Matt Crafton's led the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' championship standings a few times in his career, but heading into Friday evening's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with his No. 88 Fisher Nuts / Menards Toyota atop the points could come at no better time for Crafton.

First, he and wife Ashley celebrated the birth of their first child, daughter Elladee, just 18 days ago, on April 26.

"I need to get back to racing, so I can get some rest," Crafton said, chuckling. "I'm always excited to go to the racetrack -- but usually you go to the racetrack and you don't get much sleep because you're worried about everything, the night before the race -- you think about everything. This week, I'm excited to get to the racetrack so I can get some sleep."

Crafton smiled again when he noted how cool it'll be this weekend -- the first race after nearly a four-week break -- when he goes home each night to his wife and newborn child.

But if you're the competition, there's nothing humorous about what Crafton and Joiner are in the midst of doing to the Camping World Truck Series, in company with Crafton's fifth-year ThorSport Racing teammate, Johnny Sauter and their four-race-old partner, two-time Truck Series champion Todd Bodine.

Crafton won his first career Truck race at Charlotte in 2008, about a year before he took the series' lead for the first time in his career. The year before, in 2007, Crafton began a consistent streak of running at a very competitive level in the trucks.

In 151 races since the start of the 2007 season, Crafton's been in the top 10 in the championship standings after 144 of them. He's currently riding a string of 21 consecutive races in the top 10 in the standings and Charlotte, considering it's a high-speed 1.5-mile oval similar to Kansas -- the series' most recent race where he won on April 20 -- has Crafton quivering with anticipation.

"I'm super-excited about this Charlotte race -- even more than I usually am," Crafton said. "With all the momentum that the team's carrying into this race... I know the guys are still on Cloud 9 from the Kansas win and I'm up there with them, from the win and having our child. So I'm super-stoked about it."

The racetracks' similar nature is certainly part of that and is partly responsible for Crafton having seven consecutive top-10 finishes at Charlotte.

"Charlotte's definitely not as new as Kansas," Crafton said of the latter, which was repaved and reconfigured last season while Charlotte was last repaved in 2006 but is still in good shape. "The two tracks will race very similarly, without a doubt. We're taking the same truck to Charlotte and we're starting out the exact same way we rolled off the track at Kansas (and into Victory Lane)."

The fact that Sauter's been a capable wing-man doesn't hurt either Crafton or Bodine's winning potential. Sauter won the 2013 season's first two races in his No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota and had a healthy lead in the championship -- with ThorSport holding the top two spots for the first time in 45 races, or since Crafton and Sauter were one-two following the May Dover race in 2011, the first time ThorSport had achieved that plateau.

A penalty for a technical violation in opening inspection at Kansas resulted in a 25-point penalty to Sauter, which leaves him tied for second in the championship with rookie Jeb Burton, 13 points behind Crafton. But with 18 races remaining this season, Crafton isn't losing sight of the prize.

"What our team has done so well at, consistently, is all this mile-and-a-half stuff," Crafton said. "It's been a leaps-and-bounds improvement from where we were at the start of 2012, when we had just switched manufacturers (from Chevrolet to Toyota).

"That's the coolest thing to me, is how well we've ran with our Toyotas on all the mile-and-a-half stuff. When we switched, our short-track program didn't struggle near as much as our mile-and-a-half program did, and all that comes down to is all the guys at ThorSport working super, super-hard to make these Tundra trucks so good on these mile-and-a-half tracks."

NASCAR has scheduled a 4.5-hour practice session Thursday split from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET and 2-4:30 p.m. That roughly matches Friday's only official practice, from 10:30-11:50 a.m.; and it also dovetails with Friday's 4 p.m. qualifying session.

But since the race will be held at nightfall Friday, Crafton can't get too excited about all the scheduled practice. He actually said Friday morning's session would offer the closest comparison of track conditions.

"I'm excited whenever we get to test," Crafton said. "But to be totally honest, it's going to be good to a point but a waste of time at the same time because we don't race during the middle of the day at Charlotte. We'll try to do most of our race practice on Friday morning because that's when the temperatures will be coolest.

"Realistically our test needed to start off at 4 or 5 o'clock, and then go into the evening, because there isn't a racetrack that changes more, from day to night, than Charlotte does. So we just need to look at our notes really good and see what we did during the day and see if we can correlate that into going into the evening."

The season's fifth race, 134 laps and 201 miles, is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, with live television on SPEED Channel, beginning with "The Set-Up" pre-race show at 7:30. MRN Radio has live radio coverage, also beginning at 7:30.

Matt Crafton was badly off-the-pace in Happy Hour practice Friday at Kansas Speedway, but his confidence in crew chief Carl "Junior" Joiner and his ThorSport Racing crew was so great, Crafton said he was sure his team could dream up a set-up that would give them a chance at success with their No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Toyota in Saturday's SFP 250.

About 20 hours later, Crafton and Joiner's dream came true in Gatorade Victory Lane, as Crafton celebrated his third career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory -- and the 12th career victory for ThorSport in its 18th year in the series.

"For sure, this is the fulfillment of a dream," Crafton said. "If you would have asked me about this (Friday) I would've said I'd be happy with a top-10, as bad as that truck was -- but it just shows what this whole organization is made of, with that they did from (Friday) to (Saturday).

"I can't thank Menards enough, Toyota -- and (owners) Duke and Rhonda Thorson. Doing it out of Sandusky, Ohio -- everybody said (running a race team away from the Charlotte, N.C., area) can't be done -- and we're making fools out of all the ones that said it can't be done."

With the victory, ThorSport kept alive its streak of being the top-finishing Toyota in all four races this season.

"It's huge," Crafton said amidst a confetti-strewn scene littered with spent Gatorade bottles. "Yesterday we were 18th on-average in the second practice and we were a 20th-place truck at best, to be honest."

That was when Crafton made his dream-world comment -- and in the 17-odd hours that followed, Joiner and his boys made the dream come true.

"They changed so much on this truck -- you always hear people say it, but they changed four springs, sway bar, sway bar arms -- I mean tons of stuff," Crafton said. "There's a bunch more stuff that they changed that would probably lose everybody, but they made a wholesale change and what that comes down to is teamwork and believing in each other and then going out there and doing it."

Crafton, who made his 298th consecutive Truck Series start -- extending the record he established a week before at Rockingham -- never led the race under green until he took the lead for the final time, at lap 138 of 167, with a spectacular third-to-first move on the backstretch.

Before that, he didn't seem to have a particularly competitive truck until Joiner worked his final bit of adjustable magic. Because once he got out front, Crafton seemed easily able to handle the Kyle Busch Motorsports duo of Joey Coulter and Darrell Wallace Jr., whom he passed in one stunning stroke, for the win.

"The show was so awesome -- it was a great race," Crafton said of the last dozen laps, when Coulter stalked Crafton, but could never get to his bumper. "My spotter told me where Joey was, and he had a very, very fast truck. I think track position was everything and it was whoever got out front."

At several points Crafton narrowly dodged becoming collateral damage in one of the 11 caution periods that occurred in the race. But that definitely didn't mean the outcome was gained easily, as Coulter stalked Crafton, waiting for a mistake that never came.

"I was driving 120 percent in those closing laps," Crafton said. "I knew (Coulter) was there and he had a very, very fast truck. It's awesome to race with Joey and I know that he wasn't going to be one of these drivers that was going to go in there and do anything stupid and run into the back of me or try to do a dive bomb and try to take me out or do anything like that.

"He's a great racecar driver as well. He could get a good run on me down the straightaway and suck me up in the draft and I just kept moving around down the straightaway just trying to break the draft so he couldn't get that run."

The win had an even bigger meaning for Joiner, who in his 26th race as a crew chief, made his biggest mark for ThorSport yet by scoring his first victory.

"It's my 26th race as a crew chief for ThorSport, I was born on June 26 and 26 was my grandfather's number, my dad's number -- it's a big deal in my family, the 26," an emotional Joiner said in Victory Lane. "So this is just really cool. I'm just so proud of the guys on this team, and I'm thankful for the opportunity Duke and Rhonda have given me."

Joiner has a West Coast company that builds racecar shock absorbers and through it has a lengthy history with Crafton -- including years spent building the shocks for Crafton's trucks before he relocated to Ohio to work with his team.

"I've known Matt for a long time, " Joiner said. "He's probably one of the best friends I've ever had and I'm proud of him, I'm proud of all these guys. From what we did (Friday), we've come so far... But we never throw in the towel, we never give up. I think I probably got less sleep (Friday) night than I did when my newborn son arrived.

"We threw everything at this thing and I'm pretty excited for this whole team. We have to thank John Menard, Paul (Menard) and all the people with Menards who are so cool to us and who have let us do this for so long. I hope we can do this for a long time and win a bunch of these things, because it feels so good."

Joiner's impact might be even more impressive via statistical analysis. Crafton's win broke a 39-race winless streak, but in the 40 races since he last won, at Iowa in July 2011, Crafton has 12 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes. That's championship-level consistency.

With the win, which made Crafton the 13th different winner in as many Truck Series races at Kansas, ThorSport's veteran leapfrogged rookie Jeb Burton and moved into second in the championship standings, 12 points behind ThorSport teammate Johnny Sauter, who finished fifth Saturday.

The series is off until round five, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 17 as part of the Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Crafton won at Charlotte in 2008 for his first series victory.

Matt Crafton's enthused about taking his No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Toyota to Kansas Speedway this weekend -- and he says Saturday's SFP 250 "will still be exciting" despite the 1.5-mile racetrack's repave and reconfiguration last season.

Crafton, who with 12 has the most career starts in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history at Kansas, loved the multi-groove racetrack Kansas had developed into over time. So with he and crew chief Carl "Junior" Joiner firmly locked in third in the Truck Series' standings after three top-10 finishes to start the season, Crafton's got his eyes wide open looking ahead to Saturday's SFP 250.

"From what I've seen in the past and what I've seen in the first Cup and Nationwide races (last fall at Kansas), it does not offer the side-by-side racing that it did before," Crafton said. "I haven't been a fan of any of the repaves that I've seen before because you don't see side-by-side racing. My preference is to have the older and more worn-out pavement because it gives you more choices to be able to run from the top to the bottom of the track.

"But you never know. I'm going there with open arms... Hopefully it'll surprise me, and we can get a second and third groove there, like had developed (before a deteriorating surface necessitated the repave). From what I saw with the progressive banking in the Cup and Nationwide races it hadn't really made much of a difference -- everybody was right around the bottom -- but I can tell you it will still be exciting."

Crafton, whose 1,905 laps completed at Kansas is a series-high, agreed the fact that Kansas' surface has sat through one harsh Midwest winter, as well as serving as the site of one multi-division race weekend last fall, might ease the "newness" out of the pavement. Kansas added "progressive banking," but that still doesn't change the fact that last fall, Kasey Kahne improved the Sprint Cup Series' track qualifying record by 11 mph.

Grippy asphalt leads to high speeds and the higher the speeds, the more difficult it is for the trucks' drivers to manipulate the air well enough to make overtaking moves.

"I don't think you're gonna see a whole lot of passing -- certainly not like last weekend at Rockingham, where you had a lot of different grooves to work with and people moving around to find them," Crafton said. "Now, I could be wrong, without a doubt, but I haven't seen (a variety of lanes and passing options) in the past on newly-paved racetracks. It's usually a case where everybody gets wadded-up on the bottom and you've got what you got from there."

Even though the trucks are expected to be able to run wide-open around Kansas Speedway, at least at the beginning of a tire run, the racing will be nothing like the drafting seen at Daytona and Talladega, Crafton said, noting "you've just got to get your truck handling and you'll be in there -- but it's definitely different than those bigger, more wide-open racetracks."

With speed being of the essence, and running wide-open the way to get there, a freer truck is better, said Crafton, whose best Kansas finish is fifth, in 2004.

"As fast as we're going at Kansas, you've just got to be able to stick it on the bottom and stay there," Crafton said. "At Rockingham you were able to move around and find a spot that worked for your truck but at Kansas you're going to be stuck with what you've got because there's not going to be a lot of grooves to move around to.

"As a driver, you want a track where there's gonna be a ton of tire fall-off -- where the driver is more a part of the equation, like we saw at Rockingham. From what I'm hearing about Kansas, people (last fall) were running their fastest laps at the end of a (tire) run, so it's definitely different."

Crafton sits third in the championship standings, 20 points behind his ThorSport teammate and series leader Johnny Sauter and four behind rookie Jeb Burton.

On Sunday Crafton will also make his 298th consecutive Truck Series start, the current series record after he broke out of a tie last weekend at Rockingham, at 296 with former ThorSport driver Terry Cook, who made his first 93 career starts for Crafton's current team.

The season's fourth race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. ET Saturday. Live television begins at 1:30 p.m. with "The Set-up" pre-race show on SPEED Channel, followed by the race broadcast. MRN Radio has live coverage, also beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Matt Crafton raved about Rockingham Speedway's tire-grinding track surface as the weekend opened, but after Sunday's Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine, he realized that attempting to keep up with the track's varying condition had been his undoing.

Even though Crafton's No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Toyota raced in the top 10 all day after starting a ThorSport Racing-best fifth, Crafton lost a spot on the final green-white-checkered restart and he ultimately finish sixth.

That finish, his third consecutive top-10 in three races this season, enabled him to remain in third in the championship standings, 20 points behind his ThorSport teammate and series leader Johnny Sauter and four behind rookie Jeb Burton -- who won his second consecutive series pole on Saturday at The Rock.

When he took the green flag, Crafton established a new NASCAR Camping World Truck Series mark for consecutive starts, with 297. It broke a mark he held with former ThorSport driver Terry Cook, who made his first 93 career starts for ThorSport and ultimately reached 296, which Crafton tied two weekends ago at Martinsville.

"We just missed it (on the set-up)," Crafton said at Rockingham. "We could make something happen for a few laps, but we were just trying something a little bit different this weekend and it bit us, to be totally honest.

"It just wasn't consistent -- it was a learning curve and we said at the beginning of the day that if we could get out of here with a top-five finish and if we stumble on it, it's a win for us (so) all in all, I'm proud of these guys."

While Sauter suffered on pit road, losing spots every time he hit the service alley, Crafton had more success there, including a critical stop at the race's midway point where Crafton leapfrogged Sauter by five spots and restarted fifth, where he remained for the entire second half of the race until the last lap.

"We made a lot of changes and a lot of adjustments on every pit stop," Crafton said. "Our pit stops were absolutely phenomenal all day -- besides the first one when I drove through the pit stall.

"I was making fun of the Cup guys last night that were all driving through their stalls (in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas) and what do I do? I do the same thing (so) I guess that's karma."

The season's fourth race, on the 1.5-mile high-banked oval at Kansas Speedway, will be held on Saturday, April 20.

For a race-winning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and a former NASCAR touring division champion, Matt Crafton is about as low-key as you can get -- when he's outside the race vehicle..

But when he takes the green flag at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway for Sunday's NCWTS Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine, Crafton will take sole possession of the Truck Series' all-time record for consecutive starts, with 297.

And you can believe that has him more excited as the clock ticks toward the moment he'll fire-up his No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Toyota.

"It's awesome and I'm definitely pumped-up to do it," said Crafton, who back during Speedweeks at Daytona said he'd only thought about the record 'a couple times.' "But believe me, it's something that's very cool, to be able to say that I'm in there, among that group of record holders in the Camping World Truck Series."

The ironic thing is that Crafton actually replaced the man he's surpassing this weekend for the Truck Series' consecutive starts streak, Terry Cook. Cook made 93 consecutive starts as ThorSport Racing's inaugural driver before Crafton jumped into the No. 88 for the final race of the 2000 season. Crafton's gone on to make 296 consecutive starts, all of them for ThorSport with the exception of the 25-race 2004 season, when Crafton raced at KHI.

"The coolest thing, obviously is to thank (owners) Duke and Rhonda Thorson for always believing in me," Crafton said, "They've stuck with me and have been so loyal to me, giving me the opportunity to be there for all those races, and to have the equipment and the team behind me to have the shot to own this record, outright.

"And in this business, that means way more to me, at the end of the day. And don't forget that this season is Menards' 11th season with me, and I can't even begin to tell you how proud I've been to represent them, and how enjoyable that's been."

And that brings Crafton to this week, when his team led by crew chief Carl "Junior" Joiner hits Rockingham a solid third in the championship standings, coming off ThorSport's third one-two finish of its career, last weekend at Martinsville.

Johnny Sauter and Crafton have finished in that order in each of those one-twos, and despite the opportunity Sauter has to create a piece of outright NASCAR history if he's able to win his third consecutive Truck Series race to start this season, Crafton's only focused on breaking his own 38-race winless streak.

"Rockingham is an awesome place, it's gonna be a darned good race and I'm looking forward to going there," Crafton said. "We had a very, very good truck there, last year and if we can just keep all this momentum going, we're going to be fine.

"I know I had a blast there last year and it's one I've had circled on my calendar and I'm pumped to get there."

A year ago, Crafton started eighth and led 40 of the 200 laps before finishing third, behind visiting Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne and defending Truck Series champion James Buescher. At The Rock a year ago, Sauter finished right behind Crafton, who feels like the Martinsville race, in which tire management became a key, could've been decent preparation for Rockingham's abrasive surface.

"I feel like Martinsville was a great test session for Rockingham -- exactly," Crafton said. "I feel like Rockingham will be very similar to Martinsville. You'll be able to go hard at the beginning of a run, but then you'll pay for it at the end of the run... Or you can go easy, take care of your stuff and be there at the end of a run."

That's the exact strategy Crafton and Joiner used last weekend to finish second to Sauter. Their third teammate, Todd Bodine in the No. 13 SealMaster Toyota, almost made it a historic ThorSport one-two-three before Kevin Harvick spun him out of a sure top-10 run late in the race.

The season's third race, on the one-mile high-banked oval in the North Carolina sand hills, gets the green flag at 2 p.m. ET Sunday. Live television begins at 1:30 p.m. with "The Set-up" pre-race show on SPEED Channel, followed by the race broadcast. MRN Radio has live coverage, also beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Matt Crafton ran out of laps at the end of Saturday's Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, but in the end Crafton's second-place finish in the second race of the season was notable on several counts.

When Crafton took the green flag in his No. 88 Rip It Energy Fuel / Menards Toyota, it was his 296th consecutive Truck Series start, which tied the series' all-time record -- a mark Crafton now holds in conjunction with former ThorSport driver Terry Cook. Ironically, Crafton replaced Cook in the seat of the No. 88 for the final race of the 2000 season, the beginning of Crafton's impressive streak.

Crafton and crew chief Carl "Junior" Joiner struggled with the handling of their Tundra in the beginning of the race, struggling to stay in the top 20 and on the lead lap. But in the end Crafton charged past rookie pole-sitter Jeb Burton and highly-regarded Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Darrell Wallace Jr. to finish 1.8 seconds behind ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota.

Their teammate, Todd Bodine, was in the top-three late in the race and finished 11th in his No. 13 SealMaster Toyota only after being spun out by Kevin Harvick to bring out the final caution of the race, that enabled Sauter to pass Burton for the win.

But Crafton's finish gave ThorSport its third one-two finish in its history -- all of them achieved with Sauter in Victory Lane (at Las Vegas in 2009 and at Texas last June) and with Crafton right behind. The finish was Crafton's second runner-up effort at the .526-mile speedway but since it moved him up to third in the championship standings, he was OK with it.

"We had a terrible truck on the very first run -- we almost went a lap down," Crafton said. "That just says what a never-say-die attitude that this Menards ThorSport team has. We saved our set of (new) tires there to the end and it was go time.

"It was great for Johnny and them to be over in Victory Lane, but man, I thought we were going to have something for him. I was just a little bit too free on that last run to try to run him down. It was one heck of a show, hopefully."

Crafton was a big part of that -- both in his charge through the field at the end but also through creating the finishing scenario. While racing in heavy traffic on lap 207, Crafton's faster truck got into the back of John Wes Townley's truck in Turn 4, causing the young Georgian to get loose in front of Crafton.

Crafton tried to back off to let Townley gather up his out-of-control truck but Chase Elliott, the son of former Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, who was making his Truck Series debut, drilled into Crafton's back bumper and pushed him into Townley again, wrecking Townley and bringing out a caution with 42 laps remaining.

"I got into (Townley) in the middle of the corner and I tried to back off of him," Crafton said. "The 94 (Elliott) piled into the back of me and I was literally on my brakes, off the gas and I'm like, 'I'm along for the ride now, dude.'

"Like I said, I definitely did not mean to wreck (Townley). Hopefully he'll watch a replay and see the other side of it."

For Crafton, the other side was he was able top get his last set of new tires, but the amount of laps it took to clean up the aftermath of Townley's crash deprived Crafton of the laps he needed to catch Sauter at the very end -- as Crafton's truck, after a series of adjustments by Joiner and his crew, was its best when it counted, in the last 25 laps.

It left Crafton looking ahead to two races over the next two weekends, at Rockingham, N.C., and Kansas Speedway.

"Yeah, it was a very good day for ThorSport Racing," Crafton said. "It just shows what this team -- the ThorSport Racing organization -- what we're going to have in 2013. We're going to be a championship contending team -- both of us, Johnny and I.

"This Menards truck was terrible in the first run, but it just shows how good these guys are working on this truck and it was there at the end."

Crafton is now poised to take sole possession of the Truck Series' consecutive starts mark, when he takes the green flag next Sunday at Rockingham Speedway in the second annual North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine.

Matt Crafton's raced long enough to know no racetrack could ever owe anything to a driver or a race team. But he's also human enough to know when payback might be called for.

And that's a perfect scene-setter for Saturday's Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in southern Virginia.

Because at the series' last stop at NASCAR's shortest track on its national tours -- in last October's Kroger 200 -- Crafton's No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota was poised to win, until Sprint Cup Series star Denny Hamlin used a classic short-track move to bump Crafton out of the lead and into a fourth-place finish.

"We got one (win) taken away from us last fall so we definitely look forward to going back there and getting a little redemption," said Crafton, who this week is flying the Rip It Energy Fuel / Menards colors. "Whoever is in front of me better hang on 'cause we're going to give them a ride if we're running second. We're tired of finishing second -- of being the bridesmaid."

