Toledo Speedway

TOLEDO, OH:  (2-9-12):  Toledo Speedway is proud to announce the return of Great Lakes Helicopter as the sponsor of its signature event, the Glass City 200 Super Late Model invitational.  The Almont, MI based business has agreed to enter into its 3rd season of support for the 24th running of the event at the Glass City oval.

“We are very pleased that Great Lakes Helicopter will again be a part of the Glass City 200 weekend this season,” said Ron Drager, promoter of the Toledo track.  “Our thanks to John Lojko and his group for their great support of this prestigious event.”

Alabama resident Augie Grill made his first attempt at Toledo in an outlaw Late Model a historic one at last season’s Glass City event, capturing the 200 lap contest in a car prepared by Canadian Jerry Artuso.  The date for the 2012 edition of the Great Lakes Helicopter Glass City 200 is Saturday, September 29.

Great Lakes Helicopter also serves as the sponsor of the #116 Late Model driven by Jack Varney Jr. 

Log onto www.toledospeedway.com for current information and the 2012 schedule.

February 7, 2012:  With racing season right around the corner, Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways are preparing for the race schedules with the printing of the 2012 edition of the souvenir program.   Inventory is also available for all types of signage and race night sponsorships at both facilities. 

The official souvenir program is sold at both tracks for each racing event.  Program advertisements begin at just $100 for the entire season with the creation of a business directory page, which is new for 2012.  Your business name, address, phone number and website address can be included in the listing.  The standard 1/8, ¼, ½ and full page program ads are also available, starting at just $225.  Individual race tickets are included with each advertisement.

 Both Flat Rock and Toledo offer all types of signage opportunities and race night sponsorship packages, along with group ticket sales and suite rentals (Toledo only for suites).  Season passes are included with signage purchases. 

The print deadline for program copy is March 1.  For additional information, please contact Scott at 419-727-1100.  

Roseville, MI—February 6, 2012:  To follow in a father’s footsteps is a proud tradition, one that is quite evident at Stan Yee’s Collision in suburban Detroit, MI.  Upon the passing of Stan Yee Sr., founder and patriarch of the Yee family, Stan Jr. took control of the business with the help of Stan Sr.’s widow and Stan Jr.’s mother, Ann. 

Stan Jr. literally grew up at the shop and, needless to say, at the race track.  The famous Yee-prepared #33’s captured several dozen top pavement and dirt Late Model races in the Midwest in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and continued to rack up wins and championships in the 1980’s and 1990’s on the local short tracks. 

As Stan Sr. began to spend more time away from the shop, Stan Jr. took the reigns, and, like his father, ran the business by day and worked on race cars at night.  Perhaps Stan Sr.’s proudest moment was realized when Stan Jr. captured the 2003 ARCA-Flat Rock Speedway Late Model championship.

Flat Rock Speedway will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Figure 8 racing this season at the Telegraph Road speedplant.  The official celebration will take place Saturday, May 12, with a special 50 lap Figure 8 feature and the Racer's Reunion, complete with the introduction of all former racers on hand for the event.

We are looking to contact as many former Figure 8 drivers and any former racer that raced at "The Rock" over its 58 year history.  We also are searching for old photos, with an emphasis on the Figure 8 class.

You may contact Scott Schultz at 419-727-1100 or at sschultz@arcaracing.com.

Look for weekly stories, photos and tributes to the rock-em', sock-em', Fabulous Figure 8's at www.flatrockspeedway.com leading up to the 50th Anniversary celebration!

This is the third of our monthly off-season bulletins.  It will be posted here on the webpages and emailed to our members who have provided email addresses. 

If you would like to be added to that list, email your address to Sherry at smiller@arcaracing.com.  These bulletins will not be mailed. Please direct any calls to the Toledo office during the winter months; the Flat Rock office is closed.  The Toledo phone number is 419-727-1100.

Toledo, Ohio—January 27, 2012:  For many drivers, driving a race car at Daytona International Speedway is a dream.  For the 2012 ARCA Glass City Gold Cup Late Model Champion, that dream will come true.  For the second consecutive year, the champion of the 6-race Series will get a test in an ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards stock car, courtesy of Fast Track High Performance Driving School.  

