Flat Rock Speedway

Since 1977, Flat Rock Speedway has featured 3 classes of race cars---Late Models, Figure 8’s and Street Stocks. For a track to have the same 3 divisions over that 40 year period speaks volumes. For a driver to win a track championship in each of these 3 is quite a statement, given the Figure 8 class is one of the three. Figure 8 racing is a totally different cat, unto its own.

For 40 years, no driver has ever accomplished this feat—until now. And the way it was accomplished is a story within itself. Second-generation driver Greg Studt, at the age of 37, put his name in the record books this year by winning the third title he needed—the ARCA Street Stock championship.

Greg’s father, Bob, is the winningest Figure 8 driver in the 64 year history of Flat Rock, a ¼ mile paved oval that has a Figure 8 course as part of the layout. His 115 feature wins and 12 track titles tops the list. And Bob also won the Street Stock championship in 1986. Several drivers have won Flat Rock titles in 2 divisions, but never in all 3 until this past season.

It was only natural that Greg began his racing career in the Figure 8 class. Actually, the younger Studt took a few rides in the Enduro races to kick start what was to become an unbelievable career behind the wheel. “I really never thought about driving until I began to work on my Dad’s cars,” said Greg. “I can remember being at the track when I was 7 or 8, sitting in the blue chairs behind the flagstand and kicking popcorn boxes around—Craig Lange (Street Stock driver) and I still laugh about that even today.”

“My first race was one of the Enduro races in 1995, just 3 weeks after my 16^th birthday. We ran 3 times that year and raced again in the class in 1996,” noted Studt, “but I also got to run 3 Figure 8 races that year.”

1997 would see Greg’s first full season of Figure 8 racing, and he quickly began his climb to the top, notching Rookie of the Year honors. “I had decided before I started being serious about racing that if I wasn’t good enough, then I wasn’t going to drive. So many things ran through my mind—running against my Dad, my Uncle Dave (Miller), my cousin Jeremy (Miller) and the rest of the drivers. The Figure 8 class was very, very tough at that time in terms of competition, and still is today,” said Studt. “I think it is much easier starting in the Figure 8 class and then moving to the oval.”

The year 2001 would see Greg capture his initial Figure 8 crown at Flat Rock, and he followed that up by repeating as the 2002 champ. In 2003, the opportunity to jump into a Street Stock ride came along, courtesy of long-time family friend and crew chief Bill Leach. “Bill was my mentor when I began Figure 8 racing. Bill coached me along while I raced as a teammate to my Dad. He was a huge influence on my racing.”

The plan was to continue pulling double duty on Saturday nights at “The Rock”-Figure 8 and Street Stocks. But in 2004, the shot to get behind the wheel of a Late Model presented itself. 2-time Flat Rock Late Model king Bill Steinhilber had teamed with car owner Jack Burnette for a number of years. As Bill began to get to the end of his career, he mentioned Greg’s name to Burnette as a potential candidate.

“Bill tested quite a bit at Flat Rock over the years and since I was working maintenance at the track during the week, I got to know him pretty well,” Greg said. “Jack wanted a young driver and wanted to do his own setups with the car. I happened to be over at his shop to pick up a work truck and ended up walking out with a Late Model ride. I was very excited, but I didn’t know if I was ready. The thought of racing a Late Model never crossed my mind.”

A solid 2004 season led to an incredible 2005 campaign for the Burnette-Studt Late Model team. At the wheel of the bright red #86, Greg accomplished the feat of winning the 2005 Flat Rock Late Model crown. And to top that, the duo raced at Toledo and ended up being the co-champ at the fast ½ mile paved oval, sharing honors with Dennis Strickland. Greg notched 2 Flat Rock feature wins in his Late Model career that ran through the 2008 season.

Racing at Toledo is “intimidating, to say the least,” exclaimed Studt. “I was blown away by the speed and the feeling behind the wheel.” Studt’s best run was a second place finish in a weekly 35 lap event. “I was thrilled with that, and while I have respect for anyone that races, racing at Toledo is a whole different ballgame.”

The wins continued for Greg as he competed in the Figure 8’s and the oval track “X” car class at Toledo after his Late Model days, along with a few races in a Street Stock. As time went on, the desire for a Street Stock title began to take shape. “I knew the history of the track and it took awhile to talk Dad into getting a Street Stock,” said Greg. “With the right car, I knew I might have a shot at a championship in the division.”

And Greg was right. The Street Stock class at Flat Rock is perhaps one of the most competitive weekly stock car classes in the Midwest, week in, week out. It was not easy by any means. Greg carved out 2 wins and in the process made history by winning the title and becoming the first-ever driver to win a championship in each of the 3 classes that have raced at Flat Rock in the last 40 years.

Greg was presented with a plaque by ARCA President and Flat Rock/Toledo owner and promoter Ron Drager to commemorate the historic accomplishment at the track’s annual awards banquet. His father, Bob, mother Sherry, sisters Tracy and Karen, Bill and Judy Leach and Late Model car owner Jack Burnette were among the throng of guests that honored Greg on the special evening.

Greg graciously thanked the people that helped him accomplish this remarkable task. He called his father, Bob, “my idol, my hero and my best friend.” Later, Greg said his father taught him to be steady, how to win championships—make the best of your bad nights, not your best nights.

And track championships are pretty commonplace for Greg-3 Flat Rock Figure 8 titles, 2 Toledo Figure 8 crowns, the Late Model championships in 2005 at both tracks and the over-all combined Late Model title, the combined Figure 8 point championships for the 2 tracks in 2001, the X Car belt in 2015 and now the Flat Rock Street Stock championship—11 in all.

What does it all mean to the kid that has been going to the track since his childhood, who cleaned the grandstands as a summertime job, watched his father become one of the winningest drivers ever at Flat Rock and now has his name etched in the record books with an accomplishment that may never be duplicated?

“I am truly, truly humbled by all of this,” Greg stated. “It is a great, great honor, but it does not make me close to being the best driver. Every class has a list of amazing drivers, but I feel that starting in the Figure 8’s had everything to do with my chance to drive in the other divisions. I might be the guy who had the best opportunities at the key time. I’ve never looked at myself as being the best driver in that class, just the best of that year that I won championships.”

“Flat Rock Speedway has been a big part of my life. I’ve been able to run against many of the guys I watched while growing up—I got to run with my Dad for 3 years in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and now he keeps my cars going—and I’m still intimidated by him,” Greg laughed. “I could not ask for anything more. And to be successful is over and above just being able to race every summer.”

“I don’t think this will really hit me until I’m done racing. I can’t imagine not racing. I’m very fortunate my Dad has the same passion for the sport—really, that’s the reverse. I’m glad he still has the passion, which keeps me on the track. I’ve been very, very blessed.”