Hamlin's not entered this weekend but 39 other competitors are, including Crafton's ThorSport teammates Johnny Sauter (No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota) and Todd Bodine (No. 13 SealMaster Toyota). But there are plenty of other aggressive contenders with a variety of experience -- from another Cup star and former Martinsville winner Kevin Harvick to Chase Elliott, who's making his Truck Series debut -- but that doesn't daunt Crafton and his crew chief, Carl Joiner Jr., a bit.

We all grew up racing the short tracks," Crafton said. "So for me it's a blast and I love going to the short tracks. I look forward to going back to Martinsville each year, especially with how well we always run there."

That's a credit to Joiner, truck chief Bud Haefele and their crew. It's even more important to Crafton this weekend because he'll tie inaugural ThorSport driver Terry Cook for the all-time Truck Series mark for consecutive starts, 296, when he takes the green flag.

"We're going to Martinsville trying to show up and land in Victory Lane -- that's what we do every week," Joiner said of rule adjustments NASCAR made for 2013 that limit teams' ability to adjust rear suspension settings. "There's a lot of variables going into Martinsville, with the new rules package but we tested last week to try to get back to where we were last year and I think we made some decent gains."

With another full season together under their belts Joiner has added confidence, coupled with the affinity Crafton already has for his crew. And even though this Martinsville race has 50 more laps than the fall 200-lapper, both men are craving the strategic challenge.

"I think if we have good pit stops and we just keep the fenders on the thing and we just race smarter for the first half of the race, we'll be OK," Joiner said. "This is the long one, this one is an extra 50 laps compared to the fall. I'm hoping it'll fall right into our hands.

"The guys have been working hard all winter, I think we've got a lot of good people, a lot of good ideas and we're in a lot better shape than at this point last year."

Crafton gets that point, and it's got him eighth in the Truck Series' standings going into the season's second race.

"Definitely, having a good start to the season is good for the points, more than anything because Daytona is a completely different animal from anywhere else we go -- other than Talladega," Crafton said. "So we'll take that little bit of momentum from Daytona and the positive attitude we have at the ThorSport organization and go to Martinsville to contend to win again, going from one of the biggest racetracks to the smallest track we go to. It's gonna be exciting."

Joiner expects that excitement to ramp up considerably in the stretch at Martinsville -- particularly in the last 50 laps when, he said, only one thing matters.

"Track Position," Joiner said bluntly. "You can't go wrong with track position, so you just gotta get off pit road -- the last pit stop has to be the money stop and you have to give him the right adjustments.

"He's gotta be communicating with me throughout the last three-quarters of that race so that the last stop, we don't miss -- you gotta hit it right on. That's what happened last year, though obviously Denny Hamlin had the best truck and he ended up at Victory Lane and we weren't.

"But if we just communicate like I know him and I can do, we can put that thing in Victory Lane, there's not a doubt in my mind. That's why we show up every week."

That result, and a continuation of the season's momentum, would suit Crafton just fine, particularly given the unique trophy that Martinsville president Clay Campbell presents to the track's winners in its frontstretch Victory Lane.

"It would be awesome to win and get that (Grandfather) clock," Crafton said. "It would be so damn cool to bring that Grandfather clock home for a trophy and with all the history of Martinsville -- it would be awesome to win there."

The Kroger 250 is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday. Live television coverage is on SPEED Channel, beginning with the "Set-up" pre-race show at 1 p.m. and MRN Radio has the live radio broadcast.

Matt Crafton only has to look back 12 months to know his ninth-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway was a good deal.

Crafton's No. 88 Slim Jim / Menards Toyota was a little bent-up, but it easily rolled into its ThorSport Racing transporter. Crafton had plenty of time to stroll over to Daytona's Victory Lane to congratulate full-time teammate Johnny Sauter on his seventh career victory, in conjunction with their Daytona teammate Todd Bodine, who finished 11th.

But all things considered, a day later Crafton could only heave a small sigh when he thought of Friday night's true possibilities in a finish that was interrupted a half-lap short of full distance when a four-truck crash going into Turn 1 on the last lap caused a caution flag to freeze the running order.

"I made a good recovery," Crafton said. "I was 26th on that restart with five laps to go and came back to ninth, so that was not bad. But I wish we could've run that last lap because me and Todd had one heckuva run going."

Compared to 2012, when Crafton was running in the top 10 coming to the first of four white flags with his teammate Sauter leading, before a 10-truck accident took them both out, 2013 was pure bliss. But it was still a case of what might have been.

"Todd got shuffled back on that last restart, which sucked for him," Crafton said with a smile. "But it was a blessing in disguise for me because when he got shuffled he came right back to me and it actually worked perfect. Now, I had a teammate back there with me. He fell right in behind me, latched to my bumper and away we went."

A lot of trucks chose to run the bottom lane around Daytona, but with a drafting partner the high line offered a lot of momentum. Crafton and Bodine used it to perfect effect and came a half-lap from possibly drafting right past second-place finisher Kyle Busch and Sauter's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota.

"I knew coming into this race -- even before Speedweeks started -- that the whole team was going to be a force to be reckoned with, without a doubt because our trucks and our people are just too good not to be," Crafton said. "Dotting the i's and crossing the t's Friday night proved it.

"All of us were up there all night -- me, Johnny and Todd. Hopefully they can work out the sponsorship with Todd because he was a damn good teammate to have (Friday) night. He was definitely a big help to me, to finish where I did because without Todd there was no way I was gonna get back to where I did, for sure."

Before that, Crafton and Sauter both dodged a pretty serious bullet during the race's first caution flag, on lap 54 when a 13-truck melee broke out right in front of them going into Turn 3. The fracas only minimally involved the two ThorSport teammates, who were running 19th and 18th, respectively while Bodine's No. 13 Mattei Air Compressors Toyota was up in eighth.

"Me and Johnny just barely got through that one," Crafton said. "I got hit a ton from behind and it bent the rear clip on my truck. I ran into Johnny a little bit but all-in-all it was not too terrible. It didn't affect my truck's performance hardly at all."

The series is off until its second race, at Martinsville Speedway on April 6. With Sauter leading the championship, Crafton is eighth in the standings, 12 points behind his teammate because Kyle Busch is not registered to receive NCWTS points.

ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton doesn't have much recent history to rave about when it comes to Daytona International Speedway and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but there's no question the ability of his No. 88 Slim Jim / Menards Toyota crew has the California veteran eagerly looking ahead.

"I absolutely feel like this (2013) is the best chance I've had at winning a championship in the Truck Series," Crafton said. "Working with Carl (Joiner Jr., crew chief) for a second year, the whole 88 group is as strong as it's ever been so this is the most optimistic I've ever been going into a season, without a doubt.

"We ended 2012 and had such fast trucks each and every week, and that's what makes me feel so good going into 2013. Besides, this being our second season running Toyotas is another real plus for our organization."

Crafton's stability and competitiveness is pointed-out by the fact that Daytona will be his 295th consecutive Truck Series start, a string that stretches back to his series debut for ThorSport in the 2000 season finale at his home state's Auto Club Speedway. At Martinsville Speedway in April Crafton's set to tie the series record of 296 consecutive starts that was set by former ThorSport driver Terry Cook.

In addition, Crafton's finished the last six seasons in the top-10 in the standings, including a best of second in 2009. And he's achieved the top-10 in eight of his last nine campaigns as he goes into his 13th consecutive full-time season -- all but one of them, the 2004 season when he raced for fellow Californian and former kart-racing foe Kevin Harvick -- with ThorSport.

But Daytona's the first hurdle. "The World Center of Racing" has allowed Crafton to earn a couple treasures, like his fifth-place finish in 2010 and a second-place start in 2009. But the frustrations are more numerous, like last year, when Crafton was wiped-out of a probable top-10 finish by a wreck coming to one of four white flag attempts in a race that had nine laps of overtime and four cautions in the last 10 laps.

"Daytona has always been a cool place to come to get the season started off," Crafton said. "But when I think of racing at Daytona, you realize it's a complete crap shoot... But that's exciting for the fans and who cares what we think, right (laughing)?

"We've had good runs here in the past. Even though the finishes might not reflect how well we've competed, you just go into it knowing that it's a crap shoot and you accept that. I just look at all the drivers that have won this race -- and I can say it's 100 percent a crap shoot. But you've got to be there at the end."

Crafton hopes his two veteran teammates, Johnny Sauter in the No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota and Todd Bodine in the No. 13 Mattei Air Compressors Toyota, can enable all three of them to challenge for ThorSport's first Daytona victory.

"It's great to have two good teammates like Johnny and Todd to go into this weekend and to be able to work together -- not only on the racetrack when we can, but also on strategy and setups," Crafton said. "It's definitely gonna be big because me and Johnny have been able to work together a little bit in the past but we've never had another veteran in another truck so I'm really looking forward to that."

Bodine has victories in the 2008 and 2009 Daytona truck races and his average start and finish are both in single digits. For his part, Sauter was leading the race when he was spun out from behind to start the wreck that also eliminated Crafton.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start on Friday. Live television coverage is on SPEED Channel and MRN Radio has the live radio broadcast

It was the last race of the 2012 NCWTS Season for the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra at Homestead-Miami Speedway last Friday. Crafton started the race in the 12th position and had a solid race truck. The No. 88 was able to race within the top 5 for the majority of the race with a best position of 2nd. Crafton was unfortunately caught up in a late race incident with only a few laps to go, resulting in a 12th place finish.

Crafton finished 6th in the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Points Standings.

“It has been a hard year for us all at ThorSport Racing,” said Crafton. “We have had some really fast Toyotas and some great engines from Triad. We don’t really have anything to show for all of the hard work that everyone has given this season. I am looking forward to 2013 and what that season will have in store for us. Now, it is time to regroup and enjoy the holidays. I want to thank everyone who has helped us this year, especially Duke and Rhonda Thorson, Menards and all of the associate sponsors. Thank you to Toyota and Triad Racing Engines, and everyone else involved in getting the #88 truck out on the track at each race. The guys on the crew have worked tirelessly throughout the season and I want to thank them all for their hard work and look forward to working with them in 2013.”

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra head out for the last race of the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Season on Friday. This will be Crafton’s 12th NCWTS start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with two top-fives and five top-tens under his belt. Crafton’s best finish was 2nd place in 2009.

“It’s the last race of the season here at Homestead and we are looking to finish this season on a positive note,” said Crafton. “It has been a season of extremes with our team. We have had some great finishes and some terrible ones too. Homestead has been good to us over the past several years and we are typically strong at the mile-and-a-half tracks.”

Crafton currently stands in the sixth spot in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, thirteen points out of fifth.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Fisher Nuts/Menards Toyota Tundra started the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway in the 5th position. Crafton had a good truck and worked his way up to the 3rd spot and maintained within the top ten until the 4th caution of the night. On lap 55, Crafton tangled with the No. 7 truck and ended up going to the garage to repair the damage. Crafton got back out to finish the race in 20th.

Crafton is currently 6th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Points Standings with one race to go in the 2012 season.

“Well, its not the night that we had hoped for here at Phoenix”, said Crafton. “We led the first practice and we qualified in the fifth spot. We had a strong truck and were in the front of the field when we were involved in a wreck. Our focus is now on going to Miami and finishing the season on a positive note.”

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, November 16th for the Ford EcoBoost 200 airing on SPEED at 7:30PM EST.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Fisher Nuts/Menards Toyota Tundra head to Phoenix International Raceway for the Lucas Oil 150 on Friday, November 9th. This race will be Crafton’s 12th start at the venue for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Crafton has accumulated 3 top-fives and 8 top-tens in the past 11 starts.

“Phoenix is a special race track for me,” said Crafton. “I have been coming here with my family since I was young. I have had some great finishes here, I won a race in the old Southwest Tour and have several top-five finishes in the truck series. I look forward to racing on the new surface and see what in store for us.”

Crafton currently stands in the sixth spot in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, four points out of fifth.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Tough Built/Menards Toyota Tundra started the WinStar World Casino 350K at Texas Motor Speedway in the 11th position. Crafton worked his way through the field to eventually lead on lap 117, not leaving the top ten for the remainder of the race. Matt ultimately finished the race in 6th.

This is Matt’s 13th top-10 finish in 24 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Crafton is currently 6th in the NCWTS Driver Points Standings.

“It was a solid race for the Tough Built/ Menards Toyota Tundra and ThorSport Racing”, said Crafton. “The guys had some great pit stops and we were able to lead on lap 117. I would have liked to have finished in the top-five; I believe we had the truck to do it. Now we head to Phoenix, another good track for us in the past few years.”

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, November 9th for the Lucas Oil 150 airing on SPEED at 7:30PM EST.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Tough Built/Menards Toyota Tundra head to Toyota Motor Speedway for the WinStar World Casino 350K on Friday, November 2nd. Crafton has been racing trucks at this speedway since 2001 with his best finish of 2nd in 2012. Crafton also earned the pole in 2009 and 2010. Saturdays race marks Crafton’s 24th start at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I am excited to get back to Texas,” said Crafton. “We were able to finish second to our teammate Sauter in the June race and we are ready to get our win. We have had some good runs here in the past few years including a few poles. The No. 88 team has been working hard and is focused, I can’t thank these guys enough for all of their hard work.”

Crafton currently stands in the sixth spot in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, six points out of fifth.

Matt Crafton posted his third career top-five finish at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday in the No. 88 Zecol/Menards Toyota Tundra. Crafton started the Kroger 200 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race in the seventh spot and steadily worked his way to the front of the field, eventually leading the race for 33 laps. On Lap 194, Crafton was leading the restart and was moved up the track and out of the groove by the No. 51 truck and passed for the lead. Crafton was able to recover and finish the race in the fourth spot. Matt continues to hold the 6th spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver point standings.

“That wasn’t the way we wanted to finish here at Martinsville”, said Crafton. “We had the lead on that last restart and I was moved out of the groove by the No. 51 truck. I didn’t have my tires cleaned enough, but pushing me up the track wasn’t the best approach. He should have raced for the lead, instead he just ran into the back of me and pushed me out of the way.”

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, November 2nd for the WinStar World Casino 350K airing on SPEED at 7:30PM EST.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Zecol/Menards Toyota Tundra head to Martinsville Speedway for the Kroger 200 on Saturday, October 27th. Crafton has been racing trucks at this speedway since 2001 with his best finish of 2nd in 2008. Crafton also earned the pole in the 2011 fall race. Saturdays race marks Crafton's 22nd start at Martinsville Speedway

"Martinsville is a race where track position means everything," said Crafton. "It is important to qualify in the front, and it is key to maintain that position. Everyone likes to run on the bottom, everyone wants to be there and that makes it difficult to make moves and pass."

Crafton currently stands in the sixth spot in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, six points out of fifth.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Goof Off/Menards Toyota Tundra started the fred’s 250 on Saturday in the 25th spot. Crafton battled the entire race and was able to improve his position towards the end. Unfortunately, Matt was caught up in a crash on the backstretch on the last lap of the race and finished in the 18th spot. Crafton continues to hold the 6th spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver point standings.

“Talladega was a tough race for us”, said Crafton. “We didn’t qualify where we wanted, but when we got into the draft we were able to make some improvements to our position throughout the race. Unfortunately, we got caught up in the last lap wreck and were able to finish in the 18th spot.”

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 27th for the Kroger 200 airing on SPEED at 1:30PM EST.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Goof Off/Menards Toyota Tundra head to Talladega Superspeedway for the Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola on Saturday, October 6th. Crafton has been racing trucks at this speedway since 2006 with his best finish of 4th in 2010.

“I really enjoy the actual racing at Talladega and being at that track, but there’s also a part of you that is always a little anxious going there because so much of what happens there is outside of your control,” said Crafton. “It’s all about finding the right people to work with, developing a plan and making sure you’re still on the track for the checkered flag.”

After his second place finish last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Crafton now stands in the sixth spot in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, three points out of fourth.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Rip It/Menards Toyota Tundra started the Smith’s 350 on Saturday in the 4th spot. Crafton was able to keep his truck within the top ten of the field for the majority of the race. Crafton took the lead on Lap 125 and then again on the restart on Lap 132. He was able to hold off the remainder of the field until the last lap when he was passed in Turn One. Crafton was not able to reclaim the lead and finished 2nd, the top finishing Toyota of the night.

“This is a tough one to take”, said Crafton. “We had a great truck, we were running in the front, and then to get passed on the last lap… it’s hard to take. I cannot thank these guys enough though; they worked really hard to get us here. The Rip It/Menards Toyota Tundra was a solid truck; we just have to get back at it because we head to Talladega next week.”

Crafton is currently 6th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Point Standings, 2 points out of 5th.

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Talladega Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 6th for the fred’s 250 powered by Coca-Cola airing on SPEED at 4:00PM EST.

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Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra started the Kentucky 201 on Friday in the 11th spot. Crafton was able to keep his truck within the top-ten for the majority of the race, finishing a solid 9th. “It was another solid effort for the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra”, said Crafton. “We were able to maintain the 6th spot in the point standings and are only 3 points out of fifth. I am looking forward to heading back to Vegas because we have had some great finishes there in the last few years. ” The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 29th for the Smith’s 350 airing on SPEED at 8:00PM EST.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra head to Kentucky Speedway for the Kentucky 201 on Friday September 21st. Crafton has been racing trucks at this speedway since 2001 earning four top-five and eight top-10 finishes. Crafton had high marks here in the spring, starting on the pole and finishing in fourth. “I am ready to get back to Kentucky this weekend,” said Crafton. “We had the pole at the spring race and finished in fourth. This is the second race in a 4-week stretch and the crew has been working hard at getting this truck ready. We have had some good race results here and know that we can continue that streak.” After his top-ten finish last weekend at Iowa Speedway, Crafton now stands in the fifth spot in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 12 points out of fourth.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Rip It/Menards Toyota Tundra finished in 9th in Saturdays American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. Crafton started the race in the 12th spot and remained in the top-ten until lap 36 when he was forced into the wall. Matt had a fast truck and was able to battle back to a top-ten finish. This race marks Crafton's 5th top-ten at Iowa Speedway. Continuing his top-ten streak in the past three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, Matt moved up into 5th Position in the drivers points standings and is currently 12 points out of the 4th spot. "It was another solid finish for us at Iowa", said Crafton. "We were able to recover from that earlier wreck and get the No. 88 Rip It/Menards Toyota Tundra into the top-ten. The best part is we are now in the 5th spot in driver point standings."

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Rip It/Menards Toyota Tundra head to Iowa Speedway on Saturday as the returning winner of the summer 2011 race. "I love coming to Iowa, it is a very cool racetrack, especially since I have won there," said Crafton. "The crew has been working hard on the race truck and practicing their pit stops. We are looking forward to getting back on track after the weekend off." Saturdays start will be the fifth for Matt Crafton in Newton, IA. Past races include one win, three top-5's and four top-10's and has led a total of 56 laps.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Roto-Rooter/Menards Toyota Tundra started in 10th place at the Jeff Foxworthy Grit Chips 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After battling some mechanical issues that led to lengthy pit stops, Crafton was able to post a 9th place finish, his seventh top-ten at this track. “I felt like we had a top-five truck” said Crafton, “however, I was dealing with a tire issue after our last pit stop and did not get the finish we were looking for here at Atlanta.” The NASCAR Camping World Truck series is off this weekend and is headed to Iowa on September 15th for the fifteenth race of the season.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Roto-Rooter/Menards Toyota Tundra team head to Atlanta Motor Speedway with feeling good as Atlanta is one of Crafton's favorite tracks of the season. The No. 88 has 3 top-five and 6 top-ten finishes at the track. Crafton currently sits in the 6th position in the driver point standings. "I say over and over again that Atlanta is by far my favorite track we go to," said Crafton. "The track is so fast, the banking is high, you can hold it wide open and the tires really wear so you slide around the track. It's got multiple grooves so you can run two and three-wide, I love the fact that you can drive anywhere from the white line up to the wall. It's a fun place to race, hands down my favorite."

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Great Lakes Wood Floors/Menards Toyota Tundra started Wednesday's UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway in 7th place. Crafton battled a loose truck for the majority of the race. Crew Chief, Carl Joiner, Jr. and the No. 88 Menards crew worked on the Toyota Tundra during the pit stops, but were unable to get the right setup to get to the front of the field. Crafton posted a 9th place finish, his fifth top-ten at this track. The next race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is on Friday, August 31st at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Crafton heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for his 10th start at this venue racing in the NASCAR truck series. He has a total of 2 top-five and 4 top-ten finishes. Matt's best finish was in 2009 with second. "Bristol is a great racetrack," said Crafton. "I've had some really good finishes there in the past, including a second-place finish in 2009, but the key to Bristol is ultimately survival. It can be one of those wild card races where your destiny isn't really in your hands. You can run great all night and someone else's mistake can put you on the trailer."

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra had finished in 16th place at Saturdays 13th Annual VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway. The weekend started out looking good with Crafton posting the best 10-lap consecutive average speed in the second practice. But when it came time to race with the entire field, teams found it difficult to pass and gain positions. Fuel mileage was key, some were able to stretch it, and everybody was on a different strategy. Crafton had to pit near the end for fuel and ended up in 16th. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has a quick turn around before heading to Bristol on Wednesday, the 22nd and Atlanta on the 31st.

Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra, heads to Michigan International Speedway Saturday August 18th. This will be Craftons 11th start at this venue, including two top-five finishes. Currently Matt is in the 5th position in the driver point standings, just 15 points shy of the 4th spot. Utilizing Chassis #36, the No.88 team expects great results this weekend as this is the truck that has earned several top-five finishes this year. Crafton, along with teammates Johnny Sauter, Dakoda Armstrong and ARCA driver Frank Kimmel attended Cedar Point's Wheels of Thunder event on Tuesday. This is the second year that ThorSport Racing has participated in this event. After a meet and greet with fans the drivers and crew rode The Top Thrill Dragster and the Millennium Force. Cedar Point is a favorite place for Crafton as he frequents the amusement park several times throughout the year.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 JELD-WEN/Menards Toyota Tundra had a solid race at Saturdays 3rd Annual Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway. This is Crafton's second top-five finish at this track. Starting in 9th position, Matt kept his truck within the top-ten during the 50-lap race, finishing in fourth. Continuing with his top-five streak in the past five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, Matt has moved up into the 5th position in the driver point standings. "It was a pretty good day for the #88 JELD-WEN/Menards Toyota Tundra," said Crafton. "We had some pretty good restarts, but were tight through the tunnel turn and turn 3, that's where I was losing all of my time. We finished in 4th and now I am in the 5th spot in the point standings." The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has a weekend off before heading into a three-week stretch of racing starting with Michigan on the 18th, Bristol on the 22nd and Atlanta on the 31st.

Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 JELD-WEN/ Menards Toyota Tundra, heads to Pocono Raceway Saturday August 4th. This will be Crafton's 3rd start at this venue, including two top-ten finishes. Currently Matt is one point out of the top-five in the driver point standings. "This will be our third race at Pocono and I am excited to get back there", said Crafton. "We ran a tire test here for Goodyear in April and were able to run on the new surface. The track was a lot smoother and it had a lot of grip. They did an awesome job with repaving. I am sure we will have a good run here." The No.88 will be utilizing chassis #36 at Pocono Raceway. This is the same chassis that won the pole at Kentucky, finished 2nd in Texas and 4th in Chicago.

Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management/ Menards Toyota Camry, heads to Lucas Oil Raceway on Friday July 27th to run his first race of the season in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. This is Crafton's fifth start in the series and his second at this track. Matt has also raced the ARCA cars at Iowa and Toledo Speedways with two top-five finishes. Crafton is no stranger to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; he has raced this track with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series eleven times with 3 top-five finishes and 8 top-tens. Matt is currently in 6th in the driver point standings in the NCWTS with 12 races remaining in the season.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Schrock Cabinetry/Menards Toyota Tundra finished in 4th in Saturdays American Ethanol 225 at Chicagoland Speedway. This is Crafton's first top-five finish at this track. Starting in 9th position, Matt kept his truck within the top ten during the race, finishing in fourth. Continuing his top-ten streak in the past five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, Matt maintained 6th Position in the drivers points standings and is currently one point out of the 5th spot. "We had a really good truck during the day and in the early evening it was good", said Crafton. "When it cooled down like this, we picked up speed, but we didn't pick up as much speed as some of the other guys out there. All in all, it was a great run for the Schrock Cabinetry/ Menards Toyota Tundra. We just needed a little bit more speed right there at the end, and track position."

Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 Schrock Cabinetry/Menards Toyota Tundra, heads to Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday July 21st. This will be Crafton's 4th start at this venue, including one pole and two top ten finishes. Currently Matt is one point out of the 5th position in the driver point standings and has his eye on obtaining that spot this weekend. "Chicagoland is a track I really enjoy, and our team has always performed really well on the 1.5-mile tracks", said Crafton. "The crew works hard at building good trucks and we're chipping away at the points. We're just one point outside of the top-five and not out of this championship yet. I believe that we can get into the top-five this weekend based on our past history at this track." The No.88 will be utilizing chassis #36 at Chicagoland Speedway. This is the same chassis that finished 2nd in Texas and 4th in Kentucky. Matt Crafton will also be racing in the TORC Series at Chicago. He will be racing a TORC PRO 2 truck sponsored by Nitro Circus on Thursday night.

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Menards/Ideal Door Toyota Tundra finished in 3rd in Saturdays 4th Annual American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. This is Crafton's 4th top ten in the same number of races at this track. Starting in 7th position, Matt never fell below 8th and maintained his spot in the top-five for the second half of the race. Continuing his top-ten streak in the past four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, Matt maintained 6th Position in the drivers points standings and is currently one point out of the 5th spot. "It wasn't the finish that we had hoped for here at Iowa," said Crafton, "but third place kept us in 6th in the drivers points standings and moved us one point away from fifth. The team worked really hard to get us back into the top ten in finishes, and I am ready for Chicagoland Speedway next weekend, where we have finished in the top ten in the last two years."

Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Menards/Ideal Door Toyota Tundra head to Iowa Speedway on Saturday as the returning winner of the summer 2011 race. After a rough start to the 2012 season, the No.88 team has been on an uphill battle to get into the top-ten in finishes and has done just that in the past three races. Continuing with this momentum, Iowa will be a promising venue for this team with the past history at the track. Saturdays start will be the fourth for Matt Crafton in Newton, IA. Past races include one win, two top-5's and 3 top-10's and has led a total of 56 laps. "After a great 4th of July week, I am ready to get on track again," said Crafton. "I have been at the shop in Sandusky working with the guys on the Iowa truck and practicing pit-stops. The last few races we have been finishing in the top 5 and top 10 and getting to where we need to be. And after last years win, we know what we need to do to get into victory lane again."

Matt Crafton captured the pole Thursday evening at Kentucky Speedway. Out of 40 entries, the No. 88 Menards/Great Lakes Wood Floors Toyota Tundra had the fastest truck at 173.288 mph. Crafton led four different times throughout the 150 lap race, constantly staying in the top-five and getting no further back than seventh.

"It was awesome, I mean it was an awesome run for ThorSport Racing", said Crafton. "This Menards Toyota Tundra was so good. I just needed track position at the end. On the 2nd restart it put me four wide going into turn one and we played catch up from there. We drove back from seventh to third, but really needed a caution at the end and ended up in fourth. I can't thank these guys enough from what they've done this year switching all of these trucks over. These Toyota Tundra's, we've got something for them now. Were going to win some races."

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 14th for the American Ethanol 200 airing on SPEED at 8:00PM EST.

After almost three weeks off in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Matt Crafton heads to Kentucky Speedway for the UNOH 225 on Thursday June 28th. Crafton has been racing trucks at this speedway since 2001 earning three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

The #88 Menards/Great Lakes Wood Floors Toyota Tundra that is racing at Kentucky is Chassis #36, the same truck that finished second at Texas Motor Speedway in the last race.

"Kentucky Speedway is one of the places I always look forward to go racing", said Crafton. "This track is not like the 'cookie cutter' mile and a half tracks, it has so much character and a lot less banking, and we really have to drive the truck a lot more. You have to lift through the corners and the bumps, which makes it a real challenge, so you need to have the entire package when it comes to good handling."

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was forced to cancel qualifying due to rain and based on owner points that slated Crafton to start the race in 10th. Matt Crafton and the No. 88 Menards/Goof Off Toyota Tundra stayed in the top ten for most of the race. A late caution and restart gave Matt the jump that he needed to lead the race. After a battle with his teammate, Johnny Sauter, Crafton had to fall back one spot because of loose handling. He was able to hold off the third place competitor for the remainder of the race and finished in second.

This is Matt's 12th top-10 finish in 23 races at Texas Motor Speedway and his third top-10 finish in 2012. Crafton is currently 7th in the NCWTS Points Standings, up two spots from Dover.

"What a race for the Menards/Goof Off Toyota Tundra and ThorSport Racing," said Crafton. "This is definitely a finish that we needed to get us headed in the right direction and moving up in the points standings. I cannot thank Duke and Rhonda Thorson enough for providing a great team and outstanding equipment. I am looking forward to heading to Kentucky in a few weeks to continue with this positive momentum."

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Kentucky Speedway on Thursday, June 28th for the UNOH 225 airing on SPEED at 7:30PM EST.

Crafton Heads to Texas:
Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 Menards/Goof Off Toyota Tundra, is headed to Texas Motor Speedway Friday for his 23rd career start at the track. With two poles, five top-fives and 11 top-tens, Matt is looking to continue climbing the points ladder. With his finish of 8th at Dover, Matt is currently in 9th place in the NCWTS Driver Point Standings.

"I always enjoy going to Texas Motor Speedway," said Crafton, "it's a really fast track where handling is very important and this team really excels there. We've historically been really good at qualifying at Texas, starting in the top three in four of the last five races, and I've won the pole there twice in the last few years. We had some trouble there, but we're ready to go back and have a really good run."

Previous Race Recap:
Crafton placed 8th at Dover moving him to 9th in the NCWTS Points Standings.

Appearnces at Texas Motor Speedway:
NCWTS Autograph Session - Turn One Midway 4:30-5:30 pm

About Menards:
With 268 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 Goof Off:
Over the years, Goof Off has introduced a number of products designed to help consumers eliminate messy mistakes that would otherwise ruin their belongings. Goof Off products clean tough messes and mistakes around the home, garage and workshop. Owned by W.M. Barr & Company and based in Memphis, Tennessee, Goof Off products are available for purchase at major retailers and grocery stores, online at www.goofoffstainremover.com, or by calling 1-877-466-3633.

CRAFTON HEADS TO TEXAS:
Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 Menards/Goof Off Toyota Tundra, is headed to Texas Motor Speedway Friday for his 23rd career start at the track. With two poles, five top-fives and 11 top-tens, Matt is looking to continue climbing the points ladder. With his finish of 8th at Dover, Matt is currently in 9th place in the NCWTS Driver Point Standings.

"I always enjoy going to Texas Motor Speedway," said Crafton, "it's a really fast track where handling is very important and this team really excels there. We've historically been really good at qualifying at Texas, starting in the top three in four of the last five races, and I've won the pole there twice in the last few years. We had some trouble there, but we're ready to go back and have a really good run."

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP:
Crafton placed 8th at Dover moving him to 9th in the NCWTS Points Standings.

APPEARANCES AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
NCWTS Autograph Session - Turn One Midway 4:30-5:30 pm

ABOUT MENARDS:
With 268 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 GOOF OFF:
Over the years, Goof Off has introduced a number of products designed to help consumers eliminate messy mistakes that would otherwise ruin their belongings. Goof Off products clean tough messes and mistakes around the home, garage and workshop. Owned by W.M. Barr & Company and based in Memphis, Tennessee, Goof Off products are available for purchase at major retailers and grocery stores, online at www.goofoffstainremover.com, or by calling 1-877-466-3633.

CRAFTON HEADS TO TEXAS:
Matt Crafton, driving the No. 88 Menards/Goof Off Toyota Tundra, is headed to Texas Motor Speedway Friday for his 23rd career start at the track. With two poles, five top-fives and 11 top-tens, Matt is looking to continue climbing the points ladder. With his finish of 8th at Dover, Matt is currently in 9th place in the NCWTS Driver Point Standings.

"I always enjoy going to Texas Motor Speedway," said Crafton, "it's a really fast track where handling is very important and this team really excels there. We've historically been really good at qualifying at Texas, starting in the top three in four of the last five races, and I've won the pole there twice in the last few years. We had some trouble there, but we're ready to go back and have a really good run."

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP:
Crafton placed 8th at Dover moving him to 9th in the NCWTS Points Standings.

APPEARANCES AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
NCWTS Autograph Session - Turn One Midway 4:30-5:30 pm

ABOUT MENARDS:
With 268 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 GOOF OFF:
Over the years, Goof Off has introduced a number of products designed to help consumers eliminate messy mistakes that would otherwise ruin their belongings. Goof Off products clean tough messes and mistakes around the home, garage and workshop. Owned by W.M. Barr & Company and based in Memphis, Tennessee, Goof Off products are available for purchase at major retailers and grocery stores, online at www.goofoffstainremover.com, or by calling 1-877-466-3633.

Johnny Sauter feels like last year's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that he and his ThorSport Racing team let get away in 2012.

So Friday night, the driver of ThorSport's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota wants to set that record straight.

"I'm always optimistic -- any track we go to -- and I felt like we had the truck to beat at Charlotte last year," Sauter said. "We were running second and running the leader down by two-tenths (of a second) a lap and the fuel pump died. So that was kind of a bummer."

Sauter's record at Charlotte is a classic example of the numbers not reflecting how well he's competed. His best finish in four starts came in 2011 -- the year he narrowly lost the Truck Series' championship to Austin Dillon -- when he started seventh, finished sixth and led the only nine laps he's led in a truck at Charlotte.

"We've run well at Charlotte, even though I guess for me and the team it's not been one of our best racetracks, as far as the numbers go," Sauter said. "But I'm always optimistic, like I said. We're going around in circles for a living -- how much more do you need?"

Sauter and the series have been off since April 20 -- nearly four weeks ago -- when he scored his fourth top-five finish of the season at Kansas Speedway, the only Truck Series competitor to achieve that feat this season. That has Sauter sitting 13 points behind ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton's team, tied for second in the standings with rookie Jeb Burton.

That's the second time in its 18-year history ThorSport's held the top two spots in the standings, which occurred for the first time 45 races ago, when Crafton and Sauter were one-two following the May 2011 Dover race.

"I've been racing in the Truck Series long enough that you kind of get used to the breaks in the schedule, but a few years ago it used to drive me insane," Sauter said this week. "But it's all good and I'm kind of glad to have a little bit of time in between events. But I'm ready to go at Charlotte."

In light of that, Sauter appreciated NASCAR selecting Charlotte as the site of one of two open practice days scheduled in conjunction with 2013 race weekends. Thirty-eight Truck Series teams opened the Charlotte weekend Thursday.

"The test was good, because I don't think you'll ever find a competitor that doesn't want extra track time," Sauter said of the 75 laps he turned in practice. "We had a chance to try some different stuff that you typically don't get to try on a given race weekend, because there's not a lot of practice time."

But one thing Sauter won't waste too much time doing is stressing over the points.

"It's way too early to even be thinking about the championship," said Sauter, who won the first two races of the season. "Even when we had the point lead, that's cool when you get it, but there's such a long way to go -- 18 races -- so I can tell you that I don't race any differently in light of the points.

"At this point, I don't think your mentality changes at all. If we were 14 races into the season instead of four that might change a little, but right now, even though we've come out of the gate pretty good there are probably some teams that haven't hit their stride yet, and we have to look out for them every race we go to. We've been on both sides of that and I know how fast things can get turned upside-down so four races in is just too early to be thinking about it.

"Maintaining a high level of performance is always a challenge. You rarely see a guy dominate from the beginning to the end of the year. You'll see guys get on a hot streak, but rarely do they do it all year long. We've just got to keep racing hard, and it's no different for us than it is for anybody else. You've just got to go out and be smart and make good choices on the racetrack and ultimately try to get the best finish that you can. But every race carries the same points and every race is important."

Charlotte's especially important to most of the teams in the series due to the surrounding area's status as the sport's hub. Sauter, a long-time Charlotte-area resident, acknowledges that even though he declares "my heart's still in Wisconsin and always will be."

"I think everybody looks at Charlotte as one of those events that it would be really cool to come out and do really well in, because for most of these teams it's their home base and they have a lot of support," Sauter said. "For ThorSport, being based in Ohio it's great to see the support that Matt and Todd (Bodine, No. 13 Mattei Toyota driver) and I get from the fans, no matter where we go."

Sauter's scheduled to go out 27th in the 38-truck qualifying session that begins at 4 p.m. ET Friday, with live coverage on the SPEED Channel.

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200, the season's fifth race, is 134 laps and 201 miles and scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, with live television on SPEED, beginning with "The Set-Up" pre-race show at 7:30. MRN Radio has live radio coverage, also beginning at 7:30.

Johnny Sauter's ThorSport Racing team showed a true champion's resilience this weekend at Kansas Speedway as, despite having no qualifying or drafting practice on one of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' fastest racetracks, Sauter qualified and finished in the top five.

Sauter's fifth-place finish Saturday in the SFP 250 in his No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota, behind race-winning teammate Matt Crafton's No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Tundra, put ThorSport into a one-two position in the championship for the first time in the organization's 18-year history -- with Sauter currently 12 points clear of Crafton.

The likelihood of Sauter contending looked bleak when he missed a shift leaving pit road on his sixth lap in Happy Hour Friday, over-revving the engine and breaking a valve spring. The breakage necessitated an engine change and on account of that, Sauter's first lap on the racetrack with the new Triad Engine Technologies powerplant was in qualifying -- less than three hours before the green flag.

"We struggled all day and it's probably a product of not getting any practice when I missed that shift," Sauter said after persevering into fifth -- despite falling a lap down when a caution flew during a green-flag pit cycle just before halfway. "Getting a top-five finish at the end of it all is a real credit to ThorSport and my guys -- we'll take it."

As qualifying opened on a sunny, but crisp morning that outcome didn't look likely. But Sauter's lap as the 32nd of 36 trucks on the racetrack established a track record and momentarily put Sauter on the pole. After James Buescher took the pole as the last truck out, Sauter lined up fourth.

Through the early stages of the race, Sauter battled a loose truck and, although he said he was having a hard time in traffic, was repeatedly able to drive toward the front.

"We just had a mechanical problem and I was loose just by myself," Sauter said. "When there's only one-and-a-half grooves and the trucks are wider than that then it can get hairy. It takes a lot of give-and-take and there wasn't a lot of that (Saturday)."

With 11 cautions during the race, Sauter both dodged a few close calls and was involved in one when another competitor changed lanes and hit Sauter, much like what had occurred in his winning effort at Martinsville.

During the pit cycle midway through the race, which initially left both Sauter and Crafton a lap down until they were able to take a "wave-around" before a restart to get back on the lead lap, crew chief Joe Shear Jr. continued to make adjustments until he made his final critical adjustments on their last stop, with 59 laps remaining.

On that restart Crafton was 11th and Sauter, 12th. They both were able to move forward -- particularly Crafton, who capped a great restart at lap 137, which prompted Sauter to say on his in-truck radio, "helluva restart by Crafton -- how was he able to do that?" by making a stunning third-to-first move to take the lead one lap later.

On the final restart, with 25 laps left, Crafton was leading and Sauter was fifth, which he maintained to the finish to ensure he'd remain in the championship lead.

The series is off until round five, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 17 as part of the Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Sauter has won five of his eight Truck Series victories on 1.5-mile racetracks, such as Charlotte is.

Johnny Sauter's the highest-rated NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver over the past eight years at Kansas Speedway, he loves the greater Kansas City area and he won the 2010 SFP 250.

So it's no wonder -- despite the uncertainty surrounding the Truck Series' first visit to the track that was repaved last year and re-configured to include "progressive banking," that Sauter -- whose No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota holds a comfortable lead in the series' standings thanks to two wins and a fourth-place finish in the season's first four races -- is fired-up to be in chilly Kansas.

"Kansas is one of those places I just like going to, in general," said Sauter, who leads the Truck Series' standings by 16 points over Jeb Burton and 20 over his ThorSport teammate, third-place Matt Crafton. "I like that part of the country a lot. I spent a lot of time there when I drove for (sponsor) Yellow Transportation and it's just a good part of the country... It reminds me a lot of home (in Wisconsin) and we've always seemed to run pretty well there, as far as the truck's concerned -- and we've won there.

"So it's just a good racetrack with great fans in that area, as far as I'm concerned."

Sauter's statistics at Kansas bear that out. His average start in four races is eighth and his average finish, ninth. His high NASCAR Loop Data driver rating is a series-best 149 and his average rating is a series-best 108.3. Sauter's average running position in his four career starts is 6.7, which is pretty much why he has two top-five finishes and three top-10s there.

"Handling is always important and ultimately wins every race," Sauter said. "I keep going back to Michigan and Pocono -- two racetracks that were fresh repaves for us last year. We had a really strong truck at Michigan, where we ran in the top three all day and we have the same truck in Kansas -- No. 38 -- which finished fifth at Kansas in 2011 and we won with it there in 2010.

"It's always had speed on freshly-paved racetracks and I think that bodes well for us."

Sauter said he felt the progressive banking had the potential to introduce a second racing groove but he's looking to a teammate to give him a potential ace in the hole.

"I'm lucky to have Frank Kimmel, my ARCA teammate at ThorSport that's raced there, last fall," Sauter said. "We all watched the ARCA and Cup race weekend last fall and it's fast! So I called Frank on my way home from Rockingham (last Sunday) and I was picking his brain about it. He said it has a lot of grip and more banking than it used to have because of the progressive banking so it's kind of a whole new deal and I'm hoping that will lead to multiple grooves to race in.

"Typically when they repave a racetrack a lot of times it's essentially one groove and extremely fast, so (at first) I would anticipate a fast, one-groove racetrack -- and track position obviously will be real important.

"But the cool thing is, it was repaved last summer, and it's essentially sat for eight to 10 months and it's had a tough winter on it. So I think that helps to try to make it double-file racing. It's not going to be totally new and from everything I've heard it's going to be super-fast."

The season's fourth race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. ET Saturday. Live television begins at 1:30 p.m. with "The Set-up" pre-race show on SPEED Channel, followed by the race broadcast. MRN Radio has live coverage, also beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Johnny Sauter was purely philosophical Sunday at Rockingham Speedway after his ThorSport Racing team fell short of establishing a NASCAR record in the Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine.

Sauter and his No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota team had won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' first two races this season, at Daytona in February and at Martinsville, Va., last weekend. In NASCAR's 65-year history no driver had ever won a national series' first three races.

And even though Sunday's winner, rookie Kyle Larson, said Sauter's fast Toyota was the truck Larson feared the most throughout the race's 200 laps, in the end Sauter had to come from back in the pack twice after he lost track position each time he came to pit road, and he finished fourth.

"We were trying to become the only guy to win three to start off the season, but it just wasn't meant to be," Sauter said on pit road after the race. "I couldn't be more proud of my guys and everybody at ThorSport for doing such a great job.

"We have a lot of new guys going over the wall this year so we just have to work on that a little bit (but) two wins and a fourth, I don't know anybody that would shake their head at that. I'm proud of everybody and we just need to keep digging. We're having fun and that's half the battle."

Despite the disappointing result, Sauter extended his lead in the championship standings to 16 points over rookie Jeb Burton, who won his second consecutive pole position on Saturday, and to 20 points over his third-place ThorSport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton. Crafton finished sixth Sunday in his No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Toyota.

"Our Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota was really, really strong -- we knew it was in practice (Saturday)," Sauter said of the truck that had the fastest average lap time across 150 minutes of practice. "We just had a couple mishaps in the pits. We didn't qualify as well as we wanted to (but) it was fun as always -- probably one of the best racetracks we go to all year.

"I can't thank Andy Hillenburg (track president) enough, and everybody else that's involved."

Sauter had a very comfortable truck in practice Saturday, and it was also fast. Sauter said he was "perplexed" after he qualified 11th but he quickly came to the front, reaching the top five in only 35 laps on his first run.

But with Rockingham being particularly hard on tires, Sauter eventually had to come to pit road, when he was running second to Larson, who dominated by leading 187 of 200 laps.

