Flat Rock Speedway

This is going to be a long article as I try and catch up on the 2015 season so far. I like hearing from all the drivers/teams from Flat Rock and Toledo. Just drop me a note at my email or send me a message through Facebook.

So far the season is starting out very competitive. There has been 10 features and no repeat winners... Street Stocks: Tim Moore, Arnold Kirsch, Kyle Worley and Landon Schuster; Figure 8s: Greg Studt, Jeremy Vanderhoof, Billy Earley and Robbie Loving; and Super Lates: Steve Cronenwett, Paul Pelletier.

Opening night, April 28:

Defending SLM champion, Stevie Cronenwett started the season out with a win, "It was great to be able to start off 2015 where we ended 2014. We made a lot of changes to the chassis and suspension during the off season. It was awesome to have good results. I can't thank my sponsors enough. Giles Auto Body, Henry is a great partner and friend. He has dedicated so much time and money into the program and that's the type of support it takes to have the results that we aim for. Roush Competition Engines has come back again along with our new sponsors Sunny Media Group, Varsity Ford, and my wife has Rodan + Fields Consulting on the car. They all are great and I'm very excited to work with all of them.

I'd like to thank my spotter Dan. He was great opening night and we have had good results in the past. Hopefully he can make a few more races. It helps a lot when you can trust your spotter.

All the crew guys. They make this team great. They never complain no matter what tasks are given to them.

My fans are awesome! I have a big support group that comes weekly. They are sometimes more passionate then I am. I enjoy it when I'm on the track during practice and notice some of them (Larry and Cindy) already in the stands.

My Dad is so important to our success. He is the back bone of our team. I can't thank him enough for what he does not only me but for everyone on the team. Samething goes for my Mom she is very supportive and would back me no matter what.

Most importantly I have to thank my beautiful Wife Samantha and my sons Austin and Brody. They give up a lot for me to be able to race. I can't appreciate what they do for me enough! My wife is amazing. I don't know how she does it but she manages to get two 2 year old boys to the track every race and keeps them occupied enough during those late race nights to watch their daddy. She is incredible."

Tim Moore won the Street Stock feature opening night. "I just want to thank my crew for the hard work on the car the last week trying to get the car done for opening day. That yesterday morning to think I might not make it to actually winning the race was unreal, 'specially with the group of top running cars out there. So just want to thank you guys for helping me get this win. Takes a whole crew to win races. Also have to thank my sponsors Kevin Fischer Northend Scrap, A-lot Sealcoat, Downriver Hydro, DTS Drive Train, Dow Engines, Bayou Bar and Grill, Downriver Coney Island, Yost Collision (Christine Micallef-Smith), Fastime Racing for all the help."

Greg Studt, won the Figure 8 feature opening night. "What a great way to start the season! Fast time and a feature win, The car was a rocket! Huge thanks to my Dad for all his hard work and dedication also to our new sponsors Henry Giles and Giles Auto Body, Ken Ahlgren and Apollo Broach and Budget Tire for their help this season!!!"

Week 2: May 2

Arnold Kirsch won his first Street Stock Feature in 20 years. "That might've been my best drive ever! This is such a tough division, everyone's so close. It's been a long time since I've won a feature, back in 1994 was the last time I won. But I have enjoyed every race in those 21 years ... lots of times finished in the top 5, but I can say this for sure. Winners usually never quit and quitters usually never win. The real story is how did I hang in there for over 20 years between feature wins. And what was the best it was not a gimme win, I out drove 'em!"

Jeremy Vanderhoof won the Figure 8 race.

Week 3, May 16

Kyle Worley won the Street Stock feature tonight: "I would like to thank Total Flow Cylinder Heads for the great set of heads I got on my motor now to help me win. It was a tough one to win with all the good drivers out there. I would like to also thank the Moores (Rob and Tim) and (Scott) Selmi for all their help so far this year. My sponsors are Budget Tire, Island Winery, Total Flow Cylinder Heads and Bolt on Speed Shop."

Billy Earley won the Figure 8 race.

