ARCA: Daytona testing complete as Chevrolets roll quickest with Bobby Gerhart showing the way
20 December 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
The coals are still hot under the hood in Bobby Gerhart's Kewadin
Casinos Chevrolet. The '99 Daytona ARCA 200 winner reigned fastest
Sunday in the final day of a 3-day test session for the ARCA
Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series at Daytona Int'l Speedway. A record 34 teams
checked in for practice in preparation for the 37th annual Daytona ARCA
200 on February 13, 2000. The Lebanon, PA driver checked off a speed of
188.009 mph ahead of '99 ARCA champion Bill Baird at 187.383, '98 ARCA
champion Frank Kimmel 186.761, Daytona Beach, FL native Dan Pardus
186.645 and Ron Hornaday III 186.297. Matt Hutter sat on the pole in
last year's event with a speed of 188.869.
ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Testing
Daytona Int'l Raceway, Day 3, 12-19-99
5 Bobby Gerhart Chevrolet 188.009
52 Bill Baird Chevrolet 187.383
46 Frank Kimmel Chevrolet 186.761
42 Dan Pardus Chevrolet 186.645
97 Ron Hornaday III Chevrolet 186.297
31 Randal Ritter Chevrolet 185.797
50 Andy Belmont Ford 185.605
3 Kirk Shelmerdine Chevrolet 185.529
2 Kerry Earnhardt Chevrolet 184.805
19 Cavin Councilor Chevrolet 184.578
66 Bob Strait Ford 184.351
8 Shawna Robinson Ford 184.313
56 Dill Whittymore Chevrolet 183.974
74 Shane Huffman Ford 183.861
88 Jeff Streeter Ford 183.15
81 Jerry Hill Chevrolet 182.964
53 Robert Burroughs Chevrolet 182.667
00 Ed Kennedy Chevrolet 182.445
33 Joe Nott Chevrolet 182.371
28 CW Smith Chevrolet 182.334
57 Mark Claussner Ford 181.452
48 Jim Lamoreaux Chevrolet 180.288
01 Keith Segars Ford 180.252
91 Tim Horvath Chevrolet 179.354
15 Damon Lusk Ford 178.926
14 Christian Elder Pontiac 178.749
53 Bob Kelly Pontiac 178.536
96 Russell Landrum Ford 177.13
84 Norm Benning Chevrolet 176.852
24 Chuck Weber Chevrolet 176.471
78 Michael McNeese Chevrolet 172.911
32 Mark Stahl Ford 167.535
90 Jon Herb Ford 165.23
In 3 days of testing only 1 minor incident would cause a pause. It happened when Robert Burroughs slid his Chevy off turn 4 and made contact with the inner retaining wall sustaining only slight front-end damage. He was unhurt.
More News & Notes from Daytona
A record 34 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series teams checked in for 3 days of testing at the Daytona Int'l Speedway in preparation for the 37th annual Daytona ARCA 200 on February 13, 2000. Showers cut day 1 short at 3:30 PM ET while day 2 was completely rained-out. However, Sunday came with clear skies as well as '99 Daytona ARCA 200 winner Bobby Gerhart who posted the fastest speed at 188.009 mph.
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Dave Marcis, former Mark Martin crew chief Steve Hmiel, who is now employed by Dale Earnhardt, Inc, and chassis specialist Dave Sharpentier were among those working around the #2 Chevy Monte Carlo of Kerry Earnhardt. Earnhardt was in a Chevy from the Steve Park Winston Cup stable with Pennzoil paint scheme minus the decals.
NASCAR legend Bobby Allison and former Winston Cup crew chief Bob Johnson were assisting Tallahassee, Florida driver Bob Kelly in his #53 Kelly Brothers Sheet Metal Pontiac.
Andy Belmont was sporting a #50 on his America OnLine Ford instead of the #40 he had been wearing the last 2 seasons on the ARCA tour. The #50 is representative of AOL's new 5.0 edition. '98 Cornwell Tools ARCA Crew Chief of the Year Jeff Lemons is there with Belmont to assist. Veteran crew chief Grady Humphries was turning wrenches for '99 Daytona ARCA 200 winner Bobby Gerhart.
Bob Strait, in Mark Thompson's Midway Islands Ford, was 11th quickest overall at 184.351. However, the Mokena, IL veteran is still nursing stubborn 2nd degree burns suffered at Talladega. The burns had kept Strait from competing in the ARCA Georgia Boot season finale in Atlanta.
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