Catchfence


Articles containing ‘ Matt Crafton ’

Jan 31
Tuesday

The Road to Daytona 2012: Road to a Record-Breaking Championship? (Frank Kimmel)

Filed under ARCA, Press Releases

“Nine-time ARCA Racing Series Driving Champion Frank Kimmel Seeks to Shatter His Own Record with a 10th Driver Championship & Potential All-time Victories Record with ThorSport Racing”

Frank Kimmel
Frank Kimmel
Sandusky, Oh. – (February 1, 2012) – Frank Kimmel isn’t the type to brag. One is more apt to find him out working on cars or tractors on his farm, than in press conferences or slick office meetings. It’s that humility that makes the “nine-time” reference somewhat of a surprise to most fans when it is mentioned. Kimmel is the record nine-time ARCA Racing Series Driving Champion (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007) and has led 10,177 laps in 191 races- more than any other active driver. He looks to break his own record in the 2012 season with a new team and a new make – ThorSport Racing and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry team.

To add to the stats pile going into Daytona, Kimmel is the all-time leading superspeedway lap leader with 2,645 laps led in 80 races, and the all-time leading superspeedway pole winner with 20. Kimmel finished as the second-place driver in the ARCA Racing Series in 1994, 1997, and 1999. In 2011, Kimmel finished third in driver points.

One distinct goal Kimmel always walks around with in the back of his mind as a veteran driver: the all-time career victories holder, currently Iggy Katona, with 79. Going into Daytona in a few weeks, Kimmel sits just five victories away from eclipsing the record – at 74. Can he do it this year? He sure hopes so. In his past, 66 of those 74 victories came with a successful partnership with owner Larry Clement. This season, he looks to seasoned veterans at ThorSport Racing – new to the ARCA Racing Series but the longest-tenured team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – to hopefully conjure the same magic.

“Every year I get asked what’s important to me to achieve for the season,” said Kimmel. “Winning Daytona is first on the list for me, and it’s important for my entire family. Being the first race for ThorSport Racing, everyone’s working REALLY hard to achieve some wins- period. Daytona would be great and such an accomplishment, but we all know what can happen there. I can honestly remember racing for two years without ever winning at all, and that’s why it means a lot to have 74 wins under my belt now. The first time at Toledo was such a big thing for us. I have a lot to prove this year to win again, since it has been three years since I’ve been to Victory Lane. Iggy Katona is a huge hero of mine; he raced against my dad for years. He’s the man. It’s a privilege to be in the same class of driver as such an ARCA Racing legend as Iggy.”

No stranger to accepting pole awards, Kimmel is excited to see his sponsor, Ansell, as a partnership with Menards; present the pole trophies once again this year. His 42 career Menards Pole Awards comprises just one fewer than again, Iggy Katona – at 43; and he has finished in the top 10 in points in the ARCA Racing Series for an unprecedented 20 consecutive seasons. With 233 top-five finishes and 300 top-10 finishes, he is no slouch to records – those statistics both standing as the records for active drivers.

“Getting the first win is the most amazing achievement. I raced many years with Terry Shirley in the 02 car, and we only won one. When Terry left to be a crew chief, I didn’t have a team to drive for at all. I thought I’d be driving late models. Then I was picked up by Dan Faldorf and got with Larry Clement. We ended up putting a hodge-podge of races together
-MORE-

by the skin of our teeth, and with blood, sweat and tears; we ended up 5th in drivers points and didn’t even go to every race. When we came back the next year and ran full-time for Larry, being manager, driver and everything, we were second in the points, so we kept climbing. Then the following year, in 1998, we won our first championship. It just goes to show that the competition is always so fierce, it takes a lot to get there and it means so much. Every one of my nine championship trophies have people and a great story behind them. In my tenure of ARCA Racing Series driving, every year is a great battle. It’s going to be a lot of fun competition in 2012.”

In a historic 60th season of ARCA Racing, nothing could be more special for Kimmel than driving through the tunnel to Daytona International Speedway as one of the most recognized faces in ARCA Racing Series history. In a year of “star power,” he hopes to not only give the fans a great show, but have some record-breaking moments as he does it. Yet the “star” himself would love to say, he would do it, then enjoy just going home to the farm to work in the barn and be around his wife Donna.

