Flat Rock Speedway

Flat Rock, MI—September 3, 2022:  The earliest sellout crowd ever at Flat Rock Speedway packed the Joy Fair Grandstand Saturday night for the CNV Enterprises School Bus Figure 8 races!  The race was a complete sellout by 4:15 p.m. in the afternoon, and the fans were treated to another action-packed night of entertainment, capped off with the School Bus Figure 8.  Dennis Whisman Jr. outlasted the field to win that event.

Plenty of fender-crunching, bone-jarring hits helped litter the Figure 8 track with debris for the School Bus Figure 8 race.  Sam Mills dropped his bus over on its side, much to the delight of the roaring crowd.  AJ Padgett had his bus up on 2 wheels several times, with the assistance of his fellow bus drivers, but that bus had a mind of its own as it would not go over!  Whisman Jr. applied a couple intersection hits and made it through to the checkered flag.  Eugene Worden, Padgett, Mills, Jack Franzil, Terry Smith and 2022 track Figure 8 champ Billy Earley steered the other buses.

Bus sponsors were CNV Enterprises, Big#1 Auto Sales, Martin’s Tire, Veterans Cleaning, Budget Tire, Tire Shop and Dunwell Dry Goods.

A wild Boat Figure 8 contest saw Whisman Jr. hold on for the win over fellow boat captains Dave Lambert, Kevin Stepinski, Kyle Metdepenningen and Hunter Padgett.

The DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks ran a 25-lap feature, with Greg Studt sliding under race leader Rob Randa with 4 laps to go to gain the victory.  Randa, 2022 track champ Jeremy Vanderhoof, Jeremy Cronenwett, Caleb Barron, Kenyon Knight, Rob Liedel, Lonnie York, Brandon Randa, Evan Batkins, George Burgess, Ian Jezylo, Ryan Smith, Troy Brehmer, Mike Miller, Rich Abel, Billy Jackson and Austin McKee were next in line at the finish.

Earley edged out Greg Studt in a great battle up front to win the 20 lap R & M Recycling Figure 8 feature race.  Whisman Jr., Travis Earley, Brice Thomsen, Worden and Dave Lambert trailed the lead duo in the final rundown.

Hometown driver Dale Buttrey picked a great night to win his first-ever feature, claiming top honors in the 20 lap ARCA The Vault Antiques and Treasures Factory Stock race.  Dale held back the challenges of several competitors to take his much-earned victory over Steve Smith, Matt Bunting, Randy Padgett Jr., and Brad Turner.  Hunter Padgett, James Rae, Tom LaFollette, Steve Riddle, Gabrielle Grigsby, Bryan Moore, Victor York and Logan Bunting completed the finishing order.

Tom Cronenwett won the Stock Car Flag Pole race, while Dave Lambert took the Figure 8 car Flag Pole event.  That duo went head to head in a 4-lap shootout, with Lambert grabbing the win.  Cronenwett topped Logan Bunting, Kevin Stepinski, Rich Abel, Kyle Metdepenningen, Ryan Smith and Bryan Moore in the Stock car version, while Lambert’s win came over Brice Thomsen, Eugene Worden and Whisman Jr.

Flat Rock Speedway’s final event of the year is the semi-annual Flat Rock Historical Society Flea Market Sunday, October 2 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Setup for vendors begins at midnight. A 20’ x 20’ space is $40, first-come, first-serve.  Admission is free.  NO pets are allowed on the grounds.

For additional information on the flea market, call 734-782-5220 or go to www.flatrockhistory.org.