ARCA Brings Kimmel, Schrader & Host of Rookies to Springfield!

jdearing

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Seven time Allen Crowe 100 winner Frank Kimmel comes to Springfield with a new sponsor and paint scheme in search of a record eighth win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds one mile dirt track on Sunday, August 23 with a host of strong competitors looking to dethrone the former ARCA champ in the ~ running of the Allen Crowe 100. The 47th Crowe 100 is the 14th of 21 races on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Stock Car Series schedule.

The 47 year old Kimmel dominated last year's Crowe 100 setting a track record of nearly 110 miles an hour in qualifications and then leading 83 of the laps to capture his seventh Crowe 100 trophy in a season where sponsorship concerns had the new Kimmel Racing team wondering if they would be able to complete the season. Kimmel returns in 2009 with sponsorship from Menard's as well as a third place position in the 2009 ARCA title chase despite the lack of a victory and remains one of the favorites on both dirt tracks on the ARCA schedule. In a new twist it was announced this week that Kimmel's son Will had enteredthe47th Crowe 100 to compete against his father.

Returning to his roots and the 'home' fans, 54 year old Ken Schrader of Fenton, Missouri won the 1998 Allen Crowe 100 and is still in search of his second 100-mile triumph at Springfield. After spending a number of seasons on the NASCAR Sprint Cup tour, Schrader has returned to the short tracks and dirt tracks running modifieds, late models and ARCA races in lieu of a full-time NASCAR ride. While Schrader has yet to post a win this season, he has three starts in 2009 with one top 5 and 2 top 10 finishes. Schrader picked up two wins in the ARCA series at DuQuoin, coming in 2006 and 2007.

Eighteen-year-old Parker Kligerman of Westport, Connecticut currently leads the ARCA point standings as a development driver for owner Roger Penske.
Kligerman has a considerable amount of experience in midget competition and on road courses as well and has made a successful transition to stock cars, winning 5 times in the first 11 races and finishing only once outside the top 10. Trailing Kligerman is 23-year-old Justin Lofton of Westmoreland, California. Lofton won at Talladega and led the ARCA point standings earlier in the year, he now trails Kligerman by 20 markers. Lofton took the lead in the ARCA series temporarily after Pocono but penalties from infractions handed the lead back to Kligerman. Lofton started 34th as a rookie at Springfield last year and was running at the end in 24th

Nineteen year old Joey Coulter of Miami Springs, Florida is 5th in the ARCA standings as a rookie with one pole and 7 top ten finishes in 11 starts for the UNC-Charlotte Engineering student. Greenville, North Carolina's Craig Goess is 4th in the standings for Eddie Sharp after running several years in Legends cars. Florida's Bryan Silas is 6th driving again for former ARCA champ Andy Hillenburg, while fellow Floridian Patrick Sheltra, a dirt track veteran, is 8th with one win in 2009. New Jersey's Tom Hessert has run with the USAC midget and Silver Crown Series and is 9th.

One driver whose status for Springfield was questionable but is now confirmed is Steve Arpin, a dirt track veteran of modified and late model racing who competed last year as a rookie in the USAC Silver Crown Series.
Arpin, 7th in the points, was running as a development driver for Eddie Sharp but the team's sponsorship funding became in doubt earlier in the year. Arpin hooked up with the capable Venturini Motorsports organization and has to be considered dark horse favorite at Springfield.


ARCA has a group of regulars that traditionally make the trip to the Illinois State Fairgrounds, including Michigan's Brad Smith, Texas' Ken Weaver, Indiana's Darrell and Jason Basham and Tennessee's Ron Cox. However, the two dirt track events also lure many local drivers and even some who will be driving more than one race car during the last weekend of the 157th Illinois State Fair.

Parma, Michigan's Brian Tyler announced earlier this year he had secured a ride with veteran car owner Doug Stringer for the two dirt events, Tyler is a former track record holder at DuQuoin and finished a strong 3rd at Springfield last year after winning the Tony Bettenhausen the day before.
Fellow USAC Silver Crown shoe A.J. Fike of Galesburg is also pulling double duty over the weekend, Fike won the pole at Springfield in 2004 and at DuQuoin in 2007.

