Wednesday

Frank Kimmel Heads to Toledo with an Eye on the Big Prize

Filed under ARCA, Press Releases

CORNELIUS, N.C. (September 2, 2009) – Kimmel Racing heads to Toledo Speedway, site of this weekend’s ARCA RE/MAX Series 200, with a focus on recording win number one of the 2009 season.

“I think we’re finally at a place, as a team, that we should win a race,” said Frank Kimmel. “The key is to put ourselves in position to win races and I feel like at the beginning of the year we weren’t exactly there. In recent weeks, we’ve really stepped up and shown that we can run with the other championship contenders and now we just need to get this Ansell/Menards car into victory lane.”

And while much has been made out of Frank Kimmel’s winless season to date, the veteran driver with nine championships to his credit still has much to be proud of when looking back on the last 15 races. Kimmel has recorded nine top-10’s and four top-five finishes while simultaneously helping his brother Bill Kimmel Jr. manage the family owned race team. In addition, Kimmel has represented new sponsor’s Ansell and Menards at countless off track activities. So while fans have yet to see the No. 44 Ansell / Menards Ford Fusion in victory lane, Kimmel has certainly given fans plenty of exciting opportunities to see the team succeed this year.

“Last year we didn’t have any sponsors so to have such great support is very helpful but it’s also something that keeps me busy when I’m not at the race track,” said Kimmel. “I feel like we’ve really taken part in a lot of successful events with Ansell and Menards off the track but now it’s time to get them that big win on the track. I want to look back at this season and know that both on and off the track, our sponsors were well served.”

With a much anticipated victory at the top of everyone’s mind, this would be the perfect weekend to break through into the win column. Kimmel scored his first ever ARCA victory at Toledo Speedway in 1994 and has since recorded a total of nine Toledo victories, including four consecutive from 2000 through 2003. In 28 starts at the half-mile track, Kimmel has won nearly one-third of all the races he’s entered. In addition, Kimmel has led an impressive 1,113 laps and recorded a total of 20 top-fives and 22 top-10’s.

Kimmel Racing will unload chassis #340 for this weekend’s second to last short track race of the year. The car was last run at Pocono Raceway in June when Kimmel lined up third and finished 14th.

“The car that we would normally bring to this sort of track was destroyed at Berlin,” explained Bill Kimmel Jr. “However we feel like this should be a better racecar because it’s newer and the body is better. The front end geometry is different, which could be better if we do what we need to do on Friday. Our goal for the limited time we have in practice is try to get this car to travel enough through the corners to make this car turn as much as it does on a bigger track. I think that if we can do that we’ll have a very competitive car.”

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will commence Friday evening at 5:00 PM. The ARCA RE/MAX Series 200 presented by Federated and Belle Tire is slated to roll off at 8:30 PM. All on-track activities will be featured in live streaming video and audio at ARCAracing.com through the ARCA Racing Network.

- Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing Press Release