TOLEDO, OHIO (September 13, 2010) – If it weren’t for bad luck the past few weeks it seems like Frank Kimmel would have no luck at all. After running in second place for much of the first half of Sunday’s ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards event at Toledo Speedway, Kimmel was forced to bring his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford behind the wall for a broken rear gear after only 98 of the scheduled 200 laps. The mechanical problem led to a 21st-place finish. Kimmel now stands fourth in the championship standings, 140 points behind leader Patrick Sheltra with three races remaining on the schedule.
Kimmel and his Ansell/Menards team rolled into Toledo Speedway’s half-mile bullring on Saturday morning for practice in qualifying in preparation for Northwest Ohio Ford Dealers 200. With rain looming, the drivers of the ARCA Racing Series took the track for what was supposed to be a 1.5-hour practice session. Kimmel and team worked on their race setup, posting the seventh-fastest time of the session, before raindrops began to fall, forcing ARCA officials to cancel the session one hour early. Unfortunately the rain would not let up for qualifying and the field was set according to the ARCA Racing Series point standings. Kimmel would line up fourth on the grid for Sunday afternoon’s race.
As the green flag dropped to signal the start of the Northwest Ohio Ford Dealers 200, it didn’t take long for Kimmel to show the strength of his Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion. By the end of lap one he had moved from his fourth-place starting position into third, and only two laps later he slipped under Patrick Sheltra’s No. 60 to take the second position. Kimmel then began to pursue leader Tom Hessert, looking to take the lead.
For the first 41 laps Kimmel stalked Hessert’s No. 77. The two drivers put on a great show as they ran nose to tail while negotiating their way through lapped traffic. The traffic would prevent Kimmel from taking the lead, but Kimmel and the No. 77 pulled away from the rest of the field.
When the first yellow flag of the afternoon came out on lap 41 Kimmel radioed to his Ansell/Menards crew that his No. 44 was pretty good but tight in the middle and tight off of the turns. The team decided to keep their Ford Fusion out on the track with the leaders and did not make a pit stop for changes.
The green came back out on lap 45 with Hessert and Kimmel again showing they were the class of the field. They ran first and second for the next 32 laps while again pulling away from the field.
The caution came out again on lap 77, bringing most of the leaders down pit road. Crew Chief Bill Kimmel Jr made a strategy call to keep his Ansell/Menards Ford on the race track, putting Kimmel in first place. Unfortunately that’s when the bad luck started for the No. 44 team. Leading the field under yellow, Kimmel told his crew on lap 80 that he had a flat tire and immediately brought his Ford Fusion down pit road for service. The Ansell/Menards team changed four tires, added fuel and made a slight track bar adjustment and sent their driver back out in seventh place for the restart.
The field restarted on lap 84 and Kimmel quickly moved into the fifth position. Only a few laps later Kimmel’s Ansell/Menards Ford slowed dramatically going into turn three, forcing him to bring his No. 44 -down pit road during green-flag conditions. The Ansell/Menards team discovered that they broke a rear gear and were forced to push their Ford Fusion behind pit road for repairs.
The teams was able to fix the broken rear gear and return to the track for the final laps of the race but were plagued in 21st position, 78 laps down to the leaders. Unable to move forward, Kimmel took the checkered flag in 21st position.
Next weekend Kimmel heads home to Salem Speedway for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic on Saturday night, September 18th. The green flag will drop for 200 laps of action at 7:15 p.m. with live audio and timing and scoring coverage on ARCARacing.com.
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About Frank Kimmel
Frank Kimmel, driver in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards, is a record holding 9-time champion. Co-owner of Kimmel Racing, the Indiana native has earned 74 wins, placing him just six races shy of the number one spot on ARCA’s all-time win list. With 44 poles, 230 top-five and 294 top-ten finishes, the racing veteran has accomplished many great feats in his 18 seasons in the series. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Ford team look to continue to break records in the 2010 season.
Category: Active 8 Communications
Frank Kimmel Goes for Ten Straight ARCA Racing Series Championships
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 9, 2010) – Fresh tire marks on the door, loud cheers from the grandstands, confetti stuck to the hood, teammates showering you with champagne, family and friends posing for photos holding number ones up, wearing a bright purple Hoosier Collar around the neck – all visions of victory lane on September 13, 2008. That day was rich with memories of Frank Kimmel’s last ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards victory lane experience.
