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05-16-12 Krank Kimmel - Toledo Speedway Preview - Sitting sixth in ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards point standings, Frank Kimmel heads to the series' home track in search of his first win of 2012 and his ninth win at Toledo Speedway. Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Camry team has shown muscle thus far in 2012 on the short tracks and has them optimistic for a strong showing in the 200 lap affair. After a solid seventh place finish at Talladega Superspeedway two weeks ago, Kimmel looks to capitalize on the upcoming schedule. With the first four races of 2012 spread across eight weeks, the summer grind of racing back-to-back week beckons for ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards competitors. The nine-time series champion looks to capitalize on the grueling summer schedule that kicks into gear at the Menards 200 this weekend at Toledo Speedway. Kimmel has an impressive record at the Ohio half-mile, scoring nine of his seventy four career wins at Toledo Speedway. This weekend marks his 34th start at Toledo over an impressive span of twenty three years. This will mark the first start Kimmel will make at Toledo driving for Thorsport Racing and is fresh off of two consecutive top 10 finishes at Salem and Talladega. SHORT TRACK WINS: Dating back to 2007, Kimmel's last six ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards wins have come on tracks one mile or less. (2007: Iowa, Springfield, Milwaukee, 2008: Springfield, DuQuoin, Salem). From 2000-2003, Kimmel won an astounding four consecutive races at the Toledo Speedway. In addition, from 2000-2005, Kimmel won six of the eight races at Toledo. NINE FOR TEN: The nine-time ARCA champ is gunning for his tenth career win at Toledo and 75th career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win. Earlier this season, Kimmel had the opportunity to win his ninth career race at Salem Speedway where he finished a season best 2nd. POINTS REPORT: After 4 of 20 races, Kimmel sits sixth in series points, 120 points out of the lead. Thus far, Kimmel has one top-5 and two top-10 finishes in 2012. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will pilot chassis A-1 out of the Thorsport stable in the Menards 200. This chassis was raced at Mobile and at Salem to a 2nd place finish. MENARDS APPEARANCES: Kimmel will be making two appearances in Toledo to sign autographs for fans leading up to the Menards 200. On Friday, May 18th, Kimmel will be at the Oregon, OH Menards location from 4-5:30pm and at the Toledo North Menards location from 6:30-8pm. The #44 Ansell/Menards Camry show car will also be on hand. REBUILDING TOLEDO: Fans that attend and watch the Menards 200 LIVE on SPEED will notice the newly completed grandstand renovation at the Toledo Speedway. With the help of Ansell gloves lending a hand, along with building materials from the neighboring Menards, crews have updated the facility to keep the track a favorite on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards circuit. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WHAT MAKES TOLEDO SPEEDWAY STAND OUT ON THE ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS CIRCUIT? "It's probably the best short track that we go to. Year in and year out, it's been a good racetrack for us. It's a fun racetrack to race on. Toledo is big enough to be fast and exciting, but small enough where aerodynamics and horsepower aren't really a big deal. The race is about making the car handle good and staying out of trouble. Toledo is just a real cool place to get to race at." DOES TOLEDO SPEEDWAY PROVIDE THE BEST CHANCE THUS FAR TO GET THE FIRST WIN IN 2012? "Toledo is an excellent chance for us to go out and get a win. We have so much history there and it's a great place for us to race. This stretch that we're about to go under, where all the races are back-to-back, is a real busy time for us. Looking at the schedule, I don't think there is a weak race for us. I think we can be strong at every single track that we go to. We expect to be competitive at every track we go to here on out through the entire season." WHAT DIFFERENCE HAS THORSPORT RACING MADE IN 2012? "All these guys at Thorsport are hungry. (Crew chief) Jeriod Prince is very hungry. He wants to go out and win and prove himself as a full-time crew chief. We've got great guys. You're as good as the people you surround yourself with. Right now, I feel like I have as good of a team as there is in ARCA. Duke and Rhonda Thorson are giving us the right equipment and having great sponsors like Ansell and Menards has helped a tremendous amount, also. We're all pulling in the same direction to get a win and get several wins."
