Austin Theriault Steals the Win in the ARCA Race at Michigan to Take His First Win in the Series in His First Career Start

         In his ARCA Racing Series debut, Austin Theriault ran second most of the evening, but he was able to beat Mason Mitchell on the final restart to take his first win in the series in his first start. Mason Mitchell was dominate the entire afternoon, but the first round of pit stops of the race put Theriault in first after Mitchell struggled on his stop. Mitchell was able to pass Theriault and he looked to finish off the event, but a caution waved with twenty five laps to go. Mitchell looked to win on the restart, but Theriault battled him hard and took the lead. He was able to hold on and run away from Mitchell to take the win with ease. Theriault, who only made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut a month ago, battled hard all day and proved he does have in future in auto racing. Mason Mitchell ran well for the second straight week, but he was forced to settle with a second place finish for the second straight week. Justin Allison ran really well all day and made the Alabama Gang proud with a third place finish in his first start at Michigan. John Wes Townley battled back from starting at the back to a fourth place finish. Spencer Gallagher was a factor all evening and he took a fifth place finish even with only seven cylinders powering his car late in the event. The race only had two cautions, but it was definitely a battle all evening. One key part of the race turned out to be a set of green flag pit stops during the middle of the event. Almost all drivers in the event had problems and the race was greatly affected by these stops. It turned out that Theriault, who had a clean stop under green, turned out to be the eventual winner. After a flying fast race at Michigan, the ARCA Racing Series was left with a great race where battles filled the evening.

        Mason Mitchell started on the pole. It was his second ARCA pole of 2014 and he was looking to take a win after a second place finish to Kyle Larson at Pocono. The race went green and Mitchell immediately jumped out ahead of the field as the pack raced behind him. Mitchell looked to run away, but the first caution of the race quickly waved on lap 4. Tom O'Leary lost an engine heading down the backstretch. Smoke billowed out of his car as he drove into the turn 3 grass. He came to a stop in the grass with a finished race due to a blown engine. Rick Clifton also slowed on track and went to the garage, but he would return to the event. Due to the caution being early in the event, only a little strategy was played during the caution. Austin Wayne Self, who made slight contact with the wall on the second lap, came down for fuel along with Grant Enfinger and a few other drivers. It would be interesting to see how this move worked for both of the drivers. The field was lined back up and Mason Mitchell easily held onto the lead when the race went green. Quickly, the laps began to click by in the race as Mitchell ran away. A few drivers battled within the top five, but they weren't even close to Mitchell. As the first round of stops approached, it looked like Mitchell would easily remain the leader, but only the stops would tell. The first round of green flag pit stops of the race came on lap 45 and they shook up the race completely.

         Spencer Gallagher led the charge of drivers onto pit road and his stop went cleanly, but that wasn't the case for other drivers. Justin Boston, who was running well in the race, came down in a lap or two and his car stalled. His crew tried to get it to fire, but they couldn't and Boston coasted all the way to the edge of pit road where his team had to push him back to his stall. It turned out to be a major problem for Boston and he lost a good many laps. Mason Mitchell came down as the leader and he had a slow stop after the jackman couldn't get the jack underneath the car. Mitchell lost a ton of time and he came off of pit road behind Austin Theriault, which meant Theriault would take the lead after stops cycled through. Meanwhile, Grant Enfinger and Austin Wayne Self, who pitted under the first caution, remained on the track. Self finally came to pit road on lap 56 and he had a few problems. First, a tire rolled away from his crew on pit road and he immediately earned a penalty. Then, he had run his car out of fuel and he couldn't get it fired again. He struggled to get it fired, but he was finally able to drive away. Grant Enfinger finally came to pit road on lap 58 and he had a problem. He had run out of fuel and he struggled to get his car fired. He finally did and drove away, but he lost a ton of time along with Self. This cycled pit stops through and Austin Theriault inherited the lead. He looked to drive away, but Mason Mitchell still had a rocket. Theriault hit traffic and Mitchell took complete advantage. He powered up to the leader and took the lead with ease on lap 65. It looked like Mitchell was wanting to stay out front, but only time would tell if he would.

         The laps began to click by once again and the race was still all Mason Mitchell's. Mitchell was hoping the race would stay green, but the second and final caution waved on lap 75. Justin Boston lost a motor on the frontstretch just in front of Mitchell. Smoke poured heavily out of Boston's car as Mitchell drove past. Boston coasted around the track and pulled into the garage with his race finished after a struggle of an evening. The caution brought some strategy for the six lead lap drivers on track. Spencer Gallagher, John Wes Townley, and Will Kimmel decided to come down pit road while Mason Mitchell, Justin Allison, and others stayed on track. It would be interesting to see how these moves worked for each of these drivers. The field was lined back up and Mason Mitchell lined up on the inside of Austin Theriault. The race went green for the final time and the two leaders ran side by side into turn 1. It looked like Mitchell would hold the advantage, but Theriault drove hard down the backstretch and bumped into Mitchell's side. This propelled Theriault to the lead while Mitchell fell right into his tire tracks. The rest of the field battled behind these two leaders while Theriault and Mitchell set the fastest laps of the event. Mitchell ran behind Theriault for a few laps, but he began to fall back. Theriault streaked away as only ten laps remained. The laps clicked by and the only hope for Mitchell to win was a caution. With five laps to go, the caution did not look possible. Theriault was setting a torrid pace as he passed the line for two laps to go. He blasted through all four turns and took the white flag with ease. Theriault looked like a veteran as he drove through the Michigan turns one final time and took the checkered flag in his first career ARCA race. It was a great victory for Theriault in his first start in the series and one that could push him to the top.

        Austin Theriault became a very notable driver one month ago when Dale Earnhardt Jr. tabbed him to drive his number five in a few NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season. The first race for him was at Iowa last month. Theriault ran quick all afternoon and kept his nose clean to take a fifteenth place finish. It was a nice show for him and he will have more opportunities, but he made the most of this one today. He took a very good Venturini Motorsports ride to a win in only his first start in the ARCA Racing Series. He beat the likes of Frank Kimmel, Grant Enfinger, Ken Schrader, Mason Mitchell, and John Wes Townley to take the win in grand fashion and prove he belongs. It looks like the name Austin Theriault will be said for years to come as his career progresses. Mason Mitchell walked away disappointed again with a second place finish, but he won't be held out of victory lane for too much longer. Justin Allison looked like the rest of the Allison's as he took a hard fought third place finish at Michigan. John Wes Townley came back from a bad finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park to take a fourth place finish at Michigan. Spencer Gallagher ran without a little bit of power late in the race, but he still managed to hold onto a fifth place finish. A few notables like Frank Kimmel, Grant Enfinger, Justin Boston, and Tom Hessert finished outside the top five, but they will have another chance to redeem themselves in the future. Mason Mitchell remained disappointed with a second place finish, but he managed to take the points lead away heading to Elko Speedway next Saturday. Speaking of Elko, the three eighths of a mile track will certainly hold some great racing next Saturday. Will Frank Kimmel repeat at Elko to take his first win of the season, will Mason Mitchell finally take his first series win, or will another driver head to victory lane at Elko? We only have to wait until next Saturday to find out this information and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4- Tom O'Leary lost an engine heading down the backstretch and drove into the grass.

