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It's time for stocks to cash in

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It's time for stocks to cash in BY STEVE CROWE FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER Dennis Strickland of Carleton hasn't been a winner all season at Toledo Speedway. B But he can be the year's big one, even by not winning, Friday night. Rick Knowles of Willis has won five times this year at Flat Rock Speedway. But he could still drive away down in the dumps Saturday night. It's the frantic final weekend in stock car series title chases at Toledo and Flat Rock. The tracks became sister speedways with this year's purchase of Toledo by ARCA president Ron Drager and Detroit businessman Roy Mott, a NASCAR Winston Cup official. "Well, mostly what I've got to worry about this weekend is just making sure I finish the race," said Strickland, 42, who has had enough year-end moral victories to last a lifetime. A local racer since 1984, Strickland was second in late-model points at Toledo three times and third four times. He leads secondplace Ron Allen of Lincoln Park by 35 points (1,380-1,345). Jim Thiel of Woodhaven is third, 90 points behind Strickland. Flat Rock's ARCA late-model leader is Knowles, whose nearest pursuer, Joe Hawes of Taylor, is 65 points back (1,565-1,500). Third and 85 points behind Knowles is Bill Steinhilber of South Lyon. At both tracks, the difference of one position - even in the preliminary late-model race - is five points. Strickland can clinch by finishing a combined eight or more positions (40 points) ahead of Allen. Knowles must finish no fewer than 14 positions behind Hawes to secure the title in Flat Rock's top division. Depending on races won and ARCA WELDING What: Championship Weekend at Flat Rock Speedway and Toledo Speedway. At stake: Titles in ARCA late-model, Figure 8 and street stock divisions. When: 8. p.m. Friday at Toledo, 7 p.m. Saturday at Flat Rock. Also on track: 7 p.m. Sunday Toledo, Iceman series (200 laps), plus factory stock and Legends cars; 1:30 p.m. Monday - Flat Rock, street stock B main title decided, plus 250-lap Enduro race and open-competition X-cars. More information: Call 734-782-2480 (Flat Rock) or 419-727-1100 (Toledo). Flat Rock ARCA late points: 1. Rick Knowles, Willis, 1,565; 2. Joe Hawes, Taylor, 1,500; Bill Steinhilber, South Lyon, 1,480; 4. Royce Cornett, Temperance, 1,475; 5. Ron Allen, Lincoln Park, 1,435. Toledo ARCA late-model points: 1. Dennis Strickland, Carleton, 1,380; 2. Ron Allen, Lincoln Park, 1,345; 3. Jim Thiel, Woodhaven, 1,290; 4. Paul Young, Toledo, 1,190; 5. Steve Cronenwett, Westland, 1,150, other factors, late-model titles at both tracks will be worth an extra $1,000 to $1,800 each. "You know, it's an awful lot of pressure," said Knowles, 40, attempting to defend his first latemodel Flat Rock title. Knowles is a four-time Flat Rock champion in street stock and is fourth in that division this year. "We're in pretty good shape," he said. "The car's fast. We've been running extremely well. The only thing that bothers me are those quirky little things, where you run over a pop rivet on the track and get a flat tire. Then there's the chance that something else can fail and bite you." Strickland is renting his home track this week for testing. "We're doing that little extra we normally don't do to make sure our end is covered," he said. "So yeah, I'm excited, I'm nervous. But we've been there. I guess the thing is that if you try as hard as you can and don't make it, at least at the end of the night you go to sleep knowing you did everything you could."
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