Ty Dillon (L) and car owner and grandather Richard Childress (R) celebrate the ARCA Racing Series championship during the annual awards banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (Photo Credit: ARCA)

Dillon and his No. 41 Chevrolet team were officially crowned ARCA champions at the series’ annual Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. The 19-year-old from Lewisville, N.C. was among 15 drivers from the top 20 in the final point standings to be honored on stage, and left with more than $100,000 in point fund and special award earnings, as awarded by the numerous series partners at the ceremony.

To honor Dillon’s position as the 29th ARCA Racing Series champion in 59 seasons, ARCA president Ron Drager presented the driver a letter signed by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, as well as a series championship ring and a leather championship jacket featuring the series logo.

As is the custom, a video tribute featured photographs from the champion’s youth and ascent to championship status; special additions to this season’s video included special messages from Richard Childress Racing drivers Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton, as well as a collection of footage showcasing Dillon’s use of the word “awesome” in Victory Lane interviews.

Joining Dillon on stage were his grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress, grandmother Judy Childress, and crew chief Scott “Flash” Naset, who was joined by his wife Stephanie.

“It doesn’t really hit you, how special it is to do something like this, until you’re up on the stage like this and all these people you’ve worked so hard against all year are staring up at you and you’re getting crowned the champion,” said Dillon, who finished the season with seven wins, 13 top-fives, and 16 top-10 finishes. “It hit me pretty hard, and I’m just proud to be with the group of guys I’m with. It’s almost just surreal, to finally take it in. This experience right here has changed me a lot.”

Among the top awards Dillon and his team received were: $10,000 for winning the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell after securing seven poles in 2011; $6,000 from Sunoco Race Fuel; $5,000 for winning the Aaron’s Lap Leader of the Year Award; $5,000 from Messina Wildlife Management; $5,000 from Hoosier for most wins by a car owner; $2,500 from the University of Northwestern Ohio; and the Fast Track High Performance Driving School Award. Jeff Abbott of Menards presented Dillon a check representing his winnings from the series points fund.

Naset also visited the stage on his own to accept the Cometic Crew Chief of the Year Award.

David Ragan, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series race winner, served as the Guest of Honor. SPEED television analyst Phil Parsons acted as the banquet host for the third consecutive year.

Chris Buescher, who drove to second place in the final standings for Roulo Brothers Racing, received the $10,000 ARCA Rookie of the Year Award, as well as $2,500 in cash and product certificates from Print Resources and $500 from JRI. Buescher also accepted the $15,000 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award and the R.E. Lightning Challenge Award, among other prizes.

Buescher won three of the season’s last four races, and the team’s Russell Roulo won the Klotz Engine Mechanic of the Year Award. Gary Roulo joined Buescher on stage when he was introduced for finishing in second place.

The team left with more than $100,000 in point fund and special award earnings after a season in which Buescher drove to three wins, 14 top-fives, and 16 top-10s.

Frank Kimmel was recognized on stage for finishing third in the series standings, as well as for winning the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year Award and the S&S Volvo Laps Completed Award. He was joined for a final time on stage by brother and crew chief Bill Kimmel; the two will separate for the 2012 season with Frank Kimmel moving to ThorSport Racing.

Chad McCumbee, who finished fifth in the final series standings, joined owner Jennifer Belmont on stage to accept the Bill France Four Crown Award for his combined performances at New Jersey, Michigan, Springfield, and Salem.

Fourth-place driver Grant Enfinger and owner Mike Allgaier were introduced, as were fellow pairs from the top 10 in the final standings: Tom Hessert and team owner Ken Schrader (sixth); Tim George Jr. and crew chief Gere Kennon (seventh); Chad Hackenbracht and team owner Greg Hackenbracht (eighth); Sean Corr and team owner John Corr (ninth); and Darrell Basham (10th).

The top-10 honor – Basham’s first since 1976 – turned out to be the second recognition of the night for Basham. Earlier, he was honored with his second Spirit Award, following the same honor in 2003. The Spirit Award is given to a person for dedication and support of ARCA, uplifting spirit by way of example, perseverance, and positive attitude. Despite a late 2010 garage fire that destroyed nearly all his race equipment, Basham displayed all of those characteristics in driving to his best season finish in 35 years.

Nick Ramey accepted the Crane Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award on behalf of Roush Yates Engines, and Ramey himself was presented the H.G. Adcox Sportsman of the Year Award for his consistent willingness to assist any team in the garage.

In addition to stepping to the stage with Hessert, Schrader appeared to accept the Marcum Award, annually presented to an individual or entity whose positive efforts have elevated ARCA’s motorsports stature to the benefit of all associated. Schrader is a 15-time winner in the ARCA Racing Series, and continues to promote the series today as a team owner and television broadcaster.

Cathy Venturini and Nate Thiesse, the fourth and 10th-place owners, respectively, both spoke on stage.

To complete the honoring of the top 20 drivers, James Hylton (11th), Brad Smith (12th), Levi Youster (14th), Will Kimmel (15th), and Maryeve Dufault (16th) visited the stage to receive congratulations.