2nd Caution: Lap 75- Justin Boston lost a motor heading down the frontstretch. 

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Austin Theriault
2nd: Mason Mitchell
3rd: Justin Allison
4th: John Wes Townley
5th: Spencer Gallagher

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Frank Kimmel
8th: Grant Enfinger
9th: Austin Wayne Self
11th: Ken Schrader
12th: Tom Hessert
21st: Justin Boston





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.arcaracing.com/
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_Corrigan_Oil_200/A
-Image:
http://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/2014/06/13/13733144/14f17262c708490d9144816957e395d6-Photo-1-350x450.jpg

Grant Enfinger Dominates at Daytona For His First Win at the Sacred Track

       After leading the most laps in the annual ARCA race at Daytona, Grant Enfinger was able to cross the line first and take his third win in the ARCA Racing Series. Enfinger has been a regular in the ARCA Racing Series for many years, but he only received the chance to start a full season one time in 2011. Last year, he took his first two victories in the series, but he still wasn't running full time even though he was extremely successful. This year held the same part time chance, but he went out at Daytona and took the win, which could give a full run in the series once again. Even though Enfinger led the most laps, he had to battle two future stars: Dylan Kwasniewski and Chase Elliott. Both drivers started near the front and looked to win each and every lap on the track. Both fell back late in the event,  but they battled hard to take their first victories at the sacred track in Daytona, Florida. There were also a good many ARCA championship contenders for this year looking to start the year off great. Frank Kimmel, John Wes Townley, Tom Hessert, Mason Mitchell, and others looked to make huge gains as the season started. Plus, you throw in a huge amount of drivers who have never before been on the Daytona surface and you have yourself a very action packed race on the high banks of Daytona. This was definitely the case on this Saturday afternoon and action definitely picked up.

        Dylan Kwasniewski started on the pole. It was his second career ARCA Racing Series pole in only his second career start. The first ARCA race of the season went green and Kwasniewski was able to lead the first lap of the event. The front of the field calmed down early with Kwasniewski running the low line in front of several drivers, but the back of the field was battling side by side the entire time around the track. The first mistake of the afternoon occurred on lap 6 and it was not made by a rookie at Daytona. Bobby Gerhart, the eight time winner of the annual ARCA race at Daytona, made slight contact with the outside wall in turn 1. Gerhart was able to drive away, but the right side of his car was damaged and smoking slightly. He stayed on track for the moment, but he lost a good many spots. Gerhart would get his chance to come to pit road soon after his mistake as the first caution of the race waved on lap 13. Unfortunately for most of the field, the damage from this massive wreck couldn't be fixed.

        Coming out of turn 4, Buster Graham went around because his car had been struggling with a tight condition. Graham went up the track and into traffic. The field stacked up behind him and cars began to spin and crash all over the track. Justin Allison, Will Kimmel, Justin Boston, Benny Gordon, Kody Weisner, Sean Corr, Mark Thompson, Jeb Burton, Mario Gosselin, Tom Buzze, Scotty Hubler, Cole Powell, Terry Jones, and Bobby Grewohl all spun and crashed through the Daytona grass and into both of the walls. A few drivers were able to drive away with minimal damage, but most of the drivers stayed stopped on the frontstretch grass. It was a massive pile-up and a good many favorites were out early in the event. None of the drivers received the lucky dog. The caution resulted in the only pit stops for the teams during the event. Most of the leaders took fuel only with Chase Elliott making his way out first ahead of Dylan Kwasniewski, who had lead the entire race up to the caution. Maryeve Dufault and Thomas Praytor decided to stay on track for the time being. It would be interesting to see how this move worked for these two drivers.

        The race went back green and Thomas Praytor immediately dropped to the back of the field due to a transmission problem. Maryeve Dufault held her ground, but Dylan Kwasniewski quickly took the lead away. The race only went a few short laps before the second caution waved on lap 25. Matt Kurzejewski and Leilani Munter had problems on the race track in turn 2. The two made contact and both slammed the outside wall hard. Munter was able to drive away with huge damage, but Kurzejewski's car sat stopped with heavier damage in the turn 2 grass. None of the drivers decided to come down pit road and the field lined up for a brand new double file restart in the ARCA Racing Series. The race went back green and Dylan Kwasniewski was able to hold onto the lead. He wouldn't hold it long as a legitimate race contender began to make his way to the front.

        On lap 32, Grant Enfinger was able to take the lead for the first time on the day. He looked to run away from the field, but Kwasniewski stayed patient and passed him back on lap 39. Enfinger stayed at bay for the moment, but he once again passed Kwasniewski for the lead on lap 44. Enfinger led a few more laps before Kwasniewski took his place on point on lap 50. Enfinger came back on lap 52 and Kwasniewski began to lose the front field as he was pushed into the outside line. This gave Enfinger the lead, but the field was battling hard behind him looking to make a pass. It looked like the race would go green the rest of the way, but the field would catch a break as the third and final caution waved on lap 68. Kody Weisner went sideways in turn 1 and rode up the track. He slammed the outside wall and slid down the track. He rolled to a stop in the grass with more damage on his car, but he did drive away. Ed Pompa received the lucky dog, but his race would end during the caution. While running at full speed to catch the lead pack, he lost an engine in turn 4 and spun to a stop in turn 1 just on the edge of the grass. His race was over and no driver was added to the lead lap field. This caused the caution to last a bit longer and only seven laps would remain to crown a winner in the first race of the 2014 ARCA season.

        Grant Enfinger chose the inside line on the final restart with Frank Kimmel behind him and Chase Elliott above him. The race went green and Elliott looked to jump in front of Enfinger. Kimmel pushed Enfinger and Enfinger was able to hold onto the lead. This pass cost Elliott as the outside line began to fall backwards. He fell extremely far back as Enfinger and Kimmel remained first and second, respectively. The field began to battle hard as the laps clicked by. Soon, only two long Daytona laps remained for the ARCA field. Enfinger stayed consistent, but the ten time ARCA champion Kimmel was searching behind him. The field took the white flag and the drivers began to look for a way around Enfinger. A few drivers went to the outside on the backstretch, but no one had made a huge charge for the win. Enfinger came out of turn 4 with the lead and he would hold it as he crossed the finish line for his first checkered flag at Daytona. It was a very rewarding victory for Enfinger and it could allow him to run the entire season.

