Flat Rock Speedway 98-09-19, 98-09-20

The second annual Frtiz Enterprises Fall Classic at Flat Rock Speedway saw nearly 180 cars grace the pits as seven divisions raced during the course of the two day event.

Saturday saw qualifying and features for 3 of the divisions. Randy Cronenwett won the battle but lost the battle in the 50 lap Figure 8 feature. Rookie Troy Herrmann led the first three laps only to tangle with Bob Studt while battling for the lead with the pair spinning. Dennis Whisman took over the point until his mount broke a fuel pump on lap 19, the restart of one of the multiple red flag periods during the event for stalled cars. Cronenwett inherited the top spot and never relinquished it. Studt, who had been working his way back through the field, finished second to capture the championship by five over 1998 Flat Rock Speedway Figure 8 champion, Cronenwett.

The first ever Enduro Shoot Out. The invitational event saw top four finishers in the previous six enduro races attempting to qualifying for the $500 to win 25 lap feature. Only the top 15 drivers made the event with Paul Duffin being the fastest of the 21 cars entered. Starting positions were determined by a blind draw. Street Stock driver Brian Norton led from his pole position before being overtaken by Doug Rapley on lap nine. Rapley held the top spot until Mike Bershback moved into the lead when the leader experience overheating problems and dropped from the event on lap 16. Bershback held off Rick Johnson to take the win.

Tonight the ARCA Lincoln Welders Pro 4 division retired their stock car and modified bodied racers for pickup trucks for the 1999 season. The final event of the year will show 1998 champion John Witham being the final driver to win in a stock car. Witham held Robbin Slaughter at bay to take home his fifth win in a row. In related racing action, Terry Williams held off Gregg Vasko to take the 10 lap ARCA Truck Series exhibition race.

Hot sunny skies again greeted fans on Sunday with the Michigan Legends Cars joining the fun, along with feature events for the Super Late Models, X Cars and Street Stocks.

Royce Cornett jumped into the lead from his outside pole position and led until Bill Steinhilber moved around him using his trademark outside groove to complete the pass on lap 25. Cornett faded to finish fourth. Steinhilber had unexpected competition from 10 track champion Joy Fair, who has spent most of the season working the bugs out of a new car. Fair, whose familiar yellow #1 was decked out with a big spoiler and foot high side spoilers, closed in on Steinhilber rear bumper a few times but was never able to mount a challenge, finishing second - his best finish of the season. Fast qualifier Rob Randa finished third.

Jeff Carnacchi got the jump on polesitter Clayton Spruell and led the first 5 laps of the 50 lap Street Stock A Main before being overtaken by Rick Knowles. 1997-98 Street Stock champion led the event for the next 26 laps when Ron Allen rocketed around Knowles black #52. Brian Norton got around Knowles, whose's tires stagger went off. Carnacchi applied heavy pressure to Knowles the final ten laps but wasn't never able complete the pass and settled for a career best fourth place finish. Tom Selmi turned in the fastest street stock qualifying lap of the season, 13.498, but encountered drive shaft problems and was unable make the call for the feature.

In the 25 lap Street Stock B Main, Jerry Eritano leapt into the lead from his pole position. Eritano ran side-by-side with Rich Frantz during the early going before Frantz inched ahead to take the lead for good on lap 10. Eritano stayed in second until a flat tire ended his race on lap 14.

Jim Kourtakis scored his first career feature win in the C Main, taking home the $100 first place prize. Dave DeBash was able to catch Kourtakis but never mounted a challenge for the top spot.

Dave Stewart went undefeated in the open competition X Cars division in 1998 winning all four races. Mark Pace, from his outside front row starting position, led the first 13 laps of the 50 lap event. Stewart took over the lead and led until Jack Franzil wrestled the lead from Stewart when the pair were traversing lapped traffic. Franzil's lead was short lived as Stewart regained the lead two laps later for good and led the remaining 26 laps. Gary Hawes battled late in the going with Franzil for the runner's up position, taking the spot with two laps to go. Franzil settled for third.

The Legends ran their entire show on Sunday. Some of the best racing of the weekend took place with a group of nine legend cars racing two and three wide and nose to tail. The 1998 Michigan State champion, Jeff Cannon, won the event over Bobby Sage.