"We were second and I think we came out of the pits 10th or whatever," Sauter said. "We got back up to second or third and came to pit road and came back out seventh -- gave up track position, but we didn't have a good enough truck to win there at the end.

Sauter said he had to abuse his equipment too much getting back to the front to be able to do much once he got there. The ironic thing was, as he chased down Larson and was near him for most of the race's seven restarts, Sauter repeatedly said he didn't feel like his truck had enough oomph to challenge Larson's.

On the other hand, on his in-truck radio Larson reportedly told his crew he was happy to see Sauter have trouble on pit road -- actually the right rear wheel jammed in the wheel well when the tire changer tried to pull it out, causing a couple seconds' delay -- because Larson had noticed how fast Sauter's truck was and it was Sauter he feared could give him the most trouble.

In the end, track position, visiting Sprint Cup star Joey Logano's fresh tires and a dogged Brendan Gaughan, who snaked by Sauter at the end to grab third place, knocked the point leader into fourth. But an inopportune bit of cloud cover was the biggest trouble.

"I just got too tight," Sauter said. "We had to adjust the truck during the race, tighten it up a little bit and then the clouds came in and I just couldn't roll the middle (of the corners) like I had."

Sauter's truck was good enough that on a restart at lap 183 he actually raced side-by-side with Larson for the better part of two laps -- actually passing him on the outside coming out of Turn 4 to lead a lap and get a critical bonus point. Sauter and crew chief Joe Shear Jr. agreed that if a bad day was fourth place, things weren't all bad.

"All in all, it was a great day for us," Sauter said. "Top fives are what we need to do if we're going to be serious about this championship."

The season's fourth race, on the 1.5-mile high-banked oval at Kansas Speedway, will be held on Saturday, April 20.

ThorSport Racing driver Johnny Sauter is on the cusp of creating NASCAR history Sunday at Rockingham Speedway. So setting aside the passion that Sauter brings to every second he's practicing his craft, as he prepares to attempt to win his third consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race to begin this season -- he's just Johnny being Johnny.

And that's a driver that's committed, focused and living in a real world in which effort is usually rewarded with results. That's why Sauter and his veteran crew chief, Joe Shear Jr., are basically dismissing their No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota's wins at Daytona and Martinsville and looking only at this weekend.

And if he's able to win, Sauter will become the first driver in any NASCAR national touring series to win the first three races of the season. Sauter's currently tied with Mark Martin, who previously won two in 2006 in the Truck Series, Tony Stewart and Chad Little accomplished it in Nationwide and Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth did it in Cup.

Sauter finished fourth in the inaugural Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine last year and, per his pre-season prediction, knows his team can challenge again. But that's based off what they'll bring to the game this weekend -- and so far this season that's been stout.

"I don't wholeheartedly believe in momentum -- no," Sauter said at Martinsville. "I believe in if everybody gives 100 percent and you do everything right, it pays off. That's what I believe, anyways. Luck is luck and momentum is momentum -- and people talk about it...

"But we just do what we do, give 100 percent and that's all we can do."

In recent memory that's been plenty good, particularly in 2013. After Sauter lost the 2011 Truck Series championship to Austin Dillon by six points, 2012 was an atypically rocky stretch that in part was precipitated by a manufacturer switch. Sauter and Shear have their Toyota Tundras in full effect now.

"I have all the confidence in the world in Joe and everybody at ThorSport," Sauter said. "When we get to the racetrack we typically unload pretty good and only make the truck better from there."

Rockingham more than likely will provide the second consecutive week of challenging tire wear. Rockingham's abrasive surface is legendary for creating havoc with teams' tire strategies, but when that unexpectedly cropped up at Martinsville Sauter and his ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton dealt with it perfectly and scored the company's third career one-two finish. If their third teammate, Todd Bodine, hadn't been spun out by Kevin Harvick late in the race, they might've gone one-two-three.

"I don't know what we learned about tires at Martinsville that we might apply this weekend, because Rockingham's a whole different animal because of the banking and the size of the racetrack," Sauter said. "Tire wear is tire wear but Martinsville probably got the drivers in the right frame of mind, to be conservative on tires or whatever we need to do at Rockingham.

"So yes, it helps the drivers to prepare for the mindset you have to have to conserve tires, but as far as set-ups and all that stuff goes, I don't really think you can take anything from Martinsville to Rockingham."

Except maybe the winning feeling that Sauter and company have had plenty of, so far in 2013.

"This is great to start the year off with two in a row and I couldn't be prouder of everybody at ThorSport, (general manager) David Pepper, Duke and Rhonda Thorson and all the people keeping the place going," Sauter said. "We still have 20 races left and there's a lot that can happen.

"We just need to keep it all in focus and take it all in stride and go to Rockingham where we finished fourth a year ago and go to Kansas (next weekend) where we've won in the past. It's a lot of good racetracks coming up for us -- we just have to keep everybody grounded and keep everybody hungry."

The season's third race, on the one-mile high-banked oval in the North Carolina sand hills, gets the green flag at 2 p.m. ET Sunday. Live television begins at 1:30 p.m. with "The Set-up" pre-race show on SPEED Channel, followed by the race broadcast. MRN Radio has live coverage, also beginning at 1:30 p.m.

If Johnny Sauter goes on to win the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' championship, he might look back on Saturday's Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway as a critical turning point.

Sauter became the second driver in the 19-year history of the Truck Series to win the first two events of the season, tying the veteran Mark Martin, who accomplished the feat in 2006 when he ran a partial schedule for owner Jack Roush.

Six weeks earlier, Sauter won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. To win at Martinsville, Sauter overcame a body-damaged No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota truck, debilitating tire wear and a mid-race pit stop that put his truck in the middle of the field and its driver, well, nearly beside himself.

But Sauter recovered his composure and set about getting back to the front, from where he led only the last 17 laps of the day. His performance had his crew chief, Joe Shear Jr., marveling at the growth his driver's showing this season and the results it's enabled them to harvest.

"Our strategy was really to take it easy and race the racetrack instead of everybody else," Shear said, admitting that restarting 19th with 100 laps to go had him concerned. "I got a little nervous about getting back in track position there, but I have to admit Johnny Sauter is growing up with me.

"He's not really known for saving equipment and he saved a lot more (Saturday) than I gave him credit for. I really didn't think our truck was that fast. I thought it was good, but I didn't think it was as fast as it was at the end. But then we had some pretty good lap times there at the end, so I was pretty impressed."

On the final restart, with 17 laps left, Sauter struck after his teammate, No. 13 SealMaster Toyota driver Todd Bodine, was spun by Kevin Harvick going into Turn 3 to bring out the 11th and final caution.

When the green flag flew Sauter drove around the outside of leader and pole-sitter Jeb Burton and raced away to a 1.8-second victory over his teammate, Matt Crafton, who was closing fast at the end in his No. 88 Rip It Energy Fuel / Menards Toyota.

With his second consecutive win and the eighth of his career -- which also marked the third time in its history ThorSport had two trucks finish one-two -- Sauter now has a 12-point lead in the championship over Burton, with 20 races remaining. On a great day for ThorSport, Crafton now sits third in the points and Bodine is seventh --- the first time in its history ThorSport has three trucks in the top-10.

Sauter earned kudos at Martinsville for his calm, calculated management of his race truck and his tires. And after the race he credited an off-weekend excursion to Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway, where he finished third in his first late model race of the season, with the PASS South Series. Sauter said lessons he learned there were critical for the Martinsville win once he and Shear figured out tire wear.

"I go back to that late model race, and I've never seen tire wear like that in my life," said Sauter, who set fast time in PASS qualifying but used his tires up and had nothing left to mount a challenge at the finish. "I just kept thinking about that race and what I feel like I did wrong, and trying to apply it to (Saturday).

"People can say whatever they want about that or laugh about it, but it's true."

Sauter's hoping he can apply everything he learned at Martinsville, this weekend at Rockingham Speedway, a one-mile high-banked oval in the North Carolina sand hills that is legendary for abusing tires. The season's third race, the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine, starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Johnny Sauter led the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings for 10 weeks in 2011 before finishing second to Austin Dillon, so more than anyone at ThorSport Racing Sauter knows the value of momentum.

It's why the Wisconsin native is stoked to arrive at Martinsville Speedway for Saturday's Kroger 250 with the series' points lead -- by six over multiple champion Ron Hornaday Jr. -- six weeks after Sauter won the Daytona season opener in ThorSport's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota.

The fact Sauter won this race in 2011, bumping Sprint Cup superstar Kyle Busch out of the way in the process to do it, only emphasizes what NASCAR's smallest track can mean for Sauter's season.

"Martinsville is a place that we've won before and ultimately a place we need to go and capitalize," Sauter said. "We need to put our best effort forth and try to not only win the race but hopefully extend the points lead.

"Like any race, a lot of things have to go right to succeed -- pit strategy and taking care of the truck all day and staying out of trouble -- so Martinsville is a tough one to win at. Like I said, we've done it before and we typically run in the top five every time we're there -- until something happens. I don't see any reason why we can't go there and pick up where we left off in prior races."

Sauter has run well at Martinsville, but with the exception of 2011, when he won in the spring and finished fourth in the 50-laps-shorter Kroger 200, his results haven't been scintillating. But the team had a couple days of short track testing last week and Sauter feels like his squad is ready for Friday afternoon's qualifying session, for starters.

"I think you can make a case for anything but ultimately when you qualify up front it makes life a lot easier," Sauter said. "The year we won we sat on the pole and ended up leading the most laps and just kinda stayed out of trouble all day and ran our own race and won.

"Sometimes it just doesn't work that good and it's not that easy, so I think Martinsville is one of those places you can have strategies, but you can start last and still win. Everybody wants to start up front, but sometimes if you're not that good qualifying, you're not eliminated by any means."

To come to the front Saturday, Sauter knows he can depend on crew chief Joe Shear Jr. and his men.

"It's kind of a tricky place," Sauter said. "And with the spring race 50 laps longer than the fall race, it kind of forces your hand to pit twice, if you want to have anything left at the end."

And that brings to mind the most critical aspect of every race -- but even moreso at a short track. That's the end-game.

"I think you want to be leading, obviously, with 50 laps to go, like you do anywhere," Sauter said. "But I think with 50-to-go in a place like Martinsville, depending on what kind of day you're having, you'll want to have better tires than everybody in front of you and you want to have equal tires to the guys behind you so you can keep them behind you.

"That's the best you can ask for if you're not having a great day. Having equal tires and better tires than the guys in front of you so you can go try to pick off as many as you can by the end of the race is critical."

The cliché goes, "to finish first, first you must finish," and Martinsville epitomizes that. Sauter's been on the losing end of that equation more than once, but his two top-five finishes in 2011 prove he can get it done.

"I think staying out of trouble is the key," Sauter said. "A driver can self-inflict trouble with brake problems or whatever, so I think I've learned that 200 or 250 laps at Martinsville is a lot longer than people think.

"You think, 'OK, it's a half-mile, so a 131.5-mile race,' but you have a lot more time to get where you need to go than you think. And that's what I was guilty of the first few years when I went there, was just over-abusing my stuff and not having anything left at the end of the race -- and then getting run-over.

"So I think you've got to be patient, but I also think that you have to be aggressive on restarts and things like that, to try to get as many positions as you can without taking big risks. It's a lot of give and take, like it is at a lot of racetracks, but one of the biggest keys you can have at Martinsville is a good-handling truck.

"That's ultimately what separates the men from the boys, is whoever's got the best handling package and has the best turning ability with forward traction. That's what wins Martinsville."

Getting along with your competitors certainly doesn't hurt -- but as Sauter found out in 2011 when he beat Busch, and Sauter's ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton found out last fall when Denny Hamlin shoved him aside and went on to win -- full-contact racing can spell the difference between winning, and finishing back in the pack, not only in the end but at any point in the race.

"I think every driver always says, 'I'll never forget,' especially in the heat of the moment," Sauter said. "But for me, I'm focused on that race and I can't remember what happened yesterday. I definitely think you want to have clean relationships with other competitors for sure, because if it comes down to the end and they feel like they can use you up, they're going to.

"But I feel like I've raced everybody for the most part pretty clean and heck, if anything I'm the guy that should be using some people up. But I just don't go there. I work hard and practice and hopefully keep them all in the rearview mirror all day long and not have to worry about it."

The Kroger 250 is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday. Live television coverage is on SPEED Channel, beginning with the "Set-up" pre-race show at 1 p.m. and MRN Radio has the live radio broadcast.

Four hours after he'd left Daytona International Speedway's hallowed Victory Lane Friday night, NextEra Energy Resources 250 winner Johnny Sauter was still having a hard time accepting what he'd accomplished.

"I won at Daytona," Sauter muttered as he stood outside his ThorSport Racing hauler, while his No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota was being taken apart by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series officials in post-race technical inspection. "I just can't believe it -- still can't believe it."

Twelve hours later Sauter had absorbed some pretty solid proof that he had equaled a feat set by his dad, Wisconsin short-track racing legend Jim Sauter, in 1978. Jim Sauter won the Daytona ARCA 200 the same year Johnny was born, the 10th of 12 siblings. Thirty-five years later, Johnny Sauter was eating up the aftermath of his seventh career Truck Series victory -- though by late Saturday morning he'd yet to speak to his dad.

"I'm just ecstatic to be in Victory Lane -- happy to have a Sauter back in Victory Lane at Daytona," Johnny said Friday night. "This is cool for me personally."

Sauter's nirvana was the result of a caution flag that came out not quite a half-lap after he'd taken the white flag to begin lap 100. Sauter, who led the final 16 laps of the race after being pushed to the front by teammate Todd Bodine's No. 13 Mattei Air Compressors Toyota, was in the process of trying to figure out how to hold off Kyle Busch for the win. The yellow flag made it a moot point.

Proving just how cool it was for a bunch of other people, as well, sometime overnight Friday, Sauter's phone locked-down -- its voice mail prompt alerting callers that "this mailbox is full..." Sauter -- a passionate racer who might be one of the most misunderstood souls in the Truck Series', or any NASCAR garage -- retrieved his phone shortly after leaving the Daytona media center and when he turned it on, found way more than 100 text messages from fans, friends and competitors.

That certainly helped the realization of what he'd accomplished -- which included Toyota's 100th career victory at the beginning of its 10th season of NCWTS competition and the manufacturer's seventh consecutive win at Daytona -- sink in.

"It took me three hours to reply to all of those (text) messages," Sauter said Saturday morning as he sought a laundromat to clean up some Carolina Nut Co. gear and a pair of jeans for his trip home. "But it was really neat, and really nice that so many people took the time to reach out and offer congratulations."

After pausing to take a call from listed team owner Mike Curb, Sauter reflected on the difference a year could make in his team's NCWTS title hopes. In 2012, Sauter was leading the Truck race while coming to the first of four white flags that were necessitated by accidents, when he was turned from behind and swallowed up in a wreck that demolished more than 10 trucks. His season never recovered.

Ironically, Friday night with Busch ending up second and with ThorSport teammates Matt Crafton finishing ninth in his Slim Jim / Menards Toyota and Bodine 11th -- Busch has been beaten by a ThorSport driver three of the last six years at Daytona, as Bodine beat Busch to win the races in 2008-2009, though Bodine was driving for Germain Racing for both of those.

Friday night, Bodine and Sauter had combined to lead 23 of the first 98 last laps, until a restart with five laps remaining. Sauter, who was leading from Bodine and Busch, chose the bottom lane, Bodine's truck took off badly and, when a four-truck accident broke out after Sauter had taken the white flag, the race was over.

"We really work hard," crew chief Joe Shear Jr. said. "We don't only come down here for the speed, we really work hard on our drafting package and our handling and being really stable in the race. We can kind of go anywhere we want.

"This race was way different than what we thought it was going to be and even different from the past. If you got hooked-up with the right people, you could make the outside groove work, it just didn't seem like it came-in (Friday) night. The bottom groove was where you had to be, we just kind of worked ourself to that point, got us in the right position and there we were."

The series is off until its second race, at Martinsville Speedway on April 6. Needless to say, Sauter can't wait.

"The Truck Series has been a tough row to hoe for me, here," Sauter said of his six-point lead over former four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. and Justin Lofton. "Every year we've been looking at being 25th to 35th in points, depending where we finished, going into the season and we came close to winning the championship two years ago.

"Hopefully we can get back to championship form. I think we can. I know the guys are working hard. We're going to Martinsville next, which is a great racetrack for us -- we've won there. So I'm digging right now where we're sitting, that's for sure."

ThorSport Racing driver Johnny Sauter has some good history at Daytona International Speedway, just not in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. But he's hoping two veteran teammates will help reverse his recent trend at "The World Center of Racing" in Friday's NextEra Energy Resources 250.

Sauter's set to debut ThorSport's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota Tundra in the 14th annual Daytona season-opener for the NCWTS, but he's hoping his NASCAR Nationwide experience at Daytona comes into play.

"Given my recent history, it's hard not to think about crashing when I think about Daytona," Sauter said with a chuckle. "I've come close in the Nationwide Series, but the Truck Series has just kind of been a tough row to hoe.

"I've raced Daytona enough to know that luck has a huge presence and either you're on the right or wrong side of that when it comes to getting crashed. If you're watching anywhere, pick your bathroom breaks very carefully -- it could be on lap 1 or it could be on the last lap -- I've had it happen both ways in a three-year period."

Qualifying hasn't been a problem for Sauter, who's raced full-time in the Truck Series since 2009, when he won the NCWTS Rookie of the Year Award in his debut season with ThorSport. He started in the top 10 his first three Daytona attempts but was wrecked on the first lap in 2010 and was leading last year when eventual winner John King turned him around coming to the white flag in a race that eventually ran nine extra laps and had four caution periods in the last 10 laps.

"I hate to say this, but 80 percent of what happens at Daytona is out of your control -- so either you're lucky or you're not," Sauter said. "I can give you millions of examples -- just look at last year with John King, or James Buescher going into Turn 4 on the last lap in 11th and winning the Nationwide race. No matter how people try to paint a different picture, it's a big game of luck.

"But no matter how bad the past is, you've just got to block it out. This is a new season, we're starting from scratch -- everybody is -- so obviously everybody's expectations are high. But (crew chief) Joe Shear Jr. and I know we've got what it takes to contend for this championship, and a win at Daytona."

Sauter's Daytona career highlight came in 2004 when he started 22nd in the Nationwide season opener and drove through the field to end up on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s rear bumper. Sauter's Pontiac had nothing for the acknowledged superspeedway master Earnhardt's Chevrolet that day, but a championship-caliber list of drivers followed Sauter across the line, including Robby Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, David Stremme and Ron Hornaday Jr.

Sauter had only one teammate in that race, former NASCAR Busch Series champion David Green, but at Daytona 2013 Sauter will have support from his longtime ThorSport partner Matt Crafton, in the No. 88 Slim Jim / Menards Toyota and new teammate Todd Bodine in the No. 13 Mattei Air Compressors Toyota.

"For all intents and purposes that's good for trying to get a ThorSport truck into Victory Lane," Sauter said of the possibilities presented by the triad of veterans. "Obviously you can't deny Todd's history, with all the wins he's got on the speedway stuff, and Crafton and myself always seem to run well.

"We just always seem to get caught-up in somebody else's mess so, I don't know. Hopefully we can all get hooked-up together and go race and have a good run. Hopefully somebody can pull off the win for ThorSport."

The biggest adjustment for Truck Series fans will be the black-and-red livery of his newly-numbered ride. In 98 of his previous 108 career starts Sauter's driven the No. 13 now piloted by Bodine, but the new scheme is important to Sauter and listed team owner Mike Curb.

"To have The Carolina Nut Co. on our Toyota trucks is obviously a win-win -- it's great exposure for the sponsor and awesome snacks for everybody from our team to all the fans out there," Sauter said. "Changing our number is good for Mike, because his Nationwide car, his Sprint Cup car and a lot of his short-track stuff is all No. 98. So it's really cool for Mike to have, I guess you'd call it that brand awareness that when you see a No. 98 race truck or car it's probably affiliated with Mike Curb.

"I've said it 100 times -- from where I'm sitting I don't even know what number I'm sitting in, I'm just happy to be sitting in something and going racing. But it's something special for Mike and all the fans out there watching.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start on Friday. Live television coverage is on SPEED Channel and MRN Radio has the live radio broadcast.

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Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 SealMaster/Curb Records Toyota Tundra became the third driver in history to win both races of the season at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night. With 10 laps to go, Sauter passed the No. 7 truck for the lead and ultimately the win. The WinStar World Casino 350k was the fastest race at TMS on the books with only 2 cautions for 8 laps. Sauter lead the race two times for 28 laps. This is Sauters sixth career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

"This has been a season of peaks and valleys for sure," said Sauter. "I can't thank Duke and Rhonda Thorson and Mike curb enough. They have been very patient with us all year. I am proud of everybody at ThorSport. I would like to thank Toyota, SealMaster and Curb Records, all of our sponsors. And Triad, their engine was flawless tonight. I am so proud of this team. Another win, its cool! We just need to finish the season strong."

The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, November 9th for the Lucas Oil 150 airing on SPEED at 7:30PM EST.

Atlanta Motor Speedway marks Johnny Sauter's 100th Start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Sauter has raced 99 times since his series debut in 2003. In his fourth full season of racing in the series, he has amassed five wins, four poles, 36 top fives and 51 top tens.

Heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the 4th time in his career, Sauter and the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra are hoping for better luck than they have had in the past few races. Sauter currently sits in the 12th position in driver point standings.

Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra return to Iowa Speedway July14th for the American Ethanol 200. This will be his 4th time racing in the NASCAR Truck series at this track. He is the only NCWTS driver that has finished in the top-5 at the three previous races. Comments from Sauter on the Iowa Race: "I am ready to go back to Iowa. The No. 13 team has finished in the top-five in all three of the races here and we are ready to get into Victory Lane this time. This is a fast racetrack and we know what we need to do to get it done here." The No. 13 team will be taking truck #42, the same truck that was raced at Rockingham and finished in 4th place.

