Flat Rock Speedway

Flat Rock, MI—August 12, 2017: THIEL NOTCHES GOLD CUP WIN; JIOVANI GOLD CUP CHAMP: If you did not make it to Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night, you definitely missed one of the top nights of competition and excitement this season. Scott Hantz powered by Brian Campbell in the final 5 laps and took the checkered flag in the 125 lap ARCA/CRA Super Series powered by Jegs stock-bodied Late Model race, but failed a post-race inspection, making Campbell the winner.

In another barn-burner, Jimmy Thiel was the victor in the 75 lap ARCA Super 6 Gold Cup Series event for the outlaw-bodied Late Models, and a strong run by Frankie Jiovani secured the 2017 Gold Cup championship for the driver of the #45.

The pair of Late Model feature races that made up the Level Pebble 200 Saturday night was the first time in the history of the track that 2 types of Late Models competed on the same race card

Billy Earley made it 2 in a row as he took the win in the ARCA Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Figure 8 20 lap feature to end the great night of action.

There were 5 different leaders credited with leading at least a lap in the ARCA/CRA 125 lap event, but you can add another dozen lead changes within laps as a great battle heated up after the half-way mark of the race. 4-time Flat Rock Late Model champ Eric Lee took the number 1 spot on the green flag and built up about a 10-car lead in the early stages. Hunter Jack and Campbell were door to door for the first 35 laps battling for second, while Harold Fair Jr., Hantz and later Johnny VanDoorn were locked into their own race for 4^th spot. The first yellow came out on lap 63 when Logan Runyon spun, setting up more great racing up front. At lap 74, Campbell snuck under Lee and grabbed the top spot, but Hantz, the fast qualifier of the night, was on the move and took over the lead on lap 81. About 6 laps later, Campbell dipped low and took back control of the race, but there was constant pressure as Canadian rookie Raphael Lessard took the point on lap 94. His lead, however, was short-lived as Hantz zipped by and grabbed back the top spot.

Fair Jr., who debuted a new car, started out strong, but fell back off the pace. Harold took advantage of several caution flags and darted down pit road for adjustments, and they proved to be the right ones as he entered into the battle for the lead. Campbell and Hantz kept changing the 1-2 positions in the final 25 laps, and a yellow with 5 to go set the stage. Hantz, in the high groove, got the bite he needed and nosed out front and stayed there to take the checkered flag. The post-race inspection failure moved up Campbell to the win, per CRA formats and procedures. Fair Jr. was second, Lessard third, Chase Purdy fourth and Flat Rock regular Jimmy Thiel, subbing for Hayden Sprague in his #41, was fifth. Jack, Runyon, Kyle Crump (who was 2^nd with 30 to go), Wes Griffith Jr., Lee, VanDoorn and Tom O’Leary IV were next in the finishing order. Current Flat Rock Late Model point leader Justin Schroeder, in Larry Varney’s #16, scratched from the event with mechanical woes.

There were 4 leaders in the Level Pebble 75 for the ARCA Super 6 Gold Cup outlaw-bodied Late Model feature, and, again, great side by side racing and battles for the lead entertained the crowd. The 11-car inversion for the Moran Chevrolet Late Models put Dennis Strickland and Rob Randa on the front row. Strickland charged into the lead at the start and held the point for 15 laps. Andy Bozell went to the top lane and took over the point on lap 16 and ran very strong out front as Moran Chevy fast qualifier Justin Schroeder (11:801) and Thiel began their move to the front of the 19 car field. By lap 40, Bozell now had company and on lap 52, Schroeder, who made a great move to get by Thiel, took the lead. Thiel stormed right back on the next lap, as he darted up high in front of Justin to get by a lapped car to grab the lead. Bozell was still in the hunt as the lead trio began to pull away. Jiovani, who got shuffled back from 6^th to 12^th on a restart, was on a tear as Frankie made up a bunch of ground on the leaders. The race changed drastically on lap 61 when Stan Yee Jr. slowed dramatically down the backchute right in front of Thiel and Schroeder. Thiel took the right front fender off his car trying to miss the #33, while Justin went to the top side and ran out of room, tagging the turn 3 wall and ending his great run.

The re-start put Bozell in the high groove along-side Thiel, and now Jiovani became a player for the win. Thiel, however, was determined to stay out front. Jiovani nosed under Bozell and took second and closed in on the bumper of Thiel as the duo took the checkered flag, giving Thiel his second Gold Cup victory of the year in the 6-race series. Jiovani was crowned the Gold Cup champ. Bozell was third, Strickland fourth and Steve Cronenwett Jr. fifth, with Corey Duane, Phil Bozell, Yee Jr., Paul Pelletier and Joe Hawes completing the top ten. Dave Stehouwer, Tom O’Leary IV, Derrick Sheppard, Schroeder, Randa, Dan Trosen Jr., Jeff Plumb, Scott Pemberton and Steve Hawes were next in line. Chris Benson was scratched with engine trouble.

Current point leader Billy Earley took the lead on the green flag and sailed in and out of lapped traffic, including a close call at the intersection with 2 laps to go to take win number 3 and his second in a row in the 20 lap ARCA Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Figure 8 feature. Dennis Whisman snuck by his son, Dennis Jr., to take second, fourth was Dan Apperson and Jeremy Miller was fifth, followed by Gary Cronenwett, Eugene Worden, Joseph Vanderhoof, Travis Earley and Ethen Lambert. Randy Roberts, Dave Lambert, John Lambert, Scott Apperson, Stephanie Bradley and Les Syring competed the running order.

Whisman Jr.’s lap of 21:064 gave him the Fastiime Racing Engines and Parts Quick Time Award. Cronenwett and Scott Apperson took the heat race wins.

Championships for 2017 begin next Saturday night, August 19 when the Motor City Battery Season Championship races for the ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models and the ARCA Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Figure 8 division are held. The ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks will compete in a full race card, with their championship set for August 26.

Practice begins at 4, time trials are at 5:30 and show time is 7 p.m. August 19. All tickets will go on sale race day at 4 p.m. There is no advance sale for this event.