SUPER LATE MODELS

FAST QUALIFIER: Rob Randa, 11.816 HEATS: Jim Bailey, Rick Knowles, Robbie Loving CONSI: Joe Hawes, Joey Shuryan, Dusty Whitney, Len Fritz, Jerry Cook, Bill Heeney Jr. Not Transferring: Brian Pelletier, Dan Trosen Jr, Parker Wade, Gary Repp, Steve Winterhalter FEATURE: Bill Steinhilber, Joy Fair, Randa, Royce Cornett, Dave Macey, Len Roberts, Cook, Heeney Jr, Loving, Stan Yee Jr, Craig Pace, Sean Monahan, Whitney, Fritz, Steve Cronenwett, Jimmy Thiel, Ron Allen, Dan Ford Jr, Hawes, Bailey, Paul Hahn, Rick Knowles

STREET STOCK

FAST QUALIFIER: Tom Selmi, 13.498 'A' HEATS: Ken Knight, Carl Bumgardner, Bryan Ausmus 'B' HEATS: Rich Frantz, Scott Selmi, Dave DeBash A MAIN: Ron Allen, Brain Norton, Rick Knowles, Jeff Carnacchi, John Sullivan, Bumgardner, Tony Ortega, Jim Froling, Ausmus, John Rowloff, Randy Casey, Bruce Kirkendall, Dave Hogberg, Mike Spruell, Mike Baas, Knight, Ed Woods, Jim Selmi, Clayton Spruell, Bob Rae, Mike Kieffer, Terry Humphrey DNS: Tom Selmi

B MAIN: Frantz, Earl Roth Jr, John Huebner Sr, Jeff MacZink, Rich Abel, Rich Petzel, Larry Hall, Lonnie York, Ken Kraatz, Doug Stump, Henry Bradley, Carl Butzin, Jerry Eritano, Arnold Hall, John LaFrance Jr, Mo Volckaert, Dan Schuchardt, S Selmi DNS: Randy DeMaggio

C MAIN: Jim Kourtakis, DeBash, Grover Smith, Bill Lankford, Tammy Grigowski, Randy Jacobs, Larry Smothers, Nick Bradley, Johnny Huebner Jr, Brian Bradley, Bill Brown, Pat Logan

X CARS

FAST QUALIFIER: Dave Stewart, 13.094 HEATS: Paul Calo, Mark Howie, Clayton Smith CONSI: Dennis Whisman, Greg Studt, Bob Mikolajczyck, Todd Foote, Ken Meggitt, Jerry Carpenter, Carl Dickey Non Transferring: Doug Meyers, Dave Gilbert FEATURE: Stewart, Gary Hawes, Jack Franzil, Studt, Marcel Bonin, Mark Mayville, Mark Pace, Smith, Whisman, Dave Rupp, Mikolajczyck, Howie, Carpenter, Joe Soller, Pat Bullock Jr, Brian Graybill, Don Swanson, Frank Logie, Craig Pace, Ray Wroebel, Craig Bracken, Foote, Calo, Dickey

FIGURE 8

FAST QUALIFIER: Dennis Whisman, 21.236 HEATS: Parker Wade, Jeff Cummings FEATURE: Randy Cronenwett, Bob Studt, Wade, Jerry Vanderhoof, Eric Hart, Ken Carpenter, Dave Lambert, Greg Studt, Mark Goebel, Fred Spaulding Jr, Leonard McDonald, Whisman, Vern Okopski Jr, Troy Herrmann, Robbie Loving, Cummings, Eric Buck, Andy Wilson, Scot Bunge

PRO 4

FAST QUALIFIER: John Witham, 12.101 HEAT: Jack Weethee FEATURE: Witham, Robbin Slaughter, Bobby Harmon, Weethee, Bill Whither, Eddy Adams, Gregg Vasko, Jerry Thornhill, Jeff Wichmann

MICHIGAN LEGENDS

HEATS: Rick Kilbourn, Mike Carter FEATURE: Jeff Cannon, Bobby Sage, Darin O'Riley, Donovan Ooley, Kilbourn, Dan Mansfield, Tom Terzo, Gene Clark, Sean Brown, Scott Brown, Reinick, #9, Dave Northrup, Steve Jancar, John Turnbull Jr, Carter

ENDURO SHOOTOUT

FAST QUALIFIER: Paul Duffin, 15.330 FEATURE: Mike Bershback, Rick Johnson, Brian Norton, Skip Kissell, Duffin, Greg Studt, John Kamierski, Pete Shrake, Jeff Maran, Bob Wagner, Doug Rapley, Troy Herrmann, Mark Vanderlip, Gary Gibson, Jerry Eritano Non Transferring through qualifying: Marc Ortega, Paul Radavich, Rich Bosak, Doug Stump, Tom Lach, Dennis Whisman