FRANK KIMMEL POCONO RACE RECAP
Driver of the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry Â
ARCA RACING SERIES *Â PENNSYLVANIA ARCA 125 * POCONO RACEWAY Â Â
Long Pond, PA. (August 5th, 2012) – On the heels of his landmark 75th victory at Indianapolis, Frank Kimmel continued his streak of stout summer performances with a 4th place finish at Pocono Raceway. The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards’ second appearance at the Pennsylvania Triangle featured a different complexion, as the event’s distance of 50 laps put a premium on track position and pit strategy.
Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team were able to parlay a 7th place qualifying effort to run in the top five for the majority of the race. With only 50 laps to work with, Kimmel made quick work of the competition to crack the top five on lap one. Before the first and only caution on lap 7, Kimmel was able to fine tune his line to the Goodyear rubber coated racetrack and improved his lap times, setting his sights on the top three.
Kimmel moved into the top three on the ensuing restart at lap 14. The nine-time series champion ran lap times as fast as the leaders on a consistent basis before crew chief, Jeriod Prince, employed a pit strategy cognizant of track position, attempting to place Kimmel in a position to race for the win at race’s end. Kimmel came to the attention of the Thorsport Racing crew on lap 26 for a four tires and an air pressure adjustment to alleviate his loose condition. After battling a tight racecar in Friday’s practice, Kimmel fought a free racecar during the race’s opening fuel run.
Kimmel rejoined the fray outside the top fifteen, but was the first of the lead cars to hit pit road. Kimmel moved into the Lucky Dog position at lap 34, and back inside the top ten by lap 39. Once the cycle of green flag stops had circled back to the initial race leaders, Chad Hackenbracht, in the #58, assumed the lead by way of early race fuel strategy with Kimmel solidly in fourth. Â Throughout the entire race weekend, the tire troubles from the June race were a concern, and came to the forefront yet again on lap 34 when Kimmel radioed a vibration. Down the final ten laps, Kimmel held Chris Buescher at bay for the 4th place finish and his fourth consecutive top five finish. The finish keeps Kimmel third in the championship point standings, now 80 points behind the leader, Brennan Poole.
No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota “”We blistered the right rear tire a little bit again, so that is probably what caused the vibration on the second run. On sticker tires, the car was really free, and the whole second run, we were really free. We ran as fast as we did all day the last few laps, and the car started the come around. We learned more this weekend and should be able to apply what we learned to this racecar for the future. It’s always nice to have solid top five runs and stay in the thick of the points battle.”
 Race Recap:
Date: August 4th, 2012
Track: Pocono Raceway
Race:14 of 20
Started: 7th
Finished: 4th
Driver Championship Points Standings: 3rd
NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE:Â Â Berlin Raceway is the next stop on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards circuit on Saturday, August 11th. Berlin is one of the ARCA Racing Series’ most unique venues, challenging teams and drivers at all points on the .4 mile short track. The Berlin ARCA 200 presented by Hantz will mark the 1st of five consecutive races on tracks one mile or shorter. All on track activity will take place on Saturday, August 11th, with practice beginning at 2pm ET. Timing and scoring will be available on ARCAracing.com for Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Menards at 5pm ET and the 200 lap race at 8:30 pm ET.
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.