ABOUT ANSELL:

Ansell is a global leader in protection solutions, with operations in North America, LAC, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. Ansell designs, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of surgical, examination, industrial and household gloves, protective clothing and condoms. People in over 100 countries around the world put their trust in Ansell’s innovative, high-quality solutions to offer superior protection, combined with high levels of comfort and performance.

Ansell holds its operational headquarters in Red Bank, NJ, USA and its parent, Ansell Limited, is registered in Melbourne, Australia. Worldwide, the group employs over 10,000 people in 33 countries. In its Fiscal Year 2011, Ansell achieved sales of USD 1.2 bn. For more information visit www.ansell.com, www.safetypro.com, www.activarmr.com and www.ansellconstruction.com.

ABOUT THORSPORT RACING

ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest tenured active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. NASCAR’s only Ohio-based team, which has run full season schedules annually beginning in 1998, will run in 2012 the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton; the No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter; the No. 98 Ferrell Gas / Agrisure Toyota Tundra driven by Dakoda Armstrong; and the No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota Camry driven by Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. ThorSport Racing operates in a state-of-the-art, world-class 100,000 square foot racing facility in Sandusky. For more information, visit us on Facebook: Facebook/ThorSportRacing or Twitter: Twitter.com/ThorSportRacing.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release


All articles filed under this archive


ThorSport Racing
The Peanut Roaster / Peanut.com Announce a Partnership with ThorSport Racing in 2012; Debuts “Hot Honeys” NASCAR Camping World Truck Vehicle at Winter Fancy Food Show
no responses - Posted 01.13.12
"Gourmet Peanut Business to Offer Variety of Sales Opportunities and Retail Offerings to Trade Show Attendees" Sandusky, Oh. (January 13, 2012) - The Peanut Roaster, delivering gourmet peanuts and products since 1949, announced today that they will be an associate-level sponsor on the No. 13 Toyota Tundra of ThorSport Racing, ...FULL STORY »
ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing Celebrates Successful 2011; Pursues 2012 Series Championships with Toyota and TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) During an Active Growth Phase
no responses - Posted 11.30.11
"Longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team Announces Expansion Plans & Employment Opportunities within Two Series" Sandusky, Oh. (November 29, 2011) - ThorSport Racing, the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Trucks (NCWTS) team with entries since 1996, announced today their 2012 expansion plans - to include a partnership with TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota ...FULL STORY »
No. 88 Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado
Handling Results In Dreary Finish for Matt Crafton in Rainy Season Finale
no responses - Posted 11.19.11
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 19, 2011) - Matt Crafton fought handling and the elements in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The No. 88 Menards/Tarkett machine was extremely loose for the majority of the Ford 200, and although the team fought hard to improve the truck, there was not enough ...FULL STORY »
No. 44 Ansell / Menards Chevrolet Silverado
Frank Kimmel “Cautious for the Kickoff” in Homestead-Miami
no responses - Posted 11.15.11
STARTING OFF, OR FINISHING UP? Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell / Menards team head to sunny Homestead-Miami Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale when most teams are finishing the season. However, with last week's announcement for a full season in 2012 at ThorSport Racing ...FULL STORY »
No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure Viptera / Drive for Savings Chevrolet Silverado
A First in the Last Event for Dakoda Armstrong
1 response - Posted 11.14.11
A First for Armstrong at Season's Last Event: This season has been full of firsts for Dakoda Armstrong, but the Ford 200 will mark his first career start in any racing vehicle at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In his previous six starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Armstrong and ...FULL STORY »
No. 88 Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado
Matt Crafton Ready to Race For the Win Before Racing to the Altar
no responses - Posted 11.14.11
FINISHING UP: Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Menards/Tarkett team head to sunny Homestead-Miami Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale. Crafton has 10 previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, with two top-five and five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 11.4. Crafton earned his best ...FULL STORY »
ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing Expands into ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards; Fields Team Piloted by Nine-Time Champion Frank Kimmel