Johnny Sauter and the Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra battled slick track conditions for the UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway Thursday night. Sauter qualified in 6th position earlier in the day and fought a very loose truck until the end of the 150-lap race. Several adjustments were made to the Toyota Tundra during yellow flag pit stops, but the track surface was not cooperating and made it tough for Sauter to get back up to the front. Sauter maintained his truck in the top-ten for the majority of the race until a missed lug nut forced him to return to pit road. He was able to race the truck back up to 6th place for the conclusion of the 225-mile race. "It wasn't exactly the finish we wanted, especially after our win in Texas", said Sauter. "The track conditions were not what we wanted, the heat of the day really caused it to be slick out there. The guys worked really hard to make adjustments to the Toyota Tundra, but we weren't able to get where we wanted to be in the end. I am looking forward to going to Iowa next week." The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 14th for the American Ethanol 200 airing on SPEED at 8:00PM EST.

Headed to one of the fastest tracks on the NCWTS Circuit for the June race of 2012, Johnny Sauter is ready to get back into the drivers seat at Kentucky Speedway. This will be his fifth start in four years at the speedway. He won the pole in the June 2010 race and has one top-five finish. After winning at Texas Motor Speedway, Sauter and the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra Team are excited to get back on track. They are racing the same truck in Kentucky that took them to Victory Lane in Texas. "I really like Kentucky, it has less banking, more bumps and you have to lift through, and it's fast and flat", said Sauter. " It takes a lot of skill and driving, especially through the corners. It is the kind of track that I like."

Johnny Sauter earned the fifth victory of his career at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night driving the No. 13 Hot Honeys Peanuts/Curb Records Toyota Tundra. Taking advantage of a late restart, Sauter was able to power through the field and position himself in second place behind teammate Matt Crafton. On Lap 146 of 167, Sauter passed Crafton for the lead and the win. Texas Motor Speedway is a bit of a sore spot for the No. 13 team. Sauter said he feels vindicated winning after last years black-flag penalty that took away what would have been his first win at the track. "Every win is special, first of all, I've been fortunate enough to win some very cool races in the truck series," Sauter said. "Your first win is always special, but this one is going to rank right up there with the start that we've had. You know last year was tough, that's definitely the toughest loss I've ever had. And to have a dominant truck, have a seven-second lead into the green/white checker and have a lane violation is just not the way you want to go out. But I haven't forgotten that, I promise you. I think about that all the time and it's hard not to think about coming back to the race track again because it's all everybody's talking about"... "so I was bound and determined not to make that mistake again." "I would like to thank Mike Curb, Duke & Rhonda Thorson and Hot Honeys from The Peanut Roaster", commented Sauter. "Their continued support and the love of the truck series brought us to victory lane today." Sauter led two times during the race for a total of 41 laps. He finished 2.101 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher and teammate Matt Crafton. He is now 15th in the NCWTS Points Standings. The NCWTS and ThorSport Racing head to Kentucky Speedway on Thursday, June 28th for the UNOH 225 airing on SPEED at 7:30PM EST.

Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra, makes his eighth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start for ThorSport Racing at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 8th. Sauter has one pole, two top fives and five top tens under his belt at Texas so far. "Texas is a great track for me." commented Sauter. "It's all about track position there, and you don't want to work up from the middle of the field. We've always run up front there. The goal with my crew chief, Joe Shear, Jr, is to run up front from the get go. I'm hoping to build on the finishes we had there in the past - twice we finished in second, and we had the truck to win. I'm pretty motivated to get to Texas right now."

Johnny Sauter heads to Kansas Speedway with his fourth start in as many years with ThorSport Racing. With a spectacular win in 2010 and a second place finish in 2011, Johnny Sauter is confident that he can take his #13 Hot Honey's Curb Records Toyota Tundra to Victory Lane. Finishing in 4th place at Rockingham has given the team the confidence boost that was needed. "I know my guys worked night and day to build me a solid truck for Kansas, same as they did for The Rock," said Sauter. "We are taking Chassis #39 to this race, it was the same chassis that ran in 2011 winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This combination will definitely give us another solid weekend."

Johnny Sauter overcame handling issues and a pit road miscue to score a top-five finish in the inaugural race at Rockingham Speedway. After several adjustments and a fueling issue late in the race, Sauter fought his way to the front of the pack to finish fourth at "The Rock," shooting up 14 spots in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver points. Sauter took the green flag from the 10th position, but quickly leapt into the eighth spot before the first caution flag of the day waved on lap five. With pit strategy dictating that it was too early to visit pit road, Sauter remained on the track in eighth for a wild restart on lap nine. By lap 21, Sauter worked his way up to sixth, but he relayed to his crew that the No. 13 Hot Honeys Toyota Tundra was too free. Despite the loose condition, Sauter broke into the top-five on lap 30, but he slipped back to sixth just before the yellow flag waved on lap 61. Sauter brought his No. 13 to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to tighten up the handling, and returned to the track in seventh as green-flag racing resumed. While teammate Matt Crafton led the field, Sauter rocketed back into the top-five, running the fastest lap of the race on lap 85. Sauter took over the fourth spot as the race reached halfway on lap 100, and maintained his position until the caution flag waved once again on lap 122 for a two-truck incident. Sauter entered the pits with a tight race truck after the adjustments on his first stop, so the team serviced the No. 13 with four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to loosen it slightly. Sauter was the third truck to exit pit road, but the team was unable to get enough Sunoco gas into the truck for a full fuel run. Forced to return to pit road for a second pit stop, Sauter was the last truck on the lead lap when the field went green on lap 131. The miscue couldn't stop the Hot Honeys machine, however, and Sauter shot to the eighth spot within 10 laps. With 35 laps to go, Sauter earned seventh place, and with 25 laps remaining, the field saw the final yellow flag of the day. He returned to pit road for four tires and fuel, and the No. 13 took the green flag from sixth on lap 181. Sauter moved quickly into the fourth position, where he remained until the checkered flag waved. "We got a top-five finish, and made a big dent in our points deficit. We chased the race track for a lot of the day, but all in all, our Hot Honeys Toyota was good. I thought we were in position to have a run for them towards the end there. Our truck would really, really fire off fast, and then after about five or six laps, it would just start to go away. We had a mishap on pit road, but we rebounded and got a top-five. I can't complain about that, considering the way our season started." Sauter is now 13th in the point standings, up 14 spots from his 27th-place standings after Martinsville. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action next weekend at Kansas Speedway for the SFP 250 on Saturday, April 21st.

ROCK AND ROLL: Racing returns to 'The Rock' this weekend as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Rockingham Speedway. Although this will be the first NCWTS race ever to be held at Rockingham, it isn't Sauter's first encounter with the 1.0-mile oval. One of the only drivers in this weekend's field with previous starts at Rockingham Speedway, Sauter has competed in one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event and six NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the track. Sauter finished 14thin his first and only Cup start at the venue. Sauter has a best NNS finish of sixth at the track, with an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 14.5, earning three top-10 finishes and leading 46 laps at the 46-year old facility. LIKE A BROKEN RECORD: ThorSport Racing, the Truck Series' longest-standing organization, is breaking yet another record this weekend at Rockingham Speedway. When the green flag waves, it will mark the 350thconsecutive event in which ThorSport Racing has had at least one truck entered, breaking Roush Fenway Racing's previous record of 349. Sauter has been behind the wheel of the No. 13 for 77 of those starts. DRIVE BUY: Sauter, as well as ThorSport Racing teammates Matt Crafton and Dakoda Armstrong, will be appearing at the Rockingham Thunder Fest autograph session from 7:00-8:00 PM ET in downtown Rockingham. In addition to appearing with other NCWTS competitors, the drivers will be signing and selling ThorSport Racing merchandise before and after the scheduled autograph session. Look for the No. 13 Hot Honeys Toyota Tundra show truck, where fans can get free Hot Honeys samples, purchase TSR merchandise and meet the guys. BIG MEETING:In addition to 200 laps of great racing, a ticket to the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine will also get fans up close and personal with Sauter, Crafton, Armstrong and their other favorite NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers. NASCAR and Rockingham Speedway are opening up the NCWTS drivers meeting for fans to come watch. The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 AM ET on Sunday, April 15th. Fans are asked to enter the infield through the tunnel in turn four if they wish to take part in the drivers meeting. A ticket to the race serves as admission. CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 42 this weekend at Rockingham Speedway. Chassis No. 42 made its first and only previous start at Chicagoland Speedway in September when Sauter started 13th and finished sixth. PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sauter battled through early handling issues and was headed toward a top-five finish in the Kroger 250 when a suspension failure brought the team to the garage for major repairs. The No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra was in fourth place with less than 25 laps to go when the suspension gave out, taking Sauter out of contention for the win and resulting in a 29th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Johnny Sauter What are your thoughts on the Truck Series debut Rockingham Speedway? "I can't wait. Rockingham has so much history and it's great that we're the series that is bringing NASCAR racing back to 'The Rock.' I feel good going into the race because we had the opportunity to test there at the end of last year, but even more so because I'm one of the only drivers in this field who has ever raced at Rockingham before. I'm hoping that my Cup and Nationwide experience here will pay off and give me an advantage going into this weekend's race."

Johnny Sauter battled through early handling issues and was headed toward a top-five finish in the Kroger 250 when a suspension failure brought the team to the garage for major repairs. The No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra was in fourth place with less than 25 laps to go when the suspension gave out, taking Sauter out of contention for the win and resulting in a 29th-place finish. After laying down an eighth-place qualifying lap, Sauter took the green flag and progressed into the top five by the time the first caution of the day waved on lap 22. Sauter relayed to crew chief Joe Shear Jr. that the truck was lacking rear side bite and that he needed a major chassis adjustment. Race strategy indicated that it was too early in the race to pit, so Sauter opted to remain on the racetrack, but a long green-flag run meant that he would have to hold onto his ill-handling machine until the next yellow flag came on lap 76. Despite the poor handling, Sauter remained in the top-five and was running lap times equivalent to the leaders when the opportunity came to pit under yellow. Bringing the No. 13 to pit road, Shear Jr. called for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, and Sauter remained in the top five when green-flag racing resumed. However, Sauter still was unhappy with the truck, emphasizing how hard he had to work to maintain his track position. Sauter slipped as low as eighth in the next 150 laps, but his short-track expertise and aggressive driving style allowed him to elbow his way back to fourth in spite of the fact that the handling on the No. 13 was not quite to his liking. When the field went under caution on lap 228, Sauter and the No. 13 crew felt that their track position and the inexperience of the competitors around him could work in their favor and still result in a victory. Unfortunately, while under caution, Sauter felt what he initially thought was a blown left front tire, but as he continued around the track to make his way to pit road, he realized that it felt more like the suspension had given way. A quick assessment on pit road confirmed his suspicion, and the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records machine was pushed to the garage. The ThorSport Racing team worked quickly, but the repair was extensive and Sauter went down 19 laps in the process. The crew completed the fix in time for Sauter to return to the racetrack and complete the final laps of the race, but he was scored in the 29th position when the checkered flag waved. "This was a big disappointment the No. 13 team," said Sauter following the race. "The truck wasn't as good as I would have liked it to be for much of the race, but as we were getting toward the end, I really thought we could still win it. This certainly isn't the way we wanted to start our season. The points deficit we're in isn't completely insurmountable, but it's going to take some wins and a lot of really strong finishes to dig our way out and get us where we want to be. I know that this team is capable of that, but we've got our work cut out for us." The trucks return to action in two weeks when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Rockingham Speedway on April 15th.

ON THE DEFENSE: Johnny Sauter heads to Martinsville Speedway as the defending winner of the spring race at the 65-year old facility. Sauter had a perfect record in the March event in 2011, starting the race from the pole position before bringing home the famous grandfather clock trophy. In his eight previous starts at the 0.526-mile oval, Sauter has earned two top-five and two top-10 finishes, tallying an average start of 12.9 and an average finish of 16.1. STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: It's all about track position at the 'paperclip,' and the best way to get to the front is to start there. ThorSport Racing had no trouble getting to the front in 2011 when the organization swept the pole for both races at Martinsville in 2011: Sauter started from the point position in the spring race, while teammate Matt Crafton took the award when he broke the track's NCWTS qualifying record in the fall event. LISTEN IN: New Country Q 104.1 returns to the No. 13 as an associate sponsor this weekend in Martinsville. The Greensboro, N.C. country station was on board for last year's win and will appear on the tonneau cover of the Hot Honeys Toyota Tundra for this year's event. Fans attending the race can tune into the station locally and those outside the area can listen live on iHeartRadio or at www.wtqr.com. COME SAY 'HI': Sauter and his ThorSport Racing teammates Matt Crafton and Dakoda Armstrong will be appearing at the NCWTS autograph session this weekend in Martinsville. The session will be held on Friday, March 30th from 4:00-5:00 PM ET by the track's main ticket office outside the track behind Richard Petty Tower. CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 11 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Sauter drove this same chassis to the win in the spring Martinsville race last season, following up with a fourth-place finish in the fall race. PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: After employing a conservative strategy for much of the NextEra Energy Resources 250, Sauter charged to the lead before getting turned in a green-white-checker finish, causing a fiery crash that collected teammate Crafton and ultimately resulted in a 24th-place finish. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Johnny Sauter What are your thoughts on Martinsville Speedway? "My roots are in short track racing, so this is always a track I enjoy racing at, and I look forward to it even more now that we've got a win there. Anytime you return to a track where you have a win or a pole, you go in with a certain amount of confidence because you know you've conquered it, that you can conquer it. We had two really great races in Martinsville last year and we're bringing back the same truck, so we know we're going in with something that works. Now the goal is to make it even better and bring home another grandfather clock trophy."

Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra, had an eventful evening at the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday night. After a conservative "hold back" strategy much of the race, the veteran hard charged to the lead with strong execution- only to be turned under a green-white-checker finish for a fiery crash that also collected teammate Matt Crafton. His finishing position, after all was said and done, was 24th. Starting in the 20th position, Sauter and crew chief Joe Shear, Jr. decided to execute a strategy to stay mid-pack through much of the starting laps. After wheeling through four cautions with multiple truck casualties in the first 61 laps, Sauter emerged to make a run on lap 70. Moving from 16th to third in just 12 laps, Sauter was able to maneuver into the lead with help from fellow competitor Jason White. After a caution, Sauter was poised to take the green-white-checker and head to Victory Lane; but his hopes were dashed when John King turned the No. 13 into the outside wall, causing a chain reaction crash with multiple competitors - including his ThorSport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton. After being checked out in infield care, both teammates went back to the haulers to their teams - ultimately scored in 23rd and 24th, respectively. What happened that took you out of the race? JOHNNY SAUTER: "Thought I was in pretty good position there, but it's just a product of superspeedway racing. I was trying to get into the tri-oval and I think it's just a racing deal. I wish it would have worked a little better with (Ron) Hornaday. I apologize for that, but we couldn't really hook up. Daytona in the Truck Series has a lot of incidents -- always has -- always will. I'm glad to see a Toyota in victory lane, but we wanted it to be the 13." Did you get hit from behind? "Yeah, for sure. It was pretty substantial help too. Nonetheless, I'm super proud of everybody on this Hot Honey's/Curb Records Toyota. We were in position and I felt like we were in the cat bird seat there. You could see that I tried to do everything right and I was getting pushed the opposite way. Daytona's been an Achilles heel for me -- for whatever reason it's impossible for me to get to a finish so I had no expectations going into the race today. Am I surprised that I'm standing here with a 24th place finish? No."

READY TO WIN IT ALL? Johnny Sauter, fresh off a holiday season with his wife Cortney and children Penn and Paige, is ready for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to start. At the annual NASCAR Media Day last week, he was voted by the NASCAR media as the one to "win it all" in 2012. While he's humbled, the veteran driver knows a full field and a stout schedule of 22 races stands ahead of him. After all, he's no stranger to a challenge - almost overtaking champion Austin Dillon last year after coming back from a deficit of 20 points at Homestead-Miami Speedway; winning the race and narrowly missing the championship by six points. NEW YEAR, NEW SPONSOR: Sauter brings a new sponsor to the table in 2012. First-time sponsor The Peanut Roaster, parent company to Hot Honeys Honey Roasted Chipotle Peanuts, as well as other brands available on Peanut.com, joins Curb Records as a co-primary sponsor on the No. 13 truck. In Daytona, Sauter will pilot the "Hot Honeys" truck, showcasing the brand's most popular peanut brands - and a new "honeycomb" paint scheme. WING IT: The No. 13 team, along with Sauter, will host a "NASCAR Night" at the Wing House Oceanwalk Daytona Beach on Wednesday, February 22 for fans in the Daytona area. He and teammate Matt Crafton will sign autographs and give away almost $5000 in Daytona 500 tickets for some lucky fans in attendance. CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 25 this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. The "tried and true" superspeedway chassis for the No. 13 team, it has been in rotation with Sauter and crew chief Joe Shear, Jr for the last few seasons. Its last appearance was at Talladega Superspeedway, where after a challenging crash, Sauter powered back to a 15th place, top 20 finish at the checkered flag. PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sauter drove the No. 13 home to Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a dramatic rain-delayed finish. With just 15 laps to go, Sauter sat in the lead ahead of competitor Denny Hamlin, when the rain began to fall. Race control made the call, and Sauter - after leading much of the race and executing a near-perfect combination of racing and pit stops all night - became the winner and the championship runner-up for the 2012 season. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Johnny Sauter What can you take from 2011 to be successful in 2012? "The biggest thing we can do is look back at last season and see where did we lose points and what could we have done to prevent that. Obviously, there's a bunch of red flags that stick up that we know. Having said that, I don't think we can really focus on 2011 too much because it's yesterday's news. I think coming out in 2012 with the Toyota support and changing manufacturers, new sponsors -- essentially my whole team is back and my crew chief. I feel like we can pick up right where we left off and ultimately try to win races and a championship." Do you enjoy the diverse competition in the Truck Series? "That's what makes NASCAR and auto racing so great is competition. Just when you think you have it figured out, you find yourself leading laps and winning races and then two weeks later with the same setup, you're running 10th. Ty Dillon coming in is great. (Ron) Hornaday landing in a position -- that's great. The same old guys and new faces -- the Truck Series is a great place for all that and to see the stars of tomorrow. Just happy to be there and hopefully I can contend for a championship." What do you expect in the Daytona Truck Series race? "I really don't know. With the new grill openings and things that they've put on the trucks -- I don't know that the tandem is going to work. I'm the wrong guy to be asking about racing here at Daytona in the trucks because I haven't even been able to hardly finish races here. I expect it to be action-packed like it always is. I expect there to be some wrecks. It's very important to just try to finish here and take what you can get."

Todd Bodine's won more than half of his 22 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' victories on 1.5-mile tracks, but never at Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR's showplace venues and site of Friday evening's North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

Ironically, Bodine has owned Charlotte's sister track, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where he's won six times. So after a four-week break for the Truck Series and with Mattei Air Compressors' signage gracing his No. 13 ThorSport Racing Toyota for the second time this season, Bodine figures there's no time like the present to add to his 12 career victories on 1.5-mile tracks.

"It feels good to be going back to the track because you know I'm always ready to race," Bodine said, chuckling. "But that's especially true at Charlotte because it's a track I've always enjoyed and run well at and obviously we have the comforts of home -- sleeping in my own bed -- and you can't discount what that means."

Bodine's won at Charlotte, and with the Truck Series racing this weekend in conjunction with the Sprint All-Star Race, it's fitting those victories came in the Winston Open -- formerly the All-Star Race's qualifying event.

"But I've never won a points race, in any division at Charlotte and I think that it's finally time we brought that situation to an end," Bodine said. "Sometimes I've just had bad luck. I had a shot to win a Truck race, spun (Ron) Hornaday out and got put to the back...

"Just some dumb things like that, and I've never gotten the whole thing done. But now, with this ThorSport team with Mattei behind us again -- and as good as we've run this season -- I think it's time to get it done."

Bodine, who was one of three ThorSport drivers in the top seven of the standings until he hit a rough patch in consecutive races at Rockingham and Kansas, would like nothing better than to get back up in the points neighborhood with his teammates, who are currently one-two in the championship.

Matt Crafton's No. 88 Fisher Nuts / Menards Toyota is leading the points by 13 over a two-man tie for second between ThorSport teammate Johnny Sauter, who drives the No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota and rookie Jeb Burton. Bodine is currently 16th in the standings, but only 19 points outside the top 10.

Bodine does have four top-five finishes in nine Truck Series starts at Charlotte, including a second-place run in 2010 and a third-place last May, so there's some cause for optimism bolstered by the reappearance of Mattei as the team's sponsor. Bodine gave Mattei's guests a show at Daytona as he pushed Sauter to the lead, from which Sauter won the race.

"Their compressors are state-of-the-art and Mattei knows how to make this program in NASCAR work to achieve their goals," Bodine said. "I've had a lot of fun working with them and we're looking forward to this weekend."

NASCAR has scheduled a 4.5-hour open-practice session Thursday split from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET and 2-4:30 p.m. That roughly equates to Friday's only official practice, from 10:30-11:50 a.m.; and also relates to Friday's 4 p.m. qualifying session. But with ThorSport crew chief Jeriod Prince and Bodine having had only four race weekends together, every lap is precious even if the Thursday test's timing doesn't really match the race schedule.

"For Jeriod and myself it's definitely a good thing, because we're still getting used to each other a little bit," Bodine said of the additional practice. "Jeriod's still trying to figure out what I like and how I like the truck to be set up. We just need to learn how to fine-tune the set-up and get what I like onto the truck.

"It's not like we have a notebook from the last three years of going to these racetracks together and figuring all this stuff out. We're starting from zero and we're having to work all this out, so that extra practice is definitely a good thing for us, to move that process along."

The season's fifth race, 134 laps and 201 miles, is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start Friday, with live television on SPEED Channel beginning with "The Set-Up" pre-race show at 7:30. MRN Radio has live radio coverage, also beginning at 7:30.

Todd Bodine's ThorSport Racing team has shown the potential all season to join teammates Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton in the top five of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' standings.

In fact, Sauter and Crafton are currently one-two in the series standings, a first in ThorSport's 18-year history.

But on Saturday a rookie's mistake in the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway knocked Bodine's No. 13 SealMaster Toyota down the finishing order to 21st, and Bodine two positions back in the unofficial point standings, to 16th.

For the second consecutive week, crew chief Jeriod Prince and Bodine had executed a strategy that appeared to place Bodine in position to score at least a top-10 finish -- aided at Kansas by a yellow flag in the middle of a green-flag pit cycle at half-distance that momentarily left Bodine as one of only six trucks on the lead lap.

