FLAT ROCK, Mich. — Right now, no engines have been fired up at Toledo Speedway. The good news though, just up the road in Michigan, at Flat Rock Speedway, they have begun practicing. The hope from everybody is that soon they'll be back on the track racing at Toledo Speedway.
"I think starting the private rentals of the track gives you a little bit of hope," said Scott Schultz. "We hope it moves on to the next step where it will be a full practice where all of our racers can come. We can have multiple cars on the track at a time and things like that. Have our staff here, and be going through tech, and that leads to the next step which hopefully is a race."
With private practice underway at Flat Rock Speedway and practice soon to begin at Toledo Speedway, things are looking up.
Katie Hettinger is just 14-years-old and she's been racing in simulators from home the last few months, but there's nothing quite like getting back to the real thing.
"I was so excited," said Hettinger. "I could not stop talking last night. It just feels good to get in the car and feel the vibration of the engine and going super-fast and everything. It was especially fun when I went full throttle. I wasn't expecting it, because I wasn't used to it, but it was a lot of fun."
Frank Jovani is no stranger to the track at Flat Rock. He's been racing most of his life. Not being on the track has been tough for everyone.
"Uncertainty about everything, not just racing, but life in general," said Jovani. "I know everyone is going through those same type of emotions right now, but of course we want to get back to our normal way of life, and racing for us is part of that. I've been racing for 25 years now and this is just what we do. So, we're hoping to get back to this as soon as possible."
Schultz tells us they're excited to get back to racing, but only when it's safe. They are fully prepared to enforce the mandated guidelines for mass gatherings and hope to have everyone back at Flat Rock and Toledo Speedway very soon.