Flat Rock Speedway

Flat Rock, MI—August 8, 2015:  Robbie Loving, Justin Schroeder and Tommy O’Leary IV were the winners on UAW Local 3000 Night Saturday at Flat Rock Speedway.  The NASH 93.1 Street team visited the track and greeted the fans as they entered the grounds.

Loving grabbed 2 victories, with the first coming in the make-up 20 lap ARCA Praxair Figure 8 contest from the July 25 race that was pushed back due to rain.  With the 13 car field fully inverted, rookie Jacob Lee led the field to green and stayed out front, while the pack battled and began to challenge Jacob for the lead.  Loving nosed by Lee on lap 16 on his way to the win.  Greg Studt charged hard from the back of the pack and got to second, but got crossed up with Dennis Whisman Jr. and both spun into the infield grass.  Billy Earley came home second at the finish, Lee was impressive with a third place run, Jeremy Miller fourth and Dennis Whisman fifth, followed by Parker Wade, Randy Roberts, Scott Apperson, David Katafiasz, Race Loving, Studt, Whisman Jr. and Stephanie Bradley.

In the regularly-scheduled 20 lap Praxair Figure 8 feature of the night, Parker Wade took control at the start of the race.  With Loving challenging for the lead, the pair touched, with Wade spinning and Robbie taking over the top spot.  Miller and Earley made it a 3 car battle for the win as the laps wound down and the trio finished 1-2-3 at the checkered flag, giving Robbie 2 wins on the night.  Dennis Whisman was fourth and Studt fifth.  Whisman Jr., Race Loving, Apperson, Roberts, Katafiasz, Lee, Wade and Bradley were next in line at the stripe.  Robbie also won his heat race, while Roberts grabbed a heat race win also.  Studt set the Fastime Racing Engines and Parts quick time at 21:030.

The 50 lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Model feature looked like a win for Jimmy Thiel at the drop of the green flag.  Thiel, at the wheel of Jeff Plumb’s #66, set fast time (11.802) for the 20 car field and pulled a 2 for the inversion.  Stan Yee Jr. led the first lap, and Thiel charged hard on the outside groove to grab the top spot on lap 2.  Jimmy cruised out front with a comfortable lead until the first yellow appeared at lap 26 when Jeff Vrsek’s car quit and came to a stop.  Another yellow came out on lap 31, bunching the field.  Frankie Jiovani had moved into second prior to the yellow and was on the outside lane coming to the double-file restart.  Thiel got sideways going into turn 1 and tagged Frankie, sending the #45 hard into the wall and catch fence, stopping the event.  Both drivers were ok and done for the night, with Jiovani’s car sustaining heavy damage. 

The re-start now saw Justin Schroeder and Yee on the front row.  Justin, who started 7^th, took control and zipped into the lead and held the point for the final 18 laps to grab the victory, adding a few points to his lead in his bid for his first title.  Yee took second, Paul Pelletier was third, Harold Fair Jr. fourth and Dennis Strickland fifth.  Craig Everage moved from 13^th to sixth at the finish, with Steve Cronenwett Jr., Corey Duane, Dennis Rederstorf and Derek Wiley completing the top ten.  Schroeder, Everage and Rederstorf took the heat race wins.

Tommy O’Leary IV piloted Howard Kelley’s #11 to his first-ever win in the ARCA Aramark Late Model Sportsman class, scoring the 50 lap feature victory Saturday night.  The division, which runs primarily at Toledo Speedway, made its second appearance of the season at Flat Rock.  Greg Stilwell took the field to the green and grabbed the lead at the start, holding the point for 10 laps.  A great pack of cars began closing in on Greg, as O’Leary, Ron Allen, Jim Froling and Mike Young ran in close formation, side by side.  On lap 11, Tommy slid up top and nosed quickly in front of Allen as the duo went by Stilwell for the lead.  O’Leary was strong out front the rest of the way and had enough to claim the big victory.  Allen was second, about a car length behind at the stripe, Froling was third, Young fourth and Greg Stilwell fifth.  Kenny McKay Jr., Brian Pelkey, Chad Stilwell, Andy Harding, Craig Osenbaugh, David Hinjosa, Dan Grigsby, Robbie Loving and Kyle Worley competed the finishing order.  Worley and Greg Stilwell took the heat wins.  Froling set fast time at 13:197.

NASCAR driver David Ragan will greet fans and sign autographs next Saturday, August 14 at Flat Rock Speedway as part of the 7-Up 125 for the ARCA/CRA Super Series powered by Jeg’s stock-bodied Late Model race.  The touring group will be making their annual appearance at Flat Rock and a solid field of cars and stars is expected for the 125 lap feature race.

Ragan is in the area for the NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) next weekend, and has visited Flat Rock several times during his career.  Ragan will arrive after his duties at MIS have concluded for the day.  Fans will have the opportunity to chat with David and get his autograph prior to the racing program.

The Praxair Figure 8’s and the DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks will also be in action.  The Street Stock event is the final tune-up for the class before their big Corrigan Race Fuels 100 lap contest the following Saturday, August 22.

The pit area opens at 1 p.m. for the CRA teams, while the Figure 8 and Street Stock teams will enter at 2:30.  Practice for the CRA machines begins at 3:30, time trials are at 5:30, an autograph session with the CRA drivers will take place at 6;30 and racing begins at 7 p.m. 

ALL tickets will go on sale at 3:30 p.m. at the track on race day.  There is no pre-sale.  Check out www.flatrockspeedway.com during the week for an updated entry list for the 7-Up 125.  The track is located on Telegraph Road, 5 minutes from I-75 or I-275.  The phone number is 734-782-2480.