TOP ARCA TOURING CHAMPS GUINN, BAUMGARTNER HONORED

TOLEDO OH, 11-2-02 – More than 300 people jammed the Grand Ballroom of
the Radisson Hotel in downtown Toledo, Ohio Saturday night to honor 2002
champions and front-runners from the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series
and the ARCA Auto Value Midget Series.

The Lincoln Welders Truck Series, in its fourth season, crowned Erie,
Michigan driver Chad Guinn as champion while the Auto Value Midget
Series, in its 23rd season, toasted Ottawa Lake, Michigan driver Dave
Baumgartner as the new titleholder.

Guinn, in his father and champion truck owner Larry Guinn’s
BFI-Northland Collision Ford Ranger, posted five wins in ’02 among nine
top-five finishes and nine top-10s. In addition, the all-time series
winner with 15 career victories led 190 laps en route to his first
touring series title. “This is a great honor,” said Guinn on stage. “I
want to thank my sponsors BFI and Northland Collision for all their
support and especially my mom and dad for the opportunity and for
standing by the program. We’ve got so much quality help; Chuck Carroll
is one of the finest crew chiefs there is anywhere, in any series. I
also want to thank the Hahn family for lending our team a motor when
ours was broke. Without their help, I wouldn’t be standing here
tonight.”

Guinn’s enormous point lead suddenly evaporated towards the end of the
year when he fell out of three consecutive races with engine trouble.
Fellow racer Paul Hahn then came to the rescue lending Guinn their own
motor enabling the eventual champion to regroup. To go along with his
championship earnings from series sponsor Lincoln Welders, championship
jackets and rings, Guinn picked up an additional $1,000 from Damon RV
and a Lincoln Electric wire welder compliments of Lincoln Welders.
Guinn’s crew chief Chuck Carroll was honored as the Holley Performance
Crew Chief of the Year and awarded the $2,500 top prize while engine
builder Tom Hooker won the Victor Reinz Engine Builder of the Year
award. Carroll also was honored as the Spirit Award winner. Other
special award prizes for Guinn included cash and products from Nelson
Specialties, Harris Torches & Regulators, Revenge Racing Bodies, Jacobs
Electronics, Pate Manufacturing, Ed & Company, Digital Scales by
Intercomp and Racing Electronics.

Piqua, Ohio driver Jeff Speakman was honored for his second place points
finish as well as the Old Milwaukee Pole Award for his season-high four
poles, and the QuicShine 99 Best Appearing Truck honors. New Haven,
Indiana driver Pete Wormcastle and Fairfield, Ohio driver Darren Jones
tied for third in points and were honored as such. Wormcastle also won
the Cloyes Gear & Products Halfway Lap Leader award. Sixteen-year-old
Sidney, Ohio rookie driver Brandon Knupp took fifth place driver honors
as well as the Hoosier Racing Tires Rookie of the Year Award. Brett
Oakley was honored as sixth place driver with veteran and 1999 champion
Bill Withers taking seventh place honors as well as the Performance Race
Fuels Sportsman of the Year award. Two-time champion Robbin Slaughter,
Joe Wormcastle and Jack Weethee completed the top-ten driver honorees
respectively. In other special awards, rookie Kevin Reeb, who finished
12th in points, picked up the Holley Performance Most Improved Driver
award.

Baumgartner, driving for his father and champion car owner Jim
Baumgartner all year, picked up three victories at Flat Rock, Mansfield
and Shady Bowl Speedways en route to his first touring series title. “It
feels great; no question about it,” said the 25-year-old champion. “It’s
something I’ll always have on my resume; maybe it can even help take us
to the next level. I’d like to thank, first and foremost, JB
Motorsports, which is my father. He puts up first-class racecars,
Simpson Race Products, Autocraft Engines, Weld Wheels and Hawk chassis.
Mike Streicher builds one heck of a chassis and helps us a ton with all
his set-up information. But this feels great; we’re gunna relish in our
championship, at least for awhile before we figure out what we’re gunna
do next year.” In addition to point fund money from Auto Value Parts
Stores, championship rings and jackets, Baumgartner was also honored
with the Old Milwaukee Pole Award for posting three quick times in ‘02,
more than any other driver. Baumgartner was also the recipient of a
Lincoln Electric wire welder as well as an ignition box by Nelson
Specialties.

Sondi Eden, who finished second in series points, was at the Fast Track
driving school in Concord, North Carolina and was unable to attend.
Series veteran Gary Harrell, in Don Putinta’s Autocraft-Hawk, was
honored as the third place driver, his career ninth top-10 points
finish. Car owner Putinta was additionally honored with the Sportsman of
the Year award. Yorktown, Indiana rookie driver Adam Schuyler was
honored as the fourth place driver, and in addition, won the Seymour
Autocraft Engines ARCA Rookie of the Year award. Second-generation
driver Chris Hettinger was the Most Improved Driver award winner to
accompany his fifth place points finish. Barberton, Ohio driver Ryan
Gillenwater was honored for 8th in driver points while Isaiah Bross was
honored for 10th. The Midget Series Spirit Award went to longtime series
official Steve Lindahl. In addition, $1,352 was raised throughout the
night for the children of open-wheel driver Perry Younce who lost his
life in a racing accident.