Flat Rock Speedway

(Flat Rock, MI—August 30, 2014):  Despite the weather forecast of rain, Flat Rock Speedway never saw a drop, allowing the Heritage Newspapers Season Championship Night to be completed.  Steve Cronenwett Jr., Jeremy Miller, Rob Moore and Rich Abel locked down their respective 2014 track titles, while Paul Pelletier, Robbie Loving, Corey Duane and Lonnie York captured the final point race main events Saturday night and visited the 7-Up Winner’s Circle.

The ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model 50 lap championship race saw 25 cars take the green flag.  Paul Pelletier grabbed the lead from fellow front row starter Justin Schroeder on the start, but a lap 1 yellow set up the double-file restart, giving Schroeder a chance to grab the lead.  Justin did so and set sail up until a lap 37 caution bunched the field again, erasing a good lead for the Justin.  As the field came back to green, Justin slowed with a tire going down, scattering the field as they avoided the slowing #4.  When the race got back to green again, Pelletier was able to snare the lead as now Derek Wiley applied the pressure on the outside lane.  Paul stayed out front and motored to his second win of the season.  Steve Cronenwett Jr. picked up 2 spots in the late stages of the race, determined to grab his first Late Model title.  Steve did so, finishing second to Pelletier and grabbing the 2014 championship in the process.  Wiley was third in the 50 lap event, Frank Jiovani fourth and Scott Pemberton fifth, followed by Stan Yee Jr., Michael Simko, Craig Everage, Jeff Plumb and Dennis Strickland.  Schroeder set fast time at 11:617.  Pemberton, rookie Grant Hedges and Lori Hall took the heat race wins. 

The track’s ARCA Praxair Figure 8 25 lap championship event took several twists and turns for Jeremy Miller and Billy Earley, who were 1-2 in the hunt for the title.  Veteran Parker Wade grabbed the lead on the green as the 12 car inversion kept the action hot in the early stages.  Miller, the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts fast qualifier (21:007), cruised along and stayed mid-pack, but on lap 8 his engine went up in smoke, setting up a little drama for Earley, who had spun, recovered, and began a great charge to the top five.  Robbie Loving took the lead from Wade on lap 3 and set sail, but Jeremy Vanderhoof was on the fly, moving up from 11^th to second and began to whittle away at Loving’s lead.  Vanderhoof’s night ended on lap 18, as his car came to a halt with mechanical woes. Robbie now had his comfortable lead back and sailed away to the victory.  Dennis Whisman finished second at the stripe, Greg Studt was third, Earley got to fourth spot and Dan Apperson was fifth.  Scott Apperson, Chris Cox, Wade, Ethen Lambert and Howard Kelley Jr. completed the top 10 in the 17 car field.  Miller had enough of a cushion over Earley and claimed the 2014 track championship by 15 markers, giving Jeremy his 2^nd Flat Rock title.  Kelley Jr. captured his first Figure 8 heat win, while Earley and Loving took the other heat race wins.

20 plus years of racing at Flat Rock Speedway was Rob Moore’s racing resume, until Saturday night.  Moore battled with Corey Duane for the final weeks of the season for the ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock championship, and Saturday that battle resumed.  Duane, last year’s Rookie of the Year, capped off his season with his 5^th win in the 30 lap championship battle.  Second was Rob Moore, and that finish gave Rob the 2014 track title belt over Corey.  Duane zipped to the Saturday night feature win by a comfortable margin over Rob, with Greg Studt charging up to third at the finish.  Guy Fire was fourth and Rich Frantz, in his final Flat Rock race, took fifth place.  Tim Moore, Scott Selmi, Clyde McKee, Landon Schuster and Kyle Worley were next in line at the checkered flag. 

Lonnie York topped Don Roberts in the 20 lap DTS Street Stock B Main final event.  Jeffrey Kurzyniec, Rich Abel, Justin Rodriguez and Bobby Jackson trailed the top 2 at the stripe. Abel captured his 3^rd B Main title of his career with his efforts Saturday night.

Duane set the Fastime Racing Engine and Parts quick time at 13:564 for the 23 car field, while Abel led the B cars at 14:336.  Fire, Kevin Stepinski, Pete Shrake and York took the heat race wins.

Saturday, September 6 is the date for the School Bus Figure 8 races at Flat Rock Speedway.  The final 2 races at Flat Rock have a special 6 p.m. start time!  The Figure 8’s and Street Stocks will have some fun, with no qualifying—heat race lineups will be determined by a draw and the feature race is set by the heat finishes.  A Flag Pole race, the Road Rage race, a wild Boat Figure 8 contest and, of course, the School Bus Figure 8’s will highlight the evening of family fun and entertainment!

Tickets are now on sale at the track office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.  Phone orders are being accepted by calling 734-782-2480.  Most major credit cards are accepted.  The advance ticket sale and phone sales end at 5 p.m. Friday.  Tickets will then go back on sale at 3:30 p.m. at the track on race day.  Practice begins at 4:30 and racing starts at 6 p.m.