Flat Rock race notes

FLAT ROCK MI, 9-3-01 - Clayton Indiana driver Matt Maners won the 30-lap ARCA Auto Value Midget Series feature event Monday afternoon at Flat Rock Speedway.

Second generation driver Chris Hettinger, in the United Cable-Penske Shocks-MDI VW Hawk, finished second over Sondi Eden who steered the Dave Stetler Chevy-Olds-Cadillac Brayton Stealth to a career-best third place finish. Dave Baumgartner, in the Autocraft-JB Motorsports-Simpson Hawk, finished fourth in front of Gary Harrell who finished fifth in the Dove Racing-TJ Roofing Autocraft Hawk.

Polesitter and defending ARCA Auto Value Midget Series champ Gene Lee Gibson led the first 22 laps in his own Gilmore Construction-Gilliland Body Shop Gibson before Maners took control during a restart on lap 23. From there, Maners refused challenges from Hettinger to earn his career-first ARCA Auto Value Midget Series victory.

Series veteran Phil Rutledge finished sixth in The Vette Shop-Duggan's Irish Pub Pontiac ahead of Gibson who fell back to seventh. Third generation driver Jimmy McCune finished eighth in the Cowing Motorsports-Bisbee Travel Brayton Drinan ahead of Minooka, Illinois driver Dave Thompson in ninth. Spartanburg, South Carolina driver AJ Davis, in Rick Harrell's Kayo Lumber Brayton Hawk, completed the top-ten finishers.

Indianapolis, Indiana driver Bobby East won the Old Milwaukee Quick Time Award with a new one-lap Flat Rock track record of 11.487 seconds on the quarter-mile semi-banked oval. However, an accident with Terry Gibson eliminated both machines from the event on lap 25. No drivers were injured.

-arca