RECAP: Big Moments Under the Lights at JAC LED Autograph Night
RECAP: Big Moments Under the Lights at JAC LED Autograph Night
The heat was on at Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night, with JAC LED Autograph Night as a big show on the quarter mile in Metro Detroit. Outlaw Super Late Model, Street Stock, and Figure 8 action gave winners new and old, with first time winners and new records being broken on a wild night of racing under the JAC LED lights.
Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Models
Heat Winners: Hayden Sprague and Dennis Riedersdorf
Note: In the second heat race, Riedersdorf took victory by only a few inches over Rob Randa in a great feature event.
The Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Models division returned in full force at Flat Rock Saturday night with a 50-lap feature on the Level Pebble. RJ Cornett would get out to an early jump over a gaggle of Chris Benson, Conner Zbozien, Paul Pelletier and others. In this clean-and-green feature, Cornett would hold tight over a number of challenges for the first half of the race. By lap 22, Pelletier would get past Chris Benson, moving him into third place and right on the doorstep of the rookie of Cornett and Zbozien.
Lapped traffic would work well in the way of Conner Zbozien in his orange #45, and he would move into the lead over the rookie of RJ Cornett. Cornett would quickly be passed by Pelletier as well in the #44.
Paul Pelletier would make an impressive pass on lap 43 and take the lead over Zbozien, a lead that he would hold for the last 7 laps and until the checkered flag.
Conner Zbozien would come in second place over Justin Schroeder, with Hayden Sprague and polesitter RJ Cornett finishing out the top five. Stan Yee Jr, points leader Chris Benson, Rob Randa, Derrick Sheppard and Joshua Spindelman would finish out the top ten.
This is Pelletier’s 23rd career late model victory at Flat Rock, moving him into a tie for 8th all-time on the feature wins list with Bill Steinhilber.
DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks A-Main
Heat Winners: Douglas Litigot, Brandon Randa, David Fisher, Chuck Pankow
Brian Norton shocked the garage on Saturday with his all-time record 52nd win at Flat Rock Speedway on Saturday night.
Norton would start on pole in this 25-lap feature race after the roll of the dice inversion.
This race proved to be an instant classic and the action came instant as well, with a flurry of cautions starting on lap 3. The first caution would involve a number of contenders including fast qualifier Johnny Rangel in the 45 just before a second caution on lap 5 involving the #25 of Lonnie York.
On the restart, Norton would hold on the inside over Douglas Litigot in the #71 and 50-lap feature winner Jeff Metdepenningen after the restart. Metdepenningen would get past Litigot, and take a grasp on second place.
By the halfway point of the race, it became a battle between Flat Rock Speedway veterans Norton and Jeff Metdepenningen.
The shower of cautions would return on lap 16, as one caution would lead to another on lap 17.
On the lap 17 restart, Landon Schuster would shoot past Jeff Metdepenningen on the inside and take second place, before Gary Cronenwett would also shoot past and take second place to develop an intense finish.
In the end, the efforts from the pack wouldn’t be enough, as Brian Norton would take his first win in a number of years at Flat Rock Speedway.
In an emotional victory lane, Norton would ecstatically say to announcer Rich Frantz “I’m gonna cry, this is so cool”.
Gary Cronenwett would come in second, followed by Rob Moore Jr, Jeff Metdepenningen, and Kenyon Knight rounding out the top five. Landon Schuster would finish in sixth ahead of Jeremy Vanderhoof, Douglas Litogot, Evan Batkins, and Caleb Barron finishing out the top ten.
DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks B-Main
Insane racing captured the B-Main, as Justin Peterman in the white #37 car would power through on the outside with just three laps to go to take the victory in the 15-lap DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock B-Main at Flat Rock Speedway.
This is Peterman’s first EVER victory in a feature race at Flat Rock Speedway, and he celebrated in Monroe Asphalt Winners Circle in jubilation for his team.
Ian Jezylo in the #00 would come home second, followed by defending race winner Chuck Pankow - all three of Justin Peterman, Jezylo, and Pankow would take turns leading laps in the course of this feature. Coming home fourth would be Joshua Miller in the #37M, and Rich Abel in the #50 would finish fifth.
The DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks division will return in full force next weekend as a part of R&M Recycling Kids Night!
Kids to age 12 FREE, and get a FREE hot dog! Click below for more information on this big night of racing.
R&M Recycling Kids Night! Kids to age 12 FREE, get FREE hot dog! Enduro 250, MCR Dwarf Cars-Steve Martin Memorial, Street Stocks. UAW Local 3000 Night
June 24, 2023 - 07:00 PM EDT
Flat Rock Speedway
R&M Recycling Figure 8
F8 Heat Winners: Jeremy Vanderhoof, Stephanie Bradley
Dennis Whisman Jr would get out to an early jump over Greg Studt in the R&M Recycing Figure 8 20-lap feature, but he would be kept honest by Studt in the #33 who hounded the rear of the #2 car.
He would make his first move on lap 5, pulling to the inside of the 2 car to try a move which proved unsuccessful.
The two drivers would race nose-to-tail for some number of laps from flag to flag in this green feature, and eventually Dennis Whisman Jr would hold on for a big victory at Flat Rock.
Study came home second, followed by Jeremy Vanderhoof, Jakob Lee, and Travis Earley rounding out the top five. Eugene Worden and Brice Thomsen came home in sixth and seventh, followed by Rich Lee, Stephanie Bradley, and Joel Markin rounding out the top ten.
Up Next
Coming up next Saturday, we’ll have Kids Night action at Flat Rock Speedway! For the first time in the 2023 season, the Midwest Classic Racers Dwarf Cars will be in action featuring ARCA Menards Series driver Matt Kemp, who returns to Flat Rock Speedway after sweeping the season at Flat Rock last year.
Safety-Kleen Enduro 250 action will return to Flat Rock for the second time this season, as Brad Turner looks to repeat as winner in a big 250-lap feature next Saturday night.
In the DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock division, a competitive field of cars will be back on another exciting night of action!
Kids to age 12 FREE, and get a FREE hot dog! Click below for more information on this big night of racing.
R&M Recycling Kids Night! Kids to age 12 FREE, get FREE hot dog! Enduro 250, MCR Dwarf Cars-Steve Martin Memorial, Street Stocks. UAW Local 3000 Night
June 24, 2023 - 07:00 PM EDT
Flat Rock Speedway