ARCA

Toledo II: Michael Simko preview

Michael Simko Feels At Home With Season Finale At Toledo Speedway TOLEDO, Ohio (October 10, 2007) -- With his sixth place finish at Salem Speedway last month still fresh in his mind, Clarkston Michigan's Michael Simko returns to the ARCA RE/MAX ...

Published: Oct 11, 2007, 4:24 AM

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Michael Simko Feels At Home With Season Finale At Toledo Speedway

TOLEDO, Ohio (October 10, 2007) -- With his sixth place finish at Salem Speedway last month still fresh in his mind, Clarkston Michigan's Michael Simko returns to the ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) for one more shot at a top-10 run in Sunday's Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire.

But Simko is not just looking for his second top-10 of the season, he's searching for his first career victory in his 40th career start. In his previous 39 ARS starts Simko has wheeled 13 top-10 finishes including two top-10 finishes at Toledo Speedway last season. With sixth and seventh place finishes respectively behind the wheel of his Auburn Racing team last year at the Toledo, Ohio track Simko is looking to end his short ARCA season with explosive results.

Although there is a huge character difference between Salem Speedway and Toledo Speedway, Simko knows how to wheel his hot rod around both. Known as one of the best short track drivers on the ARCA circuit, it's hard not to consider Simko a pre-race favorite for the ARCA season closer.

Since drawing national coverage for his on-track retaliation with another competitor last year at Toledo Speedway during an ARCA late model event, Simko feels the hype has died down considerably and Toledo will be just a race where he'll be focused on the car instead of his prior actions.

"As excited as I was to get back to the RE/MAX Series racing at Salem, it's hard to believe I'm even more excited to get back to Toledo. We had what we would consider to have been an awesome run at Salem. We ran in the top-five for the majority of the event, and had we had a good set of tires in the pits like all the other leaders had, we could have been here talking about our first victory. But to still come home sixth was a great run. I'd also to like to add that it was great to actually race with people, coming from other races where as soon as a car got to your bumper, you got booted. The racing at Salem was excellent and I can only hope it'll be better in the race at Toledo," noted Simko.

Simko, who recently became a father earlier this year added, "Toledo is a track with a lot of history for me. We've had some success at Toledo in the ARCA cars, some really fast cars that didn't finish as well as we would have liked. The Auburn Racing team hopes that October 14th event will be the race to bring it all together."

For the second time this season, Simko has teamed up with his uncle Bob Schacht and will carry Schacht's familiar No. 75 for the 62nd ARCA race held at the half-mile oval.

"We had awesome help at Salem from Bob Schacht and his guys, as well as my volunteer crew and we're excited to be working with Bob again this weekend. His reputation speaks for itself and I hope his help is what will give us that extra little bit we need to be a top-three car. I was able to get out to the track and had a very successful test session a few weeks back, and it leaves us with some high hopes heading back this weekend."

The Auburn Racing team heads back to the track in their usual black and white Chevrolet with a yellow No. 75 on the door. "This is a paint scheme that has been very fit for us," sounded Simko. "You can't miss the car and it's also the scheme the race fans have been accustomed to. This is the same car we ran at Salem a few weeks ago, so we know we have a good piece we just need a little luck."

Diamond Pistons and Mound Steel & Supply will sponsor the 2005 Chevrolet this weekend. "I'd like to thank Diamond Pistons for being on board with us throughout the past couple seasons, as well as Mound Steel and Supplies," added Simko. "God willing we can bring them a good finish in the season finale."

Auburn Racing Enterprises hopes to announce their plans for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series before the start of the Holiday season.

-credit: are

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