From there, Prince and Bodine -- who improved from practice to start 10th, putting all three ThorSport trucks in the top 10 at the green flag -- had engineered their fuel strategy and track position to be in the best position possible at the finish, much as they had at the last race, at Rockingham, where Bodine spun on a restart after a tire change and finished 32nd, knocking him out of the top 10 in the standings.

But on lap 121 at Kansas, just three laps after a restart for the eighth of 11 cautions that used up nearly a third of the race, Bodine went into Turns 1 and 2 on the outside of rookie Brennan Newberry's Chevrolet, which earlier in the day had been flat-sided when Newberry made a mistake on his qualifying run.

Newberry lost control of his truck, it moved up the racetrack and knocked Bodine into a heavy contact with the outside wall. When Bodine's truck slid down the banking it was struck by innocent bystander Bryan Silas, who was running on the apron as he tried to miss the wreck. That impact virtually tore the front off Bodine's Tundra and speared it into the outside wall for another heavy impact.

Bodine's truck, which was borrowed from race-winning ThorSport teammate Crafton's squad, was destroyed. The veteran, two-time Truck Series champion Bodine was beyond disappointed, but still able to display his mentoring demeanor when he discussed the incident outside the infield care center.

"Brennan got loose and it's just one of those things in racing," Bodine said. "I think what we really need here is a lot more side force in these trucks so that we absolutely cannot run side-by-side. It's hard enough with the side force we've got -- the way the aerodynamics are, right now.

"A guy like Brennan, he's a great kid and he's got a great future -- he's a good driver -- but I didn't even pinch him down and it sucked him around. That's what happens in these trucks. Unfortunately, a kid like Brennan doesn't have a lot of experience and he arced it way into the corner expecting it to stick like it would every other lap and when somebody is outside of you it just doesn't and you get sucked around.

"We need to work on aerodynamics on these things and take some side force off so we can run side-by-side."

Bodine currently sits 16th in the championship but he's still a reachable 19 points outside the top 10. Owner Duke Thorson dropped to 18th in the owners' standings due to a number of trucks around the No. 13 in the standings using multiple drivers.

Kansas, unfortunately, was a case of what might have been, once again.

"I hope Duke and Rhonda Thorson (team owners) are still up on this whole thing," Bodine said. "It's been tough -- wrecked (April 14) at Rockingham and wrecked again this week. We had a great truck though.

"That thing, it was so good through the corner and stable. We were just biding our time and trying to position ourselves right -- we had enough fuel right there and we were going to make it to the end (but) we just didn't get there."

The series is off until round five, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 17 as part of the Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Bodine hasn't won at Charlotte, but 13 of his 22 career Truck Series wins have come on mile-and-a-half tracks.

Todd Bodine's a former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner at Kansas Speedway, he's on a hot streak at the 1.5-mile, recently repaved and reconfigured speedway and this weekend he's driving a loaner truck from ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton's team -- renumbered as a No. 13 SealMaster Toyota.

While ThorSport teammate and championship leader Johnny Sauter is the Truck Series' highest-rated driver over the past eight years at Kansas, Bodine's rated fourth heading into Saturday's SFP 250.

And Bodine, who won at Kansas in 2005 and has six top-10 finishes, has overall numbers almost as good as Sauter's, even taking into account Bodine, a two-time series champion, has five more starts, nine total, than his teammate's four. Bodine has an average start of only 15th but an average finish of 8.8 and an average running position of 9.5 in that eight-year period.

Best of all, Bodine's on a streak of three consecutive top-five finishes, including fifth last season and third the two previous years.

"There's no reason we can't continue that streak," Bodine said. "From what I understand it's a really good aerodynamic truck we're taking, Kansas has new pavement so it's going to be about horsepower and aerodynamics. With the trucks I don't think we're even going to be letting off the gas so it'll be who can hold it wide-open the longest...

"From what I understand we should be able to do it for a whole (fuel and tire) run, so hopefully we can put it together. Passing will be tough because the faster trucks will run the same speed and it's hard to pass when you're running the same speed. And handling is critical -- you have to have it free and let it roll and not bog down, because if you bog down in the corner, that's when they'll pass you."

Bodine's looking to rebound in the championship in his fourth start for ThorSport. He went to Rockingham last weekend seventh in the standings after only two races with ThorSport, but a late crash knocked him back to 14th in the points -- though he's only 10 points out of the top 10.

He hopes his fourth race with crew chief Jeriod Prince will result in the decent results -- two 11th-place finishes -- that they enjoyed before the off-day at Rockingham, but improved a good bit by Bodine's track record at Kansas.

"That's part of being an experienced driver -- helping the crew chief make the truck faster," Bodine said. "There are a lot of guys that can't do that, but because of my background and years of experience I feel like that is one of my stronger attributes, being able to help the crew chief."

The pair will get a chance to put it into play with four hours and 10 minutes of practice Friday, before the series qualifies at 11:05 ET Saturday.

"I think a lot of Jeriod," Bodine said of his former driver who now is managing both Frank Kimmel's ARCA Racing Series championship-leading team and also Bodine's truck team, which includes most of the same men. "I think Jeriod's very smart and if we could work together for a while and he'd get to know me and what I like and how to get it, I think we could have some success.

"But that takes time. We ran real well at Daytona and Martinsville and you can't let one (sub-par) run (at Rockingham) color the season."

The season's fourth race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. ET Saturday. Live television begins at 1:30 p.m. with "The Set-up" pre-race show on SPEED Channel, followed by the race broadcast. MRN Radio has live coverage, also beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Todd Bodine had one of his more frustrating weekends at Rockingham Speedway and it came to a head Sunday, when the two-time Rockingham Nationwide winner spun on a restart, hit the inside wall on the backstretch and had to retire from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine.

Bodine's No. 13 SealMaster Toyota had struggled with an unbalanced handling package throughout the race that finally culminated in his ThorSport Racing truck's demise with 18 laps to go in the original distance. Bodine ended up 32nd in the final rundown and lost seven spots in the championship standings, though he's only 10 points out of 10th.

"We just missed the set-up and we struggled with it," Bodine said. "We made some changes that would make one part of the corner better but it would make the other part of the corner worse. We'd fix those and then one part would be better and the other, worse.

"We just never could get it right."

That was the kiss of death for their chances to win, or even to finish well. Even with their set-up struggles Bodine and crew chief Jeriod Prince worked hard to never fall out of the top 20 in the running order, or off the lead lap as eventual race winner Kyle Larson dominated -- leading 187 of 200 laps -- but never putting Bodine a lap down.

Bodine said he screwed up his qualifying lap on Sunday morning and started 19th in the 36-truck field on account. But through the race's first 170 laps Bodine ran as high as 13th and never fell lower than 17th. When the fifth caution waved at lap 174 with Bodine running 17th, the ThorSport pair's decision was easy.

"Near the end of the race we really had nothing to lose," Bodine said. "So we came in and put those tires on and on the restart, it just never stuck. I don't know if the tire was going flat, or I got hit but it just never stuck, I spun out and hit the wall."

That occurred on lap 181. The truck returned to pit road, but had to go to the garage and retire, relegating Bodine to a 32nd-place finish. The worst aspect of the final mishap was that Bodine dropped from seventh in the championship to 14th, although he's still only 10 points behind 10th-place Bubba Wallace.

The weekend was a struggle for Bodine and Prince, who'd scored 11th-place finishes in their first two races together this season. In the first 90-minute practice, they only completed one run -- going out but not completing a lap four other times.

"We were trying to work (the handling) out, but there was no need to stay on the racetrack," Bodine said of how quickly -- just through the first two corners -- he and his men were able to deduce where they were.

And in the end the race was their worst nightmare.

"It's just about catastrophic if you can't work out the set-up, because it's all about balance here, about the longevity of the set-up," Bodine said Sunday after the race. "You can run good off the (new) tires for a little while but then it's the balance of the truck that's gonna make the difference, and we just missed it in the set-up and the balance."

The team looks to rebound this weekend at Kansas Speedway, the site of the season's fourth race, on a 1.5-mile high-banked oval that will be held on Saturday, April 20. Bodine's last three finishes at Kansas are two thirds and a fifth in 2012.

Todd Bodine has a winning history at Rockingham Speedway and with his first two races this season with ThorSport Racing giving him the anticipation that a victory is right around the next left-hand turn, Bodine's got a good feeling about Sunday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' second annual Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine.

Bodine has 35 career starts at Rockingham across NASCAR's three national tours, with two Busch Series wins, the predecessor of the Nationwide Series, in 1995 and 2001, 11 top-10 starts and 13 top-10 finishes.

As if that experience with Rockingham's notoriously abrasive track surface wasn't important enough, Bodine has the more recent experience of tire strategy and management at Martinsville last weekend -- when crew chief Jeriod Prince hatched a masterful plan to put Bodine in position to take advantage of fresh rubber on his No. 13 SealMaster Toyota with about 30 laps to go.

The strategy would've worked if Kevin Harvick hadn't spun Bodine out of his way going into Turn 3 in the race's late stages. Even with that, Prince had to put a set of well-used tires on Bodine's Tundra and Bodine drove it back into 11th place by the finish.

"Rockingham's a different animal than Martinsville," Bodine said. "But Rockingham does eat up tires and it's wore out. Tire management is critical and I think experience means a lot. If we can get a good truck, experience will come to the top. We've just got to be smart, use our heads and not get in trouble."

Prince and Bodine excelled at that in Martinsville. After struggling to find a balance in their truck during practice, and even in qualifying when Bodine timed-in in the 23rd spot, they kept working and had a great set-up for the race.

At Rockingham, teams will have two-and-a-half hours of practice on Saturday, from noon to 1:30 ET and then from 3 to 4 p.m.

"Your plan is the same as it usually is at any racetrack," Bodine said. "You've just got to get a balance and then work on old tires and longevity and balance on tire runs -- and work out your tire wear and everything that goes with it. That's what you work on."

Qualifying is set for 11:05 a.m. Sunday -- less than three hours before the race. Before he goes anywhere near the place, Bodine knows what he and his crew need to accomplish.

"Track position and good tires is what you really want to have when it comes down to making something happen at the end of the race at Rockingham," Bodine said. "You've got to be toward the front with a good truck and put yourself in a position to take advantage of that track position.

"Depending on how long that last run's going to be, it might come down to tire management. You can burn the tires off the truck in the first 10 laps and not have anything left or you can let those other guys run hard for 10 or 20 laps and then go after it.

"So there's two ways to do it, and what you do kind of depends on whatever situation you're in."

And Bodine's hoping that experience he has at the high-banked one-mile oval in the North Carolina sand hills looks on him favorably once again.

"I've always enjoyed Rockingham," Bodine said. "I've been fortunate enough to win twice there in the Nationwide Series. I've always enjoyed it, and I ran good there with the Cup car. Last year with the truck we struggled really bad (31st-place finish), but we found out what was wrong and I'm looking forward to going back with a new team and the right set-up and doing better."

That leads to Bodine's blossoming relationship with Prince and his crew. Perhaps the most positive thing about Bodine's first two races with ThorSport is that, after two races in which circumstances largely out of his control cost Bodine better finishes than he deserved, he's still seventh in the championship, behind his leading teammates Johnny Sauter and third-place Matt Crafton.

"That's very positive, there's no doubt about that," Bodine said. "To be able to have a new team that you've never worked with and to do as well as we've done... I'm a realist -- I don't just look at the finish, I look at the performance.

"And the performance indicates we could have won both races (Daytona and Martinsville). To me that speaks volumes for the team and for what Jeriod's doing."

The season's third race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. ET Sunday. Live television begins at 1:30 p.m. with "The Set-up" pre-race show on SPEED Channel, followed by the race broadcast. MRN Radio has live coverage, also beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Todd Bodine fell victim to another driver's apparent impatience Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, and his No. 13 SealMaster Toyota's potential was ultimately borne out by a come-backing 11th-place finish in the Kroger 250.

When Bodine was spun out by Kevin Harvick as the pair went into Turn 3 on the 229th lap it created the scenario that not only enabled Bodine's ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter to make the winning move in his No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota, it also facilitated their third teammate, Matt Crafton's charge into second in his No. 88 Rip It Energy Fuel / Menards Tundra.

But Bodine took away a big-picture view and it centered on crew chief Jeriod Prince and his double-duty team, which also fields ThorSport's ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship-leading Toyota Camry for Frank Kimmel.

"I'm very impressed with Jeriod and all his guys," Bodine said. "For just coming in here and working with a new driver, I'm very impressed. Jeriod's got a great head on his shoulders and a way of running the team that's very calm, cool and collected and that's very important for a crew chief to be able to do that.

"We struggled in practice and qualifying and made some changes for the race -- and we were actually really good. That's a very positive sign, when you can make changes blindly, not get to try 'em and actually make the right changes. That's really hard to do and that's what we were able to do, and to run well."

To his point, Bodine qualified only 23rd on Friday afternoon, but when the green flag fell his Tundra moved forward. The unique part of the solid relationship Prince and his crew have with Bodine is that they formulated a strategy to put them near the front when it mattered, even if their wheelman wasn't totally on board.

"Jeriod took a little calculated gamble on our pit strategy and it was going to pay off," Bodine said, even though, at the time Prince made the call not to pit when most of the rest of the lead-lap trucks did, Bodine had politely said on his in-truck radio, 'Just so you know, I don't agree with that call.'"

But Bodine quickly bought-into the plan, and with the exception of another driver spinning him out, almost executed it to perfection. That led Prince to say, after the race as he congratulated his driver and crew, "We should have had a ThorSport one-two-three." Bodine readily agreed.

"It was absolutely the perfect strategy," Bodine said. "And then we got ran over by Harvick. To be able to come in and put those old tires on and drive back to 11th -- that was pretty good and it just shows you how good the truck was."

Perhaps the most positive thing about Bodine's first two races with ThorSport is that, after two races in which circumstances largely out of his control cost Bodine better finishes than he deserved, he's still seventh in the championship, behind leader Sauter and third-place Crafton.

"That's very positive, there's no doubt about that," Bodine said. "To be able to have a new team that you've never worked with and to do as well as we've done... I'm a realist -- I don't look at the finish, I look at the performance.

"And the performance indicates we could have won both races (Daytona and Martinsville). To me that speaks volumes for the team and for what Jeriod's doing."

Bodine's hoping he can apply everything he learned at Martinsville, this weekend at Rockingham Speedway, a one-mile high-banked oval in the North Carolina sand hills that is legendary for abusing tires. The season's third race, the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine, starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

There's no question Todd Bodine knows how to race well at Martinsville Speedway. But if you're a Bodine racing in Martinsville, Va., running well isn't good enough -- you're expected to win.

That's because Todd's older brothers, Geoff and Brett, have an unprecedented winning legacy at Martinsville. Geoff is the only driver in the track's history to have won in modified, sportsman (current Nationwide Series) and Cup Series cars -- including what's now Hendrick Motorsports' first Cup Series win.

Geoff was part of the greatest finish in the track's -- and some say in all of motorsports' history -- with the late, great Richie Evans in 1981. For his part, Brett has two Modified Tour wins and two victories in the Busch Series at Martinsville's .526-mile oval.

Being winless at the paperclip-shaped oval is a heavy burden for Todd Bodine to carry to Virginia this weekend as he'll line his No. 13 SealMaster Toyota up for his 18th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start there when the Kroger 250 goes green on Saturday.

Todd has seven Truck Series top-10 finishes that include five top fives -- with two seconds among them -- but he knows that's not good enough.

"I need to get (winning) done because I'm not going to have a whole lot of shots left at Martinsville," Bodine, a two-time Truck Series champion who has 22 series wins, said. "It would mean a lot to get that win (at Martinsville) and the pressure is getting high, so I've gotta get it done."

Todd Bodine, who was the key figure in ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter winning the season-opener at Daytona six weeks ago in his No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota, is going to be counting on Sauter and their teammate Matt Crafton (No. 88 Rip It Energy Fuel / Menards Toyota) for as much help as possible since Bodine didn't test for Martinsville and Sauter and Crafton did.

Bodine does have the benefit of having a race-driving crew chief, Jeriod Prince, who shook down Bodine's truck at the test and was within two-tenths of a second of Sauter on older tires.

"I know with Johnny and Matt's success (at Martinsville)," Bodine said. "And as well as they run, we should unload with a good set-up and be very close and hopefully get another opportunity to run up front."

Bodine has 13 lead-lap finishes in his 17 previous Martinsville Truck Series starts, but strangely enough he hasn't led a lot of laps. In the two races he finished second in, in spring 2007 and fall 2008, he led laps in neither. He's only led laps in three of his Martinsville starts, though two of them were sizable ones: 74 laps led in spring 2005 when he finished fourth and 83 laps in fall 2010 when he finished third.

As frustrating as his 50-50 finishes have been, Bodine is knowledgeable about what he needs. And with the way he and Prince came out of the box at Daytona, where they finished a come-backing 11th after getting shuffled out of the draft on a restart, Bodine's confident they'll figure out how to get there.

"Well, you gotta have everything to succeed at Martinsville," Bodine said. "The truck's gotta stop, it's gotta turn and it's gotta get up off the corner. If you lack in one area, you know you're half a tenth (of a second) off and at Martinsville, if you're half a tenth off you're not going to win.

"You still gotta have a good strategy and be able to pit in the right sequence and do the right things there to get your track position. I think Jeriod's got enough experience -- not only as a crew chief but as a car chief. He's seen enough races that he understands how to get that done. I think he'll do just fine.

"For as little time as we've spent together, I've got a lot of confidence in him. I think he's very smart and very confident at the job."

And that may lead to Prince and Bodine having to make key strategic decisions this weekend in a race that's 50 laps longer than the fall Kroger-sponsored event.

"Obviously you want to be at the front and have the best tires you can have," Bodine said. "That doesn't always work out and that's where being smart... You know, we're going to have to watch the tires in practice and know how much the lap times are going to drop off and figure all that out and do your back-run on the race, from the end of the race and figure out when you want to pit.

"Hopefully you can get the chance in there somewhere, but then when you pit, the odds are that most of the field is going to pit, so you gotta be ready to get a good pit stop and get out (in front)."

If that all works out that might enable Bodine to join his brothers as Martinsville victors -- but the first of the three siblings to win at Martinsville in a truck.

The Kroger 250 is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday. Live television coverage is on SPEED Channel, beginning with the "Set-up" pre-race show at 1 p.m. MRN Radio has the live radio broadcast.

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Todd Bodine didn't win two editions of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway by accident. But an accident on the last lap of Friday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener might've cost him an opportunity at a historic third win.

Bodine's No. 13 Mattei Air Compressors Toyota was glued to the back bumper of ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton's No. 88 Slim Jim / Menards Toyota and the pair had a huge draft of momentum heading toward the front of the field, where Johnny Sauter's third ThorSport truck was working to hold off Kyle Busch on the white flag lap.

But heading into Turn 1, four trucks running behind Crafton and Bodine got tangled up, crashed and the race was instantly history when the yellow flag froze the field's running order. Sauter's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota went to Victory Lane. Crafton ended up ninth and Bodine 11th in the final rundown.

In the aftermath -- actually during a laugh-filled debrief with teammate Sauter that certainly had an inwardly gruesome twinge to it -- all Bodine could do was ponder what might have been.

"Our ThorSport trucks should have been 1-2-3, we were all that good," Bodine said. "I was committed to Johnny -- my spotter knew I wasn't going to pass him, no matter what happened. But when I got shuffled back, Matt was there and man, we were coming to the front.

"I think, if that last caution hadn't come out, Johnny might've finished third or fourth. It would have been interesting.

The result, even though it was disappointing for Bodine, who came into the event with an average start of ninth and average finish of fifth in eight career Daytona starts, had first-time NASCAR team sponsor Mattei, a producer of energy-efficient air compressors for commercial applications, absolutely giddy at the effort.

"Working with the people from Mattei made this a really special weekend," Bodine said. "I said it before -- when you can have a company with a great product excited about the exposure and activation they can achieve through NASCAR racing -- it doesn't get much better. That's what I think we achieved with Mattei and ThorSport this weekend."

Bodine's 26th-place starting position didn't highlight what the Daytona master -- the only driver in 14 editions of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 that's won it more than once -- would do in the race. Bodine reached the top 10 before 25 laps were run and led eight laps, in two four-lap segments, before the three-quarter point.

Bodine led those laps racing around and against Busch -- the driver who's posted stunning victory numbers across all three NASCAR national tours in recent years but who was beaten by Bodine in each of the latter's Daytona Truck Series wins.

Bodine ultimately did some of his best work when he hooked up with Sauter and pushed his teammate to the front of the field. Sauter had led lap 61, the first lap after an early restart, but when Bodine's adeptness in the draft pushed Sauter into the lead, the Wisconsin pilot whose best previous Daytona finish was 17th paced the field for the final 16 laps -- including one restart that was the fateful point of the event for Bodine.

As the field shuffled to get lined-up before a green flag with five laps remaining, Sauter misunderstood an attempt to communicate that Bodine would hold back the inside line of the grid at the restart, allowing Sauter to move in front of him and resume the positions that had set up at least a potential one-two finish before the caution had flown at lap 93.

Sauter, who had his choice of the inside or outside lanes, chose the more advantageous inside lane. Bodine, who knew his truck was having trouble taking off on restarts, was outside of him. When the green flag flew, Bodine went backwards in a hurry, but playing committed teammate to the end, picked up another ThorSport partner near the back of the field and pushed Crafton to his fifth career Daytona top-10 finish, but his fourth in the last five years.

Todd Bodine's got plenty of history at Daytona International Speedway, but the two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion has never come to Speedweeks with as strong an array of teammates as he does in 2013 with ThorSport Racing.

Bodine, who won the 2008 and 2009 NCWTS season openers while driving for Germain Racing -- the same organization with which Bodine won Truck Series championships in 2006 and 2010 -- debuts this weekend in ThorSport's No. 13 Mattei Air Compressors Toyota. And Bodine knows all too well how valuable committed veteran teammates can be.

So Bodine is anxious to see just how effective his two veteran teammates, Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Slim Jim / Menards Toyota and Johnny Sauter in the No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota, can be when aligned with Bodine, who in eight Daytona Truck Series starts has an average start of ninth and an average finish of fifth.

