Toledo Speedway

TOLEDO, OH (6-6-2008)-- Mother Nature again played a part in Toledo Speedway’s Friday night race card. With a good crowd on hand for the Roadway Express/Utility Trailer/Teamsters Local 20 Kids Night, the program moved very quickly as the weather moved in. With severe weather approaching, the night was called complete just as the storm warning sirens in the city wailed. Before that, over 500 kids enjoyed a free hot dog, drink and chips, courtesy of Sherwood Foods, 7-Up and Seyfert’s Snacks. Jim Froling took the Sportsman win, Scott Apperson took his first-ever Figure 8 victory and Dave Arnold Jr. was the winner in the rain-shortened Factory Stock race. The Factory Stock B Main and the 4 Cylinder feature that did not run will be added to the June 20 race card.

Just 1 yellow flag slowed the 35 lap ARCA National City Bank Sportsman feature race. Chad Guinn motored into the lead on the green, holding the top spot until lap10, when Howard Kelley Jr. slid under Chad in turn 3 to take the point. Froling, on the move, followed Howard by Guinn and took the lead on 15 and never looked back on his way to win number 2 of the 2008 season. Kelley was second at the stripe, Greg Stilwell third, Art Rozane fourth and John Kasmierski fifth, followed by Jarod MacZink, Tom O’Leary IV, Jeff King, Brian Pelkey and Andy Harding. Guinn and Harding took the heat wins. Ron Allen set fast time 17:688, but suffered a flat tire in the feature event, finishing 14^th in the 18 car field.

With 2 former champions battling him high and low, youngster Scott Apperson was able to hold on and register his first-ever feature win in the 15 lap ARCA Speedway Bar and Grille Figure 8 feature. Despite a short field the lead trio of Apperson, Jeremy Vanderhoof and Dennis Whisman made things exciting. Scott had pressure the entire distance and held on for his historic win. Whisman, Vanderhoof, Randy Roberts, Anthony Terris and Chuck Pankow were next in line. Whisman captured the heat race win.

Taking the lead from Gary Cronenwett on lap 2, Dave Arnold Jr. posted his first win of the year in the rain-shortened ARCA A-1 Auto Parts Factory Stock feature, which ran 12 of the scheduled 20 laps when the severe weather sirens sounded. Landon Schuster pushed Arnold hard for the top spot and took second, with Cory McCaughey, Eric Huston, Cronenwett, Rick Cousino, AJ Padgett, Rick Cousino Jr., Brian Ringger and Tim Shine rounding out the top ten at the stripe. Josh Bunting set quick time at 11:943 for the 25 car field, but dropped out of the feature with a flat tire. Rick Cousino, Don Cox and Brian Moore won the heat races, with Randy Padgett taking the last-chance race over Amanda Bland, Cox and Craig Osenbaugh. The B Main will be contested June 20.

The David’s Jewelry 4 Cylinders were also part of the race card, with just a heat race completed. Their feature will now run as part of the June 20 show. Brad Turner set quick time at 13:521, while Jimmy Little won his first-ever checkered flag in the heat race.

All American Coach, Super Fitness and Hemelgarn Racing will team up to present the 2008 edition of the “Fastest Short Track Show in the World” this Friday, June 13 at Toledo Speedway. The fastest short track race machines on the planet will invade the fast ½ mile as the ISMA Super Modifieds and the Auto Value Super Sprints make their annual trek to the Glass City oval. This night of speed and power happens only at Toledo, and with the ½ mile being extremely quick this year, there is a chance that the track record of a blistering 12:902, set by Cameron Dodson in 2006, could go down! Both groups will qualify, looking for bragging rights of who has the fastest car! In 2007, Chris Perley set a new record for the Supers at 13:116 and topped the AVSS bunch.

Practice begins at 3, the much-anticipated time trials are at 5 and racing begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday night. Some reserved seating remains, and may be obtained by calling the track at 419-727-1100.