        Sponsorship woes have been rampant in auto racing for a good many years now. Teams with a lot of sponsorship money tend to run up front at all times while teams with little money struggle to finish. Grant Enfinger's team with owner Howard Bixman knows what it it like without a ton of sponsorship money. They haven't run a full season with Enfinger as the driver, but this Daytona win could change things. One win at Daytona could open doors for sponsors from every direction. We could very well see Grant Enfinger run the entire ARCA campaign for the first time since 2011. Plus, he looks good enough to win his first championship. Others, like Frank Kimmel and John Wes Townley, know their teams will run the full season and they hope to continue Daytona success and possibly stand on top of the ARCA mountain at the end of the season. Each of these ARCA regulars battled hard with guys who wanted to race at Daytona for the first times in their lives and others who are off to bigger things this year. That is the beauty of the ARCA Racing Series. All types of drivers can battle on all types of tracks. The same will be the case after the series takes a month off and heads to Mobile, Alabama for the annual race at the track. Will Grant Enfinger win back to back races at Mobile, will Frank Kimmel win the second race of the year as he looks to repeat as champion, or will another driver break through in the ARCA championship battle? We will have to wait a month before we found this out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 13- Buster Graham went around in turn 4 due to a tight condition. Justin Allison, Will Kimmel, Justin Boston, Benny Gordon, Kody Weisner, Sean Corr, Mark Thompson, Jeb Burton, Mario Gosselin, Tom Buzze, Scotty Hubler, Cole Powell, Terry Jones, and Bobby Grewohl piled into the wreck.

2nd Caution: Lap 25- Matt Kurzejewski and Leilani Munter made contact with each other and the outside wall in turn 2.

3rd Caution: Lap 68- Kody Weisner hit the wall in turn 1 and spun down the track into the grass. 

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Unknown
3rd Caution: Ed Pompa

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Grant Enfinger
2nd: Frank Kimmel
3rd: Clay Campbell
4th: Tom Hessert 
5th: Tyler Reddick

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Bobby Gerhart
9th: Chase Elliott
11th: John Wes Townley
14th: Dylan Kwasniewski
29th: Jeb Burton
36th: Justin Allison
40th: Justin Boston




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special Thanks to a certain full race uploader. I won't add any links because I don't want his races to be taken down.
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_Lucas_Oil_200_Presented_by_MAVTV/A
-Image:

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/e7063694e7dcc12e92267c60fb818707974c557f/c%3D0-20-3300-2501%26r%3Dx404%26c%3D534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/02/15//1392508082000-AP-ARCA-Daytona-Auto-Racing.jpg

Frank Kimmel Becomes the All Time Winningest Driver in the ARCA Racing Series En Route to the Win at Kansas and His Tenth ARCA Racing Series Championship

           Frank Kimmel broke Iggy Katona's record for ARCA Racing Series victories at Kansas with his eightieth win while taking his tenth career championship. Kimmel tied Katona earlier this year with a win at Winchester and the two sat tied for a little while before Kimmel broke through at Kansas. Kimmel was not the dominant car in the race, though. He used a bit of strategy early in the event to get to the front. He pitted under the first caution while the rest of the leaders stayed out. This allowed Kimmel to stay out during the next caution and take the lead for the first time. The event was supposed to be ninety nine laps, but an incoming storm forced the race to be shortened to sixty five laps. This allowed Kimmel to hold the lead with enough fuel and take the victory over Mason Mitchell and John Wes Townley. Even though the race was shortened, it was not without its surprises and thrills. Scott Lagasse  Jr. and Corey LaJoie, the two leaders early in the race, wrecked while battling for the lead and strategy was an important part of the event. To add to all that, James Hylton, a seventy nine year old driver in the series, made his last stock car start after a historic career that included two NASCAR Grand National victories and a Rookie of the Year crown in 1966. If all this hasn't got you excited, check your pulse and continue reading.

        Dylan Kwasniewski started on the pole. It was his first career pole in his first career start in the series. Before the race had even started, Frank Kimmel had clinched the title. He was far enough ahead of Mason Mingus that all he had to do was practice for the race. When he went on the track Saturday, he was the 2013 ARCA Racing Series Champion for a record tenth time. Kimmel would still race because he wanted to say he won as well. The race went green and the action immediately picked up. Chad Boat made a three wide move underneath Dylan Kwasniewski and Corey LaJoie as the top three entered turn 1. Boat exited turn 2 with the advantage, but Scott Lagasse Jr. was able to get past him on the backstretch to lead the first lap of the race. Lagasse held the lead early, but LaJoie was coming. On lap 13, LaJoie was able to get by Lagasse to lead the lap, but Scott powered by Corey on the next lap to take the lead back. This led to a fierce battle between the two that would lead to a very terrible incident for both drivers.

        On lap 17, LaJoie and Lagasse crossed the line with a lapped car in front of them. LaJoie went low and Lagasse went high around the lapped car. Because he was so low on the track making the arch into the corner, LaJoie had to get out of the throttle and hand Scott the lead. But LaJoie came back at the exit of turn 1. He nailed the throttle and made slight contact with the back of Lagasse. The contact was enough to send him around and into the outside wall rear end first. LaJoie also slammed the wall after the contact and both drivers ended up with huge damage on the backstretch of the track as Dylan Kwasniewski passed them for the lead. Both drivers would try to have their cars fixed, but the damage was too much. This caused the first caution of the race to wave. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Frank Kimmel and Mason Mitchell decided to come down pit road to get four tires and fuel and see if they could make the strategy game work in their favor. It would be interesting to see if the strategy would work for the two drivers. 

        The race went back green and Dylan Kwasniewski was able to hold onto the lead. Kwasniewski held the lead for the next few laps before the second caution waved on lap 33. Roger Carter broke loose in turn 3 and went for a spin. Mason Mingus went high trying to avoid Carter, but Carter slid up the track and the two made slight contact. Both had damage, but Mingus had the least amount of damage between the two. The final strategy session occurred during the caution. Frank Kimmel and Mason Mitchell decided to stay on track with Justin Boston and Will Kimmel taking two tires and the rest of the lead lap drivers taking four tires. Kimmel and Mitchell had made their earlier strategy work for the moment, but would the race go the full distance or would the rain come? One drop of rain or one lap could decide the ultimate finish of the race.

        The race went back green and Frank Kimmel held the lead. The race went a couple of laps before the third caution waved on lap 40. Bobby Grewohl got loose in turn 2 and went for a slide down the track. He slid onto the apron and made it to the backstretch where he corrected his car and continued on. The field lined back up and the race went green quickly. Frank Kimmel held the lead. The race would go only a few more laps before the fourth and final caution waved on lap 46. Chad Boat lost an engine on the frontstretch of the track. Smoke flew out the back of his car along with fire, but Boat was able to jump out of his car safe and okay. The oil was cleaned up on the track and the race went green for the final time. Frank Kimmel held the lead once again and this time it would be very important. ARCA officials radioed to the teams that the race would be shortened to sixty five laps instead of the scheduled ninety nine laps due to the impending rain. This meant that only ten laps remained for Kimmel to hold onto his lead.

