Flat Rock Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio – May 23, 2014) – It’s hard to imagine a big show at Toledo or Flat Rock Speedway without Ron Allen in the line-up. Allen, himself, is beginning to contemplate the possibility of that very scenario.

“It’s getting harder and harder to do this,” Allen said while testing at Flat Rock Friday for Saturday’s Diamond Racing Products Joy Fair Memorial 100.

“I used to have a lot of help…a bunch of sponsors. Now this year we have Fastime Racing Engines, and we just picked up a new sponsor on the rear – The Detail Shop out of Wyandotte, both of them out of Wyandotte…so that helps, but it’s getting tougher to do out of my own pocket.”

Make no mistake about it – Allen wants to keep racing if he can.

“I still want to do it; I still have the drive to do it. The money’s becoming a big problem; if we don’t get some sponsors pretty soon…that’s why I’ve cut my schedule way back.”

Despite the sponsors that Allen used to have when times were better, Allen, in reality, has always done it the hard way…his way…mostly out his back pocket. That said, his level of success in the ARCA ranks is nothing short of amazing.

Allen, in fact, is third on the all-time ARCA-sanctioned win list with 125 career victories, including last Saturday at Toledo where the Brownstown, Michigan US Mail carrier by trade earned his 64th career Sportsman victory. Only Joy Fair and Bob Studt have more ARCA-sanctioned wins overall than Allen.

“Hopefully, we’ll catch Studt, but I don’t know. I won’t make it to Fair, but we’ll do it as long as we can.”

He’s already been doing it way longer than most…that would be in five different decades.

“I did one race in 1979…three in 1980…then full seasons from 1981 on.”

Allen has earned nine ARCA championships overall – two titles in the Street Stock division at Flat Rock and seven titles in the Sportsman division at Toledo. To break down his career wins, he’s got 64 Sportsman wins at Toledo, 43 Street Stock wins at Flat Rock and 18 Outlaw Late Model wins between Toledo and Flat Rock.

Four-time Outlaw Late Model champion Eric Lee also tested Friday alongside third-generation ARCA racer Steve Cronenwett, Jr., the 2006 Flat Rock Street Stock champion. Cronenwett also scored a big win in the Discount Tire ARCA Glass City Gold Cup Series at Spartan Speedway in 2013.

The pit gates for Saturday’s Joy Fair Memorial 100 open at 1:30, with practice at 3 followed by qualifying and racing beginning at 7. The front gate and ticket office opens at 3. 

Parking is FREE on the track grounds. Flat Rock Speedway is located on Telegraph Road, just 5 minutes from I-75 or I-275. The track phone number is 734-782-2480. Log onto www.flatrockspeedway.com for further information, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toledoflatrock or follow us on Twitter @flatrockspeed.

@DonRadebaugh
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com
ARCAracing.com