Week 4

Paul Pelletier won the late model feature, "Thanks to my sponsors Fraza Forklifts, Duanes Roadrunners, Dustys Collision, ABC Plumbing and Drain, Dart Machine, Bluewater Air Compressor, Exotic Automation & Supply. And everyone at Limelight Motorsports it wouldn't be possible to be here without all of them."

Street Stocks... Landon Schuster kept the 4 races 4 faces streak going. "I would like to thank all of my sponsors this year, UAW Local 50, Georgia Cable and Boring, Complete Refrigeration, Josephs Beverage Center, D&S Boring, and Rocky's Body Shop! We spent a lot of time this winter on the car going over everything and got a lot of help from Mike and Paul Young. They along with my dad have really helped getting this year started off good. I have some great people around me and that's why we are where we are. I also want to thank my wife for letting me work so many hours on the car and supporting it. I also want to thank my mom for being in the stands every week being a huge support! My brand new baby girl was at the track for the win and after having her, my world is amazing! I'm glad that she was there for it!"

Scott Selmi was the fast qualifier this week. He was the fourth different fast time qualifier this year joining Rob Moore, Nick Shanks, Steve Cronenwett Sr.

Congrats to Robbie Loving who won the Figure 8s. I'll try next week to get everyone's sponsors.

This year there's a large group of young racers. Figure 8's have a group of 14 and 15 year-olds. The Street Stocks, 14 year-old driver is Ray Morneau Jr. Ray started racing at age seven and has won three Micro Sprint championships. The car he's racing was formerly driven by Chris Herbert's car. Last year Ray raced in Legend cars. The two races I've seen him race he started towards the rear of the feature and finished 11th and 10th. On opening night he finished eighth aboard his "Xpress Group, Hallmark Memorial, Highland Tool, Rivard Snowplowing, George Newman Jr Graphics, Double R Reworks. None of this would be possible without the help of all my sponsors and every one helping out.

From the race on May 23: "We had a good week,car was working good all day qualified 10 out of 25 started eighth in the heat finished third and had to start at the back of the feature and ended up 10 of 20. Thanks to all my sponsors and crew Xpress Group, Hallmark Memorial, Highland Tool, Rivard Snowplowing, George Newman Jr Graphics, Double R Reworks. Also to all the other drivers for racing clean and having a great time."

Every week Ray has started last in the feature and finished eighth, 10th, 11th and 13th.

Another rookie in the Street Stocks is Benn Finch. Benn comes to us from dirt racing (Bombers) at Oakshade. I got to talk to him after his heat, and he had fun racing on the asphalt. He had a nice lead in the B Feature (the first of the season) unfortunately he was over a half second below his qualifying time and was black flagged.

Jeffrey Kurzyniec " I had a very interesting start to the 2015 season last Saturday.... made it to the track late so only got one practice session before qualifying where we qualified 23 out of 25, one second off last season's pace. Right before the heat race I  as getting in line there was a loud pop in the rear end that ended up being the trailing arm bracket broke and spun so didn't get out to run the heat race. After searching all of the pit area for a welder, finally found by the guy who beat me for the championship last season, Rich Abel. Enduro driver Jacob Thomas went to work on welding up the bracket and got it fixed before the feature started. I started the feature in third was running in the same position when a red flag flew on lap four for a wreck on fire in Adam Jezylo's car. The race restarted and we ran side by side with the leader (James Pankow). I overdrove the car with three laps left and the leader got out in front. I had one more chance with a couple laps left, and got outside of the leader. I came up 0.048 seconds behind the leader. Special thanks to Jacob Thomas, Joseph Uphaus, Ron & Nick Frantz and my sponsors Parkway Promotions & J&G Mac Tools."

This year we have a bumper crop of Super Late Model rookies. Guy Fire, Corey Duane Tadek Stadniczuk, Bryan Richards ran five races in 2014, so he's still eligible, Paul Lofthouse and Clarity Newhouse. Craig Everage isn't considered a rookie but it's his first full season at Flat Rock and Brian Redersdorf is planning on running the full season (and I'm not sure if he's a rookie too, but I know he's never raced a full season at Flat Rock).

