Perfect weather conditions greeted race teams for a quick 2-hour practice session leading up to tomorrow’s Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200 outlaw Late Model race.  Johnny VanDoorn led the 33 cars at the track, clicking off a lap of 14:973. 

The top ten cars in the practice session are VanDoorn, Jeff Ganus, Brian Ross, Johnny Belott, Harold Fair Jr., Jake Francis, Terry Senneker Jr., Brent Jack, Dennis Strickland and Scott Hantz.  All practice times can be viewed by logging onto www.toledospeedway.com.

One of the pre-race favorites, Ross, driving Bob Blount’s #16 has scratched due to engine trouble.

The car #41 entry from Wisconsin has not arrived at the track, while Jimmy Thiel, at the wheel of the late Bob Ward’s #6 encountered engine trouble and has scratched for the weekend.  Steve Cronenwett Jr.’s #88 also had mechanical issues, and the team is going home and loading up another car to compete in the 200. 

The race day schedule has the pit area opening at 9:30 a.m., practice begins at Noon, time trials are set for 3 and racing begins at 5 p.m. The front gates will be open to watch practice during the afternoon; at 2:30, the grandstands will be cleared and tickets will go on sale.

Any remaining reserved seat tickets and all general admission and kids tickets will go on sale when the ticket office opens at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. 

Log onto www.toledospeedway.com for the Friday night practice times, entry lists, lap money sponsor list and all the history and background on the one and only Glass City 200!

Toledo, Ohio—September 27, 2013:  The race car rigs are pulling in and the gates are open at Toledo Speedway for the 25^th Anniversary of the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200!  And guess who’s in line? 

It’s 2011 race winner and short track star Augie Grill, a late entry for the Silver Anniversary of this classic event.  The Hayden, Alabama driver will once again be at the wheel of Canadian Jerry Artuso’s car, numbered this year as #112, the number that adorns most of Grill’s race cars.  The duo teamed up and put Grill in the Winner’s Circle in his very first race at Toledo and, his first race in an outlaw-bodied Super Late Model for the Glass City 200.

That puts the entry list at 34 cars—27 cars are already on the grounds as of 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.  Tonight’s schedule has a short practice session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Fans can watch the practice free of charge.

The advance ticket sale will end tonight at 5 p.m. Some reserved seating remains for Saturday’s prestigious event and may be obtained by stopping at the track office or calling 419-727-1100.  Most major credit cards are accepted.

The race day schedule has the pit area opening at 9:30 a.m., practice begins at Noon, time trials are set for 3 and racing begins at 5 p.m. The front gates will be open to watch practice during the afternoon; at 2:30, the grandstands will be cleared and tickets will go on sale.

Any remaining reserved seat tickets and all general admission and kids tickets will go on sale when the ticket office opens at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. 

Log onto www.toledospeedway.com for the entry list, lap money sponsor list and all the history and background on the one and only Glass City 200!

For the second straight year, cold temperatures greeted fans for the 2012 running of the Glass City 200.  One driver’s misfortune turned into a winning drive for another, but Terry Senneker Jr.’s unbelievable save with less than 30 laps to go put him in position for the “biggest win of my career”…….

No one expected to see a driver from Alabama show up to run the Glass City 200.  The southern states pretty much don’t run outlaw-bodied Late Models, but 2-time Snowball Derby winner Augie Grill became an instant success at Toledo Speedway in 2011.  Grill, teaming with Canadian Jerry Artuso, was a surprise entrant and promptly showed his skills by sailing to the victory on an extremely bitter cold Saturday night.

Late Models:  Unload, place car on jackstands; TECH GARAGE:  3 CREWMEN PER CAR, PLUS DRIVER.  NO ONE ELSE IN TECH BARN DURING INSPECTION!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

2 p.m.             Pit registration opens; rig parking; tire sales/LM over-under tech

5 p.m.             Optional practice session for all classes

7 p.m.             Practice ends; All marked impound tires must be returned to impound area

GARAGE CLOSES AT 8 P.M.  LOCK UP YOUR EQUIPMENT AND TRAILERS!

7:30-9 p.m     Dinner for all pit pass buyers at Bar/Grille, courtesy of Francis Engineering; additional dinners available at $10 per plate.  Live band after dinner!  Distant Cousinz

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

9:30 a.m.        Pit registration opens 

Late Model tech open…only Late Models to tech barn--Must go thru tech line before you go on-track; you will draw for qualifying at tech.

11 a.m.           Tires released from impound—no more than 4 tires at a time.

11:15 a.m.     Late Model Driver and Spotter meeting-tech barn

11:45              Sportsman w/ spotter and X Car Driver’s meeting- pit grandstand       

Noon-12:45  Late Model practice

Noon:              Sportsman and X cars through tech barn—do not block aisle

12:45-1:10     Sportsman practice

1:10-1:20       X Car practice

1:20-1:55      Final Late Model practice/scuff session before qualifying

1:55-2:15       Final Sportsman practice

2:15-2:30       Final X Car practice

2:30                Break; clear grandstands; ticket sales begin

2:30                Tech line opens for LM qualifying---first 15 cars and so on.

2:55                X Cars on ½ mile to qualify—IF 20 cars or more

3 p.m.             X Cars qualifying—See above.

3:10 p.m.        Qualifying:  Sportsman-must be on 1/4 mile at end of X Car qualifying. 

                        LM’s will follow (in groups of 15) Top 20 locked in.

                        LM B Main tires to be released after qualifying is completed.

                        **LM B crews, SP crews can set up on pit road after qualifying is concluded.

4:45 p.m.        Woodville Auto Finance LM pole award presentation.

4:50                Pre-race ceremonies:  Invocation-Jerry Stewart

                        Canadian Anthem and National Anthem—Distant Cousinz

5 p.m.             LM B Main race—25 laps (top 6 advance to 200) (if necessary)

                        (LM Feature cars-remaining impound tires released during LM last-chance race; if

                        there Is no B Main, tires will be released after time trials.

                        LM scuff session-10 minutes max.

Sportsman feature—40 laps

                        X Car feature—30 laps

LM Crews can go to pit road anytime during X Car feature

LM’s to turn 4 to line up for 200 at lap 15 mark of X Car race.

Introduction of Grand Marshall-Joe Ruttman

                        Introductions of past champions and Glass City 200 winners, sponsors,

                        Driver Introductions

                        200 lap Glass City 200--**Driver introductions TBA depending on weather,

                        time.

SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE (rain date is Sunday, Sept. 29—1 p.m. race time (or as soon as possible)