No. 44 Ansell/ Menards Toyota Camry
ARCA RACING SERIES – RACE 6 OF 19 – Elko Speedway
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[/media-credit]Elko, Minn. (June 3, 2012) – Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry team, fielded by ThorSport Racing, came to the inaugural race at Elko Speedway with a healthy dose of short track momentum. With two second-place finishes under their belts in as many races (Salem and Toledo), they charged forward to the 3/8th-mile short track in a small corner of Minnesota. After fighting tight middle, loose off conditions most of the day and qualifying 15th, Kimmel showed his short track roots and even led the field – eventually crossing the checkers in fourth position.
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Kimmel started on the grid in the 15th position and quickly navigated through the young field, settling in to 11th by lap four and remaining until the first pit stop of the night at lap 67. The team opted to take four tires while others took two; fuel and air pressure adjustments. The gamble paid off, as the fresh set and a fast pit stop showed Kimmel to the ninth spot on the restart, then all the way to the lead by the race’s second caution on lap 91.
Dominating the lead until lap 139 when his tires started to fall off, Kimmel and new race leader Brennan Poole were able to pull away from the field. Unfortunately on the small track, lapped traffic presented a challenge as the laps clicked by – with cautions flying, tempers flaring and lots of on-track blocking. Kimmel showed the strength of a veteran as he held position as long as possible, but as he and fellow competitor Chris Buescher behind him found out – tires falling off, an accordioned field and track position were all winning factors. He went on to finish in an impressive fourth position – continuing the ThorSport Racing “top five streak” in the last three races.
“We learned a lot today, and even Jeriod (Prince) said over the radio that it was all about the tires today,” said Kimmel. “I’m just glad to have a great showing in front of so many of our sponsors, guests and ARCA fans today. It has been a Series team effort to promote this race, and the fans definitely came out – and we gave them a great race. The top five gives us a lot of momentum going into Pocono and Michigan, and the boys are used to week-to-week racing. Now it’s time to rock and roll.”
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will visit Pocono Raceway for the first of two events this season next Saturday, June 9. SPEED will air the race at 2:30 p.m. on a same-day delay, one of 10 broadcasts for the series on the network this season. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring of all on-track events Friday and Saturday.
2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards’ 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com. |
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Race Info: June 2nd, 2012 Elko Speedway 3/8th-Mile Paved Oval Akona 200 Presented by Federated Car Care 200 Laps/75 Miles
Results: Start: 15th Finish: 4th
Team Facts: Current Driver Point Standings: 4th Chassis: A-6 – first appearance Engine: TRD (Toyota Racing Development) & TRIAD
ABOUT MENARDS: With 263 stores in 13 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.
ABOUT ANSELL:
Ansell is aglobal leader in protection solutions, with operations in North America, LAC, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. Ansell designs, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of surgical, examination, industrial and household gloves, protective clothing and condoms. People in over 100 countries around the world put their trust in Ansell’s innovative, high-quality solutions to offer superior protection, combined with high levels of comfort and performance. Ansell holds its operational headquarters in Red Bank, NJ, USA and its parent, Ansell Limited, is registered in Melbourne, Australia. Worldwide, the group employs over 10,000 people in 33 countries. In its Fiscal Year 2011, Ansell achieved sales of USD 1.2 bn. For more information visit www.ansell.com, www.safetypro.com,www.activarmr.com and www.ansellconstruction.com.
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