Photo Courtesy of PBO Media Productions
Arpin Wins Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem
SALEM,
Ind. (4-11-10)-Steve Arpin earned his first career ARCA Racing Series
victory Sunday afternoon, winning the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200
presented by ApplianceZone.com at Salem (Ind.) Speedway.
Arpin,
driving the No. 55 Tag Heuer Chevrolet from the Venturini Motorsports
stables, powered around the outside of Joey Coulter on lap 142 and
outran a hungry field to claim the win, leading the final 57 laps. For
Arpin, the Salem win was special, as it also marked the scene of owner
Billy Venturini's only career win as a driver.
"Our
day was pretty good!" Arpin, the Aaron's lap leader, exclaimed. "This
is the place I wanted to win the most. It's just wild...the fans are
right on top of you...it's just a rush driving around this place! Billy
won here, and now I've won here!"
Venturini
reflected on the win, "This is where I got my first win, and it was so
special. Steve is like a brother. I just love him. He has been an
awesome addition to this team. I thank God every day that he is a part
of this program and to give him his first win was almost as emotional
as my first win here."
Craig
Goess, the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the race, also posted his career
best finish in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards,
earning runner-up honors. "Johnny made the adjustment to try to make
the car driveable, and I think considering everything, it was a good
finish for us," Goess commented. "I think that we could have had the
win without that happening, but we will take second. Only one more spot
to get, and I'm looking forward to Texas."
Point
leader Justin Marks finished third, with defending race winner Patrick
Sheltra fourth and Tom Hessert fifth. Coulter, who was completive all
day, didn't have a finish that reflected his car. "The car was awesome.
The guys gave me an awesome car, and anyone who watched the race saw
that. Anytime I wanted to, I could just zip up to the front," Coulter
commented.
As
usual, the action was fast and furious on the .555 high-banked Salem
oval, and the event was slowed 11 times for caution, none of them
serious. The slam-bang action at the high banked Salem oval started
early, as the field bunched up with an accordion-effect on lap one,
causing a caution for debris.
Another
yellow flag was waved on lap 15, when Brent Brevak spun in turn 3. The
No. 3 Brevak Racing Dodge obtained significant front end damage. As the
field went green again, Menards pole-sitter and ARCA rookie Max Gresham
fell back to third, with Arpin and Coulter in the first two spots.
Arpin and Coulter battled hard until lap 50, when two cars got together
on the backstretch. Sixteen cars took advantage of the caution and pit
for fuel and tires, while ten cars, including Arpin and Coulter, stayed
out.
On
lap 78, the No. 6 ApplianceZone.com Toyota of Brandon McReynolds,
making his ARCA debut this weekend, pulled off the race track due to a
engine problem. Lap 79 brought on another caution, as the No. 36
Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dodge and No. 89 Lafferty Performance Chevy
made contact in turns 1 and 2. Robb Brent's No. 36 Dodge had major
front damage. Arpin and Coulter took this opportunity to make pit
stops, with eight other lead lap cars.
As
the field went green on lap 86, Patrick Sheltra led the field in his
No. 60 Buffalo Wings and Rings Dodge. As halfway approached, Coulter
got into Nick Igdalsky in turn 3. Igdalsky's No 1 ModSpace Ford slammed
into the outside wall, resulting in significant damage to the right
front. Coulter was on a hard charge when the green flag dropped on lap
103, picking up six spots in six laps and taking the lead in 13 laps.
The bad day continued for Igdalsky, cutting a right front tire, he hit
the turn 2 wall. The No. 1 car, again, received damage on the right
front. Coulter stayed out, when 13 cars took advantage of the caution
for pit stops.
Coulter's
lead was challenged again by Arpin, with Arpin taking the lead on lap
142. His lead did not last long under green flag conditions, as his
teammate Mikey Kile got into the wall in turn 4. Kile's No.25 Venturini
Motorsports Toyota stalled on the frontstretch and had severe damage on
the right front. The field once again slowed for a yellow when the No.
14, 48 and 47 got together and spun in turn 3.
As
the field went back to green, Arpin got to a good start and a sizeable
lead. Working his way back to the front, Coulter and RE/MAX Rookie of
the Race Dakoda Armstrong made contact and spun into the turn 3 wall.