Jeff Kettman accepted the Manufacturer Championship on behalf of Chevrolet.

Andy O’Neal, dean of the College of Technology of the University of Northwestern Ohio – ARCA’s Official High Performance Education University – awarded a group of ARCA scholarships on behalf of the university.

Likewise, Parsons announced the winners of the Bob Loga Memorial ARCA Scholarships. Brianna Peterson – granddaughter of ARCA competitor Wayne Peterson – won $1,500. Peterson, of Hoover, Ala., holds a 4.23 grade point average as a sophomore veterinary student at Auburn University. Brittany Gaddis of Romulus, Mich. won $500. She is the daughter of ARCA Figure 8 driver Danny Gaddis, attends Romulus High School, and plans to study nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit.

The ceremony concluded just after 10 p.m. with a special video featuring an interview with Mildred Marcum, known widely as an ARCA founder. The interview led into a short mention of ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season and the surrounding celebrations that will occur throughout 2012. A press conference in the afternoon included major series and team announcements.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule is currently available at ARCARacing.com. Testing for ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season will begin Friday, December 16 at Daytona International Speedway. The season’s first race is scheduled for Saturday, February 18 at Daytona.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Steve Fox

Berwick, PA (June 8, 2011)-

“I got my ARCA license in 2007”, noted Fox. “At the time no one at all was willing to put me in a racecar, that was until I spoke with Wayne Peterson, who I was going to drive for part time but the deal never materialized”.

This deal in sorts is a reunion. Fox and Peterson have been in touch since that initial phone call and even though Fox drives for another team now, he feels like this is a great opportunity to help give his sponsors some exposure, plus his fans want to seem him in competition.

“We had to withdraw the Universe Racing entry, which was a real bummer”, he said. “However, this still gives us the awesome opportunity to not only compete, but also to be around the ARCA scene, which is really important in motorsports today. I can’t thank Wayne and his bunch enough, they’re a great group of people”.

Menards Pole Qualifying for the Pocono ARCA 200 will kick off at 2:05 PM on Friday. The 200-mile race is slated for a 1:30 PM start on Saturday. The race can be viewed on SPEED TV at 8 PM on Saturday and can be heard live by visiting www.arcaracing.com.

For more information on Steve Fox and all of his usual team supporters, including Universe Towing and Autobody, FireHouse, AFR Productions, Tyre Shield, Valve Tech Sales LLC, Tri State Towing Equipment, Himmer Graphics, Weigand Combat Handguns, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, G-Force Racing Products, Long Island Skydiving, Eibach Springs and StockCar Racing Experience at Pocono Raceway, please visit www.universeracing.net

For more information in regards to Peterson Motorsports and all of their fine sponsors, visit www.petersonmotorsports.net.

- Universe Racing Press Release

Carter has faced many hardships in the last months while away from the track. The Michigan native battled the loss of best friend and race partner Dick Bahre. Not to mention, a default by a sponsor from the ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Daytona forced the Bell Racing team to remain on the sidelines.

Despite the setbacks, Carter and company are returning with great support for the rest of the season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with a very familiar face.

Carter has teamed up with Wayne Peterson and his Peterson Motorsports team to run the No. 0 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the remainder of the 2009 schedule. The new association brings an influx of new cars and equipment in hopes of being a threat on the ARCA tour.

“Wayne and I go way back in this sport,” said Carter, a licensed NASCAR driver. “I feel he has faced hardships and deserves a break in this sport. The eyes of this sport our very judge mental. I have given my life for the love of stock car racing. I have struggled more than prospered. Racing is the cruelest of cruel at times, and a wealth of grand experiences at others.”

Carter went on to say, “With my 40th birthday fast approaching, I am ready to work hard and drive hard and redeem myself as a driver and a credible car owner. I have nothing but love for the sanctioning body of ARCA. The last twenty years of racing in this division has been wonderful. Ron Drager and Joe Wells are the driving force for my continued effort to stay in the ARCA series. They have always treated me with respect and I am proud to be in a series that wants you to compete without persecution.”

Carter also announced that he has formed a relationship with Point-to-Point Motorsports Marketing Group, who has developed their niche as one of the most successful pro sport marketing available. Carter’s account will be overseen by Tommy Thomason, who also handles many fortune five hundred accounts.

Point to Point signed Roger Carter II for his undying love and commitment to the sport. “His experience in all areas of racing are vast,” Thomason said. “We see huge potential for marketing, Roger has a huge fan base and is considered one of America’s great activists. He has taken hard issues to for front for the American people such as his” save the us constitution tour” and he has lobbied to change laws that effect us as Americans. We admire what he has done and will continue to support Roger with all the resources we can. We are very excited about our future with Carter II and our sponsors.”

Pacific Holdings will hold the title sponsorship of the No. 0 Chevrolet. The organization holds many companies under its banner which include the Days Inn and Cassey’s County Stores.

Point-to-Point Motorsports Marketing will also be involved in Carter’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series organization for the 2010 season. Details including sponsor and driver will be delivered late in 2009.

- Point-to-Point Motorsports Marketing Press Release