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Flat Rock Speedway facts for kids

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Flat Rock Speedway
Location Ash Township, Michigan
Coordinates 42°04′54″N 83°18′24″W / 42.0818°N 83.3067°W / 42.0818; -83.3067
Owner Automobile Racing Club of America
Broke ground 1952
Opened August 14, 1953
Construction cost US$350,000 ($3.83 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect Sheldon Hayes
Oval
Surface Asphalt
Length .40 km (.25 mi)
Turns 4

Flat Rock Speedway is a cool race track located in Ash Township, Michigan. It first opened in 1953. This track is owned by a group called ARCA. It's like a sibling track to Toledo Speedway. Every Saturday night, you can watch exciting races here. These races include Outlaw Body Late Models, Street Stocks, and even Figure 8s.

History of Flat Rock Speedway

Building the Track

Flat Rock Speedway was built in 1952. The first people who invested in it had some money problems. So, they had to step back from the project.

Then, Sheldon Hayes from Cadillac Asphalt Company helped finish the track. It was completed in 1953. He used a special mix of rubber and asphalt. This made a "rubberized" surface, which was new for race tracks.

The speedway officially opened on August 14, 1953. It was supposed to open a week earlier. But a raccoon caused a flood in the drainage system. Then, more rain came, so the opening was delayed.

Early Racing and NASCAR

Dick Good won the first championship at Flat Rock. This was in the "Hardtop" division. This division was later called the Late Model class in 1954.

In 1954, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. became the promoter. He helped bring famous NASCAR drivers to the track. Drivers like Curtis Turner and Lee Petty raced there. France left his role at the speedway in 1956.

Andy Barto, who promoted another track, took over for a short time. Sheldon Hayes then became the track president. Barto returned in 1959 as the general manager.

The ARCA Connection

In 1953, a group called the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC) started racing at Flat Rock. J. H. Petty won the first two MARC races there. These were 100-lap races on September 11. Faster Late model cars were brought in for racing in 1962.

The track had some tough times in the late 1950s. This was after NASCAR stopped supporting it. In 1960, a new general manager named Joan Simmons joined. She created a points system for racers. This made more drivers want to compete. Track attendance went up by 81 percent!

A year later, Simmons worked with John Marcum. He was a friend of Bill France and led MARC. Marcum became the track owner in 1962. He later changed MARC's name to the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA).

ARCA's main racing series, the Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series, raced at Flat Rock until 2000. Frank Kimmel won the last ARCA premier series race there. Joan Simmons stayed in her job until 1970.

New Leadership and Sister Tracks

John Marcum passed away in 1981. His wife, Mildred, and grandson, John Drager, took over. Later, John's brother, Ron, became the track promoter.

In 1999, John Drager bought Toledo Speedway. This made Toledo Speedway a "sister track" to Flat Rock. They now work together. Flat Rock's marketing team also helps Toledo Speedway. Scott Schultz became the general manager for both tracks.

ARCA Racing at Flat Rock

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) held many exciting races at Flat Rock Speedway. These races were part of their main series. Many different drivers won these events over the years. The last ARCA premier series race at Flat Rock was in 2000.

  • Flat Rock Speedway race results at Racing-Reference
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