ARCA RE/MAX Daytona test speeds

MONTGOMERY SWEEPS ARCA RE/MAX DAYTONA TEST

DAYTONA BEACH FL, 12-16-01 - He came in with a bang, and left with a
boom. After posting the quickest speeds in day one and day two of ARCA
RE/MAX Series testing at Daytona Int'l Speedway, 18-year-old Chase
Montgomery stepped it up another notch for the final day.

The Mt Juliet TN driver, in his father Ray's #6 Pontiac, soared above
the 184 mph mark Sunday afternoon with still yet the fastest lap of the
day, and quickest overall during the 3-day test that saw 30 teams take
practice runs on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Montgomery’s top speed was
184.060 mph over 1999 Daytona ARCA 200 winner Bobby Gerhart at 183.284,
Jason Jarrett at 183.042 and Casey Mears at 181.962.

“The car felt really stable but I’ve never really been in a situation
where I’ve had to draft,” Montgomery said. “I don’t know if it will be
as big a problem as I think it will be. It’s definitely going to be
something else I’ve got to learn. Just give me more laps and I hope I
can figure it out. If not, I’ll be at the back of the pack and that’s
not where I want to be.”

Montgomery hopes he'll be just as fortunate when he takes his final exam
in economics this Monday.

“I’ve got to fly back Sunday and take my last exam on Monday and then
I’m out of high school for good,” Montgomery said. Montgomery, who is
quickly opening some eyes in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, drove a limited
RE/MAX Series schedule last year for Montgomery Motorsports, owned by
his father Ray. In six starts, he posted one top-five finish, two
top-ten finishes and qualified on the outside pole at Kentucky and
Charlotte.

In 2002, Montgomery plans to race the entire schedule and campaign for
ARCA Rookie of the Year honors. He’ll kick off his season with the
Discount Auto Parts ARCA 200 At Daytona on February 10, the same day as
the 23rd annual Budweiser Shootout.

Montgomery’s father Ray pieced together the entire operation, purchasing
some Chevrolets from Andy Petree Racing and Bobby Hamilton Racing and
building another car in-house. The Pontiac that Montgomery is testing at
Daytona and plans to run in February during Speedweeks belonged to MBV
Motorsports, which fields the No. 10 machines for Johnny Benson in the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

“All of our equipment is good,” Montgomery said. “We have to have top
notch equipment. You can’t come out here with bad equipment. You can’t
cut corners at this level. To win, you have to have the best. So many
other people out here have good equipment.”

Montgomery is thankful for his father’s support of his lifelong dream to
become a professional race car driver.

“He bought my go-karts, bought my four-cylinders, my late models and I’m
glad I could talk him into these,” Montgomery said. Now the younger
Montgomery is fulfilling a dream at Daytona, and like anyone else who
gets the opportunity, he wants to win at the ‘World Center of Racing.’

“It would mean a whole lot (to win here),” Montgomery said. “Four years
ago I was racing four-cylinders at a quarter-mile track in Springfield,
Tenn. Today, I’m running basically a Winston Cup car at Daytona
International Speedway at 180 mph. It’s a big difference. I’ve dreamed
of racing at Daytona all my life. I’ve always wanted to win at Daytona.
The atmosphere and the history means a lot.”

ARCA RE/MAX SERIES DAYTONA OVERALL TEST SPEEDS, 12-14,15,16-01

NO DRIVER MAKE TIME SPEED
6 CHASE MONTGOMERY PONTIAC 48.897 184.06
5 BOBBY GERHART CHEVY 49.104 183.284
67 JASON JARRETT PONTIAC 49.169 183.042
91 CASEY MEARS PONTIAC 49.461 181.962
2 WALLY SCHWEIZER CHEVY 49.315 182.5
59 MARK GIBSON CHEVY 49.621 181.375
75 MICHAEL VERGERS FORD 49.625 181.36
04 KEITH SEGARS CHEVY 49.502 181.811
82 ROBBIE BENTON FORD 49.674 181.181
2A DAVID ELLIOTT CHEVY 49.807 180.697
64 SHELBY HOWARD PONTIAC 49.867 180.48
44 NATE MONTEITH PONTIAC 49.894 180.382
05 JOHN METCALF CHEVY 50.023 179.917
91 DUSTIN MAHERG FORD 50.163 179.669
91B SUNNY HOBBS FORD 50.096 179.655
7A MIKE HARMON CHEVY 50.178 179.361
40 JERRY HILL CHEVY 50.2 179.283
3 SEAN STAFFORD CHEVY 50.213 179.236
7 MORTY BUCKLES CHEVY 50.356 178.727
20 KEVIN MCGUIRE FORD 50.65 177.69
19 KEITH MURT CHEVY 50.736 177.389
48 KEVIN BELMONT FORD 51.137 175.998
1 LARRY HOLLENBECK FORD 51.147 175.963
1 ANDY BELMONT FORD 51.222 175.706
1B JIMMY HOLLENBECK FORD 51.314 175.391
58 DAVID ROMINES CHEVY 51.507 174.734
1A KEVIN CONWAY FORD 51.593 174.442
91A RUSTY MORGAN FORD 51.65 174.25
06 CAM STRADER CHEVY 51.841 173.608
45 BRENT SHERMAN PONTIAC 53.051 169.648

CONTACT: ARCA (734) 847-6726 or arcaracing.com