Clarity Newhouse is doing something very unusual, other than being a gal running in the Late Model division. Before the first race of the season, she never raced anything and that's what truly unusual, starting your racing career in the Supers. Here's her bio.

 April 25th wasn’t just the first super late model race for Clarity Newhouse, it was her first race ever of any kind. When asked how it all got started, Clarity points to a Rusty Wallace Racing Experience at MIS on October 18, 2014.

 “I did well and had such a great time that I went home that day and posted on Facebook, ‘Aspiring race car driver seeks sponsor, car and race to enter.’ Of course I was just kidding since at that point it hadn’t occurred to me that a women approaching forty could really start racing.”

 People who say Clarity’s Facebook post did take her seriously and that’s how she first met 2014 Flat Rock Speedway Outlaw Late Model Champion Steve Cronenwett Jr. “When Steve started asking me questions about my interest in racing, it was great because he wasn’t even the slightest bit condescending or skeptical,” said Clarity. “He was completely serious and encouraging from day one. When Steve asked me, ‘is this something you really want to do,’ at that moment I realized the answer was absolutely yes.

 Now that Clarity had a coach and a plan to start racing at Flat Rock Speedway in April, there was a lot of work to do. First of all she didn’t have a race car. Steve’s father had a super late model he was willing to sell, so the three of them met and decided to team up and rebuild the car for Clarity. “Working with the Cronenwetts is a great,” said Clarity. “‘If you’re going to do it, do it right’ is a philosophy we share and I love being part of the team.”

 It’s also a philosophy shared by Clarity’s sponsors, Quick Lane of Plymouth at Blackwell Ford and JD Racing Indoor Karting in Novi who enthusiastically stepped up when they heard Clarity’s plans. Both companies are clients of Sunny Media Group, the advertising agency Clarity owns, so they already know the high level of commitment Clarity brings to her work.

 At home, no one in Clarity’s family or her husband Dana’s, had any experience racing so this was entirely new territory for them. “It was quite a surprise when I came home and told Dana what I wanted to do. Fortunately he is very supportive and after he got over the initial shock, Dana enthusiastically joined in.”

 Dana and many others have asked Clarity why she’s racing. “I’ve always enjoyed doing things that aren’t expected of me,” said Clarity. “Throughout my life I’ve become accustomed to starting from an underdog position, so I’m comfortable with that and there’s a certain satisfaction in achieving the unexpected. Today there aren’t a lot of women in motorsport and I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams.”

 As a child, Clarity spent most of her growing up years in rural Montana were electricity and indoor plumbing were luxuries, and horses where a regular form of transportation. The only person who doesn’t seem surprised about Clarity’s entry into motorsport is her mother Pearl, who recalls Clarity racing bareback as fast as her horse could go across the countryside, long before Clarity was old enough to drive a car. “The way she handled that horse, I’m not a bit surprised she can handle a race car,” said Pearl.

  Clarity is dedicating her 2014 season at Flat Rock Speedway to the women of the United States Marine Corps. She will be donating 100% of her winnings from each feature race to the Women Marines Association (www.womenmarines.org).

 “When I decided to drive a race car somebody told me I must be really brave and tough. There are many brave, tough women and when I think of the bravest and the toughest, I think of the Marines. I’m grateful for their service to our country and humbled to race in their honor.”

 You’ll find more about Clarity, her team and race schedule at www.ClarityNewhouse.com and you can follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ClarityNewouseRacing. On Clarity’s website you can also learn about the Race Car Mobile Science Lab sponsored by Quick Lane of Plymouth, JD Racing Indoor Karting and Sunny Media Group, that Clarity created for schools to help inspire young girls to consider careers in automotive and engineering related fields.

Thanks everyone that send me messages to put in the article. If you would like to get your sponsors mentioned, send me a couple lines on how your night was and I'll put you in my 'mailbag' section. My email is icechips@hotmail.com or you can find me on Facebook (please send me a message).