Paul Menard in the No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang earned his second-consecutive pole in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with a new track record at the recently-repaved track, laying down a time of 1m19.747s.

It is Menard’s third pole of the 2024 season. He was the fastest qualifier in TA’s last outing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex two weeks ago, and he also earned a pole earlier this season at NOLA Motorsports Park.

“I’ve watched a hundred races on TV here, but I’ve never been to the facility,” said Menard. “I drove in with my wife and kids yesterday morning and I had no idea where to park or anything. This is one of those tracks where you think of sports car racing, or any kind of racing in North America, and Mid-Ohio is right up there. To get the pole here is amazing. Thank you to 3GT — Paul, Tony and John Gentilozzi, all the guys on the crew. This is an awesome Ford Mustang. At most of these tracks, we show up, they give me a session to learn the track, then we go to work on the car. Luckily, we don’t have to work too hard on it because it’s pretty fast.”

The TA/XGT/SGT/GT race will be contested Sunday at 12:40 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live here. The highlights show of the race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

RESULTS

When Donald Slapnicker was a fifth-grader at Longfellow Elementary in Eastlake, his future was basically impacted forever.

That is when Slapnicker was heavily influenced by D.A.R.E. officer Ralph Tanner, and essentially his career path was set.

So it was fitting that Tanner was on hand to present his former protege and current officer for the Willowick Police Department with the 2024 Ohio Larry Cox D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year earlier this month at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky.

“I remembered my D.A.R.E. officer from fifth grade, Ralph Tanner, and the impact D.A.R.E. had on me,” Slapnicker said. “I was a D.A.R.E. role model in high school. When I was approached about (taking the position) I didn’t hesitate to put in for it.”

Slapnicker grew up in Eastlake and graduated from North High before going to Bowling Green State University. He then went to Cleveland Heights Police Academy and has been a police officer for 14 years, including 12 with Willowick, the last eight as a D.A.R.E. officer.

Slapnicker said when he is teaching D.A.R.E. he goes to the elementary school twice a week for 14 weeks. Then in the spring he plans an event for graduation, and throughout the year stops in to say hello to students and faculty.

“I was very honored that I was nominated (for the state award) by Royalview fifth grade teacher Joelle Geiger. It is a huge honor,” Slapnicker said.

Willowick Police Chief Rob Daubenmire said there was no more worthy candidate for the Ohio D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year.

“I had the honor of personally watching Patrolman Donald Slapnicker receive this award and I am extremely proud of him,” Daubenmire said. “His hard work and dedication to the children and staff at Royalview Elementary School makes him deserving of this prestigious award.”

Whether or not Slapnicker will have the same kind of impact on any of his students that Tanner had on him remains to be seen, but he does have a clear message that he tries to get across.

“To hang around the right people and to make good choices,” Slapnicker said. “One mistake can ruin your life.

“I believe the D.A.R.E. program works,” he added. “It’s up to the individual to make the right choices. But I think that the dangers of drugs, drinking, smoking and especially vaping needs to be talked about a lot more at home and in school.”

A judge ruled Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens does not have authority over the GOP caucus’s campaign fund, handing a win to the speaker’s colleague and rival, state Rep. Derek Merrin.

Last October, Merrin filed a lawsuit against his Republican colleague in a bid to control $1 million in campaign funds. The campaign fund, called the Ohio House Republican Alliance, supports campaigns for state Republican lawmakers. In his lawsuit, Merrin alleged a closed-door vote by the majority of the House GOP caucus made him the chairman of the alliance last year. Consequently, Merrin said he should be in charge of the campaign funds. 

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott agreed. Serrott said in his ruling on Friday that Merrin holds the majority of support from his caucus and consequently should control the campaign’s checkbook. 

“The speaker does not have a majority of the caucus,” Serrott said. “The speaker is never going to call a meeting [of the caucus]. Why would he? He doesn’t have a majority vote. … We’re at a stalemate. The court has to do something or it will never get resolved. … That’s untenable.”

Stephens said that as a speaker, he maintains control of the alliance fund and vowed to appeal the decision “swiftly.” 

“It is imperative for the integrity of the institution of the Ohio House of Representatives that control of the campaign committee not be able to be leveraged against the highest elected official in the House on a whim,” Stephens said in a statement. “The decision potentially sets a concerning precedent that any member at any time can call a vote that undermines the control of the campaign funds.”

Legal experts told the Associated Press that Ohio law does not necessarily require the speaker and caucus leader to be the same person. 

Stephens and Merrin have been at odds ever since battling each other to be speaker in the state House. In January 2023, Merrin lost the fight, while Stephens received more votes from Democrats than Republicans to clinch the victory. After his loss, Merrin urged his Republican colleagues in the House to weaken the speaker’s power by changing House rules. 

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Merrin isn’t the only lawmaker Stephens is sparring with. Last fall, the speaker rejected efforts from fellow GOP lawmakers to strip the court’s power to protect the voter-passed measure to enshrine abortion access into the Ohio Constitution.

More drama went down with Ohio Republicans last September. State Republican Rep. Bob Young wrote a letter to Stephens saying he would step down after being arrested twice in a domestic violence case. His announcement came after Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH), Stephens, and more than 30 Ohio House GOP members joined Democrats in calling for his resignation.