TOLEDO, Ohio — The countdown for racing fans in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan is drawing near.
Toledo Speedway's first event of the 2024 season will take place on April 20 and feature the USAC Silver Crown series competing in the annual Rolle Beale Classic.
Tuesday afternoon, track owner Ron Drager and general manager Brandon Hamby previewed the upcoming schedule for both Toledo and Flat Rock Speedway. New events this summer include a Friday night open-wheel showcase featuring the 500 Sprint Car Tour and the return of the ASA CRA Super Series (a 100-lap race that preludes the Glass City 200 in September).
You can't forget the figure eight school bus races, either, which are scheduled for May 10 and Aug. 9.
Ten events in total are scheduled for 2024 at the Toledo Speedway. The finale is set for Oct. 5, where a champion will be crowned in the ARCA Menards Series.
One driver who is competing in that circuit is Toni Breidinger, who is the No. 1 most-followed NASCAR driver on social media. She has over 2.2 million followers on Instagram.
"I'm hoping to lock up the championship here [Toledo] and am excited to be back," Breidinger said. "This track is fun to race at and it's always competitive. Qualifying is very important because it's hard to pass."
She possesses the highest debut finish of any female driver in NASCAR history, placing 15th in the May race at Kansas Speedway in 2023.
Breidinger will not be the only woman competing in Toledo this summer. Detroit's Taylor Ferns is also excited to compete at her home track.
"I grew up coming here, watching the sprint and silver crown cars before I was able to race them myself," Ferns said. "So, only being an hour to an hour and a half from home is super convenient because a lot of my family comes."
She will continue her quest of becoming the first female driver to win a race in the USAC Silver Crown division. On top of being the youngest woman to win a sprint car race, Ferns will also graduate from Wayne State University Law School in May.
Another Michigan driver who calls Toledo Speedway home is Chase Burda, who drives Super Late Model and Pro Late Model cars.
"It's a historic track and has been around for a while. A lot of big-time NASCAR and open-wheel names have won here," Burda, Lapeer, Mich., native said. "Being close to home and having a lot of friends and family come out just makes Toledo special for us and is always circled on the schedule."