TOLEDO — Second-generation driver Brad Keselowski wowed the crowd and the competition Sunday evening at Toledo Speedway as he sped to victory in the 35-lap ARCA Allen Chevrolet-Cadillac/Cintas Late Model feature on Wendy’s Autograph and Bicycle Give-Away Night.
Jim Froling and Danny Apperson were also feature winners. Wendy’s Danny Hargraves presented the trophies in victory lane ceremonies.
The younger Keselowski, son of former Toledo and ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Bob Keselowski, started the day off by setting the Rumpf Ambulance quick time at 15:418. But it was Brad’s brother, Brian, who charged out front after getting by early leader Harold Fair Sr.
Brian was very strong as he got a great jump on a re-start and sailed by Jerry Cook, Dave Kuhlman and Fair Sr. on the outside groove to take the lead.
Brian Keselowski looked like the winner, but his brother Brad had other ideas. Brad then went to the outside and moved to second spot and a late-race yellow flag bunched the field.
The younger Keselowski slid under Brian to take the lead with just five laps to go on his way to his first-ever win at Toledo.
Kuhlman was able to get by Brian for second, with Brian K. third, Fair Sr. fourth and Brent Jack fifth, followed by Phil Bozell, Steve Tabor, Dennis Strickland, Eric Lee and Harold Fair Jr.
On the original start, Fair Sr. got looped in the back-straight by Cook, scattering the field and ending the day for defending champ Ron Allen and Bill Steinhilber, who both checked up to miss the spinning car.
Fair Jr. spun early in the contest but worked his way back to 10th spot. Heat race winners were Kuhlman, Lee and Steve Peters.
Jim Froling charged from his outside front row spot and led every lap on his way to victory in the Shell Oil/Eastern Oil ARCA Sportsman feature event. Howard Kelley Jr. was second and dogged Froling the entire distance but to no avail.
Third was Randy Cornett, fourth was Kevin Burnheimer and fifth went to Randy Cronenwett, followed by Terry Jones, Rich Frantz, Robbie Loving, Eric Fitzpatrick and Bob Neun. D & H Kenworth fast qualifier Carl Bumgardner (18:166) was eliminated in a skirmish with Jones, ending his day in the lap 11 incident. Frantz, Jones and Rich Abel took the heat wins.
The ARCA Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Figure 8 class made their first appearance of the year at Toledo and the 20-lap main event was a wild one. When the checkered flew, Dan Apperson was the winner over Jeremy Miller.
Early leaders Miller, Vern Okopski Jr. and Greg Studt were all victims of fender-banging incidents as Apperson held on for the win. Jeremy Vanderhoof was third, Brice Thomsen fourth and Troy Herrmann fifth, followed by Richard Apperson, Studt, Chuck Pankow, Parker Wade and Dennis Whisman.
The 16-car field on the small Figure 8 track made for great intersection action every lap. Miller and Vanderhoof won the heat races.
Sunday is the date for the Faygo 100, which is leg number two of the Royal Truck and Trailer/G Tec Truck Equipment ARCA Late Model Glass City Gold Cup Series.
A large field of cars is expected for the 100-lap contest on the half-mile paved oval. The ARCA A-1 Auto Parts Factory Stocks and the MCR Dwarf Cars will also make the trip to Toledo for the event.
The all-new Faygo scoreboard, compete with a message center, should be in operation for the night, according to track officials.
The pits open at 1, practice begins at 2:30, time trials are set for 4 and racing begins at 5 p.m.
Tickets are also now on sale for the June 13 special of the "Fastest Short Track Show in the World," featuring the winged ISMA Super Modifieds and the Auto Value Super Sprints.
Toledo Speedway is located on Benore Road at the I-75/Alexis exit on the Michigan/Ohio border. The track phone number is 1-419-727-1100.