oncord, NC (June 13, 2015) – Frank Kimmel scored a season high second place finish in Friday’s ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway. The skies above the Irish Hills of Michigan we’re not smiling Friday afternoon. Threatening skies and light rain made for challenging day from the onset.
Kimmel, who was fastest during Thursday’s 2.5 hour practice session, started from the pole position after Menards Pole Qualifying by Ansell was rained out Friday morning. The starting grid was determined by practice speeds – the first time ARCA has used the new rule to set the starting lineup since announcing the new procedure during the offseason.
Sharing the front row with Ross Kenseth; Kimmel took the green flag but lost the top spot before the first circuit. Finding his place in line Kimmel would find himself shuffling in between the top-5 spots all afternoon.
Driving his familiar No.25 Ansell-Menards Toyota Kimmel maintained a strong car hoping to find clean air in front. However, light rain showers and two on-track incidents would bring out four cautions for a total of 32 laps during the course of the 100-lap event prohibiting Kimmel to use the strength of his car on the long runs.
“We knew rain could be a factor today so it was important we ran a fast lap in practice and had the car dialed in. Fuel and pit strategy came into play towards the midway point but with all the cautions we knew we could make it to the end,” said Kimmel.
Running in the fourth position late, the race would stay green for the last 20 laps. On the final restart the race leaders would jump out stringing the top-5 spots in single file line. Kimmel would use a solid handling car to chase down the fourth and third spots before passing Tom Hessert for the second spot on lap 97. Kimmel would settle for second as eventual race winner, Ross Kenseth, had a sizeable advantage as the cars crossed the stripe on the final lap.
“This team continues to get better,” said Kimmel. “I’m tickled to death. This is our second race together on the intermediate tracks. The car really ran well; this gives an old man a lot of confidence when you climb into the car and it goes.
“I feel we’re in a good position right now and I’m excited to take this package to Chicago next weekend and contend for the win on Venturini’s home track.”
The ARCA Series will move onto Chicago for the SCOTT 150 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, June 20th as part of a Father’s Day weekend double header with the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The race will air live on Fox Sports 2 at 6:00pm CT.
Kimmel will once again be behind of the wheel of his No.25 machine joining teammates Cody Coughlin and Daniel Suarez. The 2015 ARCA Racing Series event at Chicagoland will mark the 15th consecutive appearance of the 63-year-old tour on the 1.5-mile speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
Prior to the event, Kimmel will appear with his No. 25 car from 3:00-4:30pm CT on Thursday, June 18th at the Menards store in Morris, Illinois and again from 6:30-8pm CT the same day at the Menards store in Joliet, Illinois.
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
