PANKOW SCORES 1ST A MAIN WIN AT FLAT ROCK

PANKOW SCORES 1ST A MAIN WIN AT FLAT ROCK

Flat Rock, MI—May 8, 2021:  Second-generation driver James Pankow scored a huge win, leading every lap on his way to his first career A Main win in the 25 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock feature Saturday afternoon at Flat Rock Speedway.  Steve Cronenwett Jr. notched his first win in 5 years, winning the ARCA Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Model race, while Caleb Barron (Street Stock B Main) and Billy Earley (ARCA Figure 8) also took feature wins.

Pankow led the field to the green flag for the 25 lap A Main and withstood challenges from both Greg Studt and Jeff Metdepenningen.  That duo traded lanes several times, with each driver trying the top groove while James held the point.  Pankow stayed in command the entire distance to grab the big victory.  Metdepenningen held second spot, Studt was third, David Liaeff fourth and Gary Cronenwett fifth, followed by Clarity Patton, Nick Shanks, Max Fair, rookie Lance Lipasek and Landon Schuster.

Caleb Barron topped rookie Robert Stewart, Brice Thomsen, Mike Miller and Rich Abel to win the 15 lap Street Stock B Main.  Liaeff set fast time for the 25-car field at 13:191.  Stewart led the B cars with a lap of 14:152.  Heat race winners were Studt, Shanks, Lonnie York and Stewart.

The Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Model field is quite tough through the first 2 weeks of the season.  With 14 cars in the 11 second bracket, the field has displayed very competitive racing throughout the pack.  The 11-car inversion put Paul Pelletier and Claude Plante Jr. on the front row.  Pelletier darted out front on the start, as the battle began.  Cronenwett followed Paul’s tire tracks lap after lap, while Harold Fair Jr. was on the move in the outside lane.  On lap 27, Cronenwett jumped to the high groove and took control of the race.  The pack continued great racing, swapping spots and lanes among 5 to 6 cars the entire 50 lap distance.  Conner Zbozien nosed under Pelletier to take second in the late stages but could not catch Cronenwett as he picked up the win in record-setting fashion of 10 minutes and 20 seconds for the all-green flag 50 lap run.  Pelletier held on for third, Fair Jr. was fourth and Justin Schroeder fifth.  Eric Lee, Frank Jiovani, Stan Yee Jr., Hayden Sprague and Jeff Vrsek completed the top ten.  Zbozien and Chris Benson took heat wins.  Jiovani set quick time at 11:598.

Former track champ Billy Earley made his first trip to Flat Rock and scored the win in the 20 lap ARCA Figure 8 feature race.  Dennis Whisman Jr., last week’s winner, led the event for 7 laps while Earley stayed glued to his bumper.  Billy nosed by Dennis on lap 8 and held back Whisman and Jakob Lee for the victory.  Ethen Lambert was fourth and Tom O’Leary IV fifth, followed by Dave Lambert, Stephanie Bradley, Eugene Worden, Race Loving and David Katafiaz.  There was no qualifying as a break in the Figure 8 scoring loop gave the drivers a random draw for heat race setup and the finish with an inversion setting the feature field.  Earley and Lee took heat wins.

Cronenwett Jr. ($150), Pankow and Earley ($100) and Barron ($25) collected the Innovative Fluids, LLC bonus, which is being paid to the feature winners for each weekly event for the 2021 season.  Cronenwett will also receive a $200 Penske Shocks certificate, while fifth place Schroeder gets a $100 Penske Shock award, which will also be presented for each Outlaw Super Late Model race at Flat Rock this season.  Whisman Jr. took the $50 Sunoco random draw bonus home.  Zbozien was the $50 Moran Chevrolet Hard Charger Award winner.

Flat Rock Speedway roars back into action next Saturday, May 15.  It’s Kids Day!  All kids to age 12 will be admitted free and receive a free hot dog and a soft drink or water, courtesy of Pepsi and Schwebel’s Bakery.  Parents can get the kids tickets at the ticket window on race day.  The box office and front gates open at 2, with racing at 4 p.m.  There is no advance ticket sale for this event.

The Vault Enduro 250 lap race hits the track for the first of their 4 events of 2021, with the ARCA Figure 8’s going Retro!  A 4-car dash and pursuit race on the oval will take place for the class. The ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks will also be in action.  The Bandoleros will make their first appearance of the season for the May 15 Kids Day.

 

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