ARCA: Kimmel wins wild Winchester war
14 August 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Winchester IN--Frank Kimmel led the most
laps, dodged the most bullets and ultimately survived a wild 250-lap
ARCA short-track war to win the Astral Carrier 250 Saturday night under
the lights at Winchester Speedway.
Kimmel, on fresher tires, tracked down Tracy Leslie with five laps remaining, muscled underneath the former ARCA champion off turn four and drove away by a two second margin in the end to earn his career 21st ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series victory. Then Brian Ross, in the Biomet Chevrolet, wrestled second away from Leslie before the final curtain call while polesitter Bobby Gerhart, in his Greektown Casinos Chevy, raced home in fourth with Jeff Finley, in the Bailey Excavating Chevy, the last car on the lead lap, completing the top-five finishers.
Few machines, if any, left unscathed including Kimmels whose #46 Advance Auto Parts-Pork White Meat Chevy rolled into victory lane wrinkled and torn, but largely in tact. "This car was a rocket ship right from the start tonight," said the 98 ARCA champ. "Our car handled so well that we were able to take care of our tires, so we had plenty for the end when we needed it. It was great racing with Brian (Ross); hes a true gentleman racer, and Id race side-by-side with him anytime. We were sure nervous with Tracy (Leslie) in front of us there at the end. He can be really tough to pass but we got it done. But, wow, that was definitely one of the more exciting races Ive ever been in. Im not sure how it was from your angle but it was an eyeful from mine. I saw a lot of sparks tonight."
Some of those sparks belonged to three-time champ Tim Steele who had nowhere to go when Chuck Weber got sideways in turns one and two directly in front of the leaders. While the other frontrunners got through, Steele clipped Weber on the way by and spent 14 laps on pit road for repairs before returning in time to finish 13th. Bob Strait, who had been in a tight points battle with Kimmel and running in the top-five, also had his troubles early on when the lapped car of Jon Herb spun directly in his path leaving the 15-time ARCA winner no option but to plow into the out-of-control car. Strait was forced to make lengthy repairs on pit road before he too returned to action to eventually finish 15th. In all, 11 caution periods slowed the event for 89 laps while pit crews, pulled, pushed, pounded and pieced together the mangled-up machines as best as they could.
And while crews worked feverishly to keep their cars in the show, no amount of duck tape would suffice for Andy Belmonts America Online Ford, who got a jolt from the Target Saws & Blades Chevy of Cavin Councilor in turn one. Both cars slammed the outside retaining wall however Councilor was able to continue whereas Belmont was done for the night dropping the Penndel, Pennsylvania driver from fifth to seventh in points. It was also a difficult night for Maurtco Powder Coating-Cornwell Tools teammates Joe Cooksey and Mark Gibson who would lose several points as well after both lost separate bump & grind battles on the Winchester high-banks. Cooksey fell out after 204 laps when Vern Slagh failed to negotiate the distance between his front bumper and Cookseys rear while Gibsons car caught fire on pit road after an altercation with another competitor racing for position.
However, when the green was out, the fans were treated to some of the closest, most exciting competition ever witnessed at Winchester when Kimmel, Ross and Leslie traded the lead back and forth 10 times before the checkered flag fell, a battle that included, at one point, a three abreast pass for the lead by Kimmel on the backstretch. And just as thrilling as it was up front, racing was tight all the way through the pack providing an eyeful at either end. Ron Cox, in the John Dunn Trucking Chevy, raced his way to sixth in the final running order after starting 23rd ahead of Shawna Robinson, who steered her Kmart-Pacific Garden Ford to the finish in seventh in her first Winchester appearance. Robinson raced with the leaders all night and had maneuvered her machine alongside Kimmels a time or two for the lead until fuel pick-up problems eventually forced her pitside dropping her from contention. Roger Blackstock maintained a sharp-eye all night long and finished eighth in his Mopar Performance Dodge Avenger in front of veteran Bob Schacht, who finished ninth in the Racing for Christ Ford. Second generation driver Todd Bowsher raced his father Jacks familiar #21 Engineered Components Ford from 18th to 10th.
Schacht also won the Hoosier Tire Midwest Hard Charger Award after starting 30th while Kimmel picked up the Auto Value Parts Stores Halfway Leader honors. Ross was the Prestone ARCA Highest Finishing Rookie and continues to lead in the rookie standings over Robinson. Next event for the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series will be Sunday, August 20th on the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile dirt in Springfield.
CURRENT POINTS: Frank Kimmel 3090, Bob Strait 2900, Tim Steele 2870, Brian Ross 2830, Bobby Gerhart 2690, Mark Gibson 2590, Andy Belmont 2560, Shawna Robinson 2520, Norm Benning 2435, Cavin Councilor 2265.
Text provided by Don Radebaugh
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