        Mason Mitchell and John Wes Townley began to charge at Frank Kimmel as the call was made for only ten laps to remain. Mitchell made it close, but Kimmel began to get away. With only six laps to go, Kimmel held a comfortable lead as Mitchell and Townley tried to mount a comeback. With four laps to go, Kimmel entered some lap traffic, but he moved through it easily. Behind the three leaders, Justin Boston, Will Kimmel, and Spencer Gallagher fought hard for fifth, but this did not affect the leaders. With two laps to go, Kimmel easily had the win in his hands. He took the white flag and made it effortlessly through all four corners to take his eightieth career victory in the ARCA Racing Series. To add to that, Kimmel is now a ten time champion in the ARCA Racing Series.

         For a few years, it seemed like the younger drivers had taken over for Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series, but he proved that was not the case in 2013. Kimmel raced in perfect form all season with top 10s in every single event throughout the season. Plus, Kimmel grabbed fifteen top 5s and four wins in pursuit of history. All I have to say is that Frank Kimmel is probably one of the greatest to sit behind the wheel of a race car. Some of you guys will not agree because of the series he had success in, but that does not matter to me when you compare that to his success. What a tough break it was for Scott Lagasse Jr. and Corey LaJoie. The two were battling for the lead when they made contact in turn 2 and ended up with huge amounts of damage. Either one of these drivers could have been standing in victory lane when everything was said and done, but they will be back to avenge the mistakes they made. Once again, give a call to the great James Hylton. He made his final start in the series at the age of seventy nine years old. Not may people can say they drove a stock car at over 150 miles per hour at the age of seventy nine. Props to James Hylton for driving as long as he possibly could in a sport that he loves so much. I hope he continues to come to the race track and be a good mentor for some of the drivers heading up the ranks. The ARCA Racing Series returns in 2014 at the Daytona International Speedway. Will Frank Kimmel capture his eleventh series title, will Bobby Gerhart win his ninth race at Daytona, or will another driver come along to give Frank Kimmel a run for his money? We will have to wait until February 2014 to find this out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 17- Corey LaJoie made slight contact with Scott Lagasse Jr. in turn 2 that caused both drivers to slam the outside wall on the exit of turn 2.

2nd Caution: Lap 33- Roger Carter got loose in turn 3 and went for spin. Mason Mingus made contact with Carter after he drifted up the track on Mingus.

3rd Caution: Lap 40- Bobby Grewohl got loose in turn 2 and went for a slide down the track.

4th Caution: Lap 46- Chad Boat lost his engine on the frontstretch of the track.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Frank Kimmel
2nd: Mason Mitchell
3rd: John Wes Townley
4th: Dylan Kwasniewski
5th: Justin Boston

Notables Not in Top 5:
9th: Mason Mingus
11th: Justin Allison*
15th: Milka Duno
17th: Bobby Gerhart
18th: James Hylton^
23rd: Chad Boat
25th: Corey LaJoie
27th: Scott Lagasse Jr.
(*: Yes, he is one of those Allison's. He is the grandson of Donnie Allison.)
(^: James Hylton made his final ARCA start at the age of seventy nine.)




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Kansas_Lottery_98.9/A
-Image:
http://arcaracing.com/

Corey LaJoie Continues His Amazing Record in the ARCA Racing Series This Year With His Third Win at Kentucky

         Corey LaJoie used a final restart pass for the lead to take his third ARCA win of the season in only four events. LaJoie became a part of the series only two months ago with his first win in his first start of the season at Chicagoland. Two weeks later, he took his second win of his career in his second start of the season at Pocono. After having a fourth place finish in his third start of the season two weeks ago at Iowa, LaJoie came back strong with his third win in four starts on the season at Kentucky. LaJoie, who is the son of former Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, has had the help of Richard Petty Motorsports, but he has used cars that he tuned himself. If you ask me, that is a great accomplishment considering all the huge teams with huge budgets in the sport. Frank Kimmel continued his dominance of the series with another top ten finish. As long he makes the trip to Kansas in two weeks, he will be crowned the 2013 ARCA Racing Series Champion. Mason Mingus did a good job in his first year to fight with the veteran, but he will come up just short. All in all, it was a good race with a few contenders having trouble during the race that allowed others to have a chance at the victory.

         Frank Kimmel started on the pole. Qualifying had been rained out on Friday and the lineup was set based on owners points. Because of this, drivers like Chase Elliott, Chad Boat, and Grant Enfinger had to start deep in the field with good cars. The race had also been rained out on Friday and was forced to be run on Saturday afternoon. This meant that cars that were set up for a night race would have to compete during the day. The race went green and it only went one corner before the first caution waved on lap 1. Milka Duno got loose in turn 2 underneath Chase Elliott. Duno slid around and backed into the outside wall. She had a good bit of damage, but she would be able to continue on in the race even though she wasn't a factor. After seventeen hours after the scheduled start of the race and a caution the first lap of the race, Frank Kimmel was able to cross the line to lead the first lap.

        The race went back green and Erik Jones was able to take the lead from Frank Kimmel entering turn 1. Jones held onto the lead until Corey LaJoie was able to take the lead from him on lap 31. Shortly after this, the second caution of the race waved on lap 34. Josh Williams got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin. Williams did a good job to keep his car off the inside wall and get stopped. He was able to stop on the apron of the track and continue on without damage. The lead lap drivers decided to come down pit road for their first stops. Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie, and others took four tires while Grant Enfinger and Mason Mitchell took two tires. This allowed Enfinger and Mitchell to restart second and fourth, respectively. The pit stops were not without incident. Erik Jones's team had some trouble. The team did a good job to get all four tires on the car and the jackman dropped the jack, which signaled to Jones that he could take off. When he did, the left rear tire popped off the housing holding it into place. Jones did not realize it and started to pull off without a left rear. His team stopped him and the crew had to lift the car up with their bare hands to get jacks underneath it. After a struggle, they did and they were able to replace the tire, but Jones had received some damage and he had lost a lot of time. It would be interesting to see if Jones, who had led earlier, would be able to get back to the front.

       The race went back green and Chase Elliott was able to hold onto the lead he took during the stops. The race would soon turn from good to bad for Elliott. On lap 41, Elliott began to slow down on track. He made it to the apron and made the move to pit road. He reported to his team that something was wrong with the engine and the car had shut off on the way to pit road. He made it to his stall and the team checked underneath the hood. Later on, the team would find out that water had somehow made its way into their fuel and had caused the fuel pump to go bad. It was a tough break for Elliott and his team and he would not return to the race. This left a really nice battle for the lead between Mason Mitchell and Corey LaJoie. After riding side by side for a good bit, Mitchell was able to take the lead from LaJoie. The race went a short while before the third caution waved on lap 54. Erik Jones got loose underneath Grant Enfinger in turn 4. Jones went for a slide down the frontstretch and stopped on the grass. Jones was able to keep going without damage after replacing his tires. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. The top 7 drivers stayed out along with Frank Kimmel and others while Grant Enfinger, Mason Mingus, Erik Jones, and others came to pit road. It would be interesting to see if  tires propelled a driver farther in the field to the win.

