Cunningham Motorsports’ Parker Kligerman, a development driver for Penske Racing, earned his third ARCA RE/MAX Series race victory of 2009 and second consecutive on Saturday evening at Mansfield Motorsports Park, capturing the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200 presented by National Speed Sport News over Joey Coulter, Chris Buescher, Justin Lofton and Steve Arpin.
The 100-mile/200-lap race was extended by two laps to accommodate a green flag finish after a lap 196 caution. five of the top-10 finishers earned their career-best finish on Saturday, including Joey Coulter (finished second), Chris Buescher (finished third), Steve Arpin (finished fifth), Jake Crum (finished sixth) and Stephan McCurley (finished seventh).
Youth Fairs Well in 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series
Last weekend at Michigan Int’l Speedway, the average age of the top-5 finishers in the Racing for Wildlife 200 was 19 years old. This past weekend at Mansfield, young drivers enjoyed much of the same successes. Race winner Parker Kligerman (18 years old) participated in High School graduation ceremonies on Friday prior to traveling to Mansfield, Ohio to race on Saturday, second-place finisher Joey Coulter just recently turned 19 years old on June 8 and third place finisher Chris Buescher, at 16 years old, has only had a driver’s license for four months.
On the Other End of the Spectrum…
While the ARCA RE/MAX Series leader board was controlled by racing’s youth on Saturday, ARCA-sanctioned Late Model Racing at Flat Rock Speedway could look quite different next week for the Moran Chevrolet/Stan Yee Memorial 150 on Saturday evening, June 27. Former ARCA RE/MAX Series/NASCAR-sanctioned driver Joe Ruttman has entered a 150-lap Late Model race at the quarter-mile short track, which is located approximately 25 minutes Southeast of Detroit.
Ruttman, who is now 64 years old, competed on Midwest short tracks in the 1970s and 1980s and has three ARCA RE/MAX Series wins to his credit. Ruttman has experience in all three of NASCAR’s top touring divisions, including 13 wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Two of Ruttman’s biggest rivals in the 1970s, Joy Fair and Danny Byrd, will be in attendance for Saturday’s racing card at Flat Rock Speedway.
Drivers Like Mansfield Motorsports Park
Saturday’s ARCA RE/MAX Series appearance to Mansfield Motorsports Park marked the first time that the diverse touring stock car series has competed at the half-mile, Ohio-based short track. It was also the first and only currently scheduled racing event scheduled at the facility in 2009. In post race interviews several drivers, including championship point contender Justin Lofton (finished fourth in Eddie Sharp Racing’s No. 6 Lofton Cattle Toyota) talked frankly about their thoughts on bringing auto racing back to Mansfield:
“This is the hardest I drove all year-these 100 miles here at Mansfield-this is an awesome little track,” said Lofton. “We need more ARCA RE/MAX Series races here and it would be neat for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the East Series to return here again one day as well.”
Since the inaugural 1953 season, the ARCA RE/MAX Series has toured more than 200 racetracks in 26 states and Canada.
Eddie Sharp Racing Produces Positive Qualifying Results
Four out of Nine Menards Qualifying presented by Ansell sessions have been cancelled in 2009 due to rain. However, this past weekend at Mansfield Motorsports Park, Mother Nature cooperated and a familiar team-Eddie Sharp Racing-found its way to the top of the qualifying charts. Justin Lofton, driver of the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Toyota, earned the Menards Pole Award Presented by Ansell-his third pole award in five attempts this season.
Over the last three years, Eddie Sharp Racing has acquired 42 percent of the Series’ Pole Awards with drivers Justin Lofton (five), Ken Butler, III (two), Scott Speed (three), Josh Wise (one) and Michael McDowell (nine).
WAM Poker Run to Benefit ARCA Crew Member Matt Daniels
The Women’s Auxiliary of Motorsports, Inc. will host a Poker Run on June, 27, 2009 at Pat Rogers Speedway Harley Davidson, 10049 Weddington Rd., Concord, NC 28027 (704-979-0529). The cost is $20 per person, $30 per couple and $5 per extra hand. All proceeds will benefit Matt Daniels, an ARCA RE/MAX Series crew member from Eddie Sharp Racing who is currently hospitalized as he battles Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an uncommon inflammatory disorder. For more information on the Poker Run contact Julie Seligman (jeligman@waminc.org, 704-799-9299) or Michelle Thompson (mmluv2ride@msn.com, 704-609-6871).
For information on additional fundraising initiatives in support of Matt Daniels, contact Trina Arpin at Eddie Sharp Racing (teamesr@hotmail.com, 704-489-8809).
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Upcoming ARCA RE/MAX Series Races
- Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway; Saturday, July 11
-Drive Smart! Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 at Kentucky Speedway; Saturday, July 18
- Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac at Berlin Raceway; Saturday, July 25
- ARCA Press Release