Flat Rock Speedway

FLAT ROCK, MI (6-14-2008)-- They arrived late, but they arrived! A huge crowd piled into Flat Rock Speedway for the Marco’s Pizza School Bus Figure 8 races on a beautiful Saturday evening. SPEED Channel’s Ray Dunlap was victorious in the Bus event, while Levi Rouster, Eric Huston and Ray McClure also posted victories. The SPEED Channel crew of Phil Parsons, Krista Voda and Adam Alexander were on hand to greet the fans and cheer on Dunlap and Rick Allen, who took a run in a Factory Stock.

The Figure 8 bus race started off with what the fans wanted—a rollover! Toledo bus champ Jack Franzil got pounded and went over on his side on lap 1, with oil pouring out of his machine. Jack emerged on top of the bus amid the wild cheers. Dunlap took the lead and held on despite several heavy hits by the field. And, to top things off, the Gaddis boys, father Ray and his son, Danny, had fireworks and flames shooting off the top of their buses! Ray Gaddis followed Dunlap to the stripe, with Dennis Whisman, Robbie Loving, Jeff Kurzyniec, Kevin Rapley, Danny Gaddis and Franzil rounding out the field. The Gaddis duo won a pair of exciting heat races for the buses.

Defending Toledo Factory Stock champ Eric Huston picked up the lead on lap 8 on his way to the win in the 25 lap ARCA Factory Stock feature race. The division, which competes weekly at Toledo, made the trip to Flat Rock for the event. Brian Moore led the first 5 laps until fast qualifier Dave Arnold Jr. took control. Arnold’s lead was short-lived, as he dropped out with mechanical woes on lap 7. That gave Eric the point and he held on for the win over a fast-closing Cory McCaughey, Landon Schuster, Matt Ringger, Jesse Carillo, Tom LaFollette, Brian Ringger, Kent Jones, Amanda Bland and Mike Hassen. SPEED’s Rick Allen competed in the class and finished in the 11^th spot, in addition to winning his heat race. Rick also dropped the green flag for the bus feature contest. Arnold’s fast lap for the class was 13:999. Hassen took the other heat race win, while Huston won the 4 car dash.

Levi Rouster led every lap, but had plenty of company in the form of Chance Rice as Levi scored the win in the 30 lap Michigan Legends Car feature event of the evening. The race ran without a yellow for 27 laps until Brian Nuckles had an engine let go, bringing out the caution. This gave Rice one last shot at Rouster, but Levi held on for the win over Rice, Jerry Warden, Rick Kilbourn, Brandon Mahoney, Chris Perry, Kenton Taylor, Tony Monge, Jack Lehman and Matt Todd. Nuckles, Kilbourn and Warden captured the heat race wins. A pair of very competitive Australian pursuit races were contested, with Rouster and Perry taking those checkered flags.

Ray McClure notched his first win of the season in the 20 lap ARCA David’s Jewelry 4 Cylinder feature race. Matt Brazeau led the first 6 laps until McClure found daylight and ran to the lead and the win in the non-stop event. Steve Perkins, Brazeau, Jack Baruth, Jimmy Little, Michael Marlow, Dennis Helsel, Jennifer Cronce and Brad Turner completed the field in that order for the main event. McClure’s fast time was 15:366. Turner took the heat win.

Next Saturday, June 21 is the date for the biggest payout of the year and the longest race of the season for the ARCA Late Models at Flat Rock Speedway. The Moran Chevrolet 150-Stan Yee Memorial will take place, and a field of close to 30 cars is expected. The race pays $2533 to win, with all starting spots ending in 33 in honor of Yee, who passed away in May. Stan was a car owner for over 40 years with ARCA, and his son, Stan Jr., is a weekly competitor at Flat Rock. The Yee family and friends are making the race very special, with $333 to the Fast Qualifier, $333 to lead lap 33 and also lap 133. The Figure 8’s and Street Stocks will also return to action June 21. Race time is 7 p.m.

Ticket stubs from the bus race of June 14 will be worth a $5 discount for the June 21 race.