Flat Rock Speedway

   Paul Pelletier won the Outlaw Late Model feature, his first since June 6, 2018. Tonight’s win is his 22nd win of his career and ties him for ninth on the all-time list with Rick Knowles. “I don’t even know what to say. It wasn’t from lack of effort for sure. Parts breaking or missing numbers and everything else. We’ve just had a lot of bad luck lately, but a lot of hard work the last month and no results. It was a relief to finally figure out the car. Thanks, to the fans for coming back, gather your family, friends and come back down next week or all summer matter fact. Justin (Schroeder) has been on his game last few years, obviously fun racing him. We had battled over the years and bumped and tagged and then everything else. So that was good battle.”

   Justin Schroeder finished second, his third finish of first or second this season. “Good rebound after a bad run at the Joy Fair Memorial, but still have some work to do. Thanks to my sponsors, Kabot Orthodontics, Maybee Water Hauling, and JMS Transport and crew, my dad, Bryan, Austin, and Race.”

   Hayden Sprague finished third in his JK Logics and Matrix Transportation, his third top three in a row. “I felt we had a fast car on Saturday, qualified fifth and won the heat race. Got up to second in the feature and started having some handling problems, getting the car to turn center-off. After the race we discovered our right rear tire was going flat. Grateful we were able to finish third for another solid points night.”

   Scott Pemberton was the fast qualifier tonight, the first time he’s done this at Flat Rock. “We’ve tried three times to come to practice, twice we rented the track and it rained and the practice for the Joy Fair 100 was also rained out. So, everything seems to be coming in baby steps, getting the car to handle this year.” Scott’s sponsors are A-1 Auto Parts and Mann/Pat Reilly Trucking.

   Chris Benson finished seventh his best finish since opening night 2019 when he was sixth.

   Conner Zbozien “Missed my high school graduation to go to my race yesterday. Struggled all day to get the handling of the car down but with the help of Harold Fair Jr. We were able to get the car to the best it’s ever been for our race to be ended short by one of our water pump belts failing and taking out both belts, so I was forced to retire seven laps into the race.

   Eric Lee broke a trailing arm, Steve Hawes a tie rod and some front-end damage after tangling with another car, rookie Austin Thiel parked his car with mechanical woes and Dennis Strickland was back after missing the last three LM races, but his car emitted a poof of smoke, and his day was done.

   Frank Jiovani “We had a decent weekend, scoring our third Top 5 of the year. The team had to thrash all day to get the car closer to our liking battling a tight condition. The high temps made it challenging for the crews as well as the fans in the stands. Thanks to all who came out to support!” said the driver of the Moran Chevrolet, Painters Supply and Equipment Co, 4th Street Auto Care, McQuade Heating and Cooling Plumbing and Refrigeration, JV Auto Repair & Francis Engineering #45.

   The late models are the only division at Flat Rock that have had different winners each week in 2020. Did you know that in 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2010 and 2009, the division also had at least five different winners to start the season. The longest streak during this time was in 2016 where there were eight different drivers winning the feature, add to that the three at the end of 2015, the streak was 11 drivers. In 2019, the total streak was six, counting the last race in 2018; 2009 the streak was eight counting three at the end of 2007.

   The average finish for the drivers who have raced all five races this season Justin Schroeder has the best, 3.8. The remaining drivers running all races this year are Hayden Sprague, 4.8; Eric Lee and Steve Cronenwett Jr, 6.2; Conner Zbozien, 6.8; Stan Yee Jr, 8.2; Frank Jiovani, 8.6, Scott Pemberton, 9.4; Paul Pelletier, 9.8; Chris Benson, 10.0; and Derrick Sheppard 14.2.

   Max Fair “I thought I had it (the wreck) cleared and then they just came back up and got me, but I don't think they got anything important. The car still ran good, and we were able to get it done. Something might’ve been dragging, but it didn't matter, it was still fast enough to win, so it's all that matters. I’d like to thank my sponsors Fair Racing Development and Royal Truck and Trailer, my great grandpa, grandpa, dad, mom, my sister and crew.”