        The race went back green and Mason Mitchell was able to hold onto the lead. He would only hold it for a short time until a great move was made on lap 62. Corey LaJoie went underneath Mason Mitchell in turn 2. Chad Boat, who was running third, got a huge run exiting turn 2 and was able to make a three wide move underneath the two leaders on the backstretch. Boat was able to pass both LaJoie and Mitchell and take the lead. Immediately after this, the fourth and final caution of the race waved on lap 63. Garrett Smithley got loose in turn 2 and went up the track. He made slight contact with the outside wall and it looked like he had the car saved, but it snapped to the left and slammed the inside wall. Smithley ended up stopped on the apron and he tried to get back going, but the damage was too much and he wouldn't return to the race. The lead lap drivers stayed on track and the final green flag run of the race was set up.

       The race went green for the final time and Corey LaJoie and Chad Boat began to battle. In turn 2, the two drivers made contact and LaJoie was able to jump out to the lead while Boat started to fall back. LaJoie began to move away from the field and he held a comfortable lead, but there were a good many laps to go. With twenty laps to go, LaJoie still held a comfortable lead, but Mason Mitchell and Spencer Gallagher were there waiting for a mistake. With ten laps to go, LaJoie's lead almost completely went away. On lap 90, Steven Mathews went up the track in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. Tire smoke poured out of Mathews car and he was barely able to make it to the apron. He came down pit road and his race was finished. ARCA decided not to wave the caution since debris had not been put on the track and LaJoie still held the lead. LaJoie would hold the lead and cruise to his third career win in the ARCA Racing Series. It has been a very good four races this year for LaJoie and he should only get better.

        I remember that just two months ago I was asking myself  what had happened to Corey LaJoie. He had only been in two K&N races before June. I was wondering if maybe his career was nearing its end before it had even begun. Now, LaJoie is a three time winner in the ARCA Racing Series this year and is on the radar of many of the teams across all series in NASCAR. It is a great turn around and one that is needed for a very promising driver. With his ninth place finish, Frank Kimmel has practically guaranteed himself his tenth ARCA Racing Series championship. With still a few years left in the tank, Frank Kimmel could grab the title of being one of the best to ever drive a stock car. I want to bring up a driver who is retiring at the end of this year. James Hylton, a seventy nine year old who is in his final ARCA season, finished twenty first in the penultimate round of his storied career. With only one event left, I hope he can grab at least a top twenty finish to end off a great career. The race also held a tough break for Chase Elliott. Elliott, who was running up front, had a weird occurrence of water in his fuel. It is a tough way to end his ARCA season, but he should come on strong next year in whatever he gets behind the wheel of. The ARCA Racing Series takes a week off before heading to the Kansas Speedway for the final race of the season. Will Frank Kimmel win a record eightieth race along with his tenth championship, will Mason Mitchell, Mason Mingus, or Justin Boston grab their first win in the final race of the season, or will another driver come out with the victory? We will have to wait two weeks to find this out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 1- Milka Duno got loose underneath Chase Elliott in turn 2 and went for a spin that ultimately caused her to slam the outside wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 34- Josh Williams got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin.

3rd Caution: Lap 54- Erik Jones got loose underneath Grant Enfinger in turn 4 and went for a spin down the frontstretch.

4th Caution: Lap 63- Garrett Smithley got loose in turn 2 and barely hit the outside wall, but he slid down the track and slammed the inside wall.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Corey LaJoie
2nd: Mason Mitchell
3rd: Spencer Gallagher
4th: Grant Enfinger
5th: Chad Boat

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Erik Jones
9th: Frank Kimmel
10th: Mason Mingus
13th: Bobby Gerhart
21st: James Hylton
23rd: Milka Duno
27th: Chase Elliott




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_ZLOOP_150/A
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
-Special thanks to Besweeet53 on justin.tv. My stupid cable provider does not provide FOX Sports 2, but I was able to watch it on his stream. If you guys want to check out any of the races during the weekend, he is the guy to go to. Here is his channel link:
http://www.justin.tv/besweeet53#/w/6916888832/6
-Image:
http://arcaracing.com/

Corey LaJoie Grabs The Lead Late at Pocono and Goes Back to Back In the ARCA Racing Series

         Corey LaJoie took the lead late from Erik Jones to win his second career race in the ARCA Racing Series. Actually, his first win came just two weeks ago at Chicagoland. With the win at Pocono, it not only meant he had his second career win, but he went back-to-back to grab both of those wins. It was a pretty impressive feat, but one that almost didn't happen. LaJoie had to start in eighteenth place after qualifying was rained out and he was almost sent to the back for the start of the race, but a few drivers pitted on the pace laps and he was allowed to start in his original position. Near the end of the race, it seemed like LaJoie would finish second, but Erik Jones, the leader, had problems that allowed LaJoie to catch up and pass him for the win. One story line to follow in the race was that each driver had to make a pit stop before lap 40. This meant that a lot of strategy could be employed up to that point and it would be interesting to see which strategy would work. A final story line to follow is that the race did not have any cautions. This meant that all the drivers who wanted to win would have to use the pits and good cars to win the race. Even with the lack of cautions, the race was heavily contested and one that was very interesting to watch.

       Frank Kimmel started on the pole. Since the morning practice session was rained out, ARCA decided to cancel qualifying and use that time for a practice session. This meant that the field was set by owner points and many drivers, like Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie, and Brennan Newberry, would have to start in the back half of the field. Before the race could even get started, Corey LaJoie would almost be sent to the back of the field. LaJoie stopped on track to adjust his steering wheel and make sure it was straight before the start of the race. In NASCAR, this move is legal, but in the ARCA Racing Series, you are forced to start from the back of the field for giving up your position on track. Fortunately for LaJoie, some drivers made pit stops during the pace laps and he was allowed to start the race from his original position. Chad Boat would also have trouble during the pace laps. Boat stopped on track at the exit of turn 2 and another pace lap was added to move his car off track. His car had a fuel pump issue and he was able to make it into the race, but he was twelve laps down and he would not get a good finish. After an eventful few pace laps, the race was able to start and Frank Kimmel was able to come around and lead the first lap.

       Erik Jones was able to take the lead from Frank Kimmel on lap 2 and he looked to run away from the field. It was a short time after this that one of the possible race and championship contenders would have trouble. Tom Hessert, who was running in the top 10, began to slow in turn 2 on lap 4 due to a blown tire. Hessert did not hit the wall and he was able to make it down pit road, but he was mired deep in the field and without a chance for a good finish. It was a short time after this that another possible race contender would have trouble. Josh Williams, who was running in or near the top 10 early in the race, was black flagged due to smoke coming out his car. He reported to pit road on lap 7 and his team made sure everything was okay before he went back on track. Everything was good with his car and he was able to return to the track, but he was put a couple laps down and he would not have a chance for a top 10. Shortly after this, Frank Kimmel was able to take the lead from Erik Jones on lap 9, but Chase Elliott was coming. Elliott was able to get by Kimmel for the lead on lap 17. If the feat didn't seem like much, Elliott had moved from twenty-third on the start to the lead in only 16 measly laps. Only the race would tell if he would be a factor later on.