"Having three trucks ups your odds at winning," Bodine said. "And when you have three experienced drivers and three experienced teams and three good Toyota trucks you've got a shot to win the race. That's what we have at ThorSport."

And what ThorSport has, for the first time at Daytona at least, is a three-man crew of proven winners -- even if Bodine is the only win with a trip to Daytona's Victory Lane. Bodine, like Crafton and Sauter, knows the 807 laps he's raced at Daytona in a truck might not make a difference if another driver makes a mistake. But all those laps could be what sets him apart from the rest.

"Just the experience itself that I have, gives me the most optimism for this weekend," Bodine said. "The more drafting that you do, the more you understand it and that's where experience is key. Experience doesn't always pay off, because there's a lot of luck involved, also. But with more experience comes better luck."

There's no question winning a third Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona would put Bodine -- the youngest of three racing brothers from Chemung, N.Y. -- in select all-time company at Daytona. As it is, in the 14 previous editions of the race, Bodine is the only two-time winner.

"That brings me a lot of pride, but I'm honored to be a part of that Daytona legacy," Bodine said. "I've been coming here my whole life -- I had my first seven birthdays (Feb. 27) right here in the infield at the Daytona 500.

"So to me, Daytona is something like the Holy Grail -- it's the Stanley Cup, World Series and the Super Bowl all rolled into one. It's what you do as a driver and what you strive to accomplish. If you can retire with a Daytona win, that's a pretty large statement."

Bodine's already made some knowledgeable statements to the media about ThorSport and Bodine's newest partner, a first time NASCAR team sponsor in Mattei Air Compressors, a global company with 180 distributors in North America that offers the most energy-efficient air and gas compressors on the market.

"When you can bring a new company to the sport it feels like you're giving back to the sport and that you're helping the sport to survive," Bodine said. "When you have a company like Mattei Air Compressors, which has so much enthusiasm about being involved, it makes it that much better."

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start on Friday. Live television coverage is on SPEED Channel and MRN Radio has the live radio broadcast.

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Todd Bodine, who won the 2008 and 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season openers, will try to repeat the feat in 2013 as part of a three-truck Toyota Tundra lineup at ThorSport Racing.

Team owner Duke Thorson announced Monday that Bodine, a two-time Truck Series champion, would drive the No. 13 Mattei Air Compressor Toyota Tundra in the Feb. 22 NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway as a teammate to full-time ThorSport pilots Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter.

"Obviously, we're really excited to have Todd Bodine join ThorSport Racing for Daytona, because he gives us a third legitimate shot at winning this race," ThorSport Racing general manager David Pepper said. "Teaming Todd with Matt and Johnny gives us three of the best drivers in the field. Running and finishing at the front is a big deal for our two guys that are running the full season for the championship because it's always important to get off to a good start to the season.

"This deal with Todd and Mattei Air Compressors came together late in the game but we believe good things come to those who are patient. By far, this is the best lineup we've ever started the season with at ThorSport and we expect to have a strong showing at Daytona. We can't wait to get 2013 started."

Sauter led four laps last year at Daytona while driving the No. 13, including the race's last scheduled lap before he and Crafton were wiped out of the top 10 in one of the five accidents in the last 10 laps that extended the 2012 race to nine laps of "overtime." Sauter this season switches to ThorSport's No. 98 Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota while continuing to work with crew chief Joe Shear Jr.

Crafton, who's three races away from establishing a Truck Series' record for consecutive starts, wheels his familiar No. 88 Slim Jim/Menards Toyota Tundra into Daytona, where he'll make his 295thconsecutive series start while beginning his second season with crew chief Carl Joiner Jr.

Bodine, the Chemung, N.Y., native that has 22 victories in 212 career Truck Series starts, the series championship in 2006 and 2010 -- along with gathering a total 778 career starts, 37 wins and 19 poles in NASCAR's three national series -- is enthused to have a one-race opportunity to get back in a potential race-winning truck. In his two previous Daytona wins he beat Kyle Busch each time, by just .077 seconds in 2008.

"It's definitely a good opportunity, with an established team with a season of running Toyotas behind them," Bodine said. "They've been there and done that and they know how to get it done."

Bodine will work with crew chief Jeriod Prince, who'll remain in Daytona after beginning the season at his "day job," running the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry for ThorSport's ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards driver, nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel.

Bodine, who's in a select group of drivers that's won pole positions in all three NASCAR national series, including five in the Sprint Cup Series, knows he has a chance to get his eighth career Truck Series pole on Feb. 22. But his focus is the race, particularly since he has two other superspeedway wins in a truck, at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007-2008.

"Daytona's one of those tracks that's kind of a crap shoot and you have to put yourself in the right position and if you have a decent truck you can do something with it, and I really believe we've got just as good a shot as anybody, going down there," Bodine said before reflecting on he and his teammates' potential. "Teammates are only good if you're in a position to help each other, and that's not always the case at Daytona, in the draft.

"You can't count on it, but if the situation arises where we can help each other, I know I'll be there to help them if they need it and hopefully they'll be there to help me win this race for ThorSport. I've been in that position before at Daytona and sometimes you've got to be willing to take one for the team, so to speak, so we have a ThorSport truck in Victory Lane at the end of the night."

Record-holder Kimmel hopes Toledo test pays off

Frank Kimmel's got winning at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway figured out, as the nine-time ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion has a series-best nine victories at the moderately-banked half-mile oval.

Heading into Sunday afternoon's Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care Kimmel -- who comes to Toledo, the fifth of 21 races this season, with a 40-point lead in the championship over Tennessee youngster Mason Mingus -- hopes a Toledo test with his No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota and its ThorSport Racing crew last week pays off.

"I'm always excited to go back to Toledo," Kimmel said, breaking into a grin. "It's a place that has so much good history for me and my family, with how much success we've had there in the past, and it's a great racetrack. I really enjoy it."

While Kimmel's nine Toledo wins were accrued over 14 races between May 1994 and September 2005, he has only two poles in his career there, in 2001 and 2006. Kimmel hopes his team, led by crew chief Jeriod Prince and car chief Rich Lushes, can come up with a better set-up than last spring, when Kimmel qualified only 12th but led 20 laps in the race's second half before finishing second to winner Chris Buescher.

"We got to test (last Thursday) and ran a lot of laps, and threw a lot of different things at it," Kimmel said of the more than 150 laps he turned. "We were trying to figure out what the car liked and didn't like, and we picked up on a few things. So hopefully Jeriod and Rich can go over the notes we have and we'll come back with the best package we've had at Toledo in quite a while."

The car that Kimmel used to fashion on old-school Kimmel performance in the last short-track race, at Salem, Ind., last month is sitting in pieces at the ThorSport shop in Sandusky. But last week's test session is another reason Kimmel has big confidence coming back to Toledo, even though he'll have a different car under him.

"Actually they're sister cars -- virtually identical racecars -- that came from Kevin Harvick Inc.," Kimmel said. "They're set up almost exactly the same so really, once I sat down in the car we'll use at Toledo, it felt about like the other car did.

"I'm excited because it's a really nice racecar -- just as nice as the other one was -- and I expect it to do really well."

It was easy to get that impression at the test, where Kimmel's car performed favorably against Mingus' Win-Tron Racing Toyota, showing similar times on the stop watch on roughly equivalent tires.

"Without a doubt, that's the way it's going to be, virtually everywhere we go -- a real knock-down, drag-out, toe-to-toe battle to the end of this championship," Kimmel said. "They're going to be there, right at the front, everywhere we go because Mason's doing a really good job and Win-Tron is an absolutely first-class outfit, so they're gonna be a tough competitor."

But Kimmel was quick to point out that's not all he'll have to face.

"There are going to be probably 10-12 other cars that can win this race," Kimmel said. His nephew, Will Kimmel, was at the test as a coach, not a driver as he will be in his family-run No. 68 Ford this weekend. And Kyle Benjamin, a 15-year-old phenom, was also at the test and was quick, and consistent.

"I really look to see some guys running well (at Toledo)," Kimmel said. "It's not just gonna come down to me and (Mingus) because there will be a lot of other players in the game. Of course, we want to beat Mason -- but we want to beat all the rest of them, too. That's our goal and that's why we tested."

At Mobile in the series' second race Frank Kimmel -- who has four top-six finishes in his four 2013 starts -- wanted a car that was better on a long green-flag run. He had that at Salem, where he dominated the race's second half by leading 90 of the last 104 laps. At Toledo Kimmel has one seemingly simple request.

"It'd be nice if I had the only set of new tires left, with 50 laps to go," Kimmel said with a laugh. "That would probably be the best thing because right now these Hoosier tires we're running (at Toledo) wore out really quick at the test and they slowed down quite a bit. That was one of the reasons we tested because on the longer runs we haven't been as good as some of these other cars.

"So we worked on that quite a bit at the test and I'm sure we put more laps on the racetrack than anybody that was there. You just want a car that turns good and has good forward bite, because when the tires wear out you lose both of those things. So we just need to make sure, again, that our car runs a lot longer than the other guys' does."

ARCA has scheduled two 45-minute practice sessions Saturday for the 35-car entry. The first is from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET and final practice is from 1-1:45 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. to set the starting grid.

The season's fifth race, 200 laps and 100 miles, is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start Sunday, with live television on SPEED Channel. Live timing & scoring and audio coverage is available on ARCARacing.com throughout the weekend.

Kimmel's Talladega win gives ThorSport a 50 percent season

Frank Kimmel improved ThorSport Racing's overall 2013 winning percentage to a stunning 50 percent with his victory Friday in the rain-shortened International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Kimmel's win in the No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota was his second career victory at the 2.66-mile oval and his 77th career win in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. That brings him to within two wins of the mark of ARCA's all-time career victories leader, Iggy Katona, who had 79 wins in his career that spanned 1953-1977.

"That's a big deal to me," Kimmel said about the win record. "I've never been a big stat guy, but Iggy was a hero of mine. He raced with my dad (Bill Kimmel)."

With his third victory for ThorSport in his second season with the team based in Sandusky, Ohio, Kimmel scored his fourth consecutive top-10 finish this season in as many races and extended his points lead over SCOTTS Rookie Challenge leader Mason Mingus, who finished second Friday, to 40 points.

Even better yet, Kimmel became the third ThorSport driver to enjoy Victory Lane this season. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ThorSport has won three of the season's four races: two by second-place point man Johnny Sauter and the most recent race, at Kansas Speedway, by championship leader Matt Crafton.

"It's great to be back in Victory Lane," said Kimmel, who last won in August 2012 at Springfield, Ill., and who celebrated his 51st birthday three days before the race, on April 30. "The last time I won here at Talladega (in fall 2006), it was shortened by darkness.

"The car ran great (Friday). I was drafting there with John Wes Townley early and worked our way to the front. I've always said you win here with your crew more than anywhere you go."

Townley was forced to start at the rear when his pole speed was disallowed, but he and Kimmel came to the front quickly. Kimmel took over second, behind leader Grant Enfinger, at lap 20.

Kimmel's crew gave him a quick, fuel-only pit stop under the race's second caution, at lap 26 and with rain threatening planned for that to be their only stop.

"That's exactly right -- we only had to make the one stop but the guys performed like they always do," Kimmel said. "This is definitely a team sport and the way the cars are prepped is just outstanding. These guys work their butts off back at the shop, preparing our cars and Todd Bodine's trucks, and that's what makes this speedway car fast, is a lot of hard work. They did a good job."

Kimmel restarted the race third behind two cars that didn't pit and was second when the third caution immediately flew, at lap 34, for a big accident triggered by Kimmel's Salem nemesis, Milka Duno. That eliminated a number of his chief contenders -- including Enfinger and third-place point man Tom Hessert, who won at Salem.

Kimmel passed Josh Williams for the lead at lap 43, four laps before the scheduled halfway point and was able to easily hold it on three subsequent restarts.

When rain began falling, causing the race to go under its seventh and final caution at lap 72, Kimmel eventually brought the field to pit road with 21 laps remaining of the scheduled 94. A short time later, the celebration in an impromptu Victory Lane, in one of the end units in the NASCAR Nationwide Series garage, was on.

Kimmel finished fourth in the same Camry to start the season at Daytona, but was never able to get himself into position to challenge for the win. At Talladega, after the big crash, Kimmel was able to handle everyone who was left.

That included a move on a restart with 31 laps left of the original distance, when the veteran Kimmel could sense a group of his competitors trying to gang up on him to draft past him and into the lead.

"Those guys were piling-up, and I knew they were going to try to do that," Kimmel said. "They had got a good run going on the outside and I saw Mason (Mingus) in the 32 go high, and I just tried to stay in front of him.

"I lost a race a few years ago when I didn't stay in front of a guy that I should've. You better learn from your mistakes, and Mason did a nice job -- just like he did at Daytona -- and he didn't run all over me. But I plugged them all up, just ruined their momentum and slowed them down, and that's the trick here, is momentum.

"If the guys can team up on you, they're gonna pass you, so it worked out good for us."

It certainly did for Kimmel, who scored his 16th top-10 finish in his last 21 superspeedway races at either Daytona or Talladega.

The fact that the team's next race is at ARCA's home track, the half-mile Toledo (Ohio) Speedway on Sunday, May 19, only makes Kimmel smile even wider -- actually akin to the grin that was on Kimmel's face when he opened his weekend on Wednesday night by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for the AA Southern League's North Division leaders, the Birmingham Barons.

"Actually, every race I go to with this team, I'm excited because the cars are awesome," Kimmel said. "It was a good day for us (Friday), to come out of here -- a place where you're just never sure what's going to happen -- with a win and the car ran great, well, we'll just keep plugging."

Frank Kimmel's unique in ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' history, as a nine-time champion. But Kimmel falls in step with the masses when it comes to this weekend's venue, the Talladega Superspeedway.

"It's a crapshoot race, so you've just got to get in line (and draft)," Kimmel said last weekend at The Salem Speedway, which precedes Talladega by less than a week and ironically is one of the series' smallest tracks while Talladega is the longest. "We'll just qualify in the top 20 and then race all day long and see where it falls out in the end."

Kimmel and his No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota team from ThorSport Racing do have a leg up on all but two of the 40 entrants in Friday's International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250, though.

Kimmel's won both a pole (2004) and a race (2006) at the massive 2.66-mile speedway, while speedway ace Bobby Gerhart has a win (2001) and three poles and Tom Hessert, who last weekend won his second consecutive Salem race by knocking home-track favorite Kimmel aside in the closing laps, won the 2009 pole at "The World's Fastest Speedway."

But in the last 20 races on ARCA's two largest tracks -- Daytona and Talladega -- Kimmel has an impressive record consisting of 11 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, including two runner-up results (2007 and 2011) at Talladega.

When you add-in Kimmel and crew chief Jeriod Prince's fourth-place finish in the Daytona season-opener and the fact that Kimmel carries a 30-point lead over Tennessee 18-year-old Mason Mingus into the fourth of 21 races this season, that gives Kimmel's young team added confidence.

"We had a good car at Daytona and I know Jeriod and the guys are bringing the same car to Talladega," Kimmel said. "So I think we'll be OK. For us the racetracks are really the same. We know it's going to be fast and we just have to get through the circumstances -- get through the wrecks if they happen -- and not get yourself all messed-up over anything."

Kimmel's ThorSport Racing crew was remarkably calm at Salem, given the nature of what happened to them with an almost sure victory in sight. The uncertainty of Talladega might be another test.

"With this championship as close as it appears to be shaping up," Kimmel said, "we just have to keep our nose clean and get to the end."

"What we want to do at Talladega is just survive -- stay in line and play the fuel mileage game and get another top-five," Prince said of his primary car, which finished fourth at Daytona. "We had a really good car at Daytona so I think we'll be fine at Talladega.

"If we can continue getting these top-five finishes we'll be all right. At Talladega you have the one-race guys that come in to run the big tracks and they're gonna be good -- they usually win the race -- but there's no reason we can't win, either."

Talladega has a unique three-division schedule, with the ARCA Racing Series sharing the track with the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup series, which race Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

ARCA inspection is all-day Wednesday before Kimmel and his crew attend Wednesday night's Birmingham Barons' minor-league baseball game against the Chattanooga Lookouts, where Kimmel will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the AA Southern League's North Division leader.

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is ARCA's feature event on Thursday, scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET, following three hours of practice, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. On Friday, a 55-minute final practice is scheduled at 11 a.m. ARCA will open the garage area to fans from 1-2 p.m., with the season's fourth race, set for 94 laps, scheduled to get the green flag at about 5:15 p.m.

Salem Speedway record-holder Frank Kimmel was bitten twice by "short-track surprises" in the last 10 laps of Sunday's Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 presented by Crosley Radio, which knocked him into a battle-scarred sixth-place finish.

And though in the end Kimmel's seemingly-sure 10th Salem victory went away -- depriving him of his 77th career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards score as well -- Kimmel still left Salem with an unofficial 30-point lead in the series championship over rookie Mason Mingus, who finished 10th.

"This car's been fast everywhere," Kimmel said, after entertaining a horde of his home-track fans beside his battered Ansell /Menards Toyota on the Salem frontstretch. "It was a really good day for us, to lead a lot of laps and actually, the car didn't have a scratch on it until right there at the end -- so it was just a frustrating day."

With 10 laps left on the high-banked .555-mile oval, Kimmel had a 1.4-second lead over Spencer Gallagher when he came up on the lap-down car of Milka Duno. Because of Duno's erratic lines, Kimmel had to hesitate in getting past her, and Gallagher pounced on the chance to get beside Kimmel coming out of Turn 2 on the 193rd lap.

"Milka cost us all our lead -- I don't know what she was doing," Kimmel said. "She was [a lap] down and with the leaders coming, late in the day like that you expect her to get out of the way -- and I thought she was. I thought she moved over on the front straightaway and then she pinched me into the wall going into Turn 1.

"I got up into the bad stuff (marbles) and then Spencer got a run on me and he ran all over me all the way down the backstretch and I don't understand that, because we had plenty of room to keep going and I don't know why he was hitting on me like that."

Gallagher banged side-to-side with Kimmel all the way down the backstretch before pulling ahead in Turn 3.

"I think that messed something up on the left front tire because it wouldn't turn any more after that," Kimmel said. "And then I went into Turn 1..."

On that next lap, going into Turn 1, eventual race winner Tom Hessert -- who scored his second consecutive Salem victory by coming from behind on four fresh tires while Kimmel and Gallagher had only two -- made contact with Kimmel, spinning the nine-time ARCA champion into the outside wall, bringing out the final caution and setting up a green-white-checker finish.

"Tom just ran over me -- he didn't even give me a chance," Kimmel said. "So I don't get it."

After his Victory Lane ceremony, Hessert didn't look happy -- all he wanted to do was find Kimmel and explain his side of the deal. The conversation didn't get far before the men went their separate ways.

Coming into Salem, Kimmel and crew chief Jeriod Prince had bemoaned their inability to find an acceptable long-run handling package. At Salem, Kimmel repeatedly left the field behind on restarts and drove away from all challengers in the second half of the race, ultimately leading 90 of the race's final 101 laps.

"We ran pretty good, but we were still tight in the middle of the corners so we're going to go and test at Toledo so we can figure that out," Prince said of the site of the series' May 19 round. "But as a big-picture day, it was a pretty good day for the championship.

"I guess any day that you come home with a sixth-place finish with a car that needs a rear (chassis) clip and half a body, I guess that's not too bad a day."

Despite qualifying three spots behind Mingus, Kimmel goes to next weekend's fourth race of the season, on Friday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, unofficially 30 points in the lead in the 21-race championship.

"It ended up as a bad day because of the way it finished up," Kimmel said "But I guess it was a good points day. I hate that we tore the body off the car because now the guys have to go home and repair it and get it going again."

The Salem Speedway, site of Sunday's third round of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 presented by Crosley Radio, means something special to nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel -- who's won at the legendary southeastern Indiana short track a record nine times.

"It's our home track, so we're feeling good that we're staying home and in our own bed every night," said Kimmel, a Clarksville, Ind., native. "But more than that we really enjoy that racetrack and feel like we really have a hometown advantage, for sure."

But to the fans that no doubt will pack the venerable .555-mile oval with its daunting 33-degree banked turns, Kimmel -- who once won five consecutive ARCA races at the track, between September 2000 and September 2002 -- knows it means something else.

"It doesn't get any tougher, or any rougher or any harder than Salem Speedway," Kimmel said, with a truly affectionate grin spreading across his face. "It's a great old racetrack with a tremendous amount of history and we've had great success there over the years. So obviously we really enjoy going back there."

Kimmel's being typically low-key when he describes his accomplishments at Salem, which is hallowed ground for both stock-car and open-wheel racers. In the 30 ARCA races at Salem since Kimmel's first win there, in spring 1998, only fellow Indianan Shelby Howard, who swept Salem in 2003 and former ARCA Series champion Justin Allgaier have won more than once.

Kimmel, who isn't renowned as a qualifier, holds the Salem ARCA record for pole positions with eight in the same 30-race stretch. Three drivers, former series champion Chris Buescher and former ARCA Rookies of the Year Brian Ross and Bill Baird, have two apiece in that time.

Race drivers -- like Kimmel's ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton praising Rockingham Speedway for its tire-grinding pavement -- historically crave a track with "character..." And even though that definition isn't easy to pin down, Kimmel says Salem, with its 60-year racing legacy, definitely has "it."

"Salem surpasses character," Kimmel said, chuckling. "There's not a lot you can say about Salem that hasn't already been said, because it's an amazing old racetrack. It's rough and it's tough and it's unique because you're running right at the very top of the racetrack.

"There are a lot of things about Salem that makes it a very special place, and the fans we have there are certainly near the top of that list."

Kimmel and crew chief Jeriod Prince had two decent qualifying performances last year at Salem, 11th and seventh. In the spring, Kimmel finished second to 2012 ARCA Rookie of the Year Alex Bowman and in September Kimmel was fourth. Kimmel finished on the lead lap, but led a lap in neither.

Kimmel already has one short track victory with Prince, in 2012 on the flat Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Nothing could be further from Salem's precipitous high-banked corners, and after one short-track race this season, on the high-banked Mobile International Speedway, Kimmel and Prince know where they need to go.

