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Kligerman, Ickler Better Kentucky Speedway ARCA RE/MAX Series Record


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SPARTA, July 18, 2009: Championship leader Parker Kligerman and Brian Ickler motored past the ARCA RE/MAX Series Kentucky Speedway record qualifying speed during the final “Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150” practice session this evening.

Kligerman, winner of three straight and four of the past five series races, soared to the top the evening session speed chart with a 179.976-mph (30.004 seconds) lap in his No. 77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge while Ickler was close behind with a 179.360-mph (30.107 seconds) circuit in the No. 51 Brianickler.com Toyota.

Both speeds bettered the series track qualifying record set by then Evernham Motorsports driver Erin Crocker with a 178.731-mph (30.213 seconds) lap on July 13, 2007.

“We had a great car in the last session. We focused a lot on race set-up since this would be about the time we race tomorrow night. We went out that last time with qualifying trim. I really wish that board would read 29 seconds, but we feel good about our chances tomorrow,” Kligerman said.

He will start tomorrow night’s “Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150” with a 120-point championship advantage over second-place title contender Justin Lofton; who was 11th-quickest in the evening practice with a 175.080-mph lap (30.843 seconds). Kligerman’s only finish outside a race top 10 this season was his 17th-place showing during the series first visit here on May 9.

Ickler will shoot for his second top-five ARCA RE/MAX Series Kentucky finish tomorrow night. He rolled off the May grid 33rd and took the checkered flag in fourth place. He will attempt to get an even better read on race conditions by competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” earlier in the day.

“We were very good in race trim, we were awesome. Our fastest lap was our qualifying run. We scheduled and planned to be in the ARCA race to gain seat time for the truck race. The 77 is our biggest competition and we’re running right with him,” Ickler said.

Nine-time series champion and four-time Kentucky Speedway race winner Frank Kimmel completed the third best lap of the evening session at 178.047 mph (30.329 seconds). He will attempt to become the second five-time race winner in track history tomorrow night. He has finished fifth and fourth in his last two Kentucky starts in the series.

Grant Enfinger, who led the series afternoon session with a 175.959-mph (30.689 seconds) lap, was 14th in the evening session with a 174.295 mph (30.982 seconds) lap.

Speedway gates open at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. NCWTS drivers shoot for the Keystone Light pole at 3:30 p.m. ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers run for the “Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up Kentucky 150” pole at 5:00 p.m., and classic country music artist Lee Greenwood takes the Turn 1 concert stage shortly after.

The green flag waves for the “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” at 7:18 p.m. and the “Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150” wraps up the weekend action with a 9:45 p.m. start.