Flat Rock Speedway

Flat Rock, MI—June 11, 2022:  A jam-packed Flat Rock Speedway crowd saw great racing action and entertainment in a fun-filled, energy-charged Saturday evening for the Dunwell Dry Goods School Bus Figure 8 race.  Jack Franzil was the bus winner, while Harold Fair Jr., Greg Studt, Kevin Stepinski and old pro Dennis Whisman also visiting the Monroe Asphalt Winner’s Circle. 

The crowd was energized the entire night, race after race.  While Franzil topped Chris Benson in the School Bus Figure 8 finale’, Benson was the star of the show, going over on his side twice as the crowd roared.  Each time, Chris’ bus was flipped back over and he restarted the engine and joined back in the fray!  Benson also delivered a crunching hit to Dennis Whisman Jr. at the intersection in between his rollovers, damaging both buses extensively.  Benson was the only other bus running at the finish. As the race wound down, AJ Padgett got tagged and flipped his bus in the backstraight as he got slammed in the intersection, giving the crowd more energy, if that was possible!  Whisman Jr., birthday boy Terry Smith, Kyle Worley and Rob Moore Sr. were next in line at the checkered flag.

Bus sponsors were Dunwell Dry Goods, Tom’s Collision of Flat Rock, Tire Shop-Flat Rock, A & M Transmissions of Flat Rock, Budget Tire of Brownstown and Lincoln Park, CNV Enterprises and Ventcon.

The ARCA Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Models were in action with their 50 lap feature on the fast ¼ mile paved oval.  Fast qualifier Paul Pelletier (11:791) rolled snake eyes for the inversion, putting Dennis Strickland and Pelletier on the front row.  Strickland grabbed the lead on the start in the extremely competitive field, as just .012 separated the top 8 qualifiers.  Harold Fair Jr, making his first start at Flat Rock this season, jumped to the outside lane and grabbed the lead, held it through several restarts and held back Eric Lee in the final 5 laps to score the win.  Strickland was third, Justin Schroeder fourth and Stan Yee Jr. fifth, followed by Conner Zbozien, George Rangel, Dennis Rederstorf, Joshua Spindleman and James Pankow.  Pelletier dropped out of the event with mechanical issues.  Zbozien and Spindleman took the heat race wins, with rookie Spindleman claiming his first Flat Rock checkered flag.

A race-long battle for the lead provided more excitement as Eugene Worden led the field to the green flag for the 20 lap ARCA R & M Recycling Figure 8 feature.  Worden, looking for his first feature win, withstood the charge of 4 different drivers who took turns running second, chasing Eugene for the lead.  Brice Thomsen applied the early pressure until Dennis Whisman took his shot at the leader.  Billy Earley worked his way from 6^th spot as the laps clicked off.  Finally, Greg Studt dipped low and got by Earley for second with 2 laps to go.  As the pack hustled into turn 2 of the Figure 8 track, Worden slipped and looped his car as Studt sailed by and on to the win.  Earley zipped home in second spot, Whisman Jr. was third, Jeremy Vanderhoof fourth and Thomsen was fifth. Robbie Loving, Jakob Lee, Dennis Whisman Jr., Dave Lambert, Worden and Stephanie Bradley rounded out the feature finish.  Earley set quick time at 20:875.  Studt and Bradley took heat race wins.

Whisman Sr. came out of retirement for Saturday’s event and won the Flag Pole race after the lead duo of Dave Lambert and Worden locked bumpers.  Whisman snuck by on his way to the win over Stepinski, Whisman Jr., Kyle Worley, Lambert, Thomsen, Worden and Paul Martell.

Stepinski steered his machine and boat to victory in the Boat Figure 8 race, topping Lambert, Martell and Whisman Sr.

Flat Rock Speedway will host a Super Late Model double-header next Saturday, June 18 as the VanDoorn Racing Development 200 takes place.  Late Model fans will see both the stock-bodied ARCA/CRA Super Series/Jeg’s All Star Tour and the track’s ARCA Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Models in separate feature events.  The CRA contest is a 125 event and is combining the 2 CRA groups (different engine requirements) into 1 division.  The Outlaw-bodied cars will compete in a 75 lap feature.  The Vault ARCA Factory Stock division is also on the schedule.

Flat Rock and its sister track, Toledo Speedway, are the only tracks at this time that have scheduled both types of Super Late Models on the same race card.

There is no advance ticket sale.  All tickets go on sale at 3:30 p.m. on race day at the track.  The front gates and practice also begin at 3:30, followed by qualifying.  Race time is 7 p.m.

The first look at entry lists for both groups and more information will be posted Tuesday afternoon at www.flatrockspeedway.com.  Go to the right margin and click on the race date.