ARCA RE/MAX release. Berlin

NOTE: ******Top-10 ARCA RE/MAX Series points at bottom of release******

STEELE WINS BERLIN; KIMMEL CLINCHES CROWN
For Release (9-22-01)

MARNE MI, by Don Radebaugh – Hometown hero Tim Steele stole the show
Saturday night at Berlin Raceway while Frank Kimmel, by virtue of a
podium finish, locked up his third ARCA RE/MAX Series championship in
four seasons.

Steele, whose race shop and home are less than four miles from the
track, delivered a crowd-pleasing, dominating performance by leading
every lap to win the Pork The Other White Meat 200 earning his fourth
RE/MAX Series victory of the year, and 41st of his career. Rookie Chad
Blount, who was virtually the only other driver able to mount a
challenge on Steele, turned in a career-best finish of second while
Kimmel overcame tire troubles in time to finish third. Lansing, Michigan
driver Jeff Finley, in the Bailey Excavating Chevrolet, finished a solid
fourth with Jason Jarrett, in Mary Miller’s Biomet-Damon RV Pontiac,
trailing in fifth.

“As soon as we unloaded this afternoon, I told my crew chief Tom
(Sokoloski) that the HS Die-SofTech Ford was going to be good,” said
Steele in victory lane. “This just feels extra good to win in front of
my hometown fans. I really believe we’re on track to get this team back
to where it was when we were winning a lot. It’s no doubt another step
in that direction. This’ll definitely help build momentum for
Charlotte.”

Kimmel, with three races left on the schedule, could literally stay home
for the remainder of the year and still win the championship. “We were a
little off at the start,” said Kimmel. “The car was loose and then we
had to make that extra stop for a new tire; but once we go that behind
us, it seemed like we were starting to catch the leaders there at the
end; but hey, no excuses; Tim (Steele) drove a great race and deserved
the win. We locked up the championship so we’ve got plenty to celebrate
over here. Just like to thank my car owner Larry Clement, ET Sharp, my
brother and crew chief Bill, all our sponsors’ Advance Auto Parts and
the folks from the Pork Producers Council for all their support.”

At the onset, Steele, in the HS Die-SofTech Ford, beat Old Milwaukee
polesitter Kimmel around to lead the first lap and began to pull away
while Blount battled Kimmel for second. With Blount at bay behind
Kimmel, Steele charged out to a near half-lap lead and continued to pull
away during a green-flag run that lasted the better part of 100 laps.
Then the front-runners, all hungry for fuel and tires, finally made
their way onto pit road when the caution flag flew less than 50 laps
from the finish. Steele’s crew won the race off pit road with Kimmel,
Blount, Jarrett, Finley and Shelby Howard trailing. With the green flag
back out, Steele charged out to a five-length advantage while Blount
quickly disposed of Kimmel for second. Kimmel continued to back up until
the caution flag waved again a lap later for Vern Slagh, who slid off
the end of the backstretch. Although Slagh’s Ford was badly damaged, the
Zeeland, Michigan was not injured. Kimmel then dived onto pit road for
an unscheduled pit stop to change a left-front tire that had been losing
air. Back under green, Kimmel charged from sixth to third while Blount,
in the Braun Mobility Products Pontiac, pressed Steele for the lead.
Blount managed to make things exciting in the end and got his fender
inside of Steele a time or two, but fell short at the final stripe by
about a length with Kimmel tight behind.

Howard finished sixth in the Lucas Oil Chevy, the last car on the lead
lap, with Ron Cox, one lap down in Wayne Hixson’s Rick Worley & Sons
Chevy, finishing seventh. Todd Bowsher, in the Gordon Food Service Ford,
was in the hunt all night and finished eighth ahead of AJ Henriksen who
steered the Fastenal-Engineered Components Chevy home in ninth. Local
Grandville, Michigan driver Ray Clay, in the Screen Print Department
Chevy, recorded his career-best finish in tenth in only his second
RE/MAX Series start.

Steele’s earnings for the night totaled $14,445, which included the
Loctite Halfway Leader award and the Quarter Master Comin’ Thru in the
Clutch honors. Fayetteville, Tennessee driver Tim Mitchell won the
Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award with a 14th place finish after starting
27th. Jarrett was the ARCA Highest Finishing Rookie while Finley picked
up the Thermo-Tec Cool drive award. Andy Belmont, who was running in the
top-five for most of the race, was involved in a late-race wreck and
dropped to 23rd in the final running order earning the Landrum Spring
hard Luck award. Darrell Basham, who finished 19th, won the Hawk Best
Brake of the Race honors while Blount picked up the RJS Safety award.

CURRENT POINTS: 1) Frank Kimmel 6225; 2) Jason Jarrett 5115; 3) Andy
Belmont 4885; 4) Ron Cox 4415; 5) Norm Benning 4140; 6) Todd Bowsher
4060; 7) Chuck Weber 4050; 8) Donny Morelock 4030; 9) Tim Steele 3865;
10) Mike Buckley 2870.

CONTACT: ARCA PR (734) 847-6726