25 DAYS TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GLASS CITY 200!
25 DAYS TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GLASS CITY 200!
In 1968, Toledo Speedway promoter and ARCA founder John Marcum came up with the idea of running a 200 lap Late Model invitational—the Glass City 200. Despite a 20-year hiatus of the race from 1978-1998 (when the Toledo track was sold), the race was revived in 1999 when Marcum’s grandson, Ron Drager, purchased the track with business partner Roy Mott.
And today, the race still carries the prestige and notoriety that it once did back in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
As the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200 presented by Francis Engineering, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express nears, go with us and let’s take a look back at this historic event. Gone are many of the big-time season-ending races that filled the September and October weekends at the short tracks of the Midwest. But thanks to Marcum, Drager, Mott and the drivers, teams and fans that trek to Toledo for this race, the tradition carries on to September 28, 2013!
Here’s a shot
of the 1968 souvenir program cover for the very first Glass City
race! Held in October, the winner was
none other than the legendary Joy Fair in his school-bus yellow #1. An incredible 70 cars were on hand! Ron Grana, in his blue #5, set fast time at
18:41. And one of the consi
winners? None other than 1972 Glass City
200 winner Danny Byrd---which shows how competitive a field of cars showed up
for the first edition of this classic!
Jim Clarke, in the #0, was second, third was Ft. Wayne, IN driver Dave Sorg (#38), 4th was the #40 of Pennsylvania driver Tom Collella and fifth was Mineral Ridge, OH driver Jim Bickertstaff (#33), who would grab the 200 win in 1975.
As we move closer to the 2013 edition and this special anniversary of one of top outlaw-bodied Late Model races in the area, please check the website each day for stories, updates, lap money sponsors, the entry list and historic notes and photos (courtesy of ARCA historians Brian Norton and Jim Hehl) of the Glass City 200.
The stories are endless, the list of drivers is like a who’s who of short track pavement Late Model racing! Who will be the winner of the 25th Edition of the Glass City 200????
Tickets are now on sale by calling 419-727-1100 today!
