ARCA: Slaughter wins Salem, takes ARCA Truck title
11 September 2000
Salem, IN--Robbin Slaughter, in his own Carmen’s Vacuum-NAPA Auto Parts Ford Ranger, capped off an incredible season Saturday afternoon at Salem Speedway with a convincing victory in the Uhl Truck Sales 100, and more importantly, the veteran Columbus, Ohio driver was crowned 2000 champion of the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series.Slaughter, who went in trailing Chad Guinn by 20 markers, had every angle covered including winning the Hoosier Tire Pole Award, leading every lap and winning the race. And while second place finisher David Clay, with the aid of lapped traffic, got close enough to challenge a couple of times, he, nor anyone else, was no match for Slaughter who pulled away by 15 lengths in the end to take his fourth victory of the season as well as his first series title. Slaughter’s payday exceeded $2,000 for the afternoon to include the Revenge Pole-Win Bonus as well as the Cloyes Gear Halfway Leader Award.
“This is absolutely incredible,” said the new champ in victory lane. “To win the race and the championship all in the same day makes it all that more special. We were definitely prepared today and I think it showed. The handle on the truck was perfect right off the trailer so we didn’t have to chase it all afternoon. If I could, I’d like to thank all the players that made it all happen – My sponsors Carmen’s Vacuum and NAPA Auto Parts, my crew chief Tom Cumbow, our engine builder Tom Hooker, Ed & Company for the chassis, my crew, Mike Jose, Don Porter, Niki Slaughter and Marsha James. I wouldn’t be here without them, and they’re all important. The way this point battle went back and forth all year, and right down to the last race, we’re sure glad it’s finally over. Now we can relax and enjoy it.”
Throughout the year, the point lead changed hands seven times before Slaughter wrestled it back for good in the Salem season finale. Guinn, who went in with high hopes, finished third, and although the Erie, Michigan stand-out didn’t take home the ultimate prize, Guinn finished off an ultra-successful year as the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series Rookie of the Year after posting 4 wins in 2000. Pete Wormcastle, in the Ossian NAPA-Kelley Automotive Chevy, raced with the leaders all afternoon and out-dueled Troy Marciniak for fourth while Marciniak, in the A&A Manufacturing Chevy, trailed by a length in fifth, the last truck on the lead lap. Johnny Witham, in AJ Pate’s Fab Shop Ford, was also in the thick of the points battle until an early-race trip down pit road to cure overheating trouble put the Hamilton, Ohio driver one lap down. Witham still finished sixth ahead of Jack Weethee who steered his Weethee Builders-Amerihost Inns Ford home in seventh. Tully Esterline finished eighth in the Spangler Candy Co-Rupp Seeds Chevy while ’99 champ Bill Withers finished ninth in the Mannings USA-Hall Electronics Ford and was credited with the Ed & Company Hard Charger Award for advancing the most positions. Randy Kopka, in the Braun Auto Group Ford, completed the top-10.
Slaughter will be formally crowned king of the trucks November 11th at the ARCA Truck and Midget championship awards banquet at the Radisson Hotel in Toledo, Ohio.
FINAL TOP-20 ARCA LINCOLN WELDERS TRUCK SERIES POINTS: Robbin Slaughter 3870, Chad Guinn 3845, Johnny Witham 3810, Troy Marciniak 3680, Bill Withers 3600, Dave Reeb 3245, Bobby Marvin 3195, Todd Braun 3185, Tully Esterline 3095, Michael Carter 3045, Jack Weethee 3005, Joe Wormcastle 2770, Stan Maitlen 2710, Kyle Witwer 2405, Jeff Speakman 2325, Paul Hahn 2315, Randy Kopka 2085, David Clay 2070, Pete Wormcastle 1705, John Kasmierski 1480.
2000 ARCA LINCOLN WELDERS TRUCK SERIES EVENT #16 Salem Speedway, Salem IN, 9-9-00 Official Results, UHL Truck Sales 100 FIN STR NO DRIVER/RESIDENCE TEAM & CAR LAPS STATUS 1 1 6 Robbin Slaughter/Columbus OH Carmen's Vacuum-Napa Auto Parts Ford 100 Running 2 2 33 David Clay/Carlisle OH Carlisle Electric-Community Nat'l Bank-Select Const Chevy 100 Running 3 7 4 Chad Guinn/Erie MI Racing Benefits Association-Sonic Expediting Ford 100 Running 4 4 12 Pete Wormcastle/New Haven IN Ossian Napa-Kelly Automotive Chevrolet 100 Running 5 8 8 Troy Marciniak/Spring Lake MI A&A Manufacturing-Bob's Asphalt Chevrolet 100 Running 6 3 5 Johnny Witham/Hamilton OH Pate Manufacturing-Fab Shop Ford 99 Running 7 14 55 Jack Weethee/Grove City OH Weethee Builders-Amerihost Inns-Den's Auto Ford 99 Running 8 13 10 Tully Esterline/Pettisville OH Spangler Candy Co-Rupp Seed Chevrolet 99 Running 9 18 57 Bill Withers/Columbus OH Mannings USA-Hall Electronics Ford 99 Running 10 15 17 Randy Kopka/Francesville IN Braun Auto Group-Braun Seating Ford 99 Running 11 5 77 Todd Braun/Winamac IN Braun Auto Group-Two Guy Mechanical Ford 98 Running 12 12 98 Dave Reeb/Pataskala OH Accurate Logistics Ford 98 Running 13 20 18 Kyle Witwer/Fort Wayne IN Kelley Automotive Group-Witwer Racing Chevrolet 98 Running 14 9 44 Michael Carter Jr/Highland MI Michigan Cat-Amzoil Chevrolet 85 Running 15 19 00 Mark Otting/Plainwell MI Posilac One Step-Westfalia-Surge Ford 69 Accident 16 21 9 Stan Maitlen/Greenville OH ARC Abrasives-GSI-Scoreboards-Meredith Ford 69 Running 17 11 19 Jeff Wichmann/Mason OH Midwest Metals & Supply Ford 65 Running 18 16 24 Paul Hahn/Canton MI Hahn's Collision-Fox Auto Parts-Nat'l Auto Glass Ford 50 Suspnsn 19 6 16 Joe Wormcastle/Fort Wayne IN Witwer Racing-Votaw Electric Chevrolet 49 Bearing 20 10 76 Bobby Marvin/Columbus OH Ed & Company-Stat Express Delivery Ford 47 Suspnsn 21 17 51 Frank Kimmel/Jeffersonville IN Pate Manufacturing-Fab Shop Ford 5 Engine HOOSIER TIRE POLE AWARD: Robbin Slaughter 18.562 (107.639 mph) LAP LEADERS: Slaughter 1-100 (100) SPECIAL AWARDS Revenge Pole-Win Award: Robbin Slaughter Cloyes Gear Halfway Leader Award: Robbin Slaughter Hawk Best Brake of the Race Award: Pete Wormcastle Ed & Company Hard Charger Award: Bill Withers RJS Safety Belt Award: Pete Wormcastle Brooks Racing Tire & Wheel Award: Johnny Witham, Michael Carter Diamond Wheels Award: Todd Braun King Wheels Award: Jack Weethee