On that faithful day, if someone were to say that it would be almost two years before the nine-time ARCA Racing Series Champion would repeat that experience, many would not believe it. After all, he had been victorious every season since 1995; he was riding a string of three-straight victories and had won eight-consecutive ARCA Racing Series championships. As the green flag drops for the Northwest Ohio Ford Dealers 200 at Toledo Speedway on Sunday, September 12, Kimmel and his No. 44 Ansell/Menards team will be looking to end the winless streak and return to victory lane one day before the two-year anniversary of that win.
Getting to victory lane at Toledo Speedway is nothing new for Frank Kimmel. After earning his first-career ARCA Racing series win at the half-mile track in 1994, he went on to visit victory lane eight more times becoming the most prolific driver in Toledo Speedway history. In addition to his nine wins, Kimmel has earned 22 top-five finishes and three pole awards in 30-career starts at the track.
“Toledo is the site of our very first win, so it is a great place for us to come back to,” said Kimmel. “I’ve always enjoyed Toledo. We normally run well there and get good finishes; we have had a lot of success there with wins too. Although the car that we are bringing is predominantly an intermediate car, I think it will be one of the best cars we have ever brought to Toledo. The body on it is really slick and it’s a very nice racecar. It weighs out well. I have a lot of confidence going into Toledo. I think we will run well and be very competitive.”
The road to victory lane will begin for Kimmel on Saturday, as the ARCA Racing Series takes to the track for practice starting at 12:30 p.m. EST. Sunday’s 100-mile/200-lap Northwest Ohio Dealers at Toledo Speedway is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. EST. Live timing and scoring and audio coverage will be provided by ARCA Nation and the ARCA Racing Network at ARCARacing.com. BAS Racing Network (radio) and BCSN (TV) will also host live race coverage.
“Kimmel’s Top 10”
In anticipation of his 10th Championship, Frank Kimmel gives a look at his “Top 10” before each ARCA Racing Series event. Frank Kimmel has had a lot of support along his way to nine ARCA Racing Series championships. This week Kimmel gives us a look at the “top-10 most influential people in his career.”
10. Uncle Paul- In the early days Uncle Paul took me to almost every single ARCA race that I competed at. Whatever it took to get me to the track, he did it. He would buy our hotel rooms, pay travel expenses and help out every way he could. Without him we would not have been able to go ARCA Racing at all.
9. Jack Wallace- Wally actually gave me my very first ARCA car in 1990. We used that car to win Rookie of the Year in 1992. Wally was a long-time ARCA Racer who saw some potential and decided to let me have his racecar. He is the man that gave me my start in ARCA.
8. Larry Clement- Larry was my long-time car owner. He really enabled us to win as many ARCA races and championships as we did because of his guidance and support.
7. Buddy Rouck – He was the first guy that I teamed up with. We co-owned my first late model together and won two championships with it in the late 80’s. He is also Holly’s godfather.
6. Dick Schroeder – I worked for him for a while. He was the owner of C-Line Engineering. He really helped me to become a better racer and a better mechanic in my early career.
5. Terry Shirley – Became my car owner in 1989. We won the Late Model championship in 1990, and he gave me my start in early years of ARCA Racing.
4. Donna Kimmel – She is my wife and the person that has kept my life together while I have been doing all this racing. She’s been very supportive of me and raised Holly and Frankie while I was away at the track.
3. Bill Kimmel Jr. – Bill was a good driver before he became my crew chief. He won four-straight championships at Louisville Motor Speedway. He has also been crew chief of the year in the ARCA Series eight times and been with me for eight of my nine championships.
2. Mable Kimmel – Mable is both my and Bill’s mom. She was a true racer’s wife. Mom always supported our dad no matter what he decided to do in racing. Howard while battling for the lead sent Frank and “Daisy” spinning, ultimately destroying the car.
1. Bill Kimmel Sr. – He is my and Bill’s father. He started racing in 1948 and taught us most of what we know about racecars.
Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Fast Facts
Battle for first: After bad luck plagued the Ansell/Menards team at DuQuoin, Kimmel fell to fourth in the championship standings. He now sits 50 markers behind leaders Tom Hessert and Patrick Sheltra, who are tied for first.
Last Toledo Race: In the spring event at Toledo Speedway, Kimmel overcame late-race damage to score a fourth-place finish. The finish began his climb in the ARCA Racing point standings and was his best finish in the early part of the season.
This Week’s Ford: Crew Chief, Bill Kimmel Jr., has chosen to bring chassis No. 340, “Courtney” to Toledo. This chassis, an intermediate track chassis, has not been used yet this season. With both short track cars wrecked after the dirt races at Springfield and DuQuoin, Kimmel Racing has called on “Courtney” to bring them to victory lane.
Meet Frank Kimmel: Kimmel will be signing autographs on the front stretch of Toledo Speedway on Sunday, September 12 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Featured Blogger: Want to hear what Kimmel has to say about each race weekend? Log on to http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/ every week to read Frank’s latest driver diary. He talks about what happened in the race, what he does when he is not at the track and his expectations for the next race weekend.
Follow Frank Kimmel: Follow Frank Kimmel at the track or in the race shop by logging on to facebook.com/frankkimmelracing and twitter.com/frankkimmel. Follow every race weekend for live updates and photos from the track and throughout the race.
2010 STATS
StartsWinsPolesTop 5sTop 10sAve StartAve FinishPts. Pos./Prev
Frank Kimmel16017119.48.24/2
About Frank Kimmel
Frank Kimmel, driver in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards, is a record holding 9-time champion. Co-owner of Kimmel Racing, the Indiana native has earned 74 wins, placing him just six races shy of the number one spot on ARCA’s all-time win list. With 44 poles, 230 top-five and 294 top-ten finishes, the racing veteran has accomplished many great feats in his 18 seasons in the series. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Ford team look to continue to break records in the 2010 season.
About Activ8 Communications
Activ8 Communications, based in Mooresville, North Carolina, specializes in public relations, marketing strategies, brand development and sponsor activation. With focus on NASCAR public relations and relationship building, Activ8 creates unique identities and connections for the drivers and clients under its umbrella.
on Sunday, September 12, Kimmel and his No. 44 Ansell/Menards team will be looking to end the winless streak and return to victory lane one day before the two-year anniversary of that win.
Getting to victory lane at Toledo Speedway is nothing new for Frank Kimmel. After earning his first-career ARCA Racing series win at the half-mile track in 1994, he went on to visit victory lane eight more times becoming the most prolific driver in Toledo Speedway history. In addition to his nine wins, Kimmel has earned 22 top-five finishes and three pole awards in 30-career starts at the track.
“Toledo is the site of our very first win, so it is a great place for us to come back to,” said Kimmel. “I’ve always enjoyed Toledo. We normally run well there and get good finishes; we have had a lot of success there with wins too. Although the car that we are bringing is predominantly an intermediate car, I think it will be one of the best cars we have ever brought to Toledo. The body on it is really slick and it’s a very nice racecar. It weighs out well. I have a lot of confidence going into Toledo. I think we will run well and be very competitive.”
The road to victory lane will begin for Kimmel on Saturday, as the ARCA Racing Series takes to the track for practice starting at 12:30 p.m. EST. Sunday’s 100-mile/200-lap Northwest Ohio Dealers at Toledo Speedway is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. EST. Live timing and scoring and audio coverage will be provided by ARCA Nation and the ARCA Racing Network at ARCARacing.com. BAS Racing Network (radio) and BCSN (TV) will also host live race coverage.
“Kimmel’s Top 10”
In anticipation of his 10th Championship, Frank Kimmel gives a look at his “Top 10” before each ARCA Racing Series event. Frank Kimmel has had a lot of support along his way to nine ARCA Racing Series championships. This week Kimmel gives us a look at the “top-10 most influential people in his career.”
10. Uncle Paul- In the early days Uncle Paul took me to almost every single ARCA race that I competed at. Whatever it took to get me to the track, he did it. He would buy our hotel rooms, pay travel expenses and help out every way he could. Without him we would not have been able to go ARCA Racing at all.
