 TALLADEGA,
AL (October 6, 2006) -- Frank Kimmel captured his fourth ARCA RE/MAX Series
victory of the season Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway. The
"Food World 250" was the first race on the newly-paved 2.66-mile
track. The 81-lap race featured a whopping 14 different lead changes. Hoosier
once again showed why they are the premier race tire manufacturer in the world
by developing a new radial tire for the event after successful testing just one
month prior to the race.
Fifty-one cars were entered for Friday's race with 48 cars posting times in
qualifying. Bobby Gerhart was the fastest qualifier circling the 2.66-mile oval
in 50.537 seconds (189.485 mph). Former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya
from Bogotá, Columbia was second followed by Matt Hagans, Frank Kimmel and AJ
Henriksen.
Race leaders included; Juan Montoya (1-9), Bobby Gerhart (10-13, 50-55,
70-71), Frank Kimmel (14-15, 78-81), Steve Wallace (16, 36-40, 72-77) Mike
Wallace (17-35, 46-49, 56-66) Michael Faulk (41-45) and Kelly Bires (67-69).
Race organizers were forced to shorten the length of the race from 94 laps
to 81 laps as a result of darkness after a late-race caution. Kimmel was
declared the winner while the field crossed the finish line under the yellow
flag. The race had just five total cautions for a total of 26 laps.
Finishing in second place behind Kimmel was Steve Wallace. Juan Montoya
finished in third place followed by ASA Late Model Challenge Series star Kelly
Bires who also competes on Hoosier radials in ASA events. Michael McDowell was fifth,
followed by Mike Wallace, Bobby Gerhart, Michael Faulk, Chase Miller and Dexter
Bean in sixth through tenth, respectively. Sixteen of the 41 starters finished
the race on the lead lap.
With the win, Frank Kimmel also earns his fifth Hoosier Tire Superspeedway
Challenge Championship which is a separate awards program for drivers competing
at Superspeedway tracks. The program boasts $62,500 in bonus awards
Frank Kimmel continues to lead the drivers standings heading into the final
race of the season this Friday (October 15) at the new Iowa Speedway. Kimmel is
in search of his eighth ARCA RE/MAX Series championship and seventh in a row.
All ARCA RE/MAX Series races are serviced out of Hoosier's
corporate headquarters in Lakeville, IN. Doug Barnes, Hoosier's Track Service
Manager for the ARCA Series, was in Talladega overseeing the activities of the
service crew which included; engineer Rick Tostevin, engineer Marc March, crew
chief Dave Wroblewski, Chad Wright, Derrik Duszynski, Fred Awald, Larry Merrill
and Kevin Wroblewski.
For more information about this race and the ARCA RE/MAX Series
visit www.arcaracing.com.
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