Toledo Speedway

TOLEDO, Ohio (March 28, 2017) -- On the heels of several key announcements regarding coming attractions at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways in 2017 and beyond, Ken Schrader and Austin Theriault capped off the 19th annual ARCA press conference with rave reviews Tuesday afternoon at Hollywood Casino near downtown Toledo.

The dynamic duo told stories, talked racing and tipped off the audience to what's ahead in '17 which for Schrader and Theriault started out with a win at Daytona in their first race together under the Ken Schrader Racing banner. Part of the discussion zeroed in on Toledo's home track Toledo Speedway where the 76th running of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care is coming May 21. Schrader has won five times at Toledo, but Theriault will see the place for the first time when he comes back to town.

"I'm excited," said Theriault. "I have a buddy from Maine who actually raced an outlaw car there. He loved the track and we have similar characteristics as race car drivers so if he liked it I'm sure I'm going to like it too. We're going to visit it later today just to walk around. I've never set eyes on the track. The ARCA car will be a little different for me compared to the lighter late models...I've only raced an ARCA car three times."

Theriault's stage appearance was preceded by a video that tracked his racing career over the years, including the big crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2015 in the NASCAR Truck that left the Fort Kent, Maine driver with a compression fracture of the lower back.

"I used 2016 as a year to build myself back up."

Fully healed, Theriault had a chance encounter with Schrader at the PRI Show in Indy in December of '16 that led to a full-time ride in Schrader's No. 52 ARCA car.

"I walked behind him for about five minutes before I finally got the courage to tap him on the back. We talked for a few minutes...we both had things to attend to, but I told him after this is done I'll come by the shop and that's how this whole thing got started. He's really down to earth."

Theriault also commented on the full ARCA season ahead, several of the tracks he has never seen before.

"A lot of them have similar characteristics to some of the other tracks I've been to. I gotta rely on Kenny...rely on my team...Donnie Richeson the crew chief has been in ARCA competition for many, many years so I gotta rely on his set-up and his knowledge of the race cars.  And we have a lot of practice time at a lot of these race tracks so if I can't figure it out I probably should find something else to do. We test at some of these tracks, but some of these races coming up will be the first time for us, but I'm not worried."

Schrader, who turns 62 May 29, says he's looking at about 90 races of his own in 2017, mostly in his Federated Auto Parts dirt modified. His take on it....

"I'm not very good at racing and those are the best skills I've got so I'm kinda screwed...I can't do anything else," he said. "We shoot for about 90. Last year we ended up with 70, but we had 20 rainouts. We're going to run four dirt races this week...Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday."

In other words, Schrader is showing no signs of slowing down.

"I still like going to the race track. I can go play with my dirt car and keep up with my ARCA team...I love it. The ARCA Series...what I like it about it so much...you can be sitting in a little garage behind your house with two cars and go run the whole series; or you can have one car and take it to Daytona, or go run half the series. It's Saturday night big time racing. You go from a third-mile to two-and-a-half miles. From asphalt to dirt, to the road course. Michigan, Talladega, Pocono. No other series can afford you that opportunity.

"We're just looking forward to running the full series again. We're honored to have Austin drive for us this year...because we know just now how hard this series is, especially with all the new rules...the Ilmor engines, the new Five Star bodies...they have these cars so close together which is good. It just gets tougher and tougher. The series has grown a lot over the last few years...just looking forward to it."

Toledo/Flat Rock GM Scott Schultz led the press conference with snapshots of the seasons ahead at both Toledo and Flat Rock, the 65th consecutive for Flat Rock and the 58th for Toledo. Big events announced at Flat Rock include the Diamond Racing Products Joy Fair Memorial May 27, the Moran Chevrolet Stan Yee Memorial July 22 and the popular School Bus Figure-8s returning for two shows June 17 and Sept. 2. Schultz also announced two new events at Flat Rock -- the Michigan Figure-8 Championship June 24 and the Level Pebble 200 Aug. 12.

ARCA President Ron Drager also made a cameo appearance, announcing an 8-race Bandolero Cars division coming to Flat Rock in 2018. ARCA, already in tune with a youth initiative that includes the progression from its local tracks to the ARCA CRA Super Series and ARCA Midwest Tours to the sanction's national tour, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. The addition of Bandolero Cars competition -- the 8-14 age bracket -- adds yet another tier in ARCA's youth initiative.

Schultz returned to the mic for Toledo announcements including the season opening Spring 200 April 22, three Outlaw Late Model Gold Cup races, the Menards 200, two Nights of Destruction events and the season-ending 29th running of the Glass City 200 Sept. 17.

For the open-wheel fans in the house, Schultz also announced the return of the All American Coach-Hemelgarn Racing-Super Fitness Fastest Short Track Show in the World and the Rollie Beale Classic-Hemelgarn Racing-Super Fitness USAC Silver Crown 100.

The Ohio Figure-8 Championship was also announced as a new addition to Toledo's schedule.

The media came out in full force to cover the conference, including Toledo television affiliates ABC, CBS and FOX. The Buckeye Cable Sports Network was also there. On the print side, the Toledo Blade and Monroe Evening News attended.

Don Radebaugh
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com