ARCA

Frank Kimmel Michigan, Springfield race report

BAD ENDING AT MICHIGAN LEADS TO 130-POINT LEAD FOLLOWING SPRINGFIELD Springfield, IL (August 20, 2006) -- Frank Kimmel and the Pork Racing team have had a very busy weekend as the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule took the competitors from the ...

Published: Aug 22, 2006, 5:00 AM

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BAD ENDING AT MICHIGAN LEADS TO 130-POINT LEAD FOLLOWING SPRINGFIELD

Springfield, IL (August 20, 2006) -- Frank Kimmel and the Pork Racing team have had a very busy weekend as the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule took the competitors from the two-mile Michigan International Speedway on Friday night to the one-mile dirt track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for a Sunday afternoon event. Kimmel entered the Michigan event with only a 35-point lead over Bobby Gerhart and would leave Michigan tied for the top spot after going for the race win on the final lap and making contact with another car and ultimately finishing the event in the 27th position, five laps down as the field took their green-white-checker restart with the Pork Ford still sitting on pit road with a broken transmission.

In true champions' style, the Pork Racing team would pull themselves up and head down the road for the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois for some ARCA dirt track action. When Gerhart experienced problems early in the event, Kimmel knew he needed to look at the big picture by earning a solid top-five finish in order to regain the ARCA RE/MAX Series points lead. Kimmel would lead eight laps of the event and finish in the second position giving the team a 130-point lead heading into the next event at the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, August 27.

"Michigan was really disappointing for our Pork Racing team," said Kimmel. "We really had a great car and qualified even better then I think we were hoping with a third place starting position. We made some adjustments to the car all day and thought we were going to be able to secure a top-five finish. But when I was running third with a couple laps to go, the leader broke and suddenly I was right there with TJ (Bell) and I thought I could get under him for the win on the white flag lap. I drove into turn four and drifted up into him and spun both of us out. It was my fault and I apologized to TJ when the race was over. I ended up breaking the transmission and ending our day. I know I should have looked a little more at the 'big picture', but it is hard when you know you have a chance at the win on the last lap."

Kimmel qualified in the fourth position at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Allen Crowe Memorial 100. While battling Bob Strait and AJ Fike for much of the event, he would battle the Springfield native of Justin Allgaier for the win and have to settle for second place, but a win in the points department.

"This was a good day for the Pork Racing team and a lot of fun for me," said Kimmel. "I am happy for Justin because this is a really big win for him with Springfield being his hometown. It was also a lot of fun to race with Bob Strait again; he is always a lot of fun on these dirt tracks and real competitive. The Pork Ford was really good, but there with about ten laps to go, the car got pretty tight and it was harder to turn down into the corner. But once I knew that I couldn't get the win, Bill (Kimmel) reminded me that we needed to focus on the big picture. We gave up a lot of points at Michigan when I went for the win and spun, but I knew Gerhart had some tough luck today and if I could just finish in the top-five, then it would be a real good point's day for us."

Kimmel holds a 130-point lead over Gerhart as the ARCA RE/MAX Series heads to the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday.

-credit: www.frankkimmel.com

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