TALLADEGA, Ala. (May 2, 2013) — Frank Kimmel will line up 14th for Friday’s International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 — right in front of rookie Sean Corr, who worked well with Kimmel in the Daytona season-opener in which the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards point leader and former nine-time series champion Kimmel finished fourth.
Both men, despite their polar-opposite levels of experience, know it’s where they finish rather than where they start that’ll be key in the fourth of 21 races this season — and the second of two restrictor-plate events in which drafting partners are critical.
And that’s why Corr made a commitment to Kimmel at the back of the ARCA office trailer Thursday evening as a group of competitors waited for their starting lineups right after qualifying.
“I can tell you I won’t be getting out of line, that’s for sure,” Corr said of his 16th starting position, on the outside of the row directly behind Kimmel’s.
Kimmel, who won the 2006 ARCA race at Talladega, when ARCA raced during Talladega’s fall weekend, didn’t have much to say about his qualifying run.
But Kimmel did say the seven-lap fuel mileage check he made at the end of the three-hour pre-qualifying practice, when his No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota totaled 40 laps, might serve as his ThorSport Racing team’s sole “race practice.”
“We just did single-car runs in practice, trying to help the car for qualifying,” Kimmel said of the team’s plan for Friday morning’s 55-minute ‘Happy Hour’ practice, scheduled from 11-11:55 a.m. ET. “I don’t even know if we’re planning to go out in that practice.”
Kimmel has a tentative “meet-and-greet” informal Q&A and autograph session set for Friday morning after the final practice with a group of about 50 guests of his primary sponsor, Ansell Gloves. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 is set for the green flag at about 5:15 p.m. ET., with live television coverage on SPEED Channel and Live time & scoring and audio coverage available online at ARCARacing.com.
Kimmel enters Friday’s race 30 points in front of third starter Mason Mingus’ No. 32 Win-Tron Racing Toyota.
Thursday Venturini Motorsports’ John Wes Townley won his second career ARCA restrictor-plate pole.
ABOUT MENARDS:
With 270 stores in 14 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 THORSPORT RACING:
ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. Thorsport, which has run full-season Truck Series schedules annually beginning in 1998, in 2013 will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton, the No, 98 Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 SealMaster Toyota Tundra driven by Todd Bodine in the Truck Series and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry driven by Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
