FAIR JR. ROLLS TO JOY FAIR MEMORIAL 100 WIN AT FLAT ROCK
FAIR JR. ROLLS TO JOY FAIR MEMORIAL 100 WIN AT FLAT ROCK
Flat Rock, MI—May 25, 2019: Veteran Harold Fair Jr. traded in his usual hard-charging style, saving his car and tires for the end, as Fair grabbed the victory in the Varsity Automotive Group Joy Fair Memorial 100 Saturday night at Flat Rock Speedway for the ARCA Late Model Gold Cup Series. The race saw just 2 yellow flags and was completed in 29 minutes.
Debbie DeLong, Joy’s daughter, represented the Fair family and together with Joy’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, presented Harold Fair Jr. (no relation) the Gold Cup in the Monroe Asphalt Winner’s Circle. Joy Fair was a 10-time Flat Rock Late Model champion, the winningest driver at the track and one of the nation’s top short track racers. Joy passed away several years ago at the age of 81
A strong storm, packed with wind and rain, pelted the track just minutes before practice was to begin. The storm was gone within 30 minutes, the sun came out and the track was dried, setting up a nice evening. Racing began 45 minutes later than the scheduled 7 p.m. start. A Racers Reunion also took place Saturday.
The 20 car field, which was also a point race for the track’s Moran Chevrolet Late Models, saw Grand Rapids, MI driver Mike Root set the Moran Chevy fast time at 11:743. Fair Jr. and Justin Schroeder led the field to green, with Fair darting into the lead. Harold quickly built up a lead, but Steve Needles reeled in the leader and took the point on lap 32. The duo battled back and forth for a few laps until Needles began to build an edge over Fair Jr. Harold abandoned his usual style, saved his car, and started to creep back into contention. With the last yellow at lap 34, the field stretched out a bit. Craig Everage began to make his move to the front and got to 3rd by lap 56. Schroeder, who stayed in contention for better than half the race, began to fade and dropped out on lap 73. Fair, who now was within striking distance of Needles, took the lead back on lap 80, while Everage moved to second on lap 84. The man on the move was Justin Claucherty, who started 19th, got to 11th in 32 laps and closed in on the lead group, but ran out of laps. Fair Jr. took his second Fair Memorial win, with Everage second, Needles third, Paul Pelletier fourth and Claucherty fifth, followed by Brian Bergakker, Frank Jiovani, Jeff Vrsek, Kyle Crump and Dennis Strickland.
Cayden Lapcevich, Eric Lee, Root, Hayden Sprague, Chris Benson, Steve Cronenwett Jr., Tommy O’Leary IV, Stan Yee Jr., Schroeder and Jeff Metdepennigen completed the finishing order. Gold Cup Series sponsors include Royal Truck and Trailer, Moran Chevrolet, DTS Drive Train Specialists, Dani’s Transport, Innovative Fluids and Francis Engineering.
Rob Randa scored the victory in the 25 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A Main feature, topping Greg Studt, Guy Fire, Nick Shanks and Rob Moore. David Liaeff, Scott Selmi, Jeff Luttermoser, Arnold Kirsch and Caleb Barron completed the top ten. Randa led every lap of the event. Selmi worked hard in the outside groove for nearly 10 laps and slid back after a strong bid to move up through the field.
Kyle Worley captured the 15 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock B Main, followed by Trevor Farmer, L.J. Farmer, Ian Jezylo, Rich Abel and Taylor Papineau.
It was “Retro” Night for the Street Stocks, as the preliminary events of dashes and pursuits were on the race card. Studt took the A Main 4 car dash, while Trevor Farmer won the B Main dash. The pursuits took the place of the heat races, and the drivers put on an entertaining pair of events. Alan Kennedy held off Landon Schuster and Caleb Barron for a win, while Rob Moore used the high groove to grab the other pursuit over Nick Shanks and Randa. Selmi set fast time for the 26 car field at 13:348, with L.J. Farmer leading the B field at 14:291.
Saturday, June 1 will be “Retro” Night for the ARCA Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Figure 8 division, with practice, qualifying, dash and heats on the oval. Feature time will see the class battle on the famed Flat Rock Figure 8 track! The ARCA Moran Chevrolet Late Models and the DTS Drive Train Specialists will also be in action on UAW Local 3000 Night.
The pit gate opens at 3, the front gates, ticket office and practice has a start time of 4:30, with show time at 7 p.m.