9. Jack Wallace- Wally actually gave me my very first ARCA car in 1990. We used that car to win Rookie of the Year in 1992. Wally was a long-time ARCA Racer who saw some potential and decided to let me have his racecar. He is the man that gave me my start in ARCA.
8. Larry Clement- Larry was my long-time car owner. He really enabled us to win as many ARCA races and championships as we did because of his guidance and support.
7. Buddy Rouck – He was the first guy that I teamed up with. We co-owned my first late model together and won two championships with it in the late 80’s. He is also Holly’s godfather.
6. Dick Schroeder – I worked for him for a while. He was the owner of C-Line Engineering. He really helped me to become a better racer and a better mechanic in my early career.
5. Terry Shirley – Became my car owner in 1989. We won the Late Model championship in 1990, and he gave me my start in early years of ARCA Racing.
4. Donna Kimmel – She is my wife and the person that has kept my life together while I have been doing all this racing. She’s been very supportive of me and raised Holly and Frankie while I was away at the track.
3. Bill Kimmel Jr. – Bill was a good driver before he became my crew chief. He won four-straight championships at Louisville Motor Speedway. He has also been crew chief of the year in the ARCA Series eight times and been with me for eight of my nine championships.
2. Mable Kimmel – Mable is both my and Bill’s mom. She was a true racer’s wife. Mom always supported our dad no matter what he decided to do in racing. Howard while battling for the lead sent Frank and “Daisy” spinning, ultimately destroying the car.
1. Bill Kimmel Sr. – He is my and Bill’s father. He started racing in 1948 and taught us most of what we know about racecars.
Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Fast Facts
Battle for first: After bad luck plagued the Ansell/Menards team at DuQuoin, Kimmel fell to fourth in the championship standings. He now sits 50 markers behind leaders Tom Hessert and Patrick Sheltra, who are tied for first.
Last Toledo Race: In the spring event at Toledo Speedway, Kimmel overcame late-race damage to score a fourth-place finish. The finish began his climb in the ARCA Racing point standings and was his best finish in the early part of the season.
This Week’s Ford: Crew Chief, Bill Kimmel Jr., has chosen to bring chassis No. 340, “Courtney” to Toledo. This chassis, an intermediate track chassis, has not been used yet this season. With both short track cars wrecked after the dirt races at Springfield and DuQuoin, Kimmel Racing has called on “Courtney” to bring them to victory lane.
Meet Frank Kimmel: Kimmel will be signing autographs on the front stretch of Toledo Speedway on Sunday, September 12 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Featured Blogger: Want to hear what Kimmel has to say about each race weekend? Log on to http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/ every week to read Frank’s latest driver diary. He talks about what happened in the race, what he does when he is not at the track and his expectations for the next race weekend.
Follow Frank Kimmel: Follow Frank Kimmel at the track or in the race shop by logging on to facebook.com/frankkimmelracing and twitter.com/frankkimmel. Follow every race weekend for live updates and photos from the track and throughout the race.
2010 STATS
StartsWinsPolesTop 5sTop 10sAve StartAve FinishPts. Pos./Prev
Frank Kimmel16017119.48.24/2
About Frank Kimmel
Frank Kimmel, driver in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards, is a record holding 9-time champion. Co-owner of Kimmel Racing, the Indiana native has earned 74 wins, placing him just six races shy of the number one spot on ARCA’s all-time win list. With 44 poles, 230 top-five and 294 top-ten finishes, the racing veteran has accomplished many great feats in his 18 seasons in the series. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Ford team look to continue to break records in the 2010 season.
About Activ8 Communications
Activ8 Communications, based in Mooresville, North Carolina, specializes in public relations, marketing strategies, brand development and sponsor activation. With focus on NASCAR public relations and relationship building, Activ8 creates unique identities and connections for the drivers and clients under its umbrella.
Ricky Johnson Wins TORC Championship with Roush Yates Engine
Mooresville, NC (September 9, 2010) The 2010 Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL season ended last weekend with Ricky Johnson being crowned as the PRO 2WD Champion. Both Johnson and teammate Steve Barlow had very successful seasons driving their Roush Yates powered Fords for Barlow Motorsports this year.
Johnson arrived at Crandon International raceway on Sunday with a 3 point advantage over second place driver Rob MacCachren. Unfortunately for MacCachren, his hopes of winning came to an end fast during the first lap when a pileup formed in the final corner. Johnson went on to run a strong race and finish second, clinching the 2010 Championship title.
