Flat Rock Speedway facts for kids
| Location | Ash Township, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (UTC−04:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 42°04′54″N 83°18′24″W / 42.0818°N 83.3067°W |
| Owner | NASCAR (May 2018–present) ARCA (1961–2018) |
| Broke ground | 1952 |
| Opened | 14 August 1953 |
| Construction cost | US$350,000 |
| Architect | Sheldon Hayes |
| Major events | Current: ARCA Menards Series East Dutch Boy 150 (2023–present) Former: ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series (1979–2000) NASCAR Convertible Series (1956) |
| Oval (1953–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.402 km (0.250 mi) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Race lap record | 0:12.575 ( Max Reaves, Toyota Camry, 2025, ARCA Menards) |
Flat Rock Speedway is a famous quarter-mile (0.402 km) race track located in Monroe County, Michigan. You can find it in Ash Township, just south of the city of Flat Rock, right along U.S. Route 24. This exciting track opened in 1953 and is now owned by NASCAR. It is known as the "sister track" to Toledo Speedway.
Every Saturday night, Flat Rock Speedway hosts thrilling races. These events feature different types of cars, including Outlaw Body Late Models, Street Stocks, and even Figure 8s. It is the closest oval track racing circuit to Detroit, Michigan, where you can experience NASCAR-style racing.
Contents
A Look Back: Flat Rock Speedway's History
Flat Rock Speedway was first built in 1952. However, the first people who put money into the project had to stop because of money problems. Luckily, Sheldon Hayes from the Cadillac Asphalt Company stepped in. He finished the track in 1953. Hayes used a special mix of rubber and asphalt to create a "rubberized" surface. This was the very first time such a surface was used for a race track!
Building the Track
The speedway officially opened on August 14, 1953. It was supposed to open a week earlier, but a funny thing happened. A raccoon drowned in the drainage system, and then heavy rain flooded the track. This caused the opening to be delayed.
Early Days and NASCAR
Dick Good won the first championship at Flat Rock in the "Hardtop" division. This division later became known as the Late Model class in 1954. That same year, Bill France Sr., who started NASCAR, became the track's promoter. He helped bring famous NASCAR drivers like Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Lee Petty to race there. France left his role at the speedway in 1956.
Andy Barto, a promoter from Motor City Speedway, then managed Flat Rock. He left in March 1956, and Hayes, the track president, took over. Barto returned as general manager in 1959.
ARCA's Role in Racing
In 1953, the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC) began holding races at Flat Rock. J. H. Petty won the first two 100-lap races on September 11. Faster Late model cars were introduced in 1962.
Without NASCAR's help, the track faced challenges in the late 1950s. In 1960, new general manager Joan Simmons created a points system for racers. This helped increase the number of competitors and boosted track attendance by 81 percent! A year later, Simmons officially teamed up with John Marcum, a friend of Bill France and the head of MARC. Marcum became the track owner the following year.
Marcum later changed his racing group's name to the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). ARCA's main racing series, the Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series, continued to race at Flat Rock until 2000. Frank Kimmel won the final ARCA premier series race at the track. Joan Simmons stayed in her role until 1970. After Marcum passed away in 1981, his wife Mildred and grandson John Drager took over. Later, John's brother Ron became the track promoter.
Sister Tracks: Flat Rock and Toledo
In 1999, Drager bought Toledo Speedway. This made Toledo Speedway a "sister track" to Flat Rock. Because of this new connection, Marcum Productions, which handled advertising for Flat Rock, started doing the same for Toledo. Scott Schultz became the general manager for both tracks.
Exciting Races at Flat Rock
Flat Rock Speedway has hosted many exciting races over the years.
The ARCA Menards Series
The ARCA Menards Series first raced at Flat Rock in 1985. They held an annual race there every year until 2000. More recently, the ARCA Menards Series East took over in 2023 and has held a race annually since then, bringing more thrilling action to the track.
