Toledo Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Michigan - April 27, 2013) - It was a beautiful opening night for the 2013 race season at Flat Rock Speedway.  Dakota Carlson paid a surprise visit and scored the victory in the 50 lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature at the Jet’s Pizza season opener. Rob Moore notched the victory in the 25 lap ARCA Drive Train Specialists Street Stock feature, while Jeremy Vanderhoof was the winner of the 20 lap ARCA Parts Galore Figure 8 race.

In the 50 lap Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature, the top ten drivers drew for their starting positions.  Defending ARCA Glass City Gold Cup champion Dakota Carlson set fast time (11:675) for the 21 car field and drew the pole.  The Cedar Springs, MI driver led every lap of the green-white-checker feature, showing great patience in lapped traffic.  Dennis Stickland, who started and finished second, stayed in the hunt for a better part of the event, but Carlson was in command all the way. Steve Cronenwett Jr. was strong in a third place run,  defending champ Paul Pelletier started last and sailed up to fourth, while Dan Ford Jr. took fifth at the stripe.  Stan Yee Jr., rookie Frank Jiovani, rookie Todd Jackson, Joe Hawes and Brad Turner completed the top ten.  Yee Jr., Turner and Terry Bogusz took the heat race wins.  Jackson made the trip from Sault St. Marie, MI to Flat Rock for the first time as Carlson’s teammate for owner Tony LeClair.

The 26 car, 25 lap DTS Street Stock feature was filled with numerous caution flags, and a red flag appeared on lap 11 when Chad Guinn got sideways in the backstraight in Bill Meade’s #86, tagging the wall hard and collecting Landon Schuster in the process.  Several other cars also received damage in the incident.  Rob Moore took the lead at the start from his pole starting position, but he had pressure from Clyde McKee the entire distance.  On each double-file restart, the lead pair ran wheel to wheel, with Rob nosing back into the number 1 spot each time.  Rob Moore drove into the Sun Drop victory lane, followed by McKee, Tim Moore, Arnold Kirsch and Rich Frantz, who came from the 26^th spot up to 5^th at the finish.  Scott Selmi and Tadek Stadniczuk recovered from an early incident and came from the rear to 6^th and 7^th, respectively, at the stripe, with Grant Hedges, Steve Searles and Joe Haener rounding out the top ten.  Tim Moore posted the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts quick time at 13:451.  Scott Selmi nosed out Rich Frantz in the very first race of the year in the first heat, with rookie Corey Duane and Craig Lange capturing the other heat race events.

The 20 lap Parts Galore Figure-8 feature winner was Jeremy Vanderhoof, who stayed in the top spot the entire distance. With a short field, traffic at the intersection was limited, but there were a few close calls in the intersection.  Greg Studt was second,  Billy Earley third, Robbie Loving fourth and Dennis Whisman fifth, followed by Jerry Lee, Danny Gaddis, Anthony Terris, Stephanie Bradley and Dan Apperson.  Vanderhoof set the Fastime Racing Engine and Parts fast time at 20:756 on the Figure 8 track.  Gaddis captured the heat race win. Several more cars should be in competition this Saturday, which will make things a little more exciting at the intersection!

Saturday, May 4 is Racing Fan Club Night at “The Rock”, featuring another round of  the Moran Chevrolet Late Models, Parts Galore Figure 8’s and the DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks.  The pit area will open at 2 p.m., practice begins at 3:30 (the front gates open at that time), time trials are set for 5:15 and racing begins 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 is the Flat Rock Historical Society Flea Market at Flat Rock Speedway.  The market runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Admission to the grounds is free.  For space rental information, please call 734-782-5220.

Flat Rock Speedway is located on Telegraph Road, just 5 minutes from I-75 or I-275.  The track phone number is 734-782-2480.  Log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com for further information, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toledoflatrock or follow us on Twitter @flatrockspeed.

Make sure you know where to be every Saturday night all summer long as Flat Rock Speedway celebrates its 60^th Anniversary season, with racing every Saturday night through September 14.