SCHUSTER, FITZPATRICK, VANDERHOOF, EARLEY SAIL TO FLAT ROCK WINS
SCHUSTER, FITZPATRICK, VANDERHOOF, EARLEY SAIL TO FLAT ROCK WINS
(Flat Rock, MI—August 23, 2014): Mother Nature delivered yet another great evening of weather for the Action Exteriors Kids Night and Autograph Night at Flat Rock Speedway Saturday. And the track’s ARCA Praxair Figure 8’s and DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock drivers treated the good crowd of fans and families on hand to another great night of racing action and entertainment! Landon Schuster, Chris Fitzpatrick and Jeremy Vanderhoof captured feature wins, while Billy Earley scored the win in the wild Flag Pole race. The TKC Go-Karts ran a pair of exhibition races prior to the feature races.
After 2 call-backs on the original start, the ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A Main 40 lap feature ran 37 laps straight without a yellow flag. Pole-sitter Landon Schuster took the lead at the start, with pressure from Scott Selmi the entire distance. Selmi tucked in on the bumper of Landon early in the contest, then went to the high lane to look for a way around Landon’s #118. Scott got to the door of Schuster on several occasions, but couldn’t pull off the move for the point. With 3 laps to go, a yellow bunched the field for the double-file restart. Selmi again tried to get to the front, but Schuster held on for his first win of the season. Selmi came home second, Rob Moore was third, Tim Moore fourth and Kyle Worley fifth, followed by Guy Fire, Corey Duane, Rich Frantz, Rick Bennett and Joe Haener.
Chris Fitzpatrick battled with Rich Abel for the lead in the 15 lap DTS Street Stock B Main and took control when the duo banged wheels. Chris held on for the victory, which he dedicated to his father, Bob, who passed away in April. Abel and a fast-closing Danny Bennett were next in line at the stripe. Troy Brehmer, Larry Smouthers Jr., Justin Rodriguez, Jeffrey Kurzyniec and Bobby Jackson completed the finishing order.
Guy Fire set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts fast time for the 30 car field with a lap of 13:615, while Danny Bennett led the B Main cars at 14:277. Heat race winners were Rob Moore, Rick Bennett, Lonnie York and Danny Bennett.
30 laps of non-stop, breath-taking, wild action drew the applause from the crowd as Jeremy Vanderhoof weaved in and out of traffic and held back the charge of Robbie Loving to win the Praxair Figure 8 feature race of the evening. Randy Roberts took the early lead until Vanderhoof reeled in the leader. The 12 car inversion put Fastime Racing Engines and Parts fast qualifier Jeremy Miller (21:164) deep in the 17 car field, but Jeremy worked his way up to the lead pair and the race became a 3-car battle. At lap 19, Billy Earley sputtered to a halt, ending his fine run. Miller dropped back in the final 5 laps with a cut tire, while Greg Studt and Dennis Whisman advanced their positions in the closing laps. Vanderhoof grabbed the win over Loving, Studt, Roberts, Miller, Whisman,
The evening was capped off with the Flag Pole race—with the object of the event aimed at going around a tire in both the front straight and back straight for each of the 8 laps. The 11 car field had plenty of excitement and passes for the lead, along with several fender-banging incidents. Billy Earley piloted the #08 of Dan Apperson to the win and visited the 7-Up Winners Circle as he notched the win after a battle with John Lambert.
It’s the Heritage Newspapers Season Championship Night up next on the Flat Rock Speedway schedule. The Saturday, August 30 action will determine the 2014 track titles for the ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models, DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks and the Praxair Figure 8’s. Race time is 7 p.m.