Flat Rock Speedway

Flat Rock, Michigan-August 29, 2015:  With rain surrounding the track for pretty much the entire afternoon and evening, Flat Rock Speedway’s race teams and track staff pulled off an action-packed, complete show Saturday night.  At stake were the Heritage Newspapers Season Championships and 3 hotly-contested battles for the track titles.  An incredible effort by all parties saw the entire night of racing completed in just 2 hours and 20 minutes.  Justin Schroeder (Moran Chevrolet Late Models), Billy Earley (Praxair Figure 8), Landon Schuster and Jeffrey Kurzyniec (DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A & B) were crowned the 2015 Flat Rock Speedway champions.

Feature race winners were Steve Cronenwett Jr., Jeremy Vanderhoof, Greg Studt and Jeff Luttermoser.  Snap-On Tools presented cordless impact wrenches to the 5^th and 9^th place finishers in the Late Model and Street Stock features.  Jeff Abner of Snap-On Tools awarded Jeff Vrsek, Dennis Strickland, Schuster and Kyle Worley with the impact sets. 

The 21 car ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature saw a 7-car inversion, putting Paul Pelletier and Derek Wiley on the front row.  Pelletier took charge on the start, and fast qualifier Craig Everage (11:686) was on the fly immediately, moving to second spot in just 4 laps.  On lap 7, Everage closed quickly on the leader and the duo tangled, bringing out the yellow flag.  Both drivers went to the tail of the field, putting Eric Lee on the point.  Lee sped off on the restart, with Steve Cronenwett Jr., Stan Yee Jr. and Justin Schroeder in tow.  Cronenwett began to work the outside lane around Lee for the lead, and that pair went three wide with a lapped car on the bottom.  Both drivers stood on the gas and at lap 36, Steve Jr. grabbed the lead from Eric.  Schroeder, with a comfortable point margin over Steve in the season standings, got by Yee and Lee in the closing stages and applied a bit of pressure to Cronenwett.  Steve was up to the task as the defending champion picked up his 3^rd win of the year.  Schroeder’s 2^nd place run capped off a great season as he notched his first-ever track championship.  Lee was third in the 50 lap contest, Yee Jr. fourth and Jeff Vrsek fifth, followed by Jimmy Thiel, Jeff Plumb, Everage, Strickland and Wiley.  Pelletier, Plumb and Strickland took the heat race wins.

Only 5 points separated leader Billy Earley and Robbie Loving going into the night’s Praxair Figure 8 events.  After qualifying and the heat races, the drivers were tied going into the 25 lap feature race.  While Jeremy Vanderhoof took control at the green and zipped to his 3^rd victory of the year, Earley and Loving put on one of the best battles in Figure 8 racing the entire distance.  Loving got to second in the first 2 laps, and Earley was not letting Robbie out of sight.  The pair proceeded to run side by side, back and forth, with Earley nosing out front going into turn 2 of the Figure 8 track, only to have Loving get back by going into turns 3 and 4.  And the race went that way lap after lap, giving fans just an unbelievable show.  With 2 laps to go, Billy nosed out front at the stripe.  Loving stood on the throttle and again the pair were door to door.  Heading to the white flag, Earley was able to get the edge and held on for second spot, with Loving third.  That finish gave Billy a 5 point edge and his second Flat Rock Speedway Figure 8 crown.  Fourth spot in the feature went to defending track champ Jeremy Miller, while Greg Studt came home fifth.  Dennis Whisman, Parker Wade, Scott Apperson, Race Loving, Randy Roberts, Dennis Whisman Jr. and David Katafiasz completed the finishing order.  Vanderhoof and Whisman Sr. grabbed the heat wins.  Earley set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts quick time at 21:006.

When a track gets a championship battle to go to the last race with just 5 points separation, that’s exciting.  Flat Rock Speedway had TWO titles with that scenario going into Saturday night.  Landon Schuster’s 5 point edge over Scott Selmi lasted until after the heat races, as this duo went into the feature also tied.  James Hazlett, who just returned to action several weeks ago, took the lead at the green flag and sailed along out front.  Craig Lange, Nick Shanks and Greg Studt were in the hunt for the win in the 30 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Championship contest.  Studt jumped up to the high side and began to gain ground on the leader and on lap 26, took over the top spot from Hazlett. 

The yellow appeared with just 3 to go, bunching the field.  Studt pulled away on the re-start as he zipped to his win, the second in a row, coming off the heels of his 100 lap victory just 1 week ago.  The battle for position continued every lap for spots 4 through 9, as Shuster stayed in the top five. Selmi worked his way within a couple of spots of Landon as the race wore on, as a very competitive battle among several cars kept the outcome in doubt.  Studt took the win over Hazlett, Lange and Rob Moore.  Schuster was fifth and Selmi sped home sixth, giving Landon his first Flat Rock title over Scott by just 5 markers. Tim Moore, Nick Shanks, Kyle Worley and Guy Fire completed the top ten in the 20 car field.

Another first-time champion was crowned as Jeffrey Kurzyniec had already clinched the title heading into the final point race of the season.  Jeffrey is the 2015 Flat Rock DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock B Main King.  In the 15 lap finale’, Jeff Luttermoser held back the charge of James Pankow for the victory.  Kurzyniec was third and Wilburn Parks fourth.

Heat race winners for the Street Stocks were Lange, Fire, Kevin Stepinski and Luttermoser.  The Fastime Racing Engines and Parts Fast Time Award went to Tim Moore at 13:623 for the 24 car field.  Parks led the B main cars at 14:401.

2 Saturday nights of racing remain on the 2015 Flat Rock Speedway schedule.  Next Saturday, September 5 is the Dani’s Transport School Bus Figure 8 Night!  Race time for all September racing events is 6 p.m.

In addition to the School Bus Figure 8 race, fans will see the Street Stock and Figure 8’s in action, and more action with a Figure 8 Boat race, Road Rage Race and Flag Pole race.  Tickets are now on sale by calling the track at 734-782-2480 or at the track office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The pre-sale will end Friday night at 5.   Both reserved and general admission tickets may be purchased. 

Tickets will go back on sale at 3:30 p.m. race day.  The front gates will open at 4, practice begins at 4:30 and show time is 6 p.m.  The pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m.  A rain date of Saturday, September 12 has been established if needed for the School Buses and Boats.

The final show of the year is Saturday, September 12.  The Monroe News Enduro Championship race is on the schedule for 250 laps.  The Michigan Legends Cars and the Bandaleros will also be on the race card, which begins at 6 p.m.