        Shortly after getting passed for the lead, Frank Kimmel decided to make the move to pit road on lap 21. He took two tires and this led to others making the move to pit road. Chase Elliott, Brennan Newberry, and Spencer Gallagher decided to pit a few laps after Kimmel. Newberry and Gallagher took two tires as Elliott decided to take four tires. This gave the lead to Erik Jones, who had led earlier in the race. It was a short time after this that Jones decided to make the move to pit road on lap 29. He took two tires and led more drivers to make the move to pit road. Corey LaJoie, Mason Mingus, Justin Boston, and Will Kimmel made the move to pit road in the laps after Jones. LaJoie, Mingus, and Will Kimmel decided to take two tires while Boston got only fuel in his car. Since he only took two tires, Erik Jones was able to stay in the lead with LaJoie and Chase Elliott in second and third, respectively. It seemed like Elliott had made the wrong move on his stop, but time would tell how it would turn out.

        It was a short time after this that Elliott's chances were completely dashed. Coming into turn 1 on lap 41, Elliott lost a left front tire after he ran over some debris. Elliott was able to keep his car out of the wall and make it to pit road, but this cost him a chance at the win. Now, Erik Jones just had to cruise and he would be the youngest winner in the history of the ARCA Racing Series. He was doing a good job as Corey LaJoie could not make time on him, but a mistake cost Jones. Coming into turn 2 on lap 47, Jones made a move around the outside of Josh Williams, but Jones did not have enough room to make it past Williams. He made slight contact with the outside wall and was able to sneak by Williams. As Jones exited turn 2, his car shut off and he could not get it refired. Just like that, the leader of the race had engine troubles. Corey LaJoie was in second at the time and made the move around him to take the lead. LaJoie made no mistakes and cruised to the second victory of his young ARCA career. As the rest of the lead lap drivers made their way to the finish line, one incident would occur between Brian Kaltreider and Mason Mitchell. In turn 3, Kaltreider got loose as Mason Mingus was going by him. Kaltreider tried to save his car, but it went up the track and slammed into Mason Mitchell's door. Mitchell spun around and slammed the outside wall. In footage from his in car camera, Mitchell was visibly shaken up, but both drivers were able to get out of their cars and they were okay. Now, Corey LaJoie could celebrate his victory.

        The luck Corey LaJoie has had in the past two races has been unbelievable. Two weeks ago in Chicago, LaJoie was able to get past Josh Williams for second as Justin Boston, the leader, ran out of fuel with a handful of laps to go. This gave LaJoie the lead and his first ARCA victory. This week in Pocono, Erik Jones, the leader, had engine problems with a handful of laps to go that allowed LaJoie to pass him for the win.  It was definitely a big win for LaJoie that could put him on the radar of many big teams in the sport. The other end of the spectrum is not as pleasant. Erik Jones and Chase Elliott had the cars to beat, but both had problems that cost them wins and good finishes. It was definitely a good day for one driver, but a bad end for some drivers. The ARCA Racing Series heads to Berlin Raceway for the next race. It is not going to be live, but it will be tape delayed and shown later. This is the same trend for the two races after the one at Berlin. It will be over a month until the series is live again at Iowa Speedway. Will Mason Mingus draw closer to Frank Kimmel in these next few races, will Frank Kimmel run away with the points lead, or will Kimmel take down Iggy Katona's career record of eighty wins? We will have to watch the next few races to find this out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions: None

Lucky Dogs: None

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Corey LaJoie
2nd: Frank Kimmel
3rd: Justin Boston
4th: Brennan Newberry
5th: Spencer Gallagher

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Mason Mingus
9th: Chase Elliott
12th: Erik Jones
17th: Bobby Gerhart
29th: James Hylton




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_ModSpace_125/A
-Image:
http://arcaracing.com/news.php?contentid=16026

Brennan Poole Makes His Return to the ARCA Racing Series With a Win at Michigan

        After a spin by Justin Boston late in the race while he was in the lead, Brennan Poole found himself with the lead. He held off Ryan Blaney on the restart for his fourth win of his career in the ARCA Racing Series. Brennan had a fast car all race, but he could not get past Blaney. When Blaney made a pit stop late in the race and got stuck a lap down, Poole finally found his way to the front and a victory. It was not an easy weekend at all for Brennan. He had an engine blow up in practice on Thursday, but he still started on the front row in his return race. One storyline to follow in this race was the amount of tire failures. In total, four drivers had tires fail on them. All in all, it was a great race and one that never disappointed in the amount of action.

         Ryan Blaney started on the pole. It was his second career ARCA Racing Series pole in four career races. The green flag waved and he was able to lead the first lap after jumping out to a quick lead. It was a short time into the race when the action really picked up. Grant Enfinger and Mason Mingus were running for position on the frontstretch around lap 15. The two came up on James Swanson and Kent Schenkel, who were lapped cars running a good bit slower than the two front runners. Mingus made the move high and Enfinger decided to go low. Austin Rettig, who was much slower than all four of the other drivers, was running the bottom line. Somehow, Grant Enfinger made the move around him and they were five wide across the line. All five drivers made it out without incident and Enfinger even gained a spot on Mingus. This action led to the first caution of the race.

        The first caution of the race waved on lap 23. Mason Mitchell, who was running in the top 10, blew a tire coming into turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. He had a good bit of damage and would fall many laps down. Buster Graham received the lucky dog. The race went back green and continued on until the second caution on lap 41. Tom Hessert, who was running in the top 10, blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed hard into the outside wall. His car was badly damage, but Hessert was all right. Roger Carter received the lucky dog. The race went back green once again and Ryan Blaney, who had been leading the race almost all day, made a mistake.

       Ryan Blaney decided to make a green flag pit stop on lap 69. It seemed like a good move since all the other leaders would have to pit soon, but it did not work. Before any of the other leaders could pit, the third caution of the race came out on lap 72. Spencer Gallagher, who was running in the top 10, became the third driver running in the top 10 to have tire problems. He blew a tire coming into turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. He received a good amount of damage and did not return to the race. Fortunately for Ryan Blaney, he received the lucky dog after he had went a lap down on his pit stop. Now, Blaney looked like he was in good position to make it back to the front and win. But he made another mistake.

        Since Blaney was the lucky dog recipient, he was to move to the back of the field for the restart. He moved to the back of the lead lap cars, but he was supposed to be behind the lapped cars, too. The race restarted and he started making moves to the front. Since he had not been in the right spot, ARCA officials made him report behind Buster Graham, who he was positioned behind at the restart and did not fall behind. Blaney slid back behind him and his chances were pretty much dashed. Now, two Venturini Motorsports cars, Justin Boston and Brennan Poole, were holding the top two spots and looked like they would finish that way. But something miraculous happened.