05-07-12 Krank Kimmel - Talladega Superspeedway Recap - Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry continued to show strength at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, after posting a podium finish in Salem the weekend prior. After rained-out practice and qualifying conditions Thursday led to a third-place starting position, Kimmel wheeled home in the seventh position at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 on Saturday afternoon. No. 44 Ansell/Menards Team Pits Kimmel took the green flag in the third position after a practice day rainout forced the field to line up by points. Holding his speed behind current leader Matt Lofton, Kimmel held the second position through a red-flagged caution at lap 11. Deciding to execute a fuel-mileage pit strategy, crew chief Jeriod Prince had Kimmel pit under the race's second caution at lap 20 for two cans and a tearoff. Re-joining the field in the 20th spot, Kimmel powered to the 13th spot by lap 45. At the race's third yellow, the team pitted again for fuel and tires for a fast stop - and Kimmel emerging back to the field in the seventh spot. In a race filled with unprecedented cautions, to include another harrowing red-flag caution at lap 73 for a barrel-rolled flip on the frontstretch - Kimmel was able to hold the spot through the checkered flag. "I'm proud of the guys, because this is our Daytona chassis - and we had a great car but an unfortunate outcome there after the rulebook scored us with the double yellow line penalty at the end," said Kimmel after the race. "This is redemption for them. It was a great points day for us, but we obviously wanted to hold that top spot. I tried to get out there and make some runs a few times, but no one was there to pair up. We're focused now on getting back to the short tracks - I'm really excited to get up to Toledo."
05-01-12 Krank Kimmel - Talladega Superspeedway Preview - RUNNER-UP MEANS SUPERSPEEDWAY MOJO? Despite a hard charge to the finish in Sunday's Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway, Frank Kimmel narrowly missed his long-awaited 75th ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win. However, if stats tell a story, Kimmel has positive "mojo" going into this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. In 19 overall appearances, Kimmel has racked up one pole (2004), one win (2006), seven top fives and four top tens. Last year, he just missed the win by Ty Dillon - so victory seems close to the veteran driver. THE BIG 5-0: Kimmel turned 50 years old Monday, just after his hometown race at Salem Speedway. Knowing the pressure was on in front of the Indiana crowd, he's still happy about a second-place finish - even after nine wins for "nine time" at the local track. "I wanted to get to Alex (Bowman), but we just didn't have it to get there. It was a great run for the hometown crowd, and everyone did an awesome job on pit stops. The car is spotless - when you can bring her home like that at a short track like Salem, it was a good day." TALLADEGA NIGHTS FOR AIDB: Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards team will support the annual Race Fever dinner and auction held by Betty Jane France Award Recipient Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind while in Talladega. A supporter every year, the crew will donate signed crew items and a jersey as an "honorary member of the team" for one lucky bidder. All proceeds benefit the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind - for more information, visit www.racefever.org. CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 44 team will utilize chassis No. A-5 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. A new chassis for the team for the 2012 season, it made its debut in Daytona earlier this year. After an unfortunate unavoidable wreck and late race penalty, it finished 23rd. Rebuilt for Talladega, it rejoins the ThorSport Racing ARCA Racing Series No. 44 fleet. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WHAT MAKES THIS TIME DIFFERENT AT TALLADEGA? Talladega is a tricky place. You go there with a little different mentality. Just like Daytona, you're at the mercy of others and pack racing - so you have to put a different 'racing hat' on. It's a chess match. The guys literally rebuilt the Daytona chassis from scratch, they tore it apart in the shop; so we're hoping to have a lot of speed and aerodynamics this time around to lead the draft. That's going to be important at Talladega - being in front of the stuff that happens mid-pack. SO YOU'RE EXPECTING THE "BIG ONE" TO HAPPEN NO MATTER WHAT? SO EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW, ANY BIG PLANS FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? WHAT'S THE ROOKIE QUOTIENT AT TALLADEGA?
04-29-12 Krank Kimmel - Salem Speedway Recap - Although Alex Bowman led by as many as 11 seconds after the halfway point of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway, he still had to keep nine-time Salem winner Frank Kimmel at bay to score his third ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win in five career starts. Bowman won by only a final margin of 1.276 seconds, roughly three car lengths, over ThorSport Racing's Kimmel, who was in contention for his first ARCA win since September 13, 2008. The veteran driver proved at his "home" track with his new team, that he had the car to beat all afternoon at Salem Speedway. Starting in the 10th spot on the grid at the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 today, Kimmel shot to the front of the pack and remained within the top five spots until the first pit stop at lap 81 for two tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment. After an incident ahead of him at lap 100, Kimmel was cautious and fell back to the eighth position. A quick pit stop at lap 134 by the ThorSport Racing crew gained the driver three positions to put him back in the top five. With 47 laps to go, Kimmel found himself in the second position - where he would remain the rest of the race as he battled through lap traffic, despite gaining ground on Bowman as the young driver started to smoke with 10 laps to go. As the checkered flag fell, Kimmel was scored in the second position - his first podium finish of the season and best finish with his new team at ThorSport Racing. "Of course I wanted the win, this is my home track, and just because you've won nine doesn't mean you want another one!" said Kimmel of his finish. "I'm really proud of the crew here for setting up a great car - they had a lot of pressure on them, and they were never phased by it. They knew my history here, and they performed at the top of their game all day. Alex had a great car all day, and I thought we might be able to take him there at the end with the smoke - but it just wasn't for us. I'll take a great finish today, especially after some of the luck we had earlier this season. I'm glad we could put on a great show for the hometown fans." Crew chief Jeriod Prince, with his first year as a crew chief in the ARCA Racing Series and best finish under his belt, agreed. "I'm really glad Frank finally got a good finish this season - he had a lot of friends and family here today. We have had fast cars all season, we just haven't had the finishes to show for it based on bad luck. The last pit stop was amazing by the guys, and the car was the best it had been all weekend at the end of the race. I am looking forward to racing every week - we're set for the summer stretch of races."
