 DAYTONA
BEACH, FL (February, 10, 2007) -- Bobby Gerhart won a record fifth time in the
ARCA 200 at Daytona on Saturday. It was also Gerhart's third win in a row (also
a record) in the season-opening event driving his own #5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet.
The 48-year-old series veteran led 54 of the race's 80 laps en route to the win
before more than 70,000 cheering fans. The event also marks the 13th
consecutive season the ARCA RE/MAX Series has run exclusively on Hoosier
tires.
Sixty-six cars were entered for the event with 60 cars posting times in
qualifying. All the competitors rode on Hoosier 12.0/28.0-15 radial tires with
3/8" of stagger.
Erin Crocker earned the pole position for the race after circling the
2.5-mile oval in 49.391 seconds (182.219 mph). Crocker becomes the second
female to capture the pole at Daytona. Patty Moise won the pole in 1989 and
1990. For Crocker, it was her fourth career pole in the series.
Bobby Gerhart, seeking his fifth consecutive pole at Daytona, was second in
qualifying. Gerhart posted a time of 49.604 seconds (181.437 mph) earning him
the outside pole for the 200-mile race.
With the 41-car field set, the race began with Gerhart jumping into the
lead. The Lebanon, PA driver led until lap 31, when rookie Marc Mitchell took a
turn out front. Mitchell led five laps before Mario Gosselin moved into the
lead after a series of pit stops.
Gosselin opted to just take on fuel during his stop, while Gerhart elected
to take fuel and put on fresh right-side Hoosiers.
Gosselin was able to maintain the lead until lap 57, when Gerhart, with
fresher tires, made his move to regain the lead. Gerhart moved to the outside
of Gosselin to retake the lead for good. From there, Gerhart led the final 24
circuits to capture his third consecutive (fifth overall) ARCA 200.
Marc Mitchell finished in second place after starting 20th. Jeremy Clements
was third followed by David Ragan in fourth and defending series champion Frank
Kimmel in fifth. Timothy Peters finished sixth followed by Justin Allgaier,
Scott Legasse, Jr., Phillip McGilton and Michael McDowell in seventh through
tenth, respectively.
Justin Allgaier won the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award as the driver
advancing the most positions. Allgaier started 31st en route to a seventh place
finish.
The race was slowed seven times for cautions for a total of 46 laps. The
final caution resulted in a green-white-checkered finish.
All ARCA RE/MAX Series events are serviced out of Hoosier headquarters in
Lakeville, IN. Those servicing the event included; Doug Barnes, Rick Tostevin,
Dave Wroblewski, Chad Wright, Mike Haenes, Fred Awald, Rick Sisk and Derrik
Duszynski.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series returns to the track on March 24, at USA
International Speedway in Lakeland, FL.
For complete race results and more information about the ARCA RE/MAX Series
visit their website at www.arcaracing.com.
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