Damon Lusk, a former pole sitter at Springfield replaces Mokena, Illinois veteran Bob Strait in the Bill Hendren machine. Hendren has been trying since the 1970's to win at Springfield. Arenzeville native Mark Littleton also returns for another start on the Springfield mile, as does Springfield's own Kelly Kovski who ran 9th in last year's Crowe 100. One driver who will be unable to return is 2006 Crowe 100 winner Justin Allgaier, the Springfield native has moved to the NASCAR Nationwide Series driving for Roger Penske, however Robb Brent fills the seat in the Allgaier machine. Brent has found the Allgaier seat to his liking, as he is
currently 10th in the ARCA point chase. Centralia native Joe Cooksey also
returns for the 47th Crowe 100.

Forty cars and teams are anticipated filing into the Illinois State Fairgrounds on August 23rd with the practice session for the ARCA machines starting at 9 a.m. Menards Factory pole qualifying is set for 11 with drivers taking aim at Frank Kimmel's track record of 32.878 (109.496).
Bobby Bowsher set the 100-mile track record of 1:08:00.00 (90.000) in 1991.
The 100-mile Allen Crowe memorial event is slated to begin at 1 p.m.

Entry List for the 47th Crowe 100 as of 8/15/09

NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM & CAR OWNER
0 Wayne Peterson/Pulaski TN Wayne Peterson Racing Chevrolet Wayne Peterson
1 Ken Butler III/Lilburn GA LoanMax.com Ford Jennifer Belmont
2 Tim George Jr./New York NY Ruby Tuesday Toyota Eddie Sharp
4 Mark Gibson/Winder GA Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Kerry Scherer
5 Mark Littleton/Arenzville IL Mason Sound Chevrolet Bill Gerhart
6 Justin Lofton/Westmorland CA Lofton Cattle Toyota Jessica Sharp 10 AJ Fike/Galesburg IL RFMS-Liberty Village Ford Andy Hillenburg
11 Bryan Silas/Stuart FL Rockingham Speedway-Holland Pumps Chevrolet Andy Hillenburg
14 Kory Rabenold/Slatington PA Bemont Racing Ford Jennifer Belmont
16 Joey Coulter/Miami Springs FL Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevy Joe Coulter
17 Eddie Pearson/Spartanburg SC Brad Hill Racing Ford Brad Hill
17 tba Roulo Brothers Racing Ford Russ Roulo 20 tba ESR Toyota Jessica Sharp
23 Jeremy Petty/Smolan KS Hixson Construction Chevrolet Wayne Hixson
25 Steve Arpin/Fort Frances ON Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet Cathy Venturini
26 Brad Smith/Shelby Township MI ApplianceZone.com Ford Brad Smith
28 Ron Cox/Soddy Daisy TN Dan Shaver Memorial Scholarship Chevrolet Wayne Hixson
32 tba Red Line Oil Dodge Kevin Cywinski
34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN Anti Monkey Butt Powder Chevrolet Darrell Basham
36 Robb Brent/Shelby Township MI Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dodge Mike Allgaier
39 Kelly Kovski/Springfield IL Schluckebier Farms Chevrolet Russ Roulo
44 Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN Ansell-Menards Ford Frank Kimmel
48 James Hylton/Inman SC Radon.com Ford James Hylton
51 Joe Cooksey/Centralia IL Fuelvend Express Chevrolet Joe Cooksey
52 Ken Schrader/Fenton MO Schrader Racing Chevrolet Ken Schrader
57 Kyle Chady/Benton IL Kimmel-Chaplain Pharmacy Ford Bill McCreery 60 Patrick Sheltra/Indiantown FL Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge Grace Sheltra
66 Damon Lusk/Kennewick WA Hendren Motor Sports Ford Bill Hendren
68 Will Kimmel/Sellersburg IN Clarksville Schwinn & Cyclery Ford Bill Kimmel
73 Dale Shearer/Alhambra IL Dale Shearer Racing Ford Dale Shearer
77 Parker Kligerman/Westport CT Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Mark Gibson
81 Craig Goess/Greenville NC Greenville Toyota of NC Toyota Eddie Sharp
83 Andrew Belmont/Concord NC Andy Belmont Racing Ford Grant Enfinger
84 Todd Antrican/Lebanon OH Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet Norm Benning
89 Chris Lafferty/Concord NC Lafferty Performance Chevrolet Chris Lafferty 90 Brian Tyler/Parma MI Great Clips Toyota Doug Stringer
94 Jason Basham/Henryville IN Darrell Basham Racing Chevrolet Darrell Basham
06 Barry Fitzgerald/Sykesville MD TheBusPlace.com Ford Wayne Peterson
09 Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ Cherry Hill Classic Cars Ford Robby Benton
 




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