KIMMEL EARNS 60th CAREER ARCA WIN WITH POCONO VICTORY

LONG POND PA (7-23-05) – Despite continual pressure from some very talented rookies, six-time and defending ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel, in the Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford, drove to victory lane Saturday afternoon in the Pennsylvania 200 at Pocono Raceway.

Kimmel, with rookies Chad McCumbee, Erin Crocker, David Ragan and Ken Weaver in the mirror most of the way, held off the hungry challengers and led 63 of 80 laps earning his 60th career series victory in his 293rd start.

“We’ve had a lot of success here,” said Kimmel. “We just haven’t won a lot. Those young kids, they get up on the wheel when they know they have a chance to win. So I was really running hard the last two or three laps just trying to get away from them in case we had another situation where we got caught back up.”

One of the most threatening young-guns was Rookie of the Year contender McCumbee, who earned Gladiator of the Race honors by charging through the field to finish second after starting 34th in a provisional position. McCumbee had started the race in a back-up car after wrecking his primary during a qualifying spin in the tunnel turn.

McCumbee led four laps early in the race but was no match for Kimmel.

“We had an incident in qualifying and unloaded a backup car and had to get it ready in 30 minutes,” McCumbee said. “We’re really blessed. We really didn’t have a second place car.”

Evernham Motorsports developmental driver Erin Crocker, in her Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge, used a late-race pit stop to her advantage to get fresh tires and make a run on the competition late in the race to finish third.

“On that last stop we came in and the crew that worked for me, Jeremy Mayfield’s crew, did a four tire change there with two laps to go,” said Crocker. “So I had a brand new set of tires and I new that last lap he (David Ragan) was driving a little bit harder than me so I tried to come off of the bottom harder and fortunately it worked.”

David Ragan, who ran well all day in the CertainTeed Ford, led 6 laps en route to his fourth place finish after getting passed by Crocker on the last lap. Ken Weaver, who led five laps in his own 1-800-4-A-Phone Pontiac, finished fifth.

But the day was bitter-sweet for Farmington, Minnesota’s Joey Miller, who earned his third Pork Pole award of 2005 early in the day but expired from the race with a broken valve spring on lap six to finish 34th. The DNF caused the rookie to drop from 130 to 295 markers behind Kimmel’s point lead.

“It’s really disappointing,” said Miller. “I think we really had a shot at a top three and possibly a win today.”

Kimmel’s win came in his 28th career start at Pocono.

“You know we’re here to try to win a championship and that’s our goal this year,” said Kimmel. “Our victory today was really important especially since the nine car had a little trouble today. You know Bill came on the radio immediately and said he’s behind the wall. It’s a bad motor and let’s take care of our stuff and let’s get a good finish. That’s what we did.”

Kimmel also earned the Weld Wheels Half-Way Lap Leader award, the ReadyHosting.com Lap Leader award and the Hurst Golden Shifter award. Crew chief Bill Kimmel was awarded the SK Hand Tool Crew Chief of the Race. Brad Smith, who finished 17th after starting 30th, earned the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award.

Top ten unofficial points after the Pennsylvania 200 at Pocono Raceway, July 23, 2005: 1. Frank Kimmel (3380), 2. Joey Miller (3085), 3. Chad Blount (2870), 4. Ken Weaver (2585), 5. Mark Gibson (2430), 5. Chad McCumbee (2430), 7. Brandon Knupp (2330), 8. Mike Harmon (2250), 9. Jason Jarrett (2175), 10. Todd Bowsher (2155).