04-24-12 Krank Kimmel - Salem Speedway Preview - NINE TIMES FOR NINE TIME? Nine-time ARCA Racing Series driving champion Frank Kimmel is second on the all-time ARCA Series win list with 74 victories behind only Iggy Katona, who leads with 79. However, Kimmel has arguably dominated at Salem over his 36 appearances at his "home" racetrack. With nine wins, 11 top five finishes and five top ten finishes at Salem Speedway since 1992, one could say he understands the track dynamics. He looks for his first victory since 2008 on the circuit - ironically, that last win coming at Salem. WITH SO MANY APPEARANCES AT THIS TRACK, IS IT SAFE TO SAY IT'S YOUR FAVORITE? Yes, that's correct. I love a lot of these racetracks, I'm an old school racer. Salem, though, is definitely special for many reasons. It's my home track and my family has spent so much time there; I've had a lot of great wins and great finishes there; and I have so many memories. The thing about it, it's rough and has holes and is gritty - you absolutely have to race the racetrack. It's your biggest competitor, not the guys around you. So it almost becomes an individual sport, and it's a major challenge. I really enjoy that, and it gives you a lot of satisfaction when you can win at a place like Salem. YOU HAD A BIG WEEKEND A FEW WEEKS AGO AT "THE ROCK" IN STREET STOCKS. WHAT HAPPENED?
03-10-12 Krank Kimmel - Mobile International Speedway Recap - Frank Kimmel had a strong showing at the inaugural Mobile Speedway weekend - with as high as pole-fastest practice speeds on the slick track, as well as running as high as third during the ARCA 200. However, a late-race incident on lap 180, with a podium finish or potential Victory Lane visit in site - ended the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry team's night early with an 18th place finishing position.
03-07-12 Krank Kimmel - Mobile International Speedway Preview - LOOKING FOR CAREER WIN 75? Nine-time ARCA Racing Series driving champion Frank Kimmel is second on the all-time ARCA Series win list with 74 victories behind only Iggy Katona, who leads with 79. However, Kimmel, who has won nearly everywhere on the tour, has never raced at Mobile. He looks for his first victory at his first appearance at the track - and first victory since 2008 on the circuit. WE HEARD YOU TALKED TO BUBBA POLLARD ON MOBILE? Yes, that's correct. Bubba is a legend down here on the Panhandle of Florida and Alabama. His results speak for themselves in late models and super late models at both Mobile and Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, so I knew who to call when it was time to pick someone's brain on track facts and logistics. He gave me a lot of great pointers going into this weekend. I'm also looking forward to chatting with our own Grant Enfinger - since this is his home track, he knows the ins and outs too. It's a little different, I usually have guys coming to me to find out about tracks as the veteran! IS THIS LIKE ANY OTHER TRACK YOU'VE EXPERIENCED?
02-19-12 Krank Kimmel - Daytona International Speedway Recap - Frank Kimmel powered through a field of packed cars at the inaugural ARCA Racing Series opener at Daytona as high as eighth position, but was handed an unfortunate penalty post-race. The No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry, after crossing the checkers in eighth, was scored in the 23rd position by the tower due to driving below the yellow line to avoid competitors running out of fuel ahead of him. Hoping to start the season on a high note, Kimmel took the green flag from the 17th position. He fought his way through the pack into the top ten within seven laps, when the race's first caution flag dropped at lap 9. The team decided to take fuel only as Kimmel radioed to the crew that the car felt good. Rolling back out in 16th, Kimmel showed his veteran on-track muscle through two more cautions - teaming up with rookie driver Max Gresham on a few occassions to push through the field to crack the top 10. At lap 68, when the fourth caution flag of the race flew for a crash in turn two, Kimmel and crew chief Jeriod Prince made the call to come in for fuel. As other leaders took the gamble and stayed out, the No. 44 took a six-second splash and emerged in the 15th spot. Again teaming up with young Gresham, the two motored through the pack to a wild finish - as the top leaders ran out of fuel on the frontstretch to the checkered flag, competitors were left with no choice but to be involved in the ensuing crashes or move below the yellow. Kimmel crossed the finish in the eighth position, however tower control made the call on the No. 44 and two other cars to be scored at the end of the lead lap vehicles due to "advancing position." "This definitely wasn't the way we wanted to end this race, it is an unfortunate situation," said Kimmel. "We had a good car in practice and the guys really worked their tails off to get this Daytona setup ready for us. This team just became a team six weeks ago, so it's a testament to their hard work that we could bring it home in the top ten. I understand the ruling, and again, it's unfortunate, but it is the sanctioning body's decision. We learned a lot today, and the positive is, we're that much more close as a team going into Mobile in March. We'll get after it there!"