        Brennan made the move to pass Justin coming into turn 2 and he got underneath him. Brennan's car began to get loose and he chased it up the track. The air from his car caught Justin's car and Justin went spinning down the backstretch. He avoided the inside wall and continued on. This resulted in the fourth and final caution of the race on lap 88. Roger Carter received the lucky dog. The two Venturini Motorsports teams were stunned.  Not only did they have the race won, but Ryan Blaney had no chance at catching them. Now, he was third and had a chance to pass Brennan for the win. The mad dash to the finish was set and it was sure to be good.

         The race went back green for the final time and Brennan established himself as the leader. Blaney made his way to second and got right behind Brennan. Blaney ran the car out trying to pass him  and Brennan stretched the lead and looked like he had the win. Kent Schenkel almost changed that. With two laps to go, Schenkel blew a tire in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall, but he was able to make it down pit road and the race stayed green. Poole took the white flag and made it back for the victory at the checkered flag. It was his return to the ARCA Racing Series after running the full season last year and he made sure it was big return. He surely didn't disappoint.

        It was quite a race at Michigan. There were battles for the lead, spins by the leader, five wide battles, and many close calls. Frank Kimmel did not tie Iggy Katona's record of 79 wins, but he did finish third and make some points on Mason Mingus. Mingus finished sixth, but he can not win the championship while finishing behind Kimmel. The series will head to the always great Road America next week for a great road course event. It will be the first time the ARCA Racing Series heads to the track and it will not be disappointing. It will be a month before the series is once again televised at Chicagoland. Will Frank Kimmel tie Iggy Katona's record at the track or will he defeat it after a win at Road America or Winchester? We will have to wait until the coming month to have these questions answered.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 23- Mason Mitchell blew a tire in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. 

2nd Caution: Lap 41- Tom Hessert blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall.

3rd Caution: Lap 72- Spencer Gallagher blew a tire in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 88- Justin Boston went for a spin down the backstretch after Brennan Poole took the nose after his back bumper.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Buster Graham 
2nd Caution: Roger Carter
3rd Caution: Ryan Blaney
4th Caution: Roger Carter

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Brennan Poole
2nd: Ryan Blaney
3rd: Frank Kimmel
4th: Justin Boston
5th: Grant Enfinger 

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Mason Mingus
11th: Milka Duno
16th: Josh Williams
17th: Spencer Gallagher
19th: Mason Mitchell
21st: Tom Hessert




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Patriot_Pumps_200/A
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
-Image:
http://www.arcaracing.com/images/stories/MIS/victory.jpg

Ken Schrader Dominates the ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 at Toledo

         In his first ARCA Racing Series start since 2010, Ken Schrader was able to lead the most laps and win the Menards 200 at Toledo. It was his fifth career win in the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo and it was his first win in the series since his win at DuQuoin in 2007. Plus, Schrader became the oldest driver to ever win in the series. But it wasn't the easiest win possible for Schrader. Grant Enfinger constantly battled with him for the lead and made sure that he did not get away. Enfinger was even able to do this while he was down a cylinder and had a tire going down. All in all, it was a great race at Toledo that never disappointed. 

        Kyle Benjamin, a fifteen year old making his third start in the ARCA Racing Series, started on the pole. To add to that, Ken Schrader, a fifty seven year old making fifty eighth start in the ARCA Racing Series, started beside him. When the green flag waved, Benjamin was able to take advantage of the veteran Schrader and lead the first lap. It was a very short time before the first caution of the race waved on lap 4. Korbin Forrister spun out coming out of turn 2, but was able to keep the car out of the wall and keep going. The green flag waved and it was a sort time before a driver would have trouble. Cody Lane spun out in turn 4, but he was able to keep the car out of the wall and continue on. The caution flag did not wave and the race continued on until the second caution of the race on lap 27. Kyle Weatherman had a tire going down and was making the move to pit road in turn 4. Charles Evans did not see he was slowing and spun him out. Weatherman was able to avoid the wall and make it down pit road. The race went back green and two contenders had trouble.

        On lap 46, Kyle Benjamin, who had been in the top 2 the whole race, began to slow on the backstretch. He was able to get the car back around the track to get to pit road. The crew diagnosed the problem as an ignition issue and he would lose a bunch of laps. Shortly after this, Spencer Gallagher blew a tire in turn 4 on lap 51. This resulted in him making heavy contact with the outside wall. He was able to make it back around to pit road and avoid a caution, but the damage was too much for him to continue. The race continued on until the third caution of the race on lap 76. Jake Francis tapped Blake Hillard coming into turn 1 and Hillard went for a spin. He was able to avoid the wall and continue on. The race went back green and one of the race and championship contenders had a little trouble.

        Coming out of turn 4 on lap 85, Frank Kimmel got extremely loose and went for a spin. He was able to keep the car out of the wall and avoid any damage. This resulted in the fourth caution of the race. The race went back green and it was a short time before the fifth caution on lap 100. Kelly Kovski made contact with Roger Carter coming into turn 1. Carter went for a spin right in front of Frank Kimmel, but Kimmel was able to avoid and both drivers continued on. The race went back green once again and continued on until the sixth caution on lap 107. Bobby Gerhart and Brian Finney went for a spin in turn 3, but both drivers drove away with minimal damage. Taylor Ferns also lost power and stopped on the track, but she received a push to get back to pit road and continued on afterwards. The race went back green and continued on until the seventh caution on lap 124. Jake Francis went for a spin in turn 3, but he was able to continue with minimal damage. The race went back green and continued on until the eighth and final caution on lap 137. Brian Finney bumped Taylor Ferns in turn 4 and the two went for a spin. They continued on with only a little damage. Now, Grant Enfinger and Ken Schrader were set for a final dash for the victory.

        The race went green and immediately Enfinger and Schrader began to battle. The odd thing was that Enfinger's car had poured smoke for most of the race and now the smoke had picked up. It seemed like every corner it got darker, but Enfinger still ran laps that mirrored Schrader's. Finally, on lap 189, Enfinger's tire gave way and he had to report to pit road. This caused him to fall out of contention and Schrader cruised to the victory. It was a well deserved win for Schrader and a hard fought one as well.

        Like usual, the ARCA race at Toledo never seems to disappoint. Their was constant battling for the lead and plenty of spins to make it even more exciting. With this win, Schrader moved even closer to catching Frank Kimmel for wins at Toledo. By finishing ahead of Kimmel, Mason Mingus, who finished second, gained ten points on Kimmel for the points lead. Now, he sits twenty points back and in prime position to capture the lead. In two weeks, the ARCA Racing Series heads to Elko Speedway, but they will not be televised until, Pocono in three weeks. I hope to check that race out and see if the action continues in ARCA like it has over the past few races.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4- Korbin Forrister spun out coming out of turn 2.

