Hemphill Wins Rain-Shortened 150 at Kentucky

 

By Don Radebaugh - SPARTA KY (7-10-04)  When it rains it pours, and quite fortunately that was the scenario for ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Ryan Hemphill who won the rain-shortened Kentucky 150 on 700 WLW Pole Night Saturday afternoon at Kentucky Speedway.  



Hemphill, who never pitted, was just three laps away from a scheduled fuel stop, when a hard rain began pelting the 1.5-mile superspeedway on lap 65 of the 100-lap, 150-mile race. With more rain forecasted and pressing USAC and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events on the way, series officials declared the race official with 67 laps complete. 

 

And despite Hemphill's good fortune of being the leader when it rained, the Apollo, Pennsylvania driver still led every lap en route to his fourth series victory in only his ninth attempt.



"This was a total team effort," said Hemphill. "We brought a brand new car to Kentucky. It had never seen the track this year and I think the new TRIMSPA paint scheme must have been good luck. The whole effort just says a lot about my guys and my crew chief (Greg Tester). They gave me a great car this weekend. This program is headed in the right direction, and I'm getting the experience I need."



Second-generation racer David Ragan, who also never pitted, finished a career-best second in the Shrimp From Florida Dodge. Tandy Marlin, who recovered from a first-lap spin, finished a career-best third in The Boat Shop Dodge. Walt Brannen, who started 34th in the Georgia Peanut-Southern Pan Services Dodge, finished a career-best fourth giving Dodge a clean sweep of the first four positions. Current point leader and five-time series champion Frank Kimmel, who pitted early in the race, charged back to finish fifth in the Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford.



Series regular Brent Sherman was running second behind Hemphill late in the going when the N. Barrington, Illinois driver, in fear of running out of gas, came down pit road for service just before the red flag was about to be displayed for rain. As the race became official, Sherman was scored a disappointing 12th, the last car on the lead lap.



With Pork Pole qualifying rained out the day before, the field was set by current car owner points putting Kimmel and rookie Boston Reid on the front row for the start. But neither was able to lead a lap as Hemphill charged into the top-spot from his fourth place starting position just as the frontrunners raced off turn four to complete the first lap.



And while there was plenty of side-by-side racing throughout the pack, no driver was able to mount the necessary challenge to make a run at Hemphill.

 

Reid, on the Hendrick Motorsports developmental program, pitted once for fuel and tires before steering his ditech.com Chevrolet to a sixth place finishing position in front of Christi Passmore, who finished seventh in the GAP Roofing-Asphalt Fuel & Supply Ford. Mark Gibson, in the Williams Bros Lumber Chevrolet, finished eighth in front of Todd Bowsher, who finished ninth in the GFS Marketplace Ford. Bobby Gerhart completed the top-ten finishers in the Lucas Oil Pontiac.

 

Hemphill also picked up the Bennigan's Halfway Lap Leader award. Marlin, who started 38th, earned the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger honors. Andy Belmont Motorsports, with rookie driver Brandon Knupp at the helm, won the Gladiator GarageWorks Gladiator of the Race award for a speedy engine change just prior to the race. Sherman, who was never out of the top-five, was awarded the Landrum Spring Hard Luck honors. 

 

Next event for the ARCA RE/MAX Series will be the Shop 'n Save 150 from Gateway Int'l Raceway Friday night, July 16 LIVE on SPEED Channel at 9 pm eastern.

 

TOP-10 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES POINTS AFTER KENTUCKY:  1) Frank Kimmel 3110; 2) Brent Sherman 2720; 3) Billy Venturini 2660; 4) Mark Gibson 2480; 5) TJ Bell 2405; 6) Jason Jarrett 2360; 7) Todd Bowsher 2325; 8) AJ Fike 2280; 9) Christi Passmore 2250; 10) Darrell Basham 2130.