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 SPRINGFIELD,
IL (August 22) -- Former ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Bill Baird won
Sunday's 42nd annual Allen Crowe Memorial 100, at the Illinois State
Fairgrounds. Baird, who had not competed in two years, came out of
retirement en route to winning Sunday's race on the Illinois 1-mile
clay oval. Maybe even more impressive was the fact that Baird defeated
5-time and reigning ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel. The
42-year-old Kimmel had won the previous four events at Springfield
before settling for a runner-up finish Sunday. Ironically, the last
time Kimmel failed to win at Springfield was in 1999--when he lost to
none other than,...Bill Baird. The race also attracted other notables
such as 71-year-old Red Farmer who finished in fifth place. Hoosier
Racing Tire Corp. is enjoying the tenth year as the exclusive tire
provider to the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
Rookie A.J. Fike earned his first career Pork Pole
Award after turning in a qualifying lap of 34.168 seconds around the 1-mile clay oval for an average speed of 105.362 mph. Joining him in
the front row was 16-year-old Josh Allison from Waverly, IN with a lap
time of 34.282 seconds. Ageless Red Farmer was third followed by Frank
Kimmel, Joe Cooksey, Jason Jarrett and Justin Allgaier seventh fastest
driving the Hoosier Tire Midwest-Trashman Pontiac.
The race began with pole sitter Fike immediately
jumping into the race lead. Fike led through lap 28, when fourth
starting Frank Kimmel moved into the race lead. Kimmel led the next 59
circuits before former series champion Bill Baird made the final pass
for the lead on lap 88 of the scheduled 100-lap distance. Baird,
however, had to fight back from an unscheduled pit stop which put the
Sturgis, KY driver at the end of the field before his amazing push to
the front of the 36-car field. Once in the lead, the 55-year-old Baird
led the final 20 laps to capture the win--the sixth of his career.
Following Baird to the line was Frank Kimmel--.523
seconds behind the race winner. Ironically, it was Kimmel's crew that
also serviced the race winner's car--something Baird thanked the #46
Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford crew for after the race in the winner's
circle.
Norm Benning finished in third place followed by Jason
Jarrett, Red Farmer, Brent Sherman, Bobby Bowsher, Billy Venturini,
Rick Tackman and Justin Allgaier in fourth through tenth,
respectively.
The race was slowed for 10 cautions for a total of 51
laps. A late-race caution also extended the race an additional seven
laps to accommodate the series mandated green-white-checkered finish
rule. Baird was the ninth different winner this season in the 17 races
contested to date in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Bobby Bowsher was the
Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award winner with his 7th place finish after
starting 23rd.
As always, the event was serviced out of Hoosier's
corporate office located in Lakeville, IN under the direction of ARCA
Track Service Manager Doug Barnes.
Frank Kimmel continues to lead in the driver standings
with 4570 points followed by Brent Sherman with 3940 points. Billy
Venturini, Jason Jarrett and T.J. Bell round out the top five in the
rankings.
Just five races remain on the 2004 ARCA RE/MAX Series
schedule with the next stop at Toledo Speedway on September 3rd. After
that, the series travels to DuQuion State Fairgrounds' 1-mile clay
oval--where Bill Baird is scheduled to once again compete.
For more information about the ARCA RE/MAX Series,
visit their website at www.arcaracing.com.
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