2nd Caution: Lap 27- Kyle Weatherman spun out in turn 4 after a bump from Charles Evans.

3rd Caution: Lap 76- Blake Hillard spun in turn 1 after a bump from Jake Francis.

4th Caution: Lap 85- Frank Kimmel got loose in turn 4 and went for a spin.

5th Caution: Lap 100- Roger Carter went for a spin coming into turn 1 after contact with Kelly Kovski.

6th Caution: Lap 107- Bobby Gerhart and Brian Finney went for a spin in turn 3. Taylor Ferns also lost power on the track.

7th Caution: Lap 124- Jake Francis went for a spin in turn 3.

8th Caution: Lap 137- Taylor Ferns spun in turn 4 after contact with Brian Finney.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Ken Schrader 
2nd: Mason Mingus
3rd: Frank Kimmel
4th: Justin Boston
5th: Matt Tifft

Notables Not in Top 5:
10th: Tom Hessert
15th: Grant Enfinger
16th: Bobby Gerhart
23rd: Kyle Benjamin
26th: Spencer Gallagher





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Menards_200_Presented_by_Federated_Car_Care/A
-Image:
http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2013/05/19/800x_b1_cCM_z/SPT-ARCA19p.jpg

Frank Kimmel Wins A Rain-Shortened ARCA Race at Talladega

        After rain began to pour at Talladega Superspeedway with only 73 of the scheduled 94 laps completed, Frank Kimmel was awarded with the win. It was his second career ARCA victory at Talladega and his seventy seventh career victory. This win put him only two wins behind Iggy Katona's record of seventy nine career victories in the ARCA Racing Series. Kimmel seemed like the dominant car and he definitely was most of the day. But strategy caused by the impending rain nearly cost him the win and a good finish as well.

       Milka Duno started on the pole, but there was some controversy behind it. John Wes Townley had the fastest time in qualifying, but his time was disallowed due to unapproved suspension mounting/placement and he was forced to start at the back. Bobby Gerhart, Mark Thompson, and Korbin Forrister also had their times disallowed and were forced to start at the back. The green flag waved and Duno was able to jump out to a quick lead and lead the first lap. It was a very short time before the first caution of the race came out on lap 2. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1. The race went back green and the fastest car in the race would have huge problems.

       John Wes Townley had been making his way from the back to the front in good time. He was outside of his teammate Milka Duno when it turned horrible. The field came up on a lapped car and Duno veered to the right because she thought she could not make it passed the lapped car. She made contact with Townley and Townley went sailing into the outside wall. He could not slow down the car and made even heavier contact with the inside wall. He would get out of the car and be okay. This resulted in the second caution of the race on lap 29. The race went back green one more time and once again Milka Duno ruined somebody's race. But this time there was a lot more drivers involved.

       On lap 35, Thomas Praytor made contact with Milka Duno in turn 2, which resulted in a stack up behind them. Mason Mitchell was pushing Grant Enfinger and Enfinger slammed into Duno and they went for a spin, causing a massive pileup. Drivers like Spencer Gallagher, Tom Hessert, James Hylton, Drew Charlson, George Cushman, Justin Boston, Bo LeMastus, Donnie Neuenberger, Clay Campbell, Buster Graham, and Galen Hassler went spinning trough the grass and running into each other. There were cars with catastrophic damage everywhere. This resulted in the third caution of the race. The race went back green and it was a short time before the fourth caution of the race on lap 46. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch. The race went back green and one of the contenders in the race fell out. 

        Bobby Gerhart was coming out of turn 4 on lap 52 and a puff of smoke shot out from behind his car. He immediately slowed and it was obvious that he had a mechanical failure. He attempted to make it to pit road, but he did not have a lane and would have to limp back around. He was unable to and he was forced to stop on one of the exit roads on the backstretch. It was a short time before the fifth caution of the race waved on lap 56. Track officials were given time to move Bobby Gerhart's car from the exit road. The race went back green and it was a short time before the sixth caution of the race came out on lap 66. Thomas Praytor blew a tire in turn 2 and he went up the track. Darrell Basham was on his outside and they made significant contact. Basham also hit the wall with an extreme amount of force. Basham was able to drive away, but Praytor had too much damage to continue. Now, the race entered the late stages and the rain was coming quickly.

         The race went back green and there was a mad dash to get up to the front, but it was a short time before the seventh and final caution came out on lap 72. Rain had begun to fall steadily on the track. Nobody was able to make a move on Frank Kimmel and he had the lead. The rain began to fall quickly after the caution flag waved and ARCA was forced to wave the red flag and pull the cars down pit road. Now, it was a waiting game. All the drivers wanted to get back to racing except for Kimmel, who had the win if it was called. It was a short time before the waiting game was over and Frank Kimmel was declared the winner. It was his first win of 2013 and his first since Springfield in 2012. It was a race packed with action, but we can only imagine what would have happened in those last twenty laps.

         This race was a very physical one with drivers always contending for the lead and setting up their plans for a pass. It left you on the edge of your seat waiting for that one mistake that could cost the entire field. Like I said, no one knows what would have happened in those last twenty laps and I am certainly not going to take the win from Frank Kimmel. He fought hard all day and deserved it in the end. The ARCA Racing Series takes a week off and then heads to its birthplace, Toledo Speedway. It should be an action packed short track race and I hope to check it out on SPEED on May 19th.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Debris was spotted in turn 1.

2nd Caution: Lap 29- Milka Duno moved up into John Wes Townley in turn 2 and Townley went into the wall. Townley would then make contact with the inside wall.

3rd Caution: Lap 35- Milka Duno and Thomas Praytor made contact in turn 2. Mason Mitchell pushed Grant Enfinger into Duno and Enfinger and Duno went for a spin. Drivers like Spencer Gallagher, Tom Hessert, James Hylton, Drew Charlson, George Cushman, Justin Boston, Bo LeMastus, Donnie Neuenberger, Clay Campbell, Buster Graham, and Galen Hassler also received damage.

4th Caution: Lap 46- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch.

5th Caution: Lap 56- Track officials were given time to move Bobby Gerhart's car.

6th Caution: Lap 66- Thomas Praytor blew a tire in turn 2 and went up the track into Darrell Basham. 

7th Caution: Lap 72- Rain began to fall on the track.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Frank Kimmel 
2nd: Mason Mingus
3rd: Caleb Armstrong
4th: Mark Thompson
5th: Terry Jones

Notables Not in Top 5:
16th: Grant Enfinger
24th: Bobby Gerhart
26th: Tom Hessert
27th: Spencer Gallagher
29th: Milka Duno
34th: John Wes Townley



Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_International_Motorsports_Hall_of_Fame_250/A
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
-Image:
http://binaryapi.ap.org/dba01ea5c92b47748cc0eb4caa7c99e4/512x.jpg