 LAKEVILLE,
IN (September 7, 2005) -- The ARCA RE/MAX Series completed another two-race
weekend over the extended Labor Day Holiday. Defending series champion Frank
Kimmel won on pavement at Toledo (OH) Speedway Friday night and then won on
dirt at DuQuoin (IL) State Fairgrounds on Labor Day. It wasn't easy though. The
Clarksville, IN native won both races by less than a car length--combined! It
was Kimmel's third win in a row and eighth of the season in 20 races contested
to date. It was Kimmel's 64th win in 300 series starts. Kimmel now takes a
commanding 425 point lead over rookie Joey Miller into the final three events
of the season.
TOLEDO, OH (September 2, 2005) -- Fifty-two cars were pre-entered for
Friday's "Hantz Group 200" at Toledo Speedway with 48 cars attempting
to qualify for the elite 35-car field. David Ragan won the Pork Pole Award as the
event's fastest qualifier circling the 1/2-mile track in 16.597 seconds
(108.453 mph). It was Regan's third career pole. The driver earning the most
pole positions during the season will win a brand new customized Harley
Davidson motorcycle. Joey Miller currently leads five Pork Pole Awards.
The exciting short track race featured seven race leaders among five
different drivers including; David Ragan (1-48), Joey Miller (49-70, 109-163),
Will Langhorne (71-76), Frank Kimmel (77-93, 164-205) and Bobby Gerhart
(94-108). The short track race had 17 cautions for a total of 85 laps.
At the finish line, Frank Kimmel won by just .032 seconds (about two feet)
over David Ragan. Billy Venturini claimed the third spot followed by Justin
Allgaier and Ken Weaver. Brian Tyler was sixth followed by Brian Keselowski,
Joey Miller, Andy Belmont and Johnny Leonard to round out the top ten. The 26th
starting Leonard also won the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award for advancing the
most positions. Bobby Gerhart was 11th and completed the list of lead-lap
finishers. It was Frank Kimmel's 63rd overall win and ninth win at Toledo.
TIRES: Hoosier 11.5/26.0-15 12 (LS) and 11.5/27.0-15 20 (RS) bias-ply slicks
were used. Toledo is one of six (paved) short tracks the ARCA RE/MAX Series
competes at on their 23-race schedule where bias-ply slicks are used.
DUQUOIN, IL (September 5, 2005) -- Labor Day provided the perfect
setting for the ARCA Series "Southern Illinois 100" at DuQuoin State
Fairgrounds. Forty-three cars were entered for Monday's race with 41 cars in
the pits after the gates opened and 39 cars making the field for the 100-lap
race.
Brian Tyler parleyed his open wheel experience to win the Pork Pole Award as
the event's fastest qualifier circling the 1-mile dirt oval in 33.273 seconds
(108.196 mph). The time smashed the old record set by Tony Stewart by nearly
two mph. In fact, the four fastest cars in qualifying broke the old
mark.
The race featured ten race leaders among six different drivers and included
an exciting duel between young Justin Allgaier and Frank Kimmel who swapped the
lead several times. Race leaders included; Bob Strait (1), Justin Allgaier
(2-11, 37-42, 59-79, 85-88), Brian Tyler (12-28), Joey Miller (29-36), Chad
McCumbee (43-58), Frank Kimmel (80-84, 89-100). The race was slowed by cautions
just four times for 19 laps.
Frank Kimmel's margin of victory was less than a car length (.284 seconds)
over Bob Strait. Seventeen-year-old Josh Allison finished a career-best third followed
by Justin Allgaier and Chad McCumbee. Joey Miller finished in sixth place
followed by Mark Gibson, Billy Venturini, Bill Baird and David Ragan in seventh
through tenth, respectively. Fourteen of the 39 starters finished the race on
the lead lap including Brandon Knupp (11th), Kelly Kovski (12th), Todd Bowsher
(13th) and Joe Cooksey (14th).
Looking back, Frank Kimmel also won both races Labor Day weekend last season
at Toledo and DuQuoin. Kimmel had six wins last year en route to claiming his
sixth series championship. Amazingly, Kimmel has now won nine of the 12 dirt
races held at Springfield (IL) and DuQuoin.
Kimmel now has eight wins in the 20 races contested to date and holds a
commanding 425 point lead over Joey Miller in the driver standings with just
three races remaining on the 2005 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule.
TIRES: Hoosier bias-ply 11.0/88.0-15 45 (left side) and 11.0/88.0-15 70
(right side) treaded dirt tires were used. DuQuoin is one of two dirt tracks
the ARCA RE/MAX Series competes at on their 23-race schedule.
All ARCA Series events are serviced out of Hoosier headquarters
in Lakeville, IN under the direction of ARCA RE/MAX Series Track Service
Manager Doug Barnes. Additional Hoosier staff doing double-duty over the
extended Labor Day weekend included; Dave Wroblewski, Mike Haenes, Chad Wright,
Jake Hartle and Larry "Toots" Merrill.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series and its competitors will be back in
action this Saturday (September 10th) at Chicagoland Speedway where Hoosier
radial tires will be used. For complete race results and more information about
the ARCA RE/MAX Series visit their website at www.arcaracing.com.
|
