Kimmel Chases Points and History at Iowa

No. 44 Ansell/ Menards Toyota Camry ARCA RACING SERIES – RACE 11 OF 20 – IOWA SPEEDWAY

For the seventh time in the track’s history, Iowa Speedway will host the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, this year on Friday the 13th. In the previous six events, Iowa has seen unpredictable races, results, and six different winners, including Frank Kimmel in 2007. Kimmel has been a model of consistency at Iowa, scoring finishes of 7th or better in the five most recent ARCA Racing Series events at the .875 mile oval.    Kimmel has been a player at each short track event thus far in 2012, scoring two runner-up finishes at Salem and Toledo. Chassis A-1 was the Ansell/Menards Toyota that the nine-time champ piloted to those season best finishes, and will race the same Thorsport Racing Toyota at Iowa this weekend. Kimmel has led laps at two of the last three short track races for a total of 61 laps, including two top five finishes (2nd – Toledo, 4th – Elko).

As the 2012 season has reached the halfway mark, Kimmel finds himself in the thick of the championship battle chasing a record tenth championship. Kimmel and team have made the most of tough days through the early portion of the year, and capitalized on opportunities with solid performances as well. This week, Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is holding additional importance for the #44 Thorsport team. Five of the six Iowa race winners, including Kimmel, have started in the top four. Additionally, Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona’s all-time pole record of 43 poles in the ARCA Racing Series by setting fast time on Friday afternoon at 4:30 pmCT.

TOP TEN STREAK: Through six ARCA Racing Series races at Iowa Speedway, Kimmel has finished in the top ten in the last five events at Iowa, dating back to his win in 2007. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team began another streak of top tens after a 7th place at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

CLOSE TO THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona’s all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday afternoon at 4:30 pmCT. In addition, Kimmel’s 74 career wins is five behind Katona’s all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series.

POINTS REPORT: After 10 of 20 races, Kimmel sits third in ARCA Racing Series points at the halfway mark of the season, and trails point leader, Brennan Poole, by 160 points. Thus far, Kimmel has scored three top five finishes, and seven top tens.

 

IOWA PERFORMANCE: Since the inaugural event at Iowa in 2006 when he finished 32nd, Kimmel has scored a win and never finished worse than 7th in the following five races. Kimmel’s Iowa win came in 2007 when he led 94 of the 250 laps.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing’s A-1 chassis for this weekend’s Prairie Meadows 200. Chassis A-1 has been raced four times in 2012 at Mobile, Salem, Toledo, and Winchester.

THORSPORT AT IOWA: Thorsport Racing and driver, Matt Crafton, visited victory lane last summer at Iowa in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Thorsport’s #88 NCWTS team has been servicing Kimmel’s #44 Toyota on pit road all season long, and look to bring Thorsport and Menards back to Iowa’s victory lane for the second consecutive year.

IOWA MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will visit the Altoona Menards location on Thursday, July 12th, from 6-7:30 PM. Kimmel will sign autographs for fans while the #44 Ansell/Menards showcar will also be on display. The Altoona Menards location is at 370 36th Avenue SW Altoona, IA 50009.

 

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel

GIVEN YOUR TRACK RECORD, DOES IOWA FIT YOUR DRIVING STYLE MORE THAN MOST TRACKS? “I really like the racetrack. I think it’s the perfect size. It’s not so fast that aerodynamics is the most important thing, and it’s short enough that huge horsepower isn’t a necessity. Iowa is about the guy that makes the car handle well and get through the corner. The track has some bumps with it aging and it’s changed over time. We put pressure on ourselves to run well and we’ve had good luck there the past few years.”

DOES BRINGING A PROVEN CHASSIS GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL CONFIDENCE? “I’m really excited take chassis A-1 there. We’ve been using it on most of the short tracks this year and has run very well each time out. We’ve got a lot of time and laps in the car, so we have a good history on it. The entire team works really hard on preparing the car and we have a good understanding of it too. I do have a lot of confidence taking that car to the racetrack, and know that there will be a good setup under it.”

WHAT WOULD TYING THE ALL-TIME ARCA POLE RECORD MEAN? “It would be very important for myself, as well as the team. We’re continuing to learn about each other and what to do to the racecar each week. I think it would show how much we’ve made strides with our racecars I’m working on qualifying better every race. A pole would be a great shot in the arm. Tying the record would be great, but it would be satisfying to show that we’re a team capable a winning poles and races every week.”

 

Race Info

July 13th, 2012 Iowa Speedway

.875 Mile Tri-Oval

Prairie Meadows 200 200 Laps/175 Miles

Broadcast Info:

Live Timing & Scoring at ARCARacing.com

Friday July 13:

Practice – 10:30AM – 12 Noon CT

Final Practice – 1 – 2PM CT

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Menards – 4:30 pmCT

Race – 8 pmCT – LIVE ON SPEED

Team Facts:

Current Driver Point Standings: 3rd

Chassis: A-1 (Recently Raced at Winchester – 11th)

Engine: TRD (Toyota Racing Development) & TRIAD

Frank Kimmel ARCA RACING SERIES results at Iowa Speedway:

WINS: 1

POLES: 0

Top 5s: 2

Top 10s: 5

Total Appearances: 6

 

ABOUT MENARDS: With 263 stores in 13 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember.  Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

ABOUT ANSELL: Ansell is aglobal 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.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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