Flat Rock Speedway

TOLEDO, Ohio (March 29, 2016) – Several key announcements came out of ARCA’s 2016 Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways press conference Tuesday afternoon at Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio, including the big news that the American Sports Network (ASN) has entered into a multi-year agreement with the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. In all, ASN will broadcast nine ARCA events in 2016, including five live broadcasts. For more, see the complete story on the ASN-ARCA partnership at arcaracing.com. 

ARCA Racing Series veteran driver John Wes Townley and his Athenian Motorsports team manager Terry Cook also made guest appearances. Cook, who spots for Townley, grew up in the Toledo suburb of Sylvania, Ohio and won late model track championships at Flat Rock Speedway before moving onto the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series where he won six times. Cook would not rule out the possibility of one day returning to the cockpit. 

“A race car driver never retires so I’m leaving the door open and from what I understand there could be an opportunity. Maybe I could come back and run the Glass City 200 one day. In my driving career the Glass City 200 didn’t exist. I watched my dad race it for years and Ron (Drager) and the group at ARCA has brought it back. But I never got a chance to race the Glass City 200 and I always wanted to. There might be an opening so I might be looking for a ride as the summer goes on; you never know.” 

Cook’s attention quickly turned back to the Athenian Motorsports team. 

“My focus now is with Athenian Motorsports and helping this team get to victory lane; that’s what matters most right now.” 

It didn’t take long for Cook to help Townley get to victory lane, winning the season-opening Lucas Oil ARCA 200 at Daytona, Townley’s second ARCA win at Daytona. 

“I would say that the first one was really special,” Townley said. “It’s kind of hard to top that one. The second was special too…anytime you get a win at Daytona it’s an exciting win.” 

Townley, running the full Camping World Truck Series tour, some select Xfinity Series races and most of the ARCA schedule, is looking forward to returning to his ARCA roots. 

“It’s just so much fun to come back and run ARCA. It’s relatively stress-free. I’m really looking forward to running Toledo. It’s an interesting little track…a fun track. Both ends are different so the place really keeps you on your toes.” 

Townley also referenced his spotter Terry Cook. 

“Terry is excellent. If it hadn’t been for Terry there are probably a lot of things that wouldn’t have worked and as a result we probably wouldn’t have done as well.” 

Townley also said he doesn’t get as nervous as he used to. 

“I guess I get a little nervous, but I mean not as much as I used to. I used to get butterflies in my stomach before a race…I would say now I just get more focused than anything else. Once the green flag drops, the adrenaline kicks in and it all kind of goes away.” 

Cook recalled his local racing roots at Flat Rock. 

“Running ARCA at the local level helped a lot.” Cook said. “You know my first win in the Truck series was at Flemington Speedway…Flemington, New Jersey. I never would have won that day had I not raced at Flat Rock Speedway because at Flat Rock in the super late model you use no brakes and you drove with the throttle and that day there when I got to Flemington I was like, ‘Well that’s just a big Flat Rock.’ And we went on to win that first race that day, but it was my experience that I learned at the local tracks that propelled me to have the success in the Truck Series.” 

More Press Conference Announcements 

Toledo Speedway 

Federated Car Care will return as the presenting sponsor of the Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway for the 16^th consecutive year Sunday May 22, the first race scheduled for live airing on ASN. The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care will be the 75^th ARCA race at Toledo since 1963. It was also announced that Destination Toledo, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, will sponsor Pole Qualifying Day on Saturday, May 21. The ARCA Truck Series and the Aramark Sportsman division will join the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo. 

Toledo Speedway, in its 57^th consecutive season, opens with the 7-UP 200 featuring the ARCA/CRA Super Series and the ARCA Royal Truck-Trailer Gold Cup Series. 

Other special events at Toledo include the Rollie Beale Classic/Hemelgarn Super Fitness USAC Silver Crown 100 lap race and non-wing sprint cars Saturday, April 30; the All American Coach, Hemelgarn, Super Fitness Fastest Short Track Show in the World Friday, June 10, featuring the first-ever Glass City Nationals for the MSA Super Modifieds and the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints; and the King of the Wing Sprint Car Shootout and Top Speed Modifieds Friday, June 24. 

Two Nights of Destruction events return to Toledo in 2016, which include School Bus Figure-8s. 

Three ARCA Royal Truck-Trailer Gold Cup Series events are on the Toledo schedule in ’16 including the Miller Lite 100 August 13. The Midwest Monster Trucks are also returning in ’16, Friday, June 17. The season will conclude with the 28^th running of the Glass City 200 September 17. For more on the Toledo schedule, visit ToledoSpeedway.com. 

Flat Rock Speedway 

Flat Rock Speedway opens its 64^th consecutive season Saturday, April 30 with its regular card of Outlaw Late Models, Street Stocks and Figure-8s. 

Special Events at Flat Rock in ’16 include two Gold Cup Late Model events, the Diamond Racing Products Joy Fair Memorial June 25, the Moran Chevrolet Stan Yee Memorial July 23, School Bus Figure-8s and the second annual Michigan Beer Mile October 22. 

New at Flat Rock for 2016 is the Monroe County Brew Fest September 24 in partnership with Monroe News, featuring craft beers, food, music and more. For more on the Flat Rock schedule, visit FlatRockSpeedway.com. 

The new General Manager of BCSN Marc Jaromin also announced a full slate of BCSN televised events at both Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.