no responses - Posted 11.12.11
"Championship-driven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team Adds the No. 44 Ansell/Menards ARCA Racing Series Entry; Debuting Partnership Via Finale Entry at Homestead NCWTS with Kimmel" Sandusky, Oh. (November 11, 2011) - ThorSport Racing, the longest tenured team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with over 500 active entries since ...FULL STORY »
No. 13 Safe Auto Insurance / Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado
Johnny Sauter Channels Kulwicki’s Spirit, ‘Gets Wolfish’ Going to Texas Motor Speedway
no responses - Posted 10.31.11
CHANNELING THE KULWICKI CHAMPIONSHIP? On Halloween week, everybody finds an alter ego. For Johnny Sauter, he arrives in Texas with two thoughts: first, redemption. Second, Alan Kulwicki's spirit sitting on his shoulder for guidance. Tied for third in driver championship points in the NCWTS after a strong top five ...FULL STORY »
Cole Whitt, driver of the No. 60 Fuel Doctor / Red Bull Toyota Tundra - Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore / Getty Images for NASCAR
1-2 Punch KO’s Cole Whitt
no responses - Posted 10.30.11
DRIVER: Cole Whitt (No. 60, Turn One Racing) EVENT: Kroger 200 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) DATE: Saturday, October 29, 2011 TRACK: Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va. RESULT: Start 19 / Finish 27 MARTINSVILLE, Va. — First came the beat from Jason White, and then the bang from Nelson Piquet Jr. Together, they knocked Cole ...FULL STORY »
Matt Crafton Wins the NCWTS Keystone Light Pole - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
2011 NCWTS Kroger 200 Starting Lineup
no responses - Posted 10.29.11
Matt Crafton, with a new NCWTS Martinsville Speedway qualifying track record lap speed of 96.352 mph (previously held by Jack Sprague in 2008 with the speed of 96.327 mph) captured the Kroger 200 Keystone Light Pole Award. This was Crafton's second series pole of the 2011 season, his sixth series career pole and his first series pole at ...FULL STORY »
No. 88 Menards / Roto-Rooter Chevrolet Silverado
Matt Crafton Hopes to Be Top (Hot) Dog in Martinsville
no responses - Posted 10.25.11
PRETTY PAPERCLIP: Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Menards / Roto-Rooter team head from the series' biggest track to the smallest when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hits the track at Martinsville Speedway. This is the team's second visit of 2011 to the 0.526-mile oval. Crafton earned an ...FULL STORY »
No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records / Carrier Chevrolet Silverado
Johnny Sauter Makes the Championship Case – “Winners Never Quit”
no responses - Posted 10.23.11
TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 23, 2011) - Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records / Carrier Chevrolet Silverado, proved it was guts for glory at Talladega's famed superspeedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Saturday afternoon. After an early unavoidable incident during experimental ...FULL STORY »
No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure Viptera / Drive for Savings Chevrolet Silverado
Dakoda Armstrong Rides the Draft at Talladega to 17th Place Finish
no responses - Posted 10.23.11
Talladega, Ala. (October 23, 2011)-- Synonymous with unexpected twists and wild outcomes, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing at Talladega Superspeedway provided a wildcard for all teams involved in Saturday's Coca-Cola 250 presented by Fred's. Former winner in the ARCA Racing Series at the 2.66-mile asphalt tri-oval, Dakoda Armstrong ...FULL STORY »
No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure Viptera / Drive for Savings Chevrolet Silverado
Dakoda Armstrong, No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure / Drive For Savings Chevrolet Silverado Talladega Superspeedway Preview
no responses - Posted 10.18.11
Dakoda Armstrong Talladega Superspeedway Advance No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure / Drive For Savings Chevrolet Silverado Armstrong Not Spooked at Talladega: Though some fellow drivers may have mixed feelings about restrictor plate racing, re-visiting Talladega Superspeedway is a thrill for Dakoda Armstrong. With roots in open wheel racing on short tracks, ...FULL STORY »
No. 88 Menards / Certainteed Chevrolet Silverado
Matt Crafton Hopes to Continue 100% Streak, Thorsport Racing Honors Dan Wheldon
no responses - Posted 10.18.11
100-PERCENT: Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Menards / CertainTeed team head to NASCAR's biggest track, Talladega Superspeedway, with a few perfect stats. Crafton has competed in all of the five of the previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events at Talladega Superspeedway. Crafton has also completed 100-percent of the ...FULL STORY »

© 2011-2012 Catchfence. All rights reserved.

NASCAR® is a registered trademark owned by National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. The operator of this website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NASCAR® organization.
The Official NASCAR® website is NASCAR® ONLINE(sm) at www.nascar.com