the 50 lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature.  Strickland, who drew the number 1 slot, took the green and led the field.  Pelletier, moving from 3^rd on the starting grid, quickly challenged Dennis for the number 1 spot.  A couple of yellow flags and the double file restarts put Paul up alongside Strickland and, as the duo has done for several events this season, thrilled the fans with side by side racing for the lead.  Strickland nosed in front on lap 29, but a yellow at lap 32 bunched the field again.  Scott Pemberton, running in the top 10, had an engine fire and his car went up in a ball of flame.  Scott was able to get his machine quickly to the infield where the track safety crew met him.  On the restart, Strickland and Pelletier went at it again.  Paul got a good jump on the outside and zipped into the lead and held it for the final 18 laps for his 4^th victory of the season.  Strickland took second, Derek Wiley continued his impressive string of runs with a third place finish, right behind the lead pair.  Eric Lee came up from 8^th spot to take 4^th at the stripe, while Steve Cronenwett Jr. was fifth.  Stan Yee Jr., Chris Benson, Joe Hawes, Lori Hall and Terry Bogusz rounded out the top ten finishers.  Pelletier, Dan Trosen Jr. and Jim Alvis captured the heat races.  Wiley set fast time for the 21 car field at 11:733.

It was all Rich Frantz as he motored from his pole starting position and sped to victory in the 25 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock feature race.  Earlier in the night, Frantz set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts fast time for the 27 car field at 13:539.  The top 10 drew for their feature starting spots, and Rich pulled the number 1 pill.  Frantz shot away to an 8 car length lead and pulled away on the only doublefile restart as he topped Tadek Stadniczuk for the win.  Landon Schuster, Frank Jiovani, Clyde McKee, Scott Selmi, Rob Moore, Grant Hedges, Kyle Worley and Steve Chartrand were next in line to round out the top 10.  Rich Abel, Darrell Krause and Stadniczuk took the heat race checkered flags.

With lightning on the horizon and the air turning heavier by the minute, the 20 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 feature hit the track for the final race of the night.  Jeremy Miller dove into the lead on the green flag, with Billy Earley tucked in on his bumper.  On lap 9, the red came out when Jeremy Vanderhoof and Allen Bland Jr. got together at the intersection, causing Bland’s radiator to dump water on the track.  Scott Apperson spun in the water and as Miller came by, he got into Apperson, ripping a tire off his car.  Miller pitted on the red and rejoined the field at the tail.  2 laps later, the red came out again when Chuck Pankow stalled.  The green came back out at lap 11 but the field was only able to get to lap 14 before the rains set in.  The event was called official and Earley picked up the win.  Vanderhoof was able to continue with the damage from that early incident and took second, Greg Studt was third, Robbie Loving fourth and Gary Cronenwett fifth.  Dennis Whisman, Danny Gaddis, Miller, Sam Hall and Steve Chartrand filled out the top ten.  Gaddis and Apperson took the heat race wins.  Vanderhoof set the fast time at 20:649 in time trials.

Saturday, August 11 the MSA Super Modifieds return to Flat Rock Speedway for the first time in over 30 years!  The low slung, fire-breathing, winged creations had the original return in 2011 washed out by rain.  Lap times are expected to be in the 10 second bracket for the Super Mods.  The track’s Parts Galore Figure 8’s and DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks will be in action, along with the ARCA 4 Cylinders.

The pit area will open at 2:30 p.m. for the MSA teams and 3 p.m. for the Flat Rock teams.  Practice begins at 4, time trials are at 5:30 and racing begins at 7 p.m.  Fans may purchase their tickets online at www.flatrockspeedway.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toledoflatrock or follow us on Twitter @flatrockspeed.

Flat Rock Speedway is located on Telegraph Road, just 5 minutes from I-75 or I-275, 10 minutes south of Detroit Metropolitan Airport and 30 miles north of Toledo.  The track phone number is 734-782-2480.