Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio - March 17, 2014) – Get ready to crack open the 7-UP in victory lane at Toledo Speedway. That’s what ARCA veteran outlaw late model racer Dennis Strickland hopes to do at this year’s 7-Up 150 season opener at Toledo Saturday, April 12.

The event draws together the very best from the ARCA CRA Super Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour for one whale of a short track clash on the lightning-quick Toledo half-mile oval.

Strickland, the reigning Glass City 200 race champion, has logged a go-zillion miles in an ARCA outlaw late model, but this year’s 7-UP 150 will mark his first start in an ARCA CRA Super Series late model. Hard to believe considering the Carleton, Michigan veteran turned 56 in November.

“I have so many laps at those places (Toledo and Flat Rock Speedway) but this’ll be the first in an ARCA CRA car,” Strickland said.

Strickland will be sharing the ARCA CRA seat with ARCA veteran Nick Bailey for the 2014 season.

“It’s an amazing car; I hope I can do it justice. We plan to rent the track before the race to get familiar with the car. I want to do well for these guys...try to make sure we don’t crash.

“But if we can keep the fenders on it, with my experience at Toledo and considering how good the car is, we have a shot at winning. Toledo’s a different animal altogether, but when the CRA cars go to Flat Rock, it wouldn’t surprise me if we spanked ‘em there. Hopefully, I’ll get to do more of these races; I’m really looking forward to it.”

It would not be a stretch for Strickland to beat anyone at Flat Rock. He’s the defending outlaw late model track champion at the Michigan quarter-mile oval. He also won the Flat Rock championship in 2007. Most telling is how many times he’s finished second in the season standings at Flat Rock – that would be eight times from 2001 through 2012.

“Here’s the deal with Flat Rock. Granted you may not be going 130 mph like you are at Toledo, but the track is so small that things happen so fast. You really have to be used to that scenario. If you’re loose at Toledo, you’re so on top of the wheel to hang on to it. At Flat Rock, you can run loose all the way around. It’s a blast.”

Strickland has also won the outlaw late model track championship at Toledo three times, the ARCA Gold Cup Series championship four times, and the combined Toledo-Flat Rock title twice. That gives Strickland 11 ARCA titles total, one more than 10-time ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion Frank Kimmel.

And, Strickland, proof that nice guys do finish first, has done it all the hard way.

“I never had any big money, so I learned to do most things myself to save money, out of necessity more than anything.”

Strickland, who retired from GM and then took a job driving a truck for Trenton Forging, builds his own cars, does his own sheet metal work, and assembles his own motors.

“I think it’s been my strong suit, because I do my own work. I know the car really well. And I don’t fall out of races, because I know the car so well. I know how long a u-joint will last before it will fail. I’ve had to learn over the years just how long these pieces will last.”

Strickland outlasted the very best in last year’s Glass City 200, including Harold Fair, Jr., who had just passed Strickland right before Fair’s car broke.

“We rubbed a little going into (turn) one and he got by me,” Strickland said.

“He was starting to pull away a little, and then a lap later, something broke on his car. From there, we kept ourselves out front.

“I was a little surprised by it all. I didn’t even freshen my motor last year. But right before the Glass City, I checked the valve springs. I picked the best springs I had laying around, and put ‘em in the motor. Then I got a little help from my friends.

“Jack Burnett, who I started the year driving for, let me use his carburetor for the Glass City and that made a big difference.

“I was trying to get my shocks to work, but it wasn’t quite fast enough. Then I talked to Butch Van Doorn, and he gave me a set of shocks for the front of the car. As soon as I put those on, the car was fast. It really put me in the hunt for the win. So between those two things – the carb and the shocks, the car really came to life.”

But for now, Strickland will climb out of his familiar outlaw late model world and switch gears in time for Toledo’s season-opener – the 7-UP 150.

“There’s no downforce on these cars compared to the outlaw cars, and they’re on a little harder tire so the cars are going to slide around a little more. It’s going to be a challenge but I’m really looking forward to it. I want to thank Pete and Nick Bailey for the opportunity to drive their first-class equipment. It’s quite an honor. I hope to get the chance to do more of these races.”

The annual 7-UP 150 will kick off Friday, April 11 with an open practice from 3:00 p.m. to 7. Pits will open at 11:00 with hauler parking and tech following at 1. At 7:30, there will be a dinner at the Toledo Speedway Bar/Grille for all pit pass purchasers. Additional dinners will be available for $10 per plate.            

Pit Gates open Saturday, April 12 at 8 a.m. with practice from 10 to 11. Qualifying will begin at 1. The race program begins at 3 with 15-lap last chance races, followed by an on track autograph session. The 7-UP 150 will follow, featuring 150 laps of green flag racing with a 10 minute break at lap 76 for teams to add fuel and make adjustments. Additional event information can be found at www.toledospeedway.com.