Daytona Beach, Fl. (February 13, 2015) – Frank Kimmel seems to be settling in nice with his new team Venturini Motorsports. Driving his No.25 Ansell-Menards Toyota, Kimmel posted the second fastest lap (189.921 mph) during Friday morning’s final ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards practice session.
The combination of two strong practice sessions gave Kimmel a great shot going into the Friday afternoon’s group qualifying session which would determine the starting grid for Saturday’sLucas Oil 200 presented by AutoZone. Kimmel along with Daniel Suarez, Sean Core, Tom Hessert, Brett Hudson, Patrick Starapoli and Will Kimmel made up the sixth and quickest group of ARCA qualifiers looking to challenge for the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell.
However, during the 8-minute qualifying session Kimmel and the rest of the group struggled to connect in the draft to overcome the top spot occupied by driver Mark Thompson. In the end Kimmel would settle for a fast lap of 186.413 mph good enough for 11th on the starting grid.
“We finished the final practice second on the leaderboard but this group qualifying just didn’t work out the way we planned,” said Kimmel. “I’ve never had a car this fast here at Daytona, we’ve had some really good cars over the years but this one is extremely solid. We’ll be just fine come race time.”
Over his storied career Frank Kimmel has re-written the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards (ARCA Racing) record book amassing 80 series victories and an unprecedented 10 driver championships. But with all the success Kimmel continues to seek the most cherished prize of all, a trip to Daytona International Speedway’s victory lane, a feat seemingly unobtainable over the course of his 24-year ARCA racing driving career. Kimmel will try to end his Daytona drought tomorrow with a win at the World Center of Racing in the season opener.
Kimmel and the Ansell-Menards team will make their debut with Venturini tomorrow afternoon in the Lucas Oil 200 presented by AutoZone.
Saturday’s race will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at4:00 p.m. ET while MRN will broadcast the race over ARCAracing.com.
ABOUT ANSELL:
Ansell is a global leader in protection solutions. Headquartered in Iselin, NJ, 11,000 employees across 42 countries design and manufacture innovative products relied on by millions of consumers, workers, first responders and healthcare professionals. The Ansell vision is to create a world where people enjoy optimal protection against the risks to which they are exposed by delivering safety, peace of mind and performance with unmatched quality, comfort and technology. This vision is delivered by the Ansell core brand products, from the HyFlex®, AlphaTec®, TouchNTuff®, ActivArmr®, Projex®, VersaTouch®, Trellchem® and Viking product lines.
ABOUT MENARDS:
With 287 stores in 14 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 VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS:
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars for over 30-years in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports. Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Brian Scott, Kevin Swindell, John Wes Townley, Erik Jones, and Justin Boston. Over the years the Venturini name has become synonymous with modern-day racing in America. In 2012, the Venturini family was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (www.NIASHF.org) and now find themselves enshrined with such sports icons as Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Vince Lombardi, Tommy Lasorda and Rocky Marciano.
Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com | Twitter: @VenturiniMotor | Facebook: Venturini Motorsports
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