 TOLEDO,
OH (October 14, 2007) -- The ARCA RE/MAX Series' 23-race season came to an
exciting conclusion on Sunday with Michael McDowell not going away without a fight.
McDowell led 166 of 200 laps en route to winning the Hantz Group 200.
Next year, the 22-year-old driver will build on the valuable seat-time he's
logged in the ARCA Series when he makes the move to the
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. McDowell won four ARCA races this season--the most
by any competitor. Despite the young driver's remarkable success this season,
in the end, it was Frank Kimmel capturing a record-setting ninth ARCA RE/MAX Series
championship. Amazingly, it was also the 45-year-old
driver's eighth consecutive series crown. Forty-seven cars made the trip to high banks of Toledo Speedway to attempt
to qualify for Sunday's race. Michael McDowell earned the
pole with a time of 16.469 seconds (109.296 mph). It was
McDowell's ninth pole of the season.
McDowell dominated the race leading three different times, but the
Phoenix, Arizona driver had to make a late-race pass with just two
laps remaining to secure the victory.
With two laps to go, Michael McDowell snatched the lead from James Buescher to
capture his fourth win of the season. Buescher led once for 27 laps before
settling for second place. He was followed to the line by Micahel Simko. Simko started
19th en route to his third place finish.
Marc Davis, a development driver from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, finished in fourth
place making his first-ever series start.
Frank Kimmel finished fifth place while capturing his ninth ARCA RE/MAX
Series championship.
Todd Bowsher won the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award for advancing the most
positions. Bowsher started 23rd en route to a sixth place finish.
Justin Allgaier was the only other driver to lead during the race. Allgaier
was out front a total of seven laps leading lap 110 though 116, but suffered
mechanical woes that resulted in the young driver finishing 26th among the 35
starters.
The race was slowed 13 times for cautions for a total of 72 laps. There were
no injuries.
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Frank
Kimmel claimed the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship with 5705 points. Michael McDowell
finished the season in second place with 5455 points. McDowell was also named
the ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie-of-the-Year.