Coulter's fast racecar received heavy damage to his racecar, and he
settled for a disappointing 14th place finish. Four laps
later, Alli Owens, Bryan Silas and Chris Buescher got together in turn
2. The last caution of the day occurred on lap 186, as Coulter made
contact with the inside wall of the backstretch. As the checkers fell
with Arpin in the lead, a battle was heating up for the top-5. Coming
out of turn 4, Sheltra got into the turn 4 wall but caught the car to
get a fourth place finish.
Seventeen
cars survived the 11 cautions and were running at the end - ten were on
the lead lap. Of the five drivers making their ARCA Racing Series
debut, Gresham finished the highest in sixth place.
CONTACT: ARCA Communications 734-847-6726
Don Radebaugh, cell 419-450-0611
| Top-10 Points, ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, After Salem Speedway (4-11-10) |
|
|
|
| Pos | Name | Points |
| 1 | Justin Marks | 635 |
| 1 | Steve Arpin | 635 |
| 3 | Patrick Sheltra | 600 |
| 4 | Tom Hessert | 570 |
| 5 | Bryan Silas | 510 |
| 6 | Robb Brent | 500 |
| 7 | Mikey Kile | 490 |
| 8 | Tim George, Jr. | 475 |
| 8 | Joey Coulter | 475 |
| 10 | Frank Kimmel | 465 |
Salem,
Ind., (AP) _ The official finish for Sunday's Kentuckiana Ford Dealers
200 at Salem Speedway for ARCA Racing Series stock cars with starting
position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, type of car, laps completed,
and reason out of race, if any:
1.
(2) Steve Arpin, Fort Frances, Ont., Chevrolet, 200; 2. (19) Craig
Goess, Greenville, N.C., Toyota, 200; 3. (9) Justin Marks, Rocklin,
Calif., Dodge, 200; 4. (15) Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown, Fla., Dodge,
200; 5. (8) Tom Hessert, Cherry Hill, N.J., Dodge, 200; 6. (1) Max
Gresham, Griffin, Ga., Toyota, 200; 7. (7) Dakoda Armstrong, New
Castle, Ind., Dodge, 200; 8. (4) Frank Kimmel, Clarksville, Ind., Ford,
200; 9. (21) Alli Owens, Daytona Beach, Fla., Chevrolet, 200; 10. (23)
Ron Cox, Soddy Daisy, Tenn., Chevrolet, 200; 11. (12) Bryan Silas,
Stuart, Fla., Ford, 199; 12. (6) Chris Buescher, Prosper, Texas, Ford,
197; 13. (11) Terry Jones, Amherstburg, Ont., Dodge, 196; 14. (3) Joey
Coulter, Miami Springs, Fla., Chevrolet, 195; 15. (24) Darrell Basham,
Henryville Ind., Chevrolet, 193; 16. (13) Tim George, Jr., New York,
N.Y., Chevrolet, 188; 17. (16) Nick Igdalsky, Long Pond, Pa., Ford,
176; 18. (30) Chase Mattioli, Long Pond, Pa., Ford, 162; 19. (10) Timmy
Hill, Port Tobacco, Md., Chevrolet, 152; 20. (5) Mikey Kile, Westlake,
La., Chevrolet, 145; 21. (20) Andrew Belmont, Mooresville, N.C., Ford,
144; 22. (22) Jerick Johnson, Faribault, Minn., Dodge, 122; 23. (27)
Brad Smith, Shelby Township, Mich., Ford, 80, handling; 24. (17) Robb
Brent, Shelby Township, Mich., Dodge, 78, accident; 25. (33) Ted Minor,
Weatherford, Texas, Chevrolet, 70, accident; 26. (14) Brandon
McReynolds, Mooresville, N.C., Toyota, 64, radiator; 27. (31) Wayne
Peterson, Pulaski, Tenn., Chevrolet, 17, brakes; 28. (18) Brent Brevak,
Eau Claire, Wis., Dodge, 13, accident; 29. (29) Frankie Kimmel, Borden,
Ind., Chevrolet, 10, handling; 30. (26) Larry Meadors, Louisville, Ky.,
Ford, 6, rear end; 31. (28) Mike Holt, Snow Camp, N.C., Dodge, 6,
handling; 32. (25) Mark Gibson, Winder Ga., Dodge, 0, handling; 33.
(32) Rob Jones, Bowie, Md., Ford, 0, engine.
Time
of race: 1 hour, 47 minutes, 12 seconds; Margin of victory: 1.454
seconds; Lap leaders: Arpin 1-80, Sheltra 81-119, Coulter 120-142,
Aprin 143-200.
