ARCA Truck results, VIR road course

ARCA Trucker Chad Guinn Wins on VIR Road Course 
 

ALTON VA (9-4-04)  Two-time and defending ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series champion Chad Guinn solidified his superman status with a huge victory Saturday afternoon on the Virginia Int'l Raceway road course in Alton, Virginia.

 

The 50-lap event on the 1.1-mile Patriot Course at VIR was the first-ever road race in the series' history. For a series that customarily runs on paved and dirt ovals ranging in length from a quarter-mile to a full mile, it was quite a departure from the norm. 

 

The victory represented Guinn's 22nd career win in his 64th series start; but it was his first-ever road course attempt.

 

Guinn, who padded his point lead with the win, was tired but happy after the grueling event.

"I loved it," he said. "I had a real good time. I love this place. The truck ran really well, and the guys in traffic were good about getting out of the way when I was lapping them."

Guinn, who earlier won the Pork Pole award in his No. 4 BFI-M&M Heating & Cooling Ford Ranger, started from the seventh position by inversion and carefully weaved his way through the pack. 

 

"We had to be careful working our way through traffic," he added, "but everything worked out good for us. We tried to save the tires on the truck and be there at the end."

However, Guinn's effort did not come without a significant challenge from championship contender Brett Rowe in the No. 27 Front Rowe Racing Chevy S-10. Rowe was in second position right behind Guinn for the final restart with two laps remaining when his left-rear tire went flat - for the second time - just as the field took the green flag. Rowe got back on the course but lost a lap after pitting for service, despite the help of guest jackman and NASCAR veteran Ernie Irvan, who was assisting Rowe throughout the day. 

 

Rookie Rick Knowles, who started fifth in the Thomson Automotive Chevy, led the first 6 laps before Rowe, who started sixth, took the lead. Soon after, Guinn worked his way into second and mounted a challenge for the top-spot. The two front-runners raced fender to fender for several laps before Rowe's left-rear tire went flat on lap 27. Rowe had to make the first of his two pit stops and lost a lap in the exchange. However, with the aid of a caution, Rowe got his lap back before disaster would strike again as the race neared conclusion.

 

Mark Otting, in the Westfalia Surge-Posilac One Step-Uckele Nutrition Ford, finished a career-best second one lap down ahead of Knowles in third. Rowe battled back to finish a solid fourth after all his troubles. Gregg Vasko, in the Gale Trailers-McArdle's Restaurant & Pub Ford, finished fifth followed by John Kasmierski, Steve Coates, Bill Withers, Brian Rowe and Jeff Smith to complete the top-10 finishers respectively.

 

Final 2004 ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series Events:

Toledo Speedway - September 10

Salem Speedway - September 18







       2004 ARCA LINCOLN WELDERS TRUCK SERIES EVENT #8   
       VIRginia Int'l Raceway, Alton VA, 9-4-04   
       Official Results, VIR ARCA 50 by Hardee's   
           
      FIN STR NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN  TEAM & TRUCK LAPS STATUS 
      1 7 4 Chad Guinn/Erie MI BFI-M&M Heating-Harwood Buick/Pontiac Chevrolet 50 Running 
      2 1 00 Mark Otting/Plainwell MI Westfalia Surge-Posilac One Step-Uckele Nutrition Chevy 49 Running 
      3 5 31 Rick Knowles/Willis MI Thomson Automotive Chevrolet 49 Running 
      4 6 27 Brett Rowe/Barboursville WV Front Rowe Racing Chevrolet 49 Running 
      5 12 14 Gregg Vasko/McKeesport PA Gale Trailers-McArdle's Restaurant & Pub Ford 47 Running 
      6 10 3 John Kasmierski/Toledo OH Hahn's Collision-Top Notch Seamless Gutters Chevrolet  46 Running 
      7 14 10 Steve Coates/Alton VA Rupp Seeds Chevrolet 42 Running 
      8 8 57 Bill Withers/Columbus OH Mannings USA-Hall Electronics Ford 38 Running 
      9 15 5 Brian Rowe/Barboursville WV Livernois Motorsports-Pate Manufacturing Chevrolet 36 Accident 
      10 3 24 Jeff Smith/Greenville OH TSM Motorsports Ford 36 Running 
      11 11 78 Craig Meyers/Belleville MI Classic Racing Coupes-Pit Stop Graphics Ford 28 Pump 
      12 4 98 Kevin Reeb/Pataskala OH Reeb Racing Ford 27 Pump 
      13 9 15 Duane Bischoff/St. Leon IN Hoosier Foreign Auto Service-Hoosier Lock Ford 26 Pump 
      14 3 11 Norm Weaver/Clarksburg WV Dan Cava's Toyota World-Nextel-Damon's Grill Toyota 4 Ignition 
      15 2 21 Robbin Slaughter/Columbus OH Screamin' Eagle Ltd Ford 1 Accident 
      16 16 30 Brad Yunker/Maumee OH Champion Credit Union-Laborers Local 574 Ford 0 DNS 
       LAP LEADERS:  Knowles 1-6 (6); Brett Rowe 7-21 (15); Guinn 22-50 (29)   
           
       SPECIAL AWARDS    
       PORK POLE QUALIFYING: Chad Guinn   
       CLOYES GEAR HALFWAY LEADER:  Chad Guinn