   Greg Stilwell, who won the first two races of the season at Toledo, finished second, his best finish at Flat Rock. His previous best finish was fifth (five times).

   Fourth place went to Andy Harding. “It was my best finish at Flat Rock. We have been racing since 2007 and I believe it is just my third or fourth top-5 finish (the others being at Toledo Speedway). We weren’t having the best run, but I was able to avoid the big wreck and hang on for those last five laps after that restart. No sponsors but looking for some. I want to thank my mom and dad, sisters and wife and kids for the years of support and Josh for helping in the pits. And also, the Youngs for their help.”

   Todd Perkins “The Flat Rock race was a good one for us, won a heat race, finished sixth in feature because of a big melee. But thank you to all my sponsors Fish Market, Finished Line Car and Truck, 1 Stop Speed Shop. Paul Young and Mike Young, Robert Mikolaczyk, and Brandon Benner for giving me a great car!” It was his first heat win in the sportsman division and best finish at Flat Rock.

   Robert Meiring finished seventh surpassing his previous best finish of ninth.

   Jakob Lee won his second career feature, the other win was July 13, 2019. “Started first and tried to hold them off and keep it up for the win. I want to thank Affordable Transmissions, my crew and family.”

…Eugene Worden won his first points paying heat on retro week, he won his first points paying one on the Figure 8 track this week.

   Jeremy Vanderhoof and his cousin Joe made their first appearance of the season. Jeremy finished fourth in the feature and Joe dropped out finished 10th.

   For the first time this season, all three Lamberts have been on the track at the same time. This year two of the three have raced on a given night. Tonight, dad Dave, and sons Ethen and John took to the track. Ethen won his second heat of the season. They didn’t all quite finish all together in the feature. Ethen was sixth, Dave eighth, and John ninth.

                                                   STREET STOCK 100 PREVIEW

• The 2021 race is the 16th time the Street Stock A division has ran a 100-lap feature
• There have been 103 different drivers to compete in the 100-lappers
• Rob Moore is the only driver to compete in all of them with an average finish of 8.9 and his best finish in the race is second
• Kyle Worley has competed in 12 and Arnold Kirsch, Clyde McKee, Scott Selmi, and Tim Moore in 11 that round out the drivers with the most starts
• Greg Studt has the best average finish of the currently active drivers.
• There have been 11 different winners: Greg Studt, 3 wins; Chad Guinn and Dan Ford Jr, 2 wins; Jeff Metdepenningen, Ray Morneau Jr, Tadek Stadniczuk, Tim Moore, Randy DeMaggio, Ron Allen, Clyde McKee and Steve Cronenwett Jr all win one win.
• Studt has won every other year since 2015. Last year, based on the trends, 2020 should’ve been the year he didn’t win, but with no race last year … well, we’ll have to wait and see.
• For the B division drivers, oddly there has been one more driver race in their feature, 104
• Rich Abel has competed 14 of the 15 B division features, winning two of them in 2017 and 2014, with an average finish of 7.3
• Lonnie York has competed in 9, Chris Diovardi and James Pankow both started 8, Ian Jezylo and Troy Brehmer started 6.
• Just like the A division, the B division has had 11 different winners: Rich Abel, Troy Brehmer, James Pankow and Lonnie York have two wins each; James Rae, Ian Jezylo, Darrell Krause, Jim Selmi, Dave Stadniczuk, Michael Kieffer, Jason Burkhardt.
• There even was a C division race for the first three years, Ian Jezylo, Troy Brehmer and HJ Helzer won those races.

    If you missed any of the racing you can find it here: www.youtube.com/c/MikeMiller28. If you’d like to see some in-car videos (and pictures) stop by PhotosByKuyoth’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/photosbykuyoth

   I love hearing from the team and drivers, and I appreciate everyone that have sent me their Facebook page or website so I can get your race updates for the article. If I missed your sponsors this week, send me a note through Facebook Messenger www.facebook.com/icechips or icechips@hotmail.com. I will add them to my next column.