Toledo Speedway

Toledo, Ohio—June 24, 2016: Franklin, MA racer Bobby Santos and the rest of the field put on a sensational show Friday evening for the King of the Wing Sprint Car Shootout presented by Lakeshore Utility Trailer Sales at Toledo Speedway. Santos slipped by leader Derek Snyder with 10 laps to go to win the 40 lap all-green flag feature in an astounding 9 minutes and 37 seconds!

Snyder took off on the green flag and set a torrid pace, with Santos in his tracks. The lead duo got away from the rest of the 16 car field in the first 15 circuits. By lap 20, Ryan Gillenwater and Aaron Pierce began to catch the lead pair and made up tremendous ground. Pierce dropped out on lap 25, but Gillenwater steamed his way to catch the leaders by lap 27. Santos got by Snyder on lap 30 and with 6 laps to go, lapped traffic came into play. Snyder inched up on Santos as they went to the high side to get around traffic but could not pull off the win as Bobby grabbed the victory over Snyder, Gillenwater and a fast-closing Meridian, Idaho driver Johnny Giesler. Johnny entered the picture with 5 laps to go and took fourth, while Middleton, Idaho female star Sierrra Jackson came from 17^th to 5^th at the stripe. Jason Conn, Ron Larson, Davey Hamilton Jr., Brad Wyatt and Tom Patterson rounded out the top ten. The top 9 cars were all on the lead lap. Pierce, Jason Cox, Jimmy McCune, Robert Stout, Dave Baumgartner and Tom Geren completed the finishing order. Brian Gerster encountered mechanical issues and scratched from the event.   Pierce narrowly missed breaking his own track record in qualifying, stopping the clocks at 12:279. The mark stands as 12:220. Jackson and Hamilton Jr. took the heat race wins.

Defending Series king Brian Nester took the top honors in the 50 lap Top Speed Modified feature race. Buddy Gray took the lead on the green flag for the 24 car field and led for 2 laps, while Doug Myer grabbed the point on lap 3. The red flag appeared on that lap when Rick Sibila got crossed up and slammed into the turn 1 foam blocks, ending his run. Myer ran strong out front as the pack battled for position, using 3 lanes around the entire track. After a yellow flag on lap 23, Nester, now up to second spot from his 7^th starting position, snared the number 1 spot from Myer and sped away. The race was stopped again on lap 25 when Ryan Radziejewski took a nasty ride down the front stretch wall and then into the concrete barriers on the inside of turn 1. Ryan was ok but the car sustained heavy damage. The final 25 circuits ran caution-free as Nester sailed away to the win,       Blake Rowe made a late-race charge to take second, Myer was third, Sonny Coito fourth and Danny Jackson took fifth, followed by Stephen Klinect, Gray, Bud Adams, Greg Fullerton and Tim Burkett. Nester set fast time with a new track record at 16:372 and also won his heat race. Klinect and Tony Dager took the other heat race wins.

Over a dozen Vintage race cars were on display Friday evening, with 9 of those cars taking laps around the speedway. The track also hosted a Racer’s Reunion, and nearly 50 members of the Perry Younce family were on hand as a tribute to Perry, who passed away in 1996. A moment of silence was also held for “Irish” Jim McCune, who passed away last Thursday. The McCune family, with Irish in attendance, was honored at Toledo on June 10.

Toledo Speedway will take a week off for the 4^th of July holiday weekend and get back into action Friday night, July 8 as the Late Models return for the Kevin Butzin Recycling 100, part of the Royal Truck and Trailer Sales Gold Cup Series. The ARCA Aramark Late Model Sportsman cars will also be in action on the ½ mile paved oval, while the ARCA Factory Stocks will also be in action.

July 8 is also Kids Night! All kids to age 12 will be admitted FREE and receive a FREE hot dog! Race time is 7:30 p.m.