Series notebook 2009-09-28

ARCA Weekly Notes Package: 9/28/09

Nineteen Down and Two To Go; Watch it all on SPEED

A 1.5-mile speedway and a 1-mile short track will conclude the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series. Heading into the final two races of the year, Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton and Cunningham Motorsports' Parker Kligerman are in the midst of a tight, season-long points battle. Lofton and Kligerman have taken turns leading the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings at the conclusion of every Series race contested so far this season and heading into Kansas Lofton leads Kligerman by a slim, 25-point margin. The duo has also won 13 of 19 races to win 68 percent of the time. They are trailed in the standings by Frank Kimmel (-390 points), Joey Coulter (-625 points) and Craig Goess (-890 points

Race fans can watch the remainder of the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series live on SPEED. The Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway is on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 4 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Eastern and the ARCA RE/MAX American 200 at Rockingham Speedway is on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 12 p.m. Central/1 p.m. Eastern.

Winning Ways

The entry list for Thursday's Kansas Lottery 150 includes five former ARCA RE/MAX Series winners: four-time Daytona ARCA 200 winner/superspeedway racing veteran Bobby Gerhart and nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion Frank Kimmel, winner of the first ever race at Kansas Speedway in the NASCAR Winston West Series in 2001, as well as 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series race winners Justin Lofton, Parker Kligerman and Patrick Sheltra.

In addition to former Series winners, a number of drivers who have come very close to victory but who are still searching for their first wins are entered for the 150-mile/100-lap race, which rolls off on Thursday at 4 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Eastern live on SPEED. Rookie of the Year contender Joey Coulter, who is currently fourth in the championship point standings, has posted four podium finishes this season, including a second-place finish at Toledo Speedway on Sept. 4 after battling for the lead throughout much of the race. The Florida native finished 15th at Salem Speedway on September 19 after a late-race incident and led 39 of 200 laps in the short track thriller. Coulter finished sixth at Chicagoland Speedway in his last start on a 1-5-mile track. Seven drivers currently in the top-10 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings have not previously won in Series competition, including Coulter, Craig Goess, Bryan Silas, Steve Arpin, Tom Hessert, Robb Brent and Tim George Jr.

In eighth previous ARCA RE/MAX Series races at Kansas Speedway, two drivers have picked up their career first Series wins at the track, most recently in 2007 when Scott Lagasse, Jr. earned his career-first ARCA RE/MAX Series win at Kansas Speedway in his 13th career start. Jason Jarrett's first ARCA victory also came at Kansas in 2001.

Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Concludes at Kansas

Eddie Sharp Racing and driver Justin Lofton lead the 2009 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship over Kimmel Racing and driver Frank Kimmel heading into the October 1 Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway-the ninth and final race in the Challenge, which is a separate $75,000 total point fund within the ARCA RE/MAX Series designed to test a driver's ability on tracks greater than one mile in length. This year's Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge includes race events at Daytona Int'l Speedway (Feb. 6), Talladega Superspeedway (April 24), Kentucky Speedway (May 9 and July 18), Pocono Raceway (June 6 and August 1), Michigan Int'l Speedway (June 12), Chicagoland Speedway (August 28) and Kansas Speedway (October 1).

The ARCA RE/MAX Series has recognized a superspeedway challenge champion each consecutive year since 1984. Last Year, car owner Eddie Sharp and driver Scott Speed clinched Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge honors. In 2007, Erin Crocker became the first female driver to earn the award, driving cars fielded by car owner Ray Evernham. Car Owner Larry Clement is a five-time Superspeedway Challenge Champion with driver Frank Kimmel (1998, '01, '03, '05, '06). Other winners include Davey Allison ('84, '85), Lee Raymond ('86), Bill Venturini ('87, '91), Tracy Leslie ('88), Ben Hess ('89), Bob Brevak ('90), Bob Keselowski ('92), Jeff Purvis ('93, '94), Mike Wallace ('95), Tim Steele ('96), Mark Gibson ('97), Chad Blount ('02), Bobby Gerhart ('04), Blake Feese ('04) and Kyle Krisiloff ('04).

Kansas to Determine Bill France Four Crown Champion

Parker Kligerman leads the Bill France Four Crown Standings over Justin Lofton, Frank Kimmel, Joey Coulter and Tom Hessert heading into Kansas, the final event in the Bill France Four Crown Series. The Bill France Four Crown is 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).

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.

There's no place like Home

Both Jennifer Cobb (No. 08 Andy Belmont Racing Ford) and Jeremy Petty (No. 23 Hixson Construction-Billett Race Products Dodge) are Kansas natives. Cobb is from Kansas City, Kansas, and Petty is from Smolan, Kansas.

Congratulations to Johanna Long

Congratulations to Johanna Long, who captured the 2009 Blizzard Series Super Late Model Championship at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, this past weekend. The 16-year-old now turns her focus to the ARCA RE/MAX Series, where she is scheduled to compete for D'Hondt Motorsports at Rockingham Speedway on October 11.

Upcoming ARCA RE/MAX Series Races

Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway; Thursday, October 1
Rockingham ARCA 200 at Rockingham Speedway; Sunday, October 11

-credit: arca