ARCA race at Toledo Speedway highlights weekend action

9/2/2005

Beginning with tonight's Hantz Group 200 by Belle Tire at Toledo Speedway, many of the ARCA RE/MAX Series race teams will be humming "On the Road Again."

After tonight's race on Toledo's high-banked, half-mile asphalt oval, the race teams will head to Illinois. There, on Labor Day, they will race on the one-mile dirt track at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Then they will return home, freshen the car and leave for the 1.5-mile paved Chicagoland Speedway and the race there a week from tomorrow.

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Tonight's race marks the 58th appearance of the ARCA Series at Toledo Speedway. The impressive list of past winners includes Ken Schrader, Benny Parsons, Iggy Katona, Bob Strait, Jack Bowsher, Joe Fair, Bob Keselowski and Ramo Stott.

The racing action begins this afternoon with practice at 2 p.m. for the superspeedway-style stock cars. Pork Pole Qualifying is set for 5, with an on-track autograph session at 7:15. A performance by the University of Toledo marching band will be part of the pre-race festivities, which begin at 8:15. The race gets the green flag at 9. The rain date is tomorrow at noon.

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Defending Toledo race winner and six-time ARCA series champion Frank Kimmel of Clarksville, Ind., has eight victories at Toledo, more than any other driver in track history.

"A win at Toledo to me is just as special as a win at an intermediate track or a superspeedway," said Kimmel. "The very first place I ever raced at in an ARCA car was at Toledo Speedway, and it's where I won my first-ever ARCA race.

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The season-long point races in the late model and figure 8's came to a close at Toledo Speedway last Friday with co-champions in both divisions. Dennis Whisman and Dan Apperson were crowned co-champions of the Casite Figure 8 division, while Dennis Strickland and Greg Studt tied for the championship for the ARCA Allen Chevrolet-Cadillac/Budweiser Late Models.

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Sunday night, Fremont Speedway will hold the Burns Iron & Metal 305 Sprint Invitational. The race will offer one of the richest payoffs in the country for the 305 winged sprint cars.

"We have seen some very talented racers come out of this division," said Fremont Speedway promoter Jim Ford. "Heck, our current 410 sprint point leader, Mike Linder, started in this division.

"These teams work as hard as anyone to put on a great show each week and this Burns Iron & Metal Invite is our way to showcase their great talents."

Sharing the Sunday night race card at Fremont are trucks, limited late models and school buses.

The All Star sprints make their final appearance of the season at Fremont Speedway on Sept. 10 for a $5,000-to-win event.

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Tomorrow and Sunday will see two days of racing at Flat Rock Speedway. Tomorrow, it's the Casite Season Championships for the late models, figure 8s and street stocks. Action begins with trials at 5 p.m. Racing begins at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the Vanilla Pepsi Enduro 250 will be run along with the 4-cylinder division. The green flag flies at 1 p.m. Sunday.

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Oakshade Raceway's Saturday race card includes the ALMS UMP late models, sportsman/trucks and bombers.

Tomorrow night, Attica Raceway Park holds its last race of the 2005 season. Season Championship Night will feature 410 sprints, Coors Light 305 sprints, and limited late models.