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DAYTONA, BEACH, FL (February 12, 2005) -- Bobby Gerhart won the season-opening
ARCA RE/MAX Series Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 at Daytona International
Speedway on Saturday. The event was shortened from its scheduled 80 laps to 65
as a result of several crashes. At the finish, only 12 of the 41 starters were
still running. Gerhart, who led 58 of the 65 race laps, started on the pole
after earning the Pork Pole Award as the event's fastest qualifier in his own
Lucas Oil Chevrolet. The 46-year-old driver from Lebanon, PA circled the
2.5-mile oval in 48.846 seconds (184.253 mph). The other story of the race was
the effort of defending ARCA Series champion Frank Kimmel who finished
runner-up to Gerhart after starting last in the field. Kimmel was forced to use
a provisional to make the field after failing to complete technical inspections
by the established deadline.
The
race featured four leaders among three different drivers including Gerhart
(1-27, 35-65), Matt Hagans (28-31) and Chad McCumbee (32-34). The 65-lap race
was slowed six times for 39 laps and ended under caution as a result of an
accident on lap 63 that took out 16 cars.
Finishing in second place behind Gerhart was six-time ARCA RE/MAX Series
champion Frank Kimmel driving the Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford after starting
41st. J.J. Yeley finished in third place in his first-ever ARCA Series start.
Yeley started ninth in the Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil Chevrolet.
Mike Guerity finished in fourth place followed by Matt Hagans, T.J. Bell, Joey
Miller, Mike Harmon and Jeff Spraker in fifth through ninth, respectively. Norm
Benning completed the list of top ten finishers claiming the tenth spot--one
lap down. Hoosier's ARCA
Track Service Manager Doug Barnes commented, "Although the radial tires
(12.0/28.0-15) were the same as what has been used the past few years, it was
the first time the new compound codes (5133 left / 5744 right) were used."
Barnes added, "New codes are implemented periodically as a safety
precaution to prevent use of older tires."
Gerhart stated after the race, "The (Hoosier) tires were good, very
good." Gerhart was actually the driver who tested the (1") wider
Hoosiers in 2001 that are now widely used in the series on Speedways. Interestingly,
Gerhart won the following race at Daytona in 2002 after the successful testing.
Gerhart also won at Daytona in 1999 bringing his career total to three wins and
tying him with Iggy Katona for the most wins at the infamous Florida
speedway. The ARCA RE/MAX
Series will be back in action March 26th at the 1.33-mile Nashville
Superspeedway. Hoosier Racing Tire
Corp. is proud to be entering its 11th season as the exclusive tire supplier to
the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
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