Flat Rock Speedway

Flat Rock, MI—June 8, 2019: Mother Nature took a break from the wet spring the area has seen Saturday night, setting up a beautiful evening for the Lakeshore Utility Trailer School Bus Figure 8 show. Stock car racing was mixed in with the buses, the Boat Figure 8 and a Flag Pole race. Chris Benson was the winner of the School Bus Figure 8 contest, while Justin Schroeder and Billy Earley captured the Stock Car feature races. All winners visited the Monroe Asphalt Winner’s Circle.

NASCAR driver Garrett Smithley spent over 2 hours visiting the fans and signing autographs Saturday night. Garrett was in town to compete at Michigan International Speedway.

The School Bus Figure 8 show was its usual wild, hard-hitting version of entertainment. Jack Franzil, Kyle Worley and Sam Mills all went over on their sides as the crowd roared. Late Model driver Chris Benson delivered a big hit early, then was able to motor to the win over Terry Smith, AJ Padgett, Mills, Dennis Whisman (who also dished out a big hit), Worley and Franzil. Sponsors for the school buses were Tom’s Collision, Central Avenue Truck Parts, Veteran’s Cleaning, Accurate Fabrication, ServAll, Lakeshore Utility Trailer and Budget Tire.

The Moran Chevrolet ARCA Late Models hit the track for their 50 lap feature event, with Steve Cronenwett Jr. taking the lead at the green flag. Steve held the point, but former track champ Justin Schroeder forged ahead on a restart and sailed to the victory, his first of the season. Another restart with 5 laps to go allowed Paul Pelletier to nose under Steve to grab second spot at the finish, with Cronenwett Jr. third, rookie Hayden Sprague recorded his career-best finish with a fourth and Frank Jiovani was fifth, followed by Jeff Vrsek, Craig Everage, Stan Yee Jr., rookie Connor Zbozien and Dennis Rederstorf. A lap 45 incident saw Everage and Eric Lee tangle in turn 2. Dennis Strickland dipped low to avoid the accident, but got clipped and sent into the wall backward. The race was stopped to remove his car. Dennis was ok. Vrsek posted the Moran Chevrolet fast time at 11:801, with heat race wins to Pelletier and Rederstorf.

Defending track champ Billy Earley grabbed the early lead, then set a quick pace and avoided intersection near-wrecks and traffic the entire 20 laps to win the exciting ARCA Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Figure 8 feature event. Greg Studt, in his first Figure 8 contest of the season, took second, third-generation driver Jacob Lee was third, Jeremy Vanderhoof fourth and Dennis Whisman Jr. fifth, followed by Ethen Lambert, John Lambert, James Vanderhoof, Joe Vanderhoof, Dave Lambert, Dennis Whisman Sr. and Stephanie Bradley. The division went “Retro” for their preliminary events and ran the oval track, with just the Figure 8 feature on the Figure 8 course, which was the setup for the class from the 1960’s to the 90’s. Studt won the 4 car dash, while Lee took the heat race. Several drivers had very limited to no oval track experience, which made for some fun action. Studt set fast time at 13:446.

Dave Lambert won the Boat Figure 8 race over Dennis Whisman Sr., John Lambert, Mike Miller and Kevin Stepinski.   John Lambert lost his boat but had the trailer attached, so he made sure to thrill the fans by slamming the trailer into a pair of boats that fell off their trailers! Whisman Sr. topped his son Dennis Jr. to grab the Flag Pole contest. Jeremy Vanderhoof, Stepinski, Lee, Dave Lambert, Miller, John Lambert and Ethen Lambert completed the finishing order.

Joel Smith was the lone Bandolero on hand Saturday night and took some laps as the fans gave the Temperance, MI 9 year-old a standing ovation as he zipped around the track. Joel has 2 wins at Flat Rock this season as the track attempts to grow the class, working with Corrigan Oil Speedway (Spartan) near Lansing

A rare double-header weekend will take place next Saturday and Sunday, June 15-16 at Flat Rock Speedway. Saturday, June 15 former NASCAR star Ken Schrader will compete in the Vore’s Compact Touring Series, a group that will be making their first-ever appearance at the track. The highlight of the night will be the Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Michigan Figure 8 championship, as the ARCA Figure 8 division goes 40 laps on the Figure 8 course. The ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks will also be in action. Race time is 7 p.m.

Fans can bring their ticket stubs from the June 8 School Bus race and receive a $5 discount for the Saturday, June 15 show.

A Father’s Day special event is set for Sunday afternoon, June 16. The Motor City 200 will feature the CRA Jeg’s Late Models in a 100 lap contest, which is their initial event at Flat Rock. The ICAR All Star Modified Series will also hit the track for a 75 lap contest, while the MCR Dwarf Cars go 25 laps. Sunday’s event is being promoted by Motor City Racing Promotions. The pits open at 10, practice begins at Noon, time trials at 2 and racing at 3 p.m. This event was postponed by rain back on April 28.