ARCA Trucks: Guinn wins wild one in Lasalle

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

June 11, 2001

LASALLE, IL, – Sometimes being the meat in the sandwich isn’t all that bad. In fact, for Erie, Michigan driver Chad Guinn, it was the perfect recipe. Guinn, in the middle of a three-abreast war off the final corner, edged ahead just in time to win the thrilling LaSalle ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck 100 Saturday night on the LaSalle Speedway quarter-mile clay oval. Veteran Pete Wormcastle, in the Ossian NAPA-Kelly Automotive Chevrolet, settled for second by less than a length at the final stripe with Randy Kopka, in the Braun Auto Group Ford, trailing in third.

It was Guinn’s seventh career ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series victory while Wormcastle and Kopka each logged career-best finishes. Veteran Jack Weethee finished fourth ahead of Brett Oakley in fifth.

“It was a great night that’s for sure,” said Guinn. “And what a great finish. We may not have had the best truck here tonight but we managed to keep ourselves in a position to win, which is what it takes. I’d like to thank our primary sponsor BFI Waste Systems and our associate sponsors’ Northland Collision and the Made in Toledo Clothing Company for all the help. This one really feels great. We haven’t done a lot of it, but we really love running on the dirt.”

Defending ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series champion Robbin Slaughter won the Old Milwaukee Pole Award, but it was outside polesitter Johnny Witham who jumped out in front as the green flag waved. Witham led two laps before Slaughter took control on lap three. Slaughter, in the Carmen’s Vacuum-NAPA Auto Parts Ford, stretched his advantage to four lengths while Guinn, who started fourth, raced his way into second. Slaughter, who appeared well in control, led through lap 38 until a right front tire went flat off turn four sending his Ford Ranger up into the outside wall. Slaughter pitted for new rubber under caution while Guinn assumed the lead. Guinn led up through the halfway point before Kopka overhauled the eventual winner to lead the 52nd circuit. Then Guinn lost second to a hard-charging Weethee who then set his sights on Kopka for the lead. Kopka led for 31 laps before Weethee drove his truck to the high-side of Kopka in turn one only to encounter a lapped truck at the same time. The leaders got together and spun each other while Guinn reassumed the top-spot to lead the 83rd lap. By now, Wormcastle had worked his way into second while Kopka and Weethee, now at the tail-end of the lead-lap line, made one final charge. Kopka finally got in position to battle for the lead on the last lap and raced outside of Guinn through turn four while Wormcastle drove to the inside setting up the thrilling three-wide race to the finish.

Guinn also picked up the Cloyes Gear Halfway Leader award as well as the Hawk Best Brake of the Race while Joe Wormcastle was awarded the Ed & Company Hard Charger award for advancing the most positions, from 16th to sixth in the final running order. Slaughter, who lost a lap on pit road changing his tire, raced back to finish seventh ahead of former LaSalle winner Tully Esterline in eighth. Dave Reeb and Kyle Witwer completed the top-ten finishers respectively.

The next event for the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series will be Friday night, June 22 at Toledo Speedway. The race will be taped for Speedvision.

Text provided by Don Radebaugh

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