02-14-12 Krank Kimmel - Daytona International Speedway Preview - STARTING OFF, OR CHARGING FORWARD? Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards team head to sunny Daytona International Speedway to kick off the 60th season of the ARCA Racing Series in full style - and with a new race team. The nine-time ARCA Champion and All-time Winning Purse Driver takes the wheel with ThorSport Racing, well known for their domination in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Combining a winning attitude with Toyota technology, both team and driver are ready to "make some noise" in the 2012 season - to the tune of a championship race. SUM IT UP: Kimmel has 16 overall starts in the ARCA Racing Series since 1996 at Daytona; plus the added bonus of 341 starts over 16 years in the ARCA Racing Series. His best finish here came in 2004 and 2005 - both years taking a podium finish at second place. His best start was in 2007, starting in the third position. Kimmel is just five victory lane appearances away from all-time winningest driver in the ARCA Racing Series - Iggy Katona - and hopes to eclipse the record in 2012 with ThorSport Racing. TAKING THE TEST: After running the NCWTS race back in November, Kimmel got a quick holiday break with his family, then returned to the racetrack at Daytona for the annual tire test in December. The 44 team came away with a binder full of race notes, as well as room for improvement in its new capacity away from the Truck Series. A MESSAGE IN THE MAYHEM OF DAYTONA: Kimmel embarks on his third year with sponsor Ansell, a global leader in protection solutions, in a partnership with Menards Racing. The Menards Pole Award is presented by Ansell during the entire 2012 ARCA Racing Season - and Kimmel hopes to be standing on a podium to receive it in Daytona from an Ansell executive. CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 44 team will utilize chassis No. 5 this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. A new chassis for the team, it joins a full fleet of new race cars at the ThorSport stable in Sandusky, Ohio. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THORSPORT RACING SO FAR? ARE YOU READY FOR DAYTONA THIS WEEKEND? ARE YOU THINKING OF BREAKING RECORDS?
11-14-11 Krank Kimmel - Homestead-Miami Speedway Preview - STARTING OFF, OR FINISHING UP? Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards team head to sunny Homestead-Miami Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale when most teams are finishing the season. However, with last week's announcement for a full season in 2012 at ThorSport Racing in the ARCA Racing Series, it was only fitting that the nine-time ARCA Champion and All-time Winning Purse Driver take the wheel in Homestead in a fourth entry with ThorSport. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel Yes, Trucks! Can you believe it? I'm actually not new to the Truck Series - I've raced a few in the last 15 years. This really boiled down to sheer opportunity. We're focused on racing for my 10th ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Championship in 2012. When Duke and Rhonda Thorson, team owners, asked if I would help drive for them in a fourth truck in Homestead, I said absolutely! So it's a great way to race with my new teammates and get to know them - Johnny and I have known each other through the late model world for years; and Matt and Dakoda and I have raced ARCA together for some time. It's a great fit overall, but my heart is in the ARCA Racing Series for 2012. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THORSPORT RACING SO FAR? It's awesome to be in an organization that really takes running for championships so seriously. Just being up at the shop in Sandusky the last two weeks, I'm really blown away. The shop boys are there until all hours of the night preparing these trucks; and the facility is just unreal - 100,000 square feet of space ready for a fleet. Duke and Rhonda have achieved excellence over the last 16 years slowly and steadily - and it's really paying off. I couldn't be more excited to add a new "arm" to the program and show some muscle on track. ARE YOU READY FOR HOMESTEAD THIS WEEKEND? I was actually on the original configuration and did a truck race in '96. They then went back and did the intermediate configuration. It's just the prettiest racetrack, now that it's not a rectangle, and it's a lot of fun. I'm not a stranger to trucks, even though they have more downforce and better turn speed than Sprint Cup cars - those things are serious weapons on track. It takes a little more getting used to, going through corners with such throttle. I'm excited though - that's my kind of racing. I think Johnny calls it "beatin' and bangin' racing" - bring it on! ANYTHING YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT NOW? The only thing I'm concerned about is that it's the last race of the year in the NCWTS, and we've got a lot of guys gunning for serious position in the points. I don't want to be the guy that makes the difference in where someone finishes for the year. So I'll be pretty respectful on track and know who I'm running around, for sure. I know and have raced around 99% of these guys anyway. This weekend is a great opportunity to have the first start ever for Ansell in the NCWTS, and a great way to kick off the relationship with ThorSport Racing for 2012. Hey, you never know - we might just sneak into Victory Lane! |
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