ARCA RE/MAX race result release, top-10 points

ARCA RE/MAX SERIES TOP-10 POINTS AFTER NASHVILLE:  1) Frank Kimmel 650; 2) Mark Gibson 610; 3) Brent Sherman 600; 4) Billy Venturini 570; 5) Ron Cox 535; 6) Jason Jarrett 530; 7) Bill Eversole 465; 7) Chase Montgomery 465; 9) Christi Passmore 445; 10) Rick Carelli 380.





KYLE BUSCH CONQUERS NASHVILLE CONCRETE

 

NASHVILLE, TENN (4-11-03)  Seventeen-year-old Kyle Busch, in only his second career ARCA RE/MAX Series start, capped off a picture-perfect week in Tennessee with a convincing victory in the PFG Lester 150 Friday night at Nashville Superspeedway.

 

Busch, in addition to leading most of the way in the 150-mile event, also topped the speed charts in all three practice sessions prior to the race and established a new one-lap track record of 159.460 mph in Old Milwaukee Pole Qualifying on Thursday.  

 

Busch's well-earned victory, in the Ditech.com Chevrolet, snapped four-time RE/MAX Series champ Frank Kimmel's iron grip on the 1.33-mile concrete track. 

 

"We had a great effort," said Busch. "We came here and tested and we knew we were good out front, which is where we had to be to beat Frank Kimmel, who's the master here." 

 

Busch, the younger brother of Winston Cup superstar Kurt Busch, led 84 of the 113 total laps and clearly impressed his team owner Rick Hendrick. "I don't know that I've seen anybody with more talent, including Jeff Gordon at this stage of his life," commented Hendrick, who fields Gordon's NASCAR Winton Cup cars. "He's got a tremendous amount of talent and tonight he showed a lot of poise."

 

Kimmel, who led just three laps in the Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford, finished second more than two seconds behind the winner. "He's a good little racer and he's got some great equipment," said Kimmel. "I've heard how good he is; he did a great job behind the wheel."

 

Brent Sherman, in the Serta Mattress-Hickory Farms Ford, continued to impress with a career-best third place finish ahead of Jeff Fultz who steered his C&C Boiler Ford to the finish in fourth. Local Nashville favorite Darryl Sage, in Keith Murt's Chevrolet, finished fifth.

 

Seven cautions for 51 laps helped keep 13 machines ultimately on the lead lap all of which managed to dodge a variety of fender-benders and wall-bangers. No injuries were reported however Japan's Hideo Fukuyama was transported, conscious and alert, to University Medical Center in Lebanon for treatment of a possible concussion. After undergoing a CAT Scan, which was negative, Fukuyama was held overnight and released Saturday morning.

 

Additional laps leaders included Ron Cox who led 14, Christi Passmore who led five, and Murt who led seven before getting caught up in the same wreck with Fukuyama. 

 

Former NFL head coach Jerry Glanville hustled the Fricker's Ford from 23rd to sixth in the final running earning the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger honors and the Thermo-Tec Cool Drive award for advancing the most positions. Winder, Georgia veteran Mark Gibson finished seventh in the Williams Brothers Lumber Chevrolet in front of Woodland Park, Colorado driver Clint Vahsholtz who finished eighth in his RE/MAX Series debut. Passmore pulled off her career-best RE/MAX Series finish with a solid ninth in the Gap Roofing-Royal Trading Ford and also earned the ARCA Highest Finishing Rookie of the Race award. Veteran Rick Carelli finished tenth in the RE/MAX Int'l Chevrolet. 

 

Busch's victory from the pole also garnered the Las Vegas, Nevada native the National Pork Board Pole-Win bonus while his pit crew won Gladiator of the Race honors for outstanding service on pit road. Aaron Call, who had a solid run in the works in James Hylton's #48 Ford, earned the Landrum Springs Hard Luck award after getting caught up in a three-car wreck just past the halfway point.

 

The next action for the ARCA RE/MAX Series will be Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27 with the annual Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway.