ARCA to Operate and Sanction Toledo Speedway
7 January 1999
Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) President Ron Drager and Detroit area businessman Roy Mott have formed a corporation which has purchased the Toledo Speedway from Thomas A. (Sonny) Adams.The formal anouncement was made at a press conference held at the speedway January 6. The 1/2 mile , high-banked asphalt oval will see Friday night racing in 1999, as well as several Sunday afternoon events. The weekly fare of ARCA Late Models, Figure 8s and Street Stocks, as well as a Factory Stock class, will be featured at the Northern Ohio track, located near Interstate 75 at the Michigan-Ohio border.
Opening Night is set for Friday, May 7, the first of 18 Friday night events planned for the upcoming season. The Sunday schedule will go into effect for the month of September, beginning with the Sunday, September 5 Iceman Late Model 200 Championship event. The Series will compete at Toledo 4 times in 1999.
"Were pleased and proud to bring Toledo Speedway back into the ARCA fold," said Drager. "Weve done a great deal of planning already, and theres a lot more to do to prepare for the 1999 season. We will concentrate on building a strong weekly racing program with our three ARCA sanctioned divisions which has made us successful at Flat Rock. We will also have a good variety of special events throughout the 99 season. Toledo Speedway is one of the finest short tracks in this region and the City of Toledo has been the home of ARCA since its inception in 1953, so its the perfect place to help carry us into the future."
Stock car races in Toledo were promoted by ARCA founder John Marcum at the Raceway Park horse track prior to the Speedway being built in 1961 by Herb Koester. The following year Marcum took over the reigns to manage and promote the track from 1962 to 1977. Koester then sold the track to Adams, who promoted events at Toledo for the past 21 years. Marcum is recognized as a pioneer in organizing the sport of stock car racing and is a member of the Intl Motorsports Hall of Fame. He worked as a race official with the late Bill France Sr. in the early days of NASCAR, then moved to the Toledo area and began his efforts to build stock car racing in the north.
ARCA has now sanctioned races in 25 states and has several touring seriesthe ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series stock cars; the ARCA Lincoln Welders Midget Series; the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series; and the ARCA Auto Value Figure 8 Series, all of which will compete at Toledo in 1999. ARCA also has sanctioned weekly stock car racing at Flat Rocks -mile oval since 1964. The addition of Toledo Speedway will now give Michigan-Ohio-Canada race teams the opportunity to compete at both tracks, just 30 miles apart, on a weekly basis, with common divisions, licensing and rules.
Marcum Promotions, the sister company of ARCA and the marketing and promotion arm of Flat Rock Speedway, will administer the day-to-day operations at Toledo. Flat Rocks General Manager, Scott Schultz, will serve in the same capacity at both venues.
"We appreciate the opportunity to purchase this tradition-rich facility," said Drager. "Sonny and I have been talking about this off and on for a couple of years. He (Adams) could have sold it for development and watched a bulldozer knock it down, but he wanted it to stay a race track. Roy and I will work to see that Toledo Speedway attracts the support of racers, fans, the media and sponsors. Scott has done wonders with the Speedway at Flat Rock, and he has a really dedicated staff of ARCA officials who make the t 7 'Β κ¦ GΓ ΓΆ L° L] $* Κp Ε- J] $ %x η2 z ε3 a |9 ωm C. ,1 Ί€ G4 W Α3 Ρ 4 § I0 ε V- © ή/ }0 Ύ] ν+ ^^ 6 §@ ζ# A Φ1 ψ] %* y 8 w ͺ, t {3 WN 7Ύ >p @Α "t X» Έ ΝΏ @¨ £Ώ 2 - ΊS <) ) Z2 : 0 §₯ w/ /k s0 π 1 ^ L0 Ε 4 o ·4 p J5 )₯ Q ^ ξ3 iΡ G/ € ’+ ‘ 0 °" ‘ £E Ν# £ Β ]1 £ A °. ₯ ^ z% ₯ Δ* |0 ¦ )S * ¦ C S2 ¦ Ψ ά1 § yw ρ. § l p6 ¨ z Π1 ¨ DF ·B ¨ Μ +l ί: ¬ Y §+