ARCA Truck release, points, notes, Lake Erie Spdwy

-The unofficial championship points rankings for the ARCA Lincoln
Welders Truck Series after Lake Erie Speedway are: 1. Chad Guinn (1830);
2. Pete Wormcastle (1740); 3. Jeff Speakman (1700); 4. Brett Oakley
(1675); 5. Darren Jones (1670); 6. Paul Hahn (1640); 7.®Brandon Knupp
(1635); 8. Bill Withers (1625); 9. Joe Wormcastle (1545); 10. Robbin
Slaughter (1525); 11. Eddy Adams (1500); 12. Jack Weethee (1490); 13.
Tully Esterline, ®Kevin Reeb  (1440, tie); 15. John Kasmierski (1370);
16. Mark Otting (1350); 17. Stan Maitlen (1090); 18. Phil Bozell (865);
19. Kyle Witwer (725); 20. Steve Christman (665); 21. Jeff Wichmann
(490); 22. Brian Rowe, Jeff Quitte (425, tie); 24. Craig Meyers (380);
25. Robert Stoner (300); 26. Paul Vander Hoff (165); 27. Chad Blount
(160); 28. Brad Yunker (140); 29. Brian Barker (135).

SPEAKMAN STEALS SHOW AT LAKE ERIE SPEEDWAY

(near) Erie, Pennsylvania (7-20-02) by Wendy Wellman  Jeff Speakman
overpowered the competition at the brand new Lake Erie Speedway last
Saturday night, defending the lead from Toledo victor Phil Bozell in the
last 10 laps to take his second-ever ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series
win. Based out of Piqua, Ohio, the Pennzoil-National Auto Lube sponsored
Ford Ranger used lapped traffic and a stellar set up to stave off any
tries by Bozell to pull into the lead.

“We tried something a little bit different on the set up this week than
what we’ve been running on, and it just seemed to work,” Speakman said.
“We pulled it off the trailer, went out on the track and ran a few laps,
and it was just on rails. We came in, put on some stickers, went out and
scuffed about three laps, and that was it. We didn’t change a nut or
bolt on the truck all night long.”

Speakman flew out in front of the pack at the green flag, and stayed
there for the entire 100-lap event on the wide 3/8-mile. Around lap 90,
Kalamazoo Speedway late model regular Bozell crept up on Speakman’s back
bumper. Bozell’s Bob Stoner-owned Ford threatened the lead several
times, narrowly missing quickly fading passing lanes due to lapped
traffic. It was a close one-two finish, with Speakman crossing the
start-finish line with barely a car length between them.

“Lake Erie Speedway is an awesome facility,” Speakman said. “I really
want to thank my sponsors, Pennzoil, National Auto Lube, Dick’s Paint
and Body Shop, and everyone that helps out. This was a win for my crew.”

New Haven, Indiana’s Pete Wormcastle finished a strong third in the
Preferred Painting & Roofing-Witwer Construction Chevy after running at
second for much of the race, while 1999 series champion Bill Withers of
Columbus, Ohio took his second consecutive top-five finish at fourth in
the Mannings USA-Hall Electronics-Wachholz Engines Ford. Sophomore
standout Darren Jones nabbed fifth in the Fairfield, Ohio-based John
Pierce Plumbing Ford after qualifying third.

Flat Rock Speedway victor Paul Hahn, Canton, Michigan, piloted the
Hahn’s Collision-Certified First-Pate Mfg-Fox Auto Parts Ford to sixth,
while sixteen-year old rookie Brandon Knupp stole seventh in the Mark
Knupp Muffler & Tire Ford. The Carmen’s Vacuum-NAPA Auto Parts Ford of
Columbus, Ohio’s Robbin Slaughter took eighth, followed closely by
second-generation ARCA truck racer Kevin Reeb in the North Baltimore,
Ohio-based Accurate Logistics Ford. Brett Oakley in the #91 Mar-Flex
Products-Bales Motorsports Ford rounded out the top-10.

Ed & Company Hard Charger award winner Eddy Adams, of Sheffield Village,
Ohio grabbed 11th in the Lakeside Auto Parts Ford after qualifying back
at 18th position. Current points leader Chad Guinn notched a 12th place
finish after overheating during the race and suffering engine problems
during practice.