Dennis Strickland, the defending Gold Cup champion, took to Daytona during the annual ARCA test in December, giving the Carleton, MI wheelman the ultimate thrill for a stock car driver—running around Daytona!  “It was an experience I will not forget,” noted Strickland, who clocked in a lap at 180.748 in his final session of the 2-day test.  Dennis ran 42 laps for the weekend.

As a tribute to the memory of Joy Fair, a special memorial decal is now available.  Fair, who passed away December 10, 2011, was one of the top racers in the country, accumulating over 800 career victories around the Midwest short tracks in his lifetime.  Joy was a 10-time Flat Rock Speedway champion and 7-time Toledo Speedway champ and is the all-time win leader at both tracks.

The decals are $4 each or 3 for $10, with all proceeds from the sale of the decals to go to the American Diabetes Association.  Please add $1 per order for shipping/mailing costs.

Long-time friend Rand Thompson is conducting the sale of the decals.  Please make all checks payable to the American Diabetes Association.  Checks may be sent to:  Rand Thompson, 10537 Loughrea Lane, Cement City, MI  49233.

TOLEDO, OH—January 18, 2012:  The annual Racer’s Reunions at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways now have dates for the 2012 season.  Both events will take place on the same weekend; Friday, May 11 at Toledo and Saturday, May 12 at Flat Rock.

The May 12 Flat Rock date will also serve as the 50^th Anniversary Celebration of Figure 8 racing at “The Rock”.  Plans are now in the works to invite back all former Figure 8 racers, along with all former Flat Rock racers for the Reunion.  More details about the Figure 8 Anniversary event, which will include a 50 lap feature for the “Motor City Madmen” of the current ARCA Figure 8 class, will be released in the coming weeks.

Toledo, Ohio—January 4, 2011:  Spartan (Lansing, MI) Speedway has agreed to host a 100 lap contest for the ARCA Late Models, which will be a part of the ARCA Glass City Gold Cup Series.  The date is Sunday, May 27 at the immaculate ¼ mile paved oval.  The Spartan Stocks, Pony Stocks and a Pony Stock Figure 8 race will also be a part of the Memorial Day weekend race card, part of the popular Spartan “Slugfest” events. 

The Series will expand to six (6) races in 2012 with the addition of the Spartan date.  2 events are scheduled at Flat Rock, MI Speedway and 3 races at Toledo, OH Speedway.  The top 3 in the final points of the Series are guaranteed starting spots in the season-ending Glass City 200 at Toledo, which is set for Saturday, September 29 this year.

Toledo, Ohio—December 22, 2011:  As winter approaches, thoughts turn to the warm temperatures and, hopefully, sunny skies with the release of the 2012 Flat Rock and Toledo Speedway race schedules.

The schedules are now posted at www.flatrockspeedway.com or www.toledospeedway.com.  Click on the schedule button to download the 2012 schedules.

Each venue will maintain their weekly race cards, with special events featuring a variety of touring series added in to create a pair of diverse schedules for the upcoming season.  Toledo Speedway will feature Friday night racing events as its mainstay, while Flat Rock Speedway’s Saturday race cards are in place as they have been for over 50 years. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Joy Fair’s family.  Joy passed away December 10; services were held December 16.  The service concluded with Joy’s daughter waving the checkered flag and his son, Mark, serving as the announcer as the crowd rose to give a standing ovation; a fitting tribute to a true family man, hero, legend and friend to many. 

This is the second of our monthly off-season bulletins.  It will be posted here on the webpages and emailed to our members who have provided email addresses.  If you would like to be added to that list, email your address to Sherry at smiller@arcaracing.com.  These bulletins will not be mailed. 

Please direct any calls to the Toledo office during the winter months; the Flat Rock office is closed.  The Toledo phone number is 419-727-1100.

Former Flat Rock and Toledo Speedway driver Craig Pace passed away October 16 in Toledo, OH at the age of 45.  Craig competed in the Figure 8, Late Model and Sportsman divisions.  His father, the late Denny Pace, was a 5-time Flat Rock Figure 8 champion and his brother, Mark, also is a former Figure 8 driver.

Craig is survived by his daughter, Sidnee, mother, Nancy Magyar and stepfather, Jim Magyar; step-mother Wanda Pace; his brothers, Mark and Danny Pace and Tony Magyar, aunts-Carol Burger and Martha Geiers and uncle, Joe Barham.

Services were held at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home in Plymouth, MI October 21.