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)

September 25, 2013:  It’s almost here!  And the weather forecast is….well, we’ll wait to see what Saturday brings to the Toledo Speedway!  Just more notes, news and more photos for you as the 25^th Anniversary of the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200 arrives Saturday, September 28.

When you look at the list of winners of the Glass City 200, it’s very, very impressive.  When you think about the drivers that have not won the race and have tried for many years, well, that’s why this race holds the prestige and history in short track Late Model racing.  It’s a quest for many drivers, and, for most of the winners, it was “my biggest win”.  That’s been said over and over. 

His first win at Toledo Speedway was a big one, as Brian Campbell put his name in the books as a Glass City 200 winner.  Driving the #47, the same number his father, Fred, drove for many, many years, Brian set fast time at 15:157 for the 39 car field and sailed to victory in the 2007 edition of the event.  Mike Luberda Jr. and Rick Sheppard took the heat races.  Rookie A.J. Lane captured the B Main event.  Lane moved into the 200 field by virtue of his win also.

Toledo, Ohio—September 24, 2013:  With the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200 just days away, race teams are busy testing and making final preparations for the Silver Anniversary of the prestigious event.  The 200 lap outlaw-bodied Late Model race is being co-sponsored by Francis Engineering, Woodville Auto Finance, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express.  2-time Glass City winner Joe Ruttman (1969, 1973) will be the Grand Marshal for the event.

2012 Glass City winner Terry Senneker put his #37 through its final laps before the weekend.  Terry and several other teams tested at Toledo Monday.  Senneker led just 4 laps, but they were the final 4 as Steve Needles had an engine let go, putting Terry in the Sun Drop Winner’s Circle at the Glass City oval.

2-time Glass City winner Harold Fair Jr. also tested Monday, as did Brian Ross, at the wheel of Bob Blount’s #16.  Ross will be making his first start at Toledo since 1999.  Jeff Ganus, at the wheel of the Great Lakes Helicopter #5, also tested, along with Scott Pemberton in his #51 and Brian Clay in the #30 machine.

This past weekend, Dennis Strickland, Scott McKenzie, Mike Young, Steve Cronenwett Jr., Chris Benson and Jimmy Thiel all shook down their cars for the 200 lap classic.

In addition to the 200 lap feature, the 40 lap Woodville Auto Finance Sportsman invitational and the 30 lap X Car invitational will also be a part of the huge weekend.