ARCA Midget release/results, Sandusky
GIBSON SAILS OVER SANDUSKY ARCA/NAMARS MIDGETS SANDUSKY OH, 9-23-01 – Three-time ARCA Auto Value Midget Series champion Gene Lee Gibson inched a little closer to a fourth series title Sunday afternoon at Sandusky Speedway by winning the 25-lap ARCA/NAMARS co-sanctioned feature event. Gibson, who started fifth in his own Gilmore Construction-Gilliland Body Shop entry, maneuvered his way into second at the halfway mark and began to give chase to polesitter Aaron Pierce who led from the onset. However, a battle for the top-spot would not be necessary as Pierce’s engine failed on the 16th circuit handing the lead to Gibson. From there, Gibson cruised under the checkered flag as the winner with Donnelsville, Ohio driver Teddy Beach in second. Third-generation driver Jimmy McCune hustled hard from the 10th starting position and finished third in Dave Cowing’s Brayton-powered Drinan entry with Richey Jacobs, in the Jacobs Racing Mopar Beast, trailing in fourth. ARCA Midget veteran Gary Harrell, in Don Putinta’s Dove Racing-TJ Roofing Autocraft Hawk, completed the top-five finishers. Markham, Illinois driver Rich Corson finished sixth ahead of Matt Brun in the Champion Auto Service-Auto Value Hawk in seventh. Current ARCA Auto Value Midget Series point leader AJ Davis raced Rick Harrell’s Kayo Lumber Brayton Hawk home in eighth in front of Sondi Eden, who steered her Dave Stetler Chevy-Olds-Cadillac Stealth to the finish in ninth. Open-wheel legend Mel Kenyon, 68, completed the top-ten finishers. With one final event remaining at Shady Bowl Speedway on October 7, the championship points battle is still up for grabs. Davis leads Gibson by a slim 25 points heading to the season-finale. If Gibson were to overhaul Davis in points, the second-generation driver would become the first driver in history to win four consecutive ARCA Auto Value Midget Series championships. Other than Gibson, Les Scott is the only other driver who has won three consecutive ARCA Midget titles. 2001 ARCA AUTO VALUE MIDGET SERIES EVENT #11 Sandusky Speedway, Sandusky OH, 9-23-01 Official Results FIN STR NO DRIVER/RESIDENCE TEAM SPONSOR/MAKE LAPS STATUS 1 5 0 Gene Lee Gibson/Richwood OH Gilmore Construction-Gilliland Body Shop Gibson 25 Running 2 6 25 Teddy Beach/Donnelsville OH Beach Boys Motorsports Gaerte Beast 25 Running 3 10 21 Jimmy McCune/Toledo OH Cowing Motorsports-Bisbee Travel Brayton Drinan 25 Running 4 2 114 Richey Jacobs/Fort Wayne IN Jacobs Racing Mopar Beast 25 Running 5 7 2 Gary Harrell/Temperance MI Dove Racing-TJ Roofing Autocraft Hawk 25 Running 6 8 15 Rich Corson/Markham IL Corvette Collection Fontana Stealth 25 Running 7 4 28 Matt Brun/New Carlisle OH Champion Auto Service-Valvoline-Auto Value Hawk 25 Running 8 9 4 AJ Davis/Spartanburg SC Rick Harrell-Kayo Lumber Brayton Hawk 25 Running 9 11 15 Sondi Eden/Crawfordsville IN Dave Stetler Chevy-Olds-Cadillac Brayton Stealth 25 Running 10 12 61 Mel Kenyon/Lebanon IN Kenyon Racing Brayton Buick Stealth 25 Running 11 13 75 Tim Jedrziejek Jedrziejek Racing 25 Running 12 3 77 Travis Miniea/Sharon PA Penn-Ohio Self Storage Esslinger Hawk 21 Accident 13 18 35 Chris Randolph/Williamston MI Randolph Autocraft Kenyon 21 Accident 14 14 20 Ryan Gillenwater/Barberton OH 5th St NAPA Autocare-NE Auto Autocraft 19 Engine 15 15 26 Danny Pens/Frankfort IL Corvette Collection Autocraft Beast 18 Handling 16 1 26 Aaron Pierce/Muncie IN Sam Pierce Chevrolet Snyder Beast 16 Engine 17 17 97 Phil Rutledge/Troy MI The Vette Shop-Duggan's Irish Pub Pontiac 10 Handling OLD MILWAUKEE QUICK TIME AWARD: Teddy Beach 17.257 seconds *NTR HEAT WINNERS: AJ Davis, Jimmy McCune LAP LEADERS: Pierce 1-16 (16); Gibson 17-25 (9) CONTACT: ARCA PR (734) 847-6726