Salem II: Series weekly notebook 2009-09-21

ARCA Weekly Notes Package: 9/21/09

Lofton Regains ARCA RE/MAX Series Point Lead with Salem Victory Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton held off a hard charging Parker Kligerman at Salem Speedway on Saturday night to pick up his sixth ARCA RE/MAX Series race win of 2009 and take control of the ARCA RE/MAX Series point lead. Lofton, a second-year Eddie Sharp Racing driver, headed into Salem tied for the ARCA RE/MAX Series points lead with Kligerman but now leads the Series' by 25 points after gaining ten points for qualifying second, five points for leading the race, five points for leading the most laps and five points for finishing one position ahead of Kligerman in the final Salem finishing order.

This season is not the first time that Eddie Sharp Racing has used ancillary points gained through qualifying efforts and laps led to battle for ARCA RE/MAX Series Championships. In 2007 Michael McDowell earned nine pole awards (135 points), led laps in 15 out of 23 races (75 points) and led the most laps in seven races (35 points) to gain more than an entire race win's worth of points over the course of the season. McDowell finished second in the final 2007 point standings, 250 points shy of champion Frank Kimmel.

TOP TEN UNOFFICIAL ARCA RE/MAX SERIES POINTS AFTER THE KENTUCKIANA FORD DEALERS ARCA FALL CLASSIC 200 (RACE 19 OF 21; 9/19/09); 1) Justin Lofton, 4740; 2) Parker Kligerman, 4740; 3) Frank Kimmel, 4375; 4) Joey Coulter, 4140; 5) Craig Goess, 3875; 6) Bryan Silas, 3860; 7) Steve Arpin, 3820; 8) Patrick Sheltra, 3770; 9) Tom Hessert, 3685; 10) Robb Brent, 3630.

Lofton/Kligerman Control 2009 Winner's Column

Justin Lofton and Parker Kligerman have taken turns leading the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings at the conclusion of every Series race contested so far this season. With the exception of Daytona when Lofton shared the points lead with James Buescher and Rockingham when Kligerman shared the points lead with Patrick sheltra, Lofton and Kligerman are the only drivers who have led the point standings in 2009. The duo has also won 13 of 19 races to win 68 percent of the time. Other 2009 race winners include James Buescher, Patrick Sheltra, Sean Caisse, Joey Logano and Patrick Long. Noticeably absent from the 2009 winner's list so far is all-time active race winner Frank Kimmel, who has posted race wins each consecutive season since 1996 but has not made a trip to Victory Lane in exactly one year.

Just two races remain in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series-the Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway on October 1, and the Rockingham ARCA 200 at Rockingham Speedway on October 11.

Dakoda Armstrong Posts Career Best Finish at Salem

Cunningham Motorsports' Dakoda Armstrong, a Penske Development Driver, posted a career-best ARCA RE/MAX Series finish of third at Salem Speedway on Saturday night in the No. 4 Dodge. The New Castle, Indiana, native was one of only three cars who finished on the lead lap. Prior to Salem, Armstrong's best finish was sixth at Iowa on July 11.

Buescher Earns Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell at Salem

Prosper, Texas' Chris Buescher earned his career first Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell on Saturday afternoon at Salem Speedway with a 17.065 second lap around the .555-mile short track for a speed of 117.082 mph in the No. 17 David Ragan Fan Club Ford.

All Roads Lead to Rockingham: Testing Wednesday ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers will test at Rockingham Speedway on Wednesday, September 23, in preparation for the October 11 ARCA Championship race at the historic, one-mile track. Media are invited to attend the test.

Off Week, then Kansas

The ARCA RE/MAX Series takes a break from competition this weekend before a rare Thursday afternoon race on October 1 at Kansas Speedway. The Kansas Lottery 150, race 20 of 21 in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series, rolls off at 4 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, October 1 live on SPEED.

Frank Kimmel is the only repeat winner in ARCA competition at Kansas with two victories at the 1.5-mile track. Other race winners at Kansas include Chad Blount, Ryan Hemphill, Shelby Howard, Jason Jarrett, Scott Lagasse, Jr. and Scott Speed.

Kansas to Determine Bill France Four Crown Champion

Salem was the third of four races in the 2009 Bill France Four Crown Series, a separate point fund within the 21-race ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule that tests drivers on a challenging combination of venues, including a dirt track (The Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, September 7), a road course (The South Jersey Building Trades 150 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 13), a short track (The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic at Salem Speedway, September 19) and a speedway (The Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway, October 1). Currently, Parker Kligerman leads the Bill France Four Crown Standings with just one race-the Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway on October 1-remaining in the series.

In previous years, the Bill France Four Crown Series consisted of three diverse races on the schedule and was known as the Bill France Triple Crown. The Series has honored a Bill France Champion at the Championship Awards Banquet each consecutive season since 1984.

Upcoming ARCA RE/MAX Series Races

Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway; Thursday, October Rockingham    1
ARCA 200 at Rockingham Speedway; Sunday, October 1                     1

-credit: arca