This Saturday night, the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series visits
Cleveland-area race fans at the 3/8-mile of Lorain County Speedway in
South Amherst. Check out the official speedway website at
www.loraincountyspeedway.com .

Post-race quotes:

Kevin Reeb: “Well, at the beginning it was just a little tight, but the
truck really came around about mid-race and I picked up a lot of speed
and it felt really good. I got a good line down and had great bite off
of the corner. I could stick on the bottom. It got me a couple of more
positions at the end of the race. But I wish I could’ve started the race
like I finished it. (What do you think about Lake Erie Speedway?) This
is a beautiful facility, a real top-notch short track. I wouldn’t doubt
if one day you saw some much bigger series run here. This is one of the
nicest short tracks I’ve seen.”

John Kasmierski: “We managed to shear the teeth off of our timing belt.
I just want something to go right for us. It’s frustrating.”

Leslie Withers (owner of #57 truck): “We did end up fourth tonight and I
thought that was pretty good. It wasn’t a real, real exciting race for
us, but there were a couple of races in the back. Our last couple of
races have been very good, but the first few, not so much. They were
very tough to get through.”

Mark Otting: “The Posilac 1 Step-Westfalia Surge Ford Ranger was a
little tight during practice. We were still working a bit on the set up
on it. We were starting to get it turned around, and threw a lot of
stuff at it after qualifying It was feeling pretty good during the race
until the last three laps we ran, I could tell something wasn’t right.
Then we lost a nut in our steering and it didn’t want to turn. This is a
brand new bolt and a brand new nut that we just put on Thursday. (What’s
your plan for next week?) We are going to try and rent a track, like
Kalamazoo, to get the chassis set up. It’s not like Lorain really, but
it’s something for us to go by.”

Tully Esterline: “We didn’t have a very quick truck from the get-go. We
didn’t seem to be handling too badly, but for some reason, we were a few
clicks off the pace. I felt as though we made it better during practice,
but we just never saw it on the clock. The race was mass chaos for us,
with radio problems from the beginning, then our water pump belt broke
about lap 60. We’ll freshen the head and be ready for next week at
Lorain. That Jeff Speakman, though, what can I say, he’s my hero!”

Series Notes:

-It’s been a while since Jeff Speakman visited victory lane with the
ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series (Shady Bowl, 1999). Speakman now has
two wins with the four-year-old series . . . with more to come? Other
active drivers included on the all-time series winners listing are Chad
Guinn, with 13 (Dixie, Ona, Illiana 2002; Flat Rock, Kentucky, Lorain,
LaSalle, 2001; Toledo, Plymouth, Flat Rock, Winchester, 2000; Owosso,
Crystal, 1999); Robbin Slaughter, 8 (Chicago, Crystal, Toledo, 2001;
Salem, Berlin, Toledo, Illiana, 2000; Toledo, 1999); Hahn, 2 (New Paris,
2001; Flat Rock, 2002); and with one each: Phil Bozell (Toledo, 2002),
Tully Esterline (LaSalle, 1999), John Kasmierski (Thunderbird, 1999),
Jack Weethee (Illiana, 2001), Joe Wormcastle (Kentucky, 2002), Pete
Wormcastle (I-75, 2002), Bill Withers (Shady Bowl, 2000).

- Unofficial rookie points standings: 1. Brandon Knupp (1635); 2. Kevin
Reeb (1440).

- Several teams in the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series keep their fans
up-to-date with the latest racing news with Internet websites or
newsletters. Keep track of your favorite driver by visiting these sites:

Bales Motorsports, driver Brett Oakley
www.balesmotorsports.com

Jones Brothers Racing, driver Darren Jones
www.jonesbrosracing.com

Slaughter Racing, driver Robbin Slaughter
www.slaughterracing.com

To get a subscription to the Esterline Motorsports Newsletter, driver
Tully Esterline, or to the Quik Cow Racing News, drivers Mark Otting and
Paul VanderHoff, email wendywellman@yahoo.com .

- New Track Records set during qualifying this year by ARCA Lincoln
Welders Truck Series drivers include Jeff Speakman, Lake Erie Speedway,
15.948 seconds, Ona Speedway, 17.995; Brett Oakley, Dixie Motor
Speedway, 15.512; Brandon Knupp, I-75 Speedway, 15.313; Steve Christman,
Kentucky Speedway, 14.996.

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