ARCA

Michael Simko Salem preview

After Solid Run At Chicagoland; Back To Short Trackin' For Simko Clarkston, MI (09-15-05) - - After securing his first top-ten finish of the season last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Michael Simko and his Auburn Racing team return to Salem ...

Published: Sep 16, 2005, 3:22 PM

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After Solid Run At Chicagoland; Back To Short Trackin' For Simko

Clarkston, MI (09-15-05) - - After securing his first top-ten finish of the season last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Michael Simko and his Auburn Racing team return to Salem Speedway this weekend looking to get back on track in their final race of the 2005 ARCA RE/MAX Series season in the Eddie Gilstrap Motor Fall Classic 200 by Advance Discount Auto Parts.

After an early spin in last week's race, the Clarkston, Michigan native marched his way back through the field and finished tenth.

"We had a great amount of assistance from a familiar face, my uncle Bob Schacht. An incident with a lapped car early hurt our chances of staying on the lead lap, but we battled and came home with our best finish of the year, tenth. We now have really dialed in this intermediate car and now those tracks have run out. We'll be doing some testing early next year, but now it's time to return to Salem, and really go racing," said the driver Michael Simko.

"Now, coming off two strong showings at Toledo and Chicago, we're really looking forward to Salem. We had a top five car at Toledo in a lot of people's minds but pit strategy botched a good finish. Salem has always been a favorite track for me, so to end the season there will hopefully be a great end to a rough season."

Michael competed in the spring race earlier this year at Salem Speedway and was respectable. After getting spun during the event, Simko lost three laps. Throughout the remainder of the race, the avid late model competitor blasted his way back through the field and retracted one of the lost laps. In the end, Simko still remained two laps down finishing a disappointing but fair 12th.

"We had a good car in the spring race," said Simko, a steelworker by trade. "We were running very fast and had something for the lead cars and got taken out. It's a shame but that's part of racing."

Simko and his team head to the half-mile bullring looking to make their 13th start of the season. The team has also competed at Nashville, Salem, Toledo twice, Kentucky twice, Lanier, Milwaukee, Lake Erie, Michigan International Speedway twice and Chicagoland.

"We've run a little bit of everything this season," explained Simko, a second generation driver. b^0x001cWe've had some great runs but finishes haven't been there. We just need to get over the hump somehow.

Hopefully Salem will be the run we've been waiting for, and give us something real positive to look forward to for the 2006 season."

Simko will have sponsorship from Mound Steel & Supplies and Diamond Racing. "I appreciate the support that we are getting this weekend.

Mound Steel and Diamond have been with us through the thick and the thin, but we're still looking for that right sponsor that would allow this team to expand and run the full season next year. A good run on Saturday night would help propel that dream.

-ar-

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