- RACE: AKona 200 presented by Federated Car Care
- TRACK: Elko Speedway
- LOCATION: Elko, Minnesota
- WEBSITE: www.arcaracing.com
- RACE DISTANCE: 200 Laps / 75 Miles
- TRACK CONFIGURATION: 0.375-Mile Paved Oval
- FIRST ARCA RACE: 2012
- TOTAL ARCA RACES RUN: 0
- QUALIFYING RECORD: TBD
- RACE RECORD: TBD
- NO. OF ARCA RACES WON FROM THE POLE: TBD
Elko Race #6 The Akona 200 presented by Federated Car Care, the first-ever appearance of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in the state of Minnesota, is the sixth of 20 events on the 2012 schedule. It follows events at Daytona, Mobile, Salem, Talladega and Toledo. Five Races, Five Different Winners Five events so far in 2012 have produced five different winners: Bobby Gerhart at Daytona where he picked up a record eighth career Daytona triumph; Cale Gale at Mobile, who's spending the majority of his time on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule; Alex Bowman at Salem, who's currently eighth in Series standings; Brandon McReynolds, who is the son of former NASCAR crew chief and current FOX TV analyst Larry McReynolds; and Chris Buescher at Toledo, his fourth win there in his last five attempts on the northern Ohio half-mile. The win catapulted Buescher to second in Series standings, just 15 points away from leader Tom Hessert. Series Standings: Top-Five Tight to Elko
The diversity in winners and overall competitiveness of the Series has produced a very tight championship points battle headed to Elko Speedway, with one-quarter of the season down. Cherry Hill, New Jersey's Tom Hessert, who drives for Ken Schrader Racing, leads with a slim 15-point margin over Chris Buescher, last year's Rookie of the Year and runner-up championship driver. Buescher, under the Roush-Fenway Racing development banner, drives Fords fielded by longtime ARCA car owners Gary and Russ Roulo, AKA, the Roulo Brothers. Rookie Brennan Poole, who drives for Venturini Motorsports, is third in points, only 20 markers out of the lead with New Philadelphia, Ohio driver Chad Hackenbracht trailing in fourth, just 30 behind the leader. Series veteran and nine-time Series champion Frank Kimmel is fifth in points, 45 points out of first. Veteran Kimmel Back on the March Frank Kimmel turned 50 years young in late April, yet the nine-time Series champ is clearly still on his game. Kimmel, whose winless streak is 68 races long, has not gone to victory lane since September of 2008. After struggling with his own team for four seasons, the 74-time Series winner (second all-time to Iggy Katona's 79 wins) has new life with ThorSport Racing in 2012. After a disappointing start in 2012, Kimmel has rebounded with runner-up finishes at Salem and Toledo, coupled with a solid seventh place finish at Talladega. Kimmel is the all-time Series lap leader with 10,354 laps led in 194 races. Kimmel is also the all-time superspeedway lap leader with 2,677 laps led in 81 races. The Clarksville, Indiana second-generation ARCA veteran will see Elko Speedway for the first time this weekend. Venturini Motorsports x 5 at Elko
Venturini Motorsports is headed to Elko well stocked with five teams entered, including a No. 55 Chevrolet with Erik Jones (Byron, Michigan) driving. Jones was 15 years old when he made his Series debut at Mobile Int'l Speedway back on March 10, becoming the youngest driver to ever start an ARCA race. Jones will actually be 16 when the green flag falls at Elko, as his birthday is May 30th. Also entered for Venturini Motorsports are rookie Ryan Reed (Bakersfield, Calif.) in the No. 15, rookie Brennan Poole (The Woodlands, Texas) in the No. 25, rookie Nelson Canache (Caracas, Venezuela) in the No. 35 and series veteran Steve Arpin (Fort Frances, Ontario) in the No. 66. Steve Arpin Returns
Steve Arpin, who has been absent from the tour for more than a year, returns to ARCA competition this weekend at Elko Speedway. Arpin, who ran two full seasons in 2009 and 2010, has not raced in ARCA competition since Daytona, 2011. The Fort Frances, Ontario native cut his teeth running modifieds on dirt tracks in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area; however, he has never raced at Elko, which is true of the majority of ARCA drivers who will compete in this Saturday's Akona 200 presented by Federated Car Care. Arpin is a three time ARCA winner with victories, all in 2010, at Salem Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile dirt. Local Favorite Joey Miller Saddles-Up for Elko Lakeville, Minnesota's Joey Miller could not withstand the temptation to climb back into an ARCA car, especially at what he considers his home track at Elko Speedway. "Elko's a great little track, and it's 10 minutes from my house, so I definitely consider it my home track," said Miller. "I've got more laps there than anywhere else, that's for sure. The track isn't the widest track I've ever been on, but what's great about it is that it's a two-groove track, so a guy's going to have the ability to come from the back and move forward if he needs to. It's a tight, racy, little track, and with these big heavy ARCA cars on it, it's going to make it even tighter. I think the fans are in for one heck of a show." Miller's previous credentials in ARCA are impressive. He has 20 top-10 finishes among 31 prior starts in ARCA competition, and the first of his five wins came in his series debut at Nashville Superspeedway in 2004. He later won at Berlin Raceway in Michigan, Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Nashville again, and Salem Speedway in Indiana. In 2005, his only full season in the series, he finished second in points to nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel. Miller's crew from that time - including crew chief Mike Chaffee and car chief Mike Resop - will work with the driver at the Akona 200. Miller said the volunteer crew gets together twice a week to prepare the car. Youngest to Oldest: A full 61 years separate the youngest driver in the field at Elko and the oldest. Byron, Michigan's Erik Jones, who turned 16 on May 30, is the youngest driver entered while James Hylton, at 77, is the oldest. As Jones is officially the youngest driver to ever compete in an ARCA race, Hylton is officially the oldest. Hylton, the 1966 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, will turn 78 on August 26th. Hylton is entered in his own No. 48 Radon.com Ford. One Fast Female Entered
Milka Duno, a three-time Indianapolis 500 starter, is the only female driver entered in the Akona 200 at Elko. Duno, from Caracas, Venezuela, drives for ARCA champion car owner Eddie Sharp with veteran crew chief Dave Leiner directing the effort. Duno will be driving the No. 6 MilkaWay.com-CanTV Toyota. |
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