“We worked our butt off,” said Johnson. “We lost the championship by a few points last year, but we got it this year! I want to thank my mom and dad for putting me on motorcycles when I was younger, my team, Roush Yates for the incredible engine package, and my family.”
Ricky Johnson has had a Roush Yates engine under the hood all year after putting aside his promoter hat and pursuing racing full-time in the beginning of 2010. He contributes his 6 wins this season to having just the right mix of power, suspension setup, and tire traction.
“Ricky Johnson and the entire Barlow Motorsports team have been a great partner for Roush Yates,” said Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “I am excited to be a part of their championship win and wish them continued success in the future.”
To learn more about Roush Yates’ Off-Road Truck engine program or any other engines built at Roush Yates, please call Jeff Clark at (704) 658-1540 or visit us at www.roushyatesparts.com.
About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow. In 2009 Doug Yates purchased his father’s half of Roush Yates Engines to become a co-owner in the company.
As CEO, Doug Yates leads a staff of 180 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock. At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation design, precision engineering, and skillful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.
Erick Rudolph Keeps the Pedal to the Metal
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 8, 2010) – Rain was the only thing that took Heinke-Baldwin Racing driver Erick Rudolph away from the race track over the holiday weekend. Although he is now two weeks into the three-week break in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule, Rudolph has not slowed down..
Scheduled to race both Friday and Saturday night, the Ransomville, N.Y., native was forced to race only Saturday due to weather at Spencer Speedway. Late afternoon showers forced officials to postpone racing to Friday, September 10. Clear skies were over the Long Sault, Ontario racetrack of Cornwall Motor Speedway. With an unlucky redraw, Rudolph worked his way from an 11th-place starting spot to finish fifth.
Although the race at Spencer Speedway was cancelled, the field did get an opportunity to practice before the rain came in. After practice, Rudolph felt confident going into the rescheduled race this weekend. “We had a good set-up at Spencer,” explained Rudolph. “We only had one practice and it was a short run. The car seemed to be right where it needed to be. I am looking forward to going there on Friday.”
Saturday found Rudolph and team across the border at Cornwall Motor Speedway. Fast out the gate Rudolph won his heat race. An unlucky redraw led to an 11th-place starting spot for the 100-lap feature event. When the green flag waved, the 18-year-old began his trek to the front.
By lap 23 of the 100-lap race, Rudolph worked his way up to the fourth position. At the halfway point, Rudolph held steady in fourth behind the leader Danny O’Brien. Lap 66 found a battle with Mario Clairto maintain fourth. By a lap-80 caution, Rudolph held on to the fourth position with Clairto in tow.
By lap 85, Clairto worked his way past Rudolph and pushed him back to fifth. When the checkered flag flew at the Canadian quarter-mile clay oval, Rudolph crossed the finish line in fifth.
“The car was really good at Cornwall,” explained Rudolph. “We didn’t make any changes the entire day, just a few minor changes with tire combinations. It was a fun day of racing up there.”
Rudolph and team will continue racing in the Northeast and Canada this weekend, starting with the rescheduled Spencer Speedway event on Friday, September 10. Saturday the team will once again travel across the border and compete at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec, Canada.
About Heinke-Baldwin Racing
Heinke-Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by H&H Motorsports owner Al Heinke and Tommy Baldwin Racing owner Tommy Baldwin. Both Baldwin and Heinke grew up racing in New England and saw an opportunity to work together to help young drivers pursue their dreams to race.
In 2010, the team’s freshman year, HBR is fielding the No. 98H for driver Jimmy Phelps in the Super DIRTcar Series, with sponsorship from Wave Energy Drink. They will also be fielding the No. 98 for driver Erick Rudolph in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with additional sponsorship from Pizza Logs, Brigham Concrete and PrimeTyme Motorsports.
About Activ8 Communications
Activ8 Communications, based in Mooresville, North Carolina, specializes in public relations, marketing strategies, brand development and sponsor activation. With focus on NASCAR public relations and relationship building, Activ8 creates unique identities and connections for the drivers and clients under its umbrella.
Sports History Today 