ARCA: Blaise Alexander Answers ARCA Toledo Victory Call
27 June 1999
By Don RadebaughToledo, Ohio - After 52 career ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series starts that included 14 top-fives and five runner-ups, Blaise Alexander finally rolled his Perkins Restaurants-Sunoco Lubricants-Lisa Express Chevrolet into victory lane Friday night at Toledo Speedway in the Jasper Engines & Transmissions 150. With a capacity crowd standing by, the former ARCA rookie of the year crossed the final stripe nearly three seconds ahead of point leader Bill Baird to claim the $12,270 top prize. In a season that has produced seven different winners after eight events, Alexander became the fifth first-time winner in 1999.
Alexander was one of a handful of front-runners who ran the entire 75 mile race with no pitstops. "I have to hand it to my crew chief Dave Liner," said the Montoursville, Pennsylvania driver in victory lane. "It was his call to stay out and not pit. We just didnt need too. The Hoosier tires just kept on sticking and the car was set up perfect. We were good on gas and with everything going our way, we decided that we werent going to give up the track position. Its hard to make it up here at Toledo. Its great to finally get my first win. I wish my dad was here to see it." Bob Schacht raced his Engineered Components Ford from 15th to third in the final running order in front of Andy Belmonts America Online Ford with Mark Gibsons JaniKing Ford charging from 17th to fifth to complete the top five.
After earning his third Talladega Pole Award of the season, Baird raced his Saturn Machine-Eagle One Chevy into the lead at the onset over outside polesitter Alexander and stretched his advantage to ten lengths. Baird clearly established himself as the man to beat and led the first 71 circuits before Alexander overhauled the leader in traffic. Twenty laps later Baird reassumed command and showed the way through lap 111 before giving it back to Alexander in favor of fresh tires and fuel. Baird, along with Schacht, came down pitroad twice, each driver taking two tires at a time rejoining the field in 11th and 12th respectively. When racing resumed, Alexander led comfortably while Dill Whittymore and Belmont, both of whom did not pit, waged a spirited war for second with Gibson and Bobby Gerhart in a short tow for fourth and fifth. By the time Baird and Schacht, with fresh tires, caught the leaders and swapped out for second and third, Alexander had a straightaway lead. Baird stretched his advantage over Schacht by five lengths and was running down Alexander at a lively rate but would run out of time in the 150 lap event. Whittymore, after a spin down the backstretch in his Mt. Olive Pickle Chevy after being nudged by Baird off turn two, charged back to finish sixth ahead of Gerhart, Jeff Finley, Joe Cooksey and Tracy Leslie to finish out the top ten. Defending ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series champion Frank Kimmel raced with the leaders early on but a broken rear-end gear relegated the Jeffersonville, Indiana driver to 28th in the final running order several laps down.
Alexander also took with him the Auto Value Halfway Leader Award while Whittymore won the Hoosier Tire Midwest Hard Charger honors for advancing the most positions, from 21st to sixth. Ron Cox, after finishing 12th, was the STP-Prestone Highest Finishing Rookie.
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