ARCA RE/MAX Lowe's Order Of Finish and points

CURRENT TOP-10 POINTS after Lowe's:  1) Frank Kimmel 1555; 2) Damon Lusk
1480; 2) Chad Blount 1480; 4) Jason Jarrett 1265; 5) Andy Belmont 1185;
6) Chase Montgomery 1175; 6) Shelby Howard 1175; 8) Mark Gibson 1135; 9)
Michael Vergers 1105; 10) Mike Buckley 1080.

Fultz wins ARCA RE/MAX thriller at Lowe’s

CONCORD NC (5-18-02) by Don Radebaugh - With a bold outside move, Jeff
Fultz, in only his second ARCA RE/MAX Series start, passed series
standout Frank Kimmel with less than ten laps remaining to win the
thrilling EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 100 Saturday at Lowe’s
Motor Speedway.

Fultz, in Jim Craig’s C&C Boiler Ford, swapped back and forth with
Kimmel for nearly three laps before the Mooresville, North Carolina
driver finally cleared the former leader for good five laps from the
finish of the 67-lap race. Although Kimmel remained within striking
distance, Fultz drove under the checkered flag just over a half-second
ahead of Kimmel to earn his career-first RE/MAX Series win.

“I drove my heart out,” said Fultz in victory lane. “I’ve seen Frank
(Kimmel) race since I was a kid; and he drove about as clean a race as
you could get. We were racing so close. I wasn’t worried about him, but
I was a little worried about me. This is only my second ARCA race. But I
knew we could do this. We’ve had a good car since we unloaded. It’s a
Jasper car (#77 Winston Cup team). Penske gave us the motor.” In
addition to a part-time driving career, Fultz works as a full-time
fabricator for the Jasper Engines #77 Winston Cup team.

The race, a prelude to NASCAR’s All-Star event The Winston, served up
its share of high-speed thrills and spills along the way featuring
plenty of side-by-side racing as well as a frightening wreck off turn
four involving drivers Tina Gordon, John Borneman, John Hayden and
Robbie Cowart.

The accident occurred on lap 39 when Gordon and Hayden made contact in
turns three and four. Both drivers spun resulting from the contact into
the paths of oncoming traffic. While Cowart smashed into the side of
Hayden, Borneman slammed into the side of Gordon.

Cowart and Hayden were treated and released from the infield care
center; however, Gordon and Borneman were transported, conscious and
alert, to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for further evaluation.
Gordon was treated for a broken lower-left leg and broken right toe
while Borneman was treated for a concussion. Gordon, listed in stable
condition, was held overnight for further evaluation while Borneman was
released late Saturday night.

The caution flag then waved for 19 laps to secure the accident area
before the field was sent back to green flag racing for the final
eight-lap shoot-out that brought the huge crowd to its feet while Fultz
and Kimmel waged war inches apart.

“It’s kind of disappointing when you lead that many laps and start on
the pole and then lose it in the end,” said Kimmel who finished second
in the Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford. “He (Fultz) led the right lap at
the right time and that’s all there is to it.”

Kimmel, who won the Old Milwaukee pole, his 23rd of his career, led the
first 59 laps before he would give it up to Fultz who led the final
eight.

While outside polesitter Chad Blount and front-runner Jason Jarrett
pitted once during one of four caution periods, most of the other
top-ten finishers, including Fultz and Kimmel, used the extended yellow
flag laps to stretch their fuel mileage enough to go the entire 100-mile
distance without pitting.

Damon Lusk, in the Dynatek-One Race America Chevrolet, charged from the
14th starting position to finish third earning the Hoosier Tire Hard
Charger honors with local Charlotte driver Robby Benton finishing a
career-best fourth in the MAC Tools Ford. Richard Mitchell, in the Coach
USA-Mountaineer Gaming Pontiac, equaled his career-best finish in fifth.

Justin Labonte, the son of two-time Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte,
was in the hunt all afternoon racing in third position before his
ignition failed as the pack came down for the final restart relegating
the Trinity, North Carolina favorite to 32nd in the final running order.

Leading Rookie of the Year candidate Blount raced back to sixth with
18-year-old rookie Chase Montgomery, who started 36th, trailing in
seventh at the finish. Jarrett wound up eighth with Robert Burroughs in
ninth followed by Andy Belmont in tenth.

Kimmel, who picked up the Loctite Halfway Leader award, extended his
point lead over Blount and Lusk who are tied for second ahead of Jarrett
and Belmont in fourth and fifth respectively.

Next event for the ARCA RE/MAX Series will be the second annual BPU 200
at Kansas Speedway on June 1.