Tuesday

Rookie Joey Joey Coulter Scores Top-Ten Finish in ARCA RE/MAX Series Season Finale at “The Rock”

Joey Coulter

In practice Saturday, Coulter rounded the high banked one-mile oval in a time of 26.088 for a speed of 137.994 miles per hour. That time put the Miami Springs, Florida native 24th on the speed charts. As Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell rolled off shortly after 2:30 p.m., Coulter was able to improve that time to 25.273 for a speed of 142.445 miles per hour. This put him 15th on the starting grid for Sunday’s ARCA RE/MAX American 200.

For the 200-lap event, Coulter was able to advance his starting spot by two positions because of an engine change for the No. 6 of Justin Lofton and unapproved changes to the No. 51 of Casey Roderick. The two fellow competitors had to drop to the rear of the field, which moved Coulter into the 13th position when the green flag waved starting the season finale at “The Rock”.

For much of the event, Coulter maintained his top-15 position as the field remained under green flag racing conditions until lap 71. Coulter radioed to crew chief Harold Holly under caution informing him of a loose racecar, therefore Holly opted to bring the No. 16 Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevrolet down pit road on lap 74. Holly decided on four fresh tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment to help with Coulter’s loose-handling racecar.

As the field returned to green flag action, Coulter carefully maneuvered his way up to the 11th position before the caution flag would wave once again on lap 116. As leaders came to pit road for scheduled stops on lap 119, Coulter brought his No. 16 machine back down as well for fuel and a set of four fresh tires.

The field would see the caution flag three more times before the final restart came on lap 159, setting the field up for a 41 lap run to the finish. Coulter found himself in 12th position on the final restart, but quickly advanced his position to ninth. As the laps dwindled down, Coulter battled with the No. 32 of Brett Moffit and No. 44 of Frank Kimmel. Coulter was able to clear both competitors just inside of 10 laps remaining in the 200-lap event, taking the checkered flag in ninth position.

“We kind of fought with the car during practice, but were able to really get the car dialed in after our first pit stop,” stated Coulter on the handling issue he was able to overcome early on. “Track position meant everything, and with some late cautions and lap cars, we weren’t able to get our No. 16 Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevrolet to the front where it needed to be. In the final race of the season, I’m pleased to bring home another top-10 finish for the team,” added Coulter on his run.

Looking back on his 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie season, Coulter is thrilled to have the finishes he’s had, as well as earning a top-five Championship Point Standings position. “I think we under estimated ourselves at the beginning of the year. We were able to achieve more in this year than I had ever expected. I have to give big thanks to Harold Holly (Crew chief), Richie Harris (Car chief), and Michael Chapman (Team engineer) for really helping me through my rookie learning curve. Together we conquered many obstacles and I can’t wait until next season,” stated eager Coulter.

In Coulter’s 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie season, he has earned two Menards Pole Awards (Iowa and Toledo), seven top-five finishes (Four in the top-three), and 13 top-10 finishes. He also led a total of 156 laps in three of the 21 race events. Coulter finished fourth in the Championship Point Standings and runner-up in Rookie of the Year contention.

The next event for the ARCA RE/MAX Series will be the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky Saturday night, December 5th.

ARCA is now on Twitter. Follow the racing action at www.twitter.com/ARCA_Racing.

For additional information about this promising young driver, visit www.JoeyCoulter.com.

Vote for Joey Coulter as your most popular driver at www.ARCANation.com.

To learn more about associate sponsor, Tempest Cycles, visit www.TempestCycles.com.

About the Darrell Gwynn Foundation:

The Darrell Gwynn Foundation (DGF) is a certified non-profit 501(c) 3 agency. DGF exists to prevent, provide for and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses. To expedite specific cures, the Foundation assists in the funding of targeted research. DGF is also dedicated to injury prevention, with special emphasis on programs targeting children. The Foundation helps improve the quality of life for those already afflicted with injury or illness, by providing necessary equipment or special services. DGF is an official charity of the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and has a close affiliation with NASCAR and the NASCAR Foundation. Additional information about DGF can be found at www.DarrellGwynnFoundation.org.

- Coulter Motorsports Press Release