|
|
LateModelStock.com - News |
|
|
Late Model Stock - News |
Tim Steele wins Winchester warWINCHESTER, IN, by Don Radebaugh – Tim Steele, in the HS Die-Softech Ford, capitalized on the late-race misfortunes of Frank Kimmel and kept Jeff Finley at bay to win the action-packed ARCA RE/MAX 250 Sunday afternoon at Winchester Speedway. It was Steele’s 38th career victory in his 116th RE/MAX Series attempt. Kimmel, who led the most laps, was leading Steele by two lengths with less than 50 circuits remaining when the defending series champion cut down a right-front tire and made heavy contact with the turn one wall. Steele turned hard-left to miss Kimmel’s car as it careened off the cement and sped away with the lead while Kimmel nursed his badly wounded Chevy back to pit road. While Kimmel would eventually limp home 11th, Steele raced on to score his 4th RE/MAX Series win at Winchester in only his seventh attempt on the half-mile high-banked oval. “It feels great to be back in victory lane,” said the Coopersville, Michigan driver. “It’s been way too long. Gotta thank the crew; they were awesome all day with great pit stops. I’m not sure if we had the best car all day; Frank (Kimmel) was awful tough, but we were able to keep ourselves in a position to win, and that’s what it takes. I’d rather be lucky than good; we got luck today and it feels great. I just love this track; I only wish we had more races here.” Finley, in the John Bailey Excavating Chevy, finished five lengths back in second earning the Thermo-Tec Cool Drive award while Andy Belmont, in the AOL-Racecakes Ford, finished a close third. Billy Venturini, in the IRM-Permatex Chevy, raced home fourth, the last car on the lead lap with Vern Slagh, in the Quality Car Washes Ford, trailing in fifth, one lap back. There were eight lead changes among four drivers while 11 cautions, for a variety of mishaps, slowed the event for 64 laps, none of which were serious. However, in typical short-track style, there were plenty of cars that went home with bent sheet metal and broken parts. No drivers were injured. Kimmel, who won the Old Milwaukee Pole Award, led the first 49 laps until a nudge from Steele in turn one caused both machines to spin handing the lead to veteran Tracy Leslie while the caution flag waved. Kimmel, Steele and Leslie opted for pit road service during the caution giving the lead to Belmont who elected to forego his chance to pit. Back under green, Belmont led the next 38 laps before Steele, on fresher tires, regained control. Then Kimmel charged ahead and out-dueled Steele for the lead before Steele, during a restart, wrestled it back. Kimmel would regain the lead one more time and appeared to be well on his way to winning before the mishap in turn one negated any hope for victory. Mark Gibson, who struggled back from a turn two accident, raced the Williams Bros Lumber Ford back to sixth in the final running order while Ron Cox, who lost his brakes halfway in, managed a seventh place finish in the Hixson Construction Chevrolet. Centralia, Illinois driver Joe Cooksey finished eighth in the Fuelvend.com Chevy ahead of Todd Bowsher who earned the ARCA Highest Finishing Rookie award for his ninth place finish in the Jack Bowsher Ford. Larry Hollenbeck, in his career-first RE/MAX Series start, finished a respectable 10th in Bob Schacht’s SWAT Ford. Jason Jarrett, who got caught up in an early race accident in turns one and two, nursed the ML Motorsports Chevy to the finish in 12th. Kimmel was credited with the Loctite Halfway Leader award while Ryan Vos, who started 26th and finished 13th, won the Hoosier Performance Hard Charger award for advancing the most positions. Steele was the BSR Outside Pole award winner and took home the Quarter Master Comin’ Through in the Clutch honors as well as the RJS Safety award. |
1 2 16 Tim Steele Coopersville MI HS Die-Softech Ford 250 Running 2 10 70 Jeff Finley Lansing MI Bailey Excavating Chevrolet 250 Running 3 4 1 Andy Belmont Penndel PA America Online-Racecakes-York Ford 250 Running 4 9 25 Billy Venturini Concord NC IRM-Permatex Chevrolet 250 Running 5 3 65 Vern Slagh Zeeland MI Quality Car Washes Ford 249 Running 6 12 83 Mark Gibson Winder GA Williams Bros Lumber Ford 248 Running 7 17 23 Ron Cox Soddy Daisy TN Hixson Construction Chevrolet 248 Running 8 13 51 Joe Cooksey Centralia IL Fuelvend.com Chevrolet 247 Running 9 15 21 Todd Bowsher South Vienna OH Jack Bowsher Racing Ford 245 Running 10 19 75 Larry Hollenbeck Portage MI Bob Schacht Motorsports Ford 242 Running 11 1 46 Frank Kimmel Jeffersonville IN Advance Auto Parts-Pork White Meat Chevy 240 Running 12 5 67 Jason Jarrett Hickory NC ML Motorsports Chevrolet 236 Running 13 26 38 Ryan Vos Jackson MI Vermeer Diggin Dutchman Ford 232 Running 14 20 84 Norm Benning Pittsburgh PA Benning Racing Chevrolet 218 Running 15 25 6 Tim Turner Pulaski TN Wayne Peterson Racing Chevrolet 196 Running 16 14 91 Jeff Falk Chesapeake VA Superior Logistics Services Chevrolet 154 Radiator 17 21 36 Marty Butkovich Ray MI Bowtie Construction Chevrolet 146 Handling 18 16 4 Roger Blackstock Shelby Twp MI Kart 2 Kart Dodge 145 Running 19 18 28 Mike Buckley Ann Arbor MI Midwest Mall Fronts Chevrolet 118 Overhtng 20 7 19 Tracy Leslie Mt Clemens MI Target Saws & Blades Chevrolet 105 Engine 21 8 29 Jerry Cook Ottawa Lake MI Marcos Pizza Ford 88 Engine 22 23 24 Chuck Weber Mesquite TX Cardinal Tool Company Chevrolet 70 Rearend 23 30 98 Michael Melton Cedar Grove TN University of Tennessee-Martin Chevrolet 49 Engine 24 11 5 Randy VanZant Brookville OH Mike's Body Shop Pontiac 45 Accident 25 29 60 Rick Markle Mooresville NC Smartwireless.com-racedayad.com Chevy 11 Accident 26 24 50 Kevin Belmont Feasterville PA Racecakes.com Ford 5 Overhtng 27 22 48 Donny Morelock Largo FL Mountain Rock Music Ford 5 Handling 28 6 7 Blaise Alexander Montoursville PA Superior Logistics Services Pontiac 3 Fuel 29 27 47 James Hylton Inman SC Hylton Motorsports Ford 2 Handling 30 28 56 Eric Martin Chattanooga TN Hixson Construction Chevrolet 1 Transmssn |