"Our car at Mobile wasn't very good and I think both Jeriod and I know that," Kimmel said. "We've already discussed it, a lot, trying to figure out what we need to do to get it back to where it was about mid-season last year, when we were really good racing on the short tracks (winning at LOR and on the Springfield dirt mile).

"So we've just got to go to work and check over our notes and try to make our car run good, longer. It's fast, but we've got to make it run (fast) longer."

Kimmel was fifth at Mobile and that result, along with his fourth-place finish in the Daytona season-opener, puts him in a tie for the series' championship lead with Tennessee youngster Mason Mingus, the Mobile pole winner.

Kimmel and Mingus lead the 30-car Salem entry list, the least number of cars Kimmel will have to deal with in the last three Salem ARCA events. Besides Kimmel, last fall's winner Tom Hessert Jr. is the only former winner entered, but there are a number of "young guns," including Kyle Benjamin, Daytona winner John Wes Townley and Mobile winner Grant Enfinger, that are on Kimmel's radar.

"I think it's going to be a real good season," Kimmel said. "I think there's a lot of good, young racers out there. I'm hearing a rumor that Grant Enfinger is working on a deal to run the whole season so he'd be tough, and Mason's done a real nice job.

"Whoever's driving the 15 (Benjamin) and the 25 (Justin Boston) for the Venturinis is gonna be fast so every week that we go to the track we're probably gonna have a slightly different list of characters but there's a few that are going to run the whole year and those kids are gonna make it tough on us.

"We're gonna have to go out and perform -- but I really feel like if we go out and do what we're supposed to do and what we're capable of they're gonna have a hard time with us."

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon and will be online at ARCARacing.com. On Sunday an ARCA driver autograph session from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. will precede the main event. The season's third race is scheduled to get the green flag at 2:15 p.m.

Frank Kimmel continued his resurgent season Saturday with a comeback fifth-place finish in the ARCA Mobile 200, the second annual ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event at Mobile International Speedway.

Kimmel, the nine-time series champion whose 2012 title hopes were derailed by poor finishes in the first two races, scored his second consecutive top-five finish of 2013 -- his second season with ThorSport Racing -- when his No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota picked up four positions in the last 23 laps.

The finish marked an effective comeback as Kimmel's car's handling deteriorated two-thirds of the way into the race and, after running inside the top five for most of the event's first half, Kimmel found himself a lap down, in ninth, after 160 laps with only 40 laps remaining.

"It seemed like after about 15 green-flag laps, the car would start slowing down," Kimmel said. "And then it would get worse and worse as we ran. I don't know what it was but we'll have to figure out what's going on with that.

"We just fell off too far. Everybody's going to fall off -- to lose a second or so (on tire performance) a lap -- but we lost almost two seconds, so we've just got to make it run a little longer."

Kimmel started the 200-lap race on the high-banked half-mile oval in sixth, but jumped into fifth on the first lap, as eventual winner Grant Enfinger took the lead and began to stretch his margin. Under the race's third caution, at lap 63 Kimmel's ThorSport Racing crew got him out of the pits in front of Enfinger and they restarted 13th and 14th, respectively, at lap 67.

Five laps later, when the top-five cars in the running order hit pit road, Kimmel, who had picked his way through traffic a little better than Enfinger, led laps 75-79.

"That was excellent," Kimmel said of his crew's work all day. "We were able to get through traffic a little better and stay ahead of (Enfinger) until another caution and I was able to lead a few laps. In the big picture of the race that's a big point deal. But Grant and his team did a great job. They had everybody covered."

Kimmel's biggest challenge came after a restart at lap 108. Kimmel was second to Enfinger but gradually lost ground and fell into the clutches of his pursuers. Kimmel's car quickly became almost undriveable, losing a lap to Enfinger in the process. But crew chief Jeriod Prince made some adjustments, a couple quick cautions resulted in Kimmel getting a free pass on lap 167 and after Kimmel made a quick stop at lap 168 to check for tire rub after contact on a restart at lap 165, with 29 laps remaining Kimmel restarted ninth.

"The mark of a good team is to battle through adversity, and that's who handles bad stuff, the best," Kimmel said. "On that middle run, for whatever reason, we really lost the handle on the car and it got really hard to drive. So we just had to persevere and get through that, we got the (free pass) and we got some luck and Jeriod made a couple adjustments on the car at the end and we got back up through there. It was all we could do."

Kimmel picked up fifth position with only four laps remaining when he dove inside youngster Justin Boston heading into Turn 1. He pulled far enough away to prevent a repeat of 2012, when contact from an over-aggressive competitor spun Kimmel from third back to 17th at the very end of the race.

"This is what it takes," Kimmel said of his team's great start to the season. "When you have a good day, you've got to take advantage of it and when you have a bad day, you've got to do better than what you should've. And (at Mobile) I think we overcame and made the best of a bad situation so that's all you can do."

After finishing fourth in the season opener at Daytona, Kimmel is now unofficially in a tie for the series lead with SCOTT Rookie Challenge candidate Mason Mingus, who finished fourth at Mobile after winning his first career Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell.

After his car cleared post-race inspection Prince said he could see both sides of the coin after Mobile, but he was already working on solutions.

"Points-wise this season is way better, obviously," Prince, who's in his second season with Kimmel, said. "But performance-wise, as good as Daytona was, we really struggled here -- the worst we've run in a while on a short track -- so we've got some homework to do.

"They made some rule changes and adjusting to that has hurt us a little bit, but we'll go testing and figure it out. Frank did a heck of a job coming back from being a lap down and getting a top-five finish."

The ARCA Racing Series is off until April 28 when the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 is scheduled at legendary Salem (Ind.) Speedway.

Frank Kimmel knew he had a great possibility to score his first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory with ThorSport Racing at the 2012 ARCA Mobile 200.

But three laps from the end of the series' inaugural event at the half-mile short track, Kimmel was spun out of a top-five finish in a race won by popular local driver Cale Gale. Kimmel ended up 17th, part of a disastrous beginning to last season that ultimately doomed Kimmel's chances for a 10th career title before they really got started.

In 2013, Kimmel has several reasons to eagerly anticipate Saturday afternoon's second annual Mobile ARCA 200 -- and Gale not being on the Mobile entry list isn't one of them. First, Kimmel and his ThorSport team came out of the series' opener, three weeks ago at Daytona International Speedway, fourth in the championship.

But even more important, he's got a full season working with crew chief Jeriod Prince, who engineered two victories for Kimmel in the second half of last season.

"Mobile is just your absolute, classic short track," Kimmel said. "Last year was my first time there and that was my first short-track race with ThorSport, so there were a lot of variables going on with that deal.

"But we came off the truck really fast. We ran good the whole night and actually had a really good opportunity to win the race. Late in the race we were right there and was passing for third up on the outside and we got spun out."

The contact cut down the left-rear tire on Kimmel's No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry and when the dust settled and the checkers flew Kimmel was 17th in the final running order.

"That was a disappointing end to what could have been a really, really good finish," Kimmel said. "So I can't wait to get back there. It is your typical short track that we've all come from and it brings back a lot of memories. That's why I'm really looking forward to it."

After he got done gritting his teeth at the memories, Kimmel had to smile when he looked at that Mobile-style action from the fans' perspective.

"That uncertainty -- never knowing what's gonna happen -- is absolutely part of the attraction of any short-track race," Kimmel said. "That's why there's such popularity with Bristol and Martinsville and all the other stuff for the big guys (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) because anything can happen.

"We had a really good car and was looking at a really good finish and everything was in line -- we just didn't get it done. But that's what makes short-track racing so exciting. Everything's so close and anything can happen on any lap."

Right off the bat, Kimmel hopes to improve his qualifying performance. He started the 2012 Mobile event 11th and at the next short-track race, at Salem, Ind., he did the same. The difference was, Kimmel finished second at Salem.

"Based on how we went through the year in 2012 I think this trip can be really good," Kimmel said of Mobile. "I think we learned a lot at Mobile and on into the season. Our cars got faster and faster as we went.

"There are things that we need to work on -- that I need to work on -- and qualifying is definitely one of them. We need to start further up front so we don't put our stuff in jeopardy. The pit stops were excellent last year and I'm sure they'll be even better this year and I feel like we're gonna be a force to be reckoned with any place we go race this year."

Kimmel hopes to participate in at least part of an ARCA fan event at the USS Alabama battleship at Mobile Bay on Thursday evening, when a driver autograph session is scheduled from 5-6 p.m. CT. Practice for the Mobile race begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday and Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 7 p.m. in conjunction with races for Mobile's local divisions.

The main event is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Another ARCA driver autograph session will precede the ARCA Mobile 200, from 12-1 p.m.

On a night in which Daytona International Speedway and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards legend Bill Venturini claimed his first victory in 31 years of competing at the "World Center of Racing," Frank Kimmel was pleased to get out of town with a fourth-place finish in Saturday's Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAV TV American Real.

Kimmel scored his eighth career top-five finish in 22 career starts -- but his first since 2008 -- when he started his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry in 19th, but took advantage of adept pit strategy, track position and a good drafting car to drive from outside the top-10 to his final finishing position.

Kimmel, who leaves Daytona fourth in the standings and more than 100 points ahead of where he was last season -- when a yellow-line violation penalty knocked him back to 21st in the final rundown -- was well aware of that fact.

"It's a good start to the season," Kimmel said. "It ran good and battled all day -- I think I probably passed more cars than anybody out there, it seemed like, so it was a good day. We got a good finish out of what we had and that's all we can ask for.

"I was able to get up to the front of that second pack -- I drafted a lot with the 32 (Mason Mingus) and the 82 (Sean Corr) and that helped a lot. Once we got up there we was just able to hang on."

The respect given to Kimmel -- a nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion -- was obvious as both youngsters sought out the veteran Kimmel post-race in the impound area to swap notes and bench-race while another youngster, John Wes Townley, celebrated in Daytona's Victory lane with his Venturini Motorsports crew.

Kimmel pitted only twice during the race and true to his pre-race plan with crew chief Jeriod Prince, took only Sunoco race fuel under cautions at about lap 10 and again at about lap 20, while running their Hoosier tires for two laps of qualifying and the 80 laps of the race without a change.

"I'll take a fourth-place at Daytona any day," Prince said. "Normally you come out of here with a lot of crashed, torn-up race cars so I'll take fourth at a superspeedway. We had some (left-front) fender damage and the car wasn't as quick as it needed to be on account of that, but we got out in front of that second pack and picked up three tenths (of a second) while leading, so it was good to know it was better out front."

Kimmel's biggest "moment" of the night came during an accident on lap 19, when at least five cars got tangled up on the frontstretch with the fracas starting in a side-by-side draft right in front of Kimmel's neon-yellow Toyota.

"There were some exciting moves out there, for sure," Kimmel said. "But I told my guys at ThorSport Racing all weekend how good that car drives. With a little luck, you can drive through anything and fortunately -- you see the mess happening, you don't panic and you try to drive through it."

"That accident was scary," Prince said of the mood on the pit box, "but not as scary as the fuel mileage at the end (because) the computer was showing we were gonna be out of fuel with five (laps) to go. So we had our fingers and toes crossed at the end."

But bolstering Kimmel and ThorSport's spirits even more is the fact that Kimmel's about the only driver in the top 10 in Daytona's opening rundown that's contesting the full ARCA Racing Series schedule.

The series' second event is in three weeks at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway on March 8-9. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is Friday, March 8 with the main event on Saturday afternoon, March 9.

Frank Kimmel qualified his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry 19th -- right about where he expected to Friday in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at Daytona International Speedway.

But it's in Saturday's ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season-opener, the Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAV TV American Real, that Kimmel, the nine-time ARCA champion, expects to shine despite a qualifying lap in 50.755 seconds, an average speed of 177.322 mph.

"This car is a really, really nice piece that my team at ThorSport has put together, and we're expecting it to race really well Saturday," Kimmel said. "That's how we run, and it's about as fast as we've run since we got it off the trailer. That's about how we expected to run by ourselves, but we think this car will work well in the draft and we'll find that out in Happy Hour, [Saturday]."

Final practice is scheduled on Saturday from 10 - 10:45 a.m. ET and the 50th annual Lucas Oil 200 is scheduled to go green at 4:30 p.m.

Kimmel, who has an ARCA-second-best 76 career wins, has never won at Daytona. But his career record in 21 starts is impressive, with seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10s, including second-place runs in 2004-2005.

"I get asked all the time what it takes to win at Daytona, but it's been pretty darned hard for me -- it's the best race track in the world and we just haven't managed to get the job done, yet," Kimmel said with a chuckle, after qualifying.

John Wes Townley, a regular competitor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, won the pole with a lap in 181.313 mph in a Venturini Motorsports Toyota. He'll start alongside Venezuelan ARCA Series regular Milka Duno.

Ansell Protective Products and Menards announced Wednesday that they will continue their marketing sponsorship in the ARCA Racing Series for 2013.

The comprehensive and multi-faceted sponsorship program includes race sponsorships, at-track hospitality opportunities, in-market promotions, special award sponsorships, series involvement and support of the ARCA television broadcast package, all anchored by a business-to-business relationship.

In addition, for a fifth consecutive year Ansell and Menards will continue as co-primary sponsors for the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camrys in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Frank Kimmel, a nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion, returns to the driver's seat of the Toyotas fielded by ThorSport Racing of Sandusky, Ohio.

Kimmel enters the 2013 season with 76 career victories, aiming to win three more races to break the series' all-time win record as well as potentially claim an unprecedented 10th ARCA Racing Series championship while working for the second consecutive season with crew chief Jeriod Prince.

"Ansell is excited to once again partner with Menards and ARCA to present a fantastic racing series that really strikes a chord with our customers and partners," Steve York, senior director of business development for Ansell, said. "And Ansell is particularly enthused to once again sponsor Frank Kimmel's No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry operated by ThorSport Racing for the 2013 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards."

For his part Kimmel is eagerly looking to extend his historically significant 345-race consecutive starts streak that he plans to extend at Saturday's Daytona International Speedway season opener.

"I think it's really, really good that ARCA has sponsors such as Menards and Ansell that are willing to stay on board, that they've structured their programs to get the most benefit from their involvement because it's tough to find the financial backing to go racing," Kimmel said. "So to have two businesses involved with our series that believe in what we're doing is important.

"The fact that I myself have two great companies like Ansell and Menards supporting my team at ThorSport Racing means the world to me, and it enables us to go after the goals that we have as a race team."

The impact on ThorSport, which is a division of a multi-element business entity, is also significant.

"I'm truly excited to have Ansell and Menards back with ARCA and particularly with ThorSport Racing because of the possibilities it presents for all of our companies," said Matthew LaNeve, vice president, sales for ThorWorks Industries and ThorSport Racing. "It's really special from the perspective of our business-to-business relationships with an internationally-renowned glove manufacturer like Ansell and a retail giant like Menards -- not to mention the support it provides to Frank and our race team."

To round out their comprehensive program, Ansell and Menards will utilize hospitality opportunities and develop marketing platforms with in-market and at-track promotions. They will continue their series involvement as the Official Glove and Official Home Improvement Store for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, respectively. The qualifying event for each ARCA Racing Series race will continue as the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell.

"Menards is proud to sponsor the ARCA Racing Series and to continue our outstanding partnership with Frank Kimmel's No. 44, Ansell Gloves and ThorSport Racing," Menards' promotions manager Jeff Abbott said. "There's no question that 2012 was a great season and we are really looking forward to big things in 2013."

Vying for his 10th ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship, Frank Kimmel scored his 10th consecutive top ten finish of 2012, finishing 2nd in series points. Kimmel's championship rival, Chris Buescher, finished in 8th, clinching his first title. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team performed well and ran towards the front throughout the entire 99 lap affair, but came up 75 points short of Kimmel's 10th championship.

Thorsport Racing brought a revamped chassis to Kansas for Kimmel, and showed speed from the opening of practice on Friday morning. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team worked primarily on scuffing tires on the new asphalt at Kansas, and it paid off with a six place qualifying effort, his best starting spot on an intermediate track since Pocono in June. Kimmel ran no worse than 6th all race, and avoided the lap 2 carnage in his rear view mirror. Three cars were involved in the race's first caution period, under which Kimmel reported his pleasure with the Camry's handling in the first two circuits.

The lap nine restart saw Kimmel protect his 6th place position, and as the field began to string out, navigating lapped traffic would prove to be a major factor in the race. As the leaders began lapping the tail end of the field, Kimmel's progress would be impeded by the significant speed differential, and halted his drive towards the front, until a lap 31 caution. Kimmel reported his #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota was tight from the center off the corner, but his biggest complaint was the inconsistency of the lapped traffic.

Under that caution, crew chief, Jeriod Prince, brought the nine-time champ to pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. With a pre-race concern about tire wear, Kimmel's team looked over all four Hoosier tires with no signs of significant wear or blistering. From the lap 37 restart, Kimmel charged to 4th before another yellow slowed the pace on lap 58. Kimmel came down for his second stop, and his last of 2012 for four tires and another adjustment to alleviate his tight condition on corner exit.

On lap 64, Kimmel restarted in the top five and chased down the leaders. While racing for a podium position, Kimmel avoided the wrecking 3rd place car, and took over the position as the race's fourth caution flew. Kimmel restarted third with 19 laps remaining, but a tight condition forced him to relinquish positions before taking the checkered flag in 6th.

"It was an exciting race. Congratulations to Chris (Buescher). He and his team did a great job. We came home six, and had a 4th or 5th place car. I'm a little disappointed with our finish there at the end. We got shuffled a little bit and our car got tight there at the end. All in all, it was a great season for the Ansell/Menards Toyota. We'll take second and come next year and go after them."

The 6th place finish was Kimmel's 10th consecutive top 10 finish, dating back to a 7th place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park on July 1st. 2012 saw Kimmel return to victory lane for the first time in four seasons, capturing wins at Lucas Oil Raceway Park and the Illinois State Fairgrounds. His total of 290 laps led is the most laps he has led since the 2008 season. The Thorsport team's performance, with Kimmel at the controls, has them set up for another championship run in 2013.

"Thorsport Racing went to work, and really did a great job. To take a brand new bunch of guys, only two had any ARCA experience was great. Jeriod Prince did a great job. This was the first time he's been a crew chief for an entire season. To mesh everybody together, come to the racetrack and be competitive each week, I'm really, really happy."

A differential of 85 points separates Frank Kimmel from a record 10th ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title. Kimmel and the #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota will look to erase that deficit on Friday night over the course of 99 laps at the Kansas Speedway. While the majority of Kimmel's success this season has come on the short tracks, his statistical history at Kansas shows he is more than capable of pulling off a miracle in the Kansas Lottery 98.9. Kimmel has visited victory lane twice at Kansas, in 2002 and 2006, both years en route to winning the championship. With losing last week's race at DuQuoin to weather, Kimmel and team are left with one opportunity to track down the championship lead.

Of the 19 races on the ARCA Racing Series schedule in 2012, Kansas and Chicagoland Speedway are the only 1.5 mile tracks on the most diverse schedule in stock car racing. In July, Kimmel finished 3rd as a result of Thorsport Racing's constant improvement on the intermediate track program. Finishes of 6th and 4th at Pocono, and a 7th at Michigan, have the Ansell/Menards team optimistic they can improve their results on the fresh asphalt at Kansas.

Kimmel has started more ARCA races at Kansas than any driver entered in the field, and has been in all 11 events since the track's opening in 2001. In the first six races at Kansas, Kimmel notched two victories and finished in the top three in all six events, leading a combined 295 laps. His average starting position of 5.3 and two pole awards bodes well for not only starting up front Friday night, but also gives Kimmel a chance to tie Iggy Katona's record of all-time pole awards of 43.

While the ARCA Racing Series has been known for driver development and a surge of young talent, Kimmel has been a constant mainstay in the series, and 2012 has seen a career resurgence for the Clarksville, IN native. Since moving to Thorsport Racing this year, Kimmel's performance has been elevated to a level he has been accustomed to throughout his illustrious career. Kimmel broke a 75 race winless drought in August at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, and followed it up with a dominating win on the mile dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. With ten top ten finishes to this point in 2012, Kimmel has equaled his combined number of top five finishes from 2009 and 2010. In addition, with 290 laps led, Kimmel has surpassed his combined total of laps led from the previous two seasons. With the performance the #44 Ansell/Menards team has shown this season, Kimmel is focused on making sure the championship goes down to the final lap at Kansas.

TOP TEN STREAK: As a result of finishing 4th after being nearly two laps down at Salem Speedway on September 15th, Kimmel extended his streak of top fen finishes to nine races. Kimmel is in the midst of his longest streak of consecutive top ten finishes in 2012, which dates back to a 7th place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

POINTS REPORT: After 18 of 19 races, Kimmel currently sits second, 85 points behind championship leader, Chris Buescher. To this point in 2012, Kimmel has scored two victories, ten top fives, and fifteen top ten finishes.

CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS: In order to have a mathematical chance to win his 10th ARCA title, Kimmel must finish at least 12 positions ahead of Buescher. Kimmel must gain at more than 85 points to overtake Buescher, as Buescher holds the tie-breaker with four wins. For the championship to be mathematically in reach, Kimmel must finish 28th if all 40 cars entered take the green flag.

CHASING THE RECORDS: Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday evening at 5:35 pm CT. Kimmel's 76th career win at the Springfield Mile in August moved him to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all time ARCA Racing Series win record of 79.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Thorsport Racing will bring chassis A-4 to the racetrack for the second time in 2012. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Matt Crafton, piloted this chassis, with #88 on the door, in the ARCA event at Lucas Oil Raceway Park after capturing the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell. Kimmel recently tested this car at the open test at Kansas earlier this month.

SHOWING THE WAY AT KANSAS: Kimmel has started all 11 previous races at Kansas, the most of any driver entered in the field. With his victories in 2002 and 2006, Kimmel is the only driver with two wins at Kansas, and is the all-time ARCA lap leader at Kansas, with 295 laps led.

FAST TRACK CHALLENGE: Not only is Kimmel on the heels of a 10th championship, but he is chasing the ARCA Fast Track Challenge title as well. The Fast Track Challenge scores drivers' finishing position only and does not include bonus points for qualifying or leading laps. Kimmel trails Chris Buescher by 25 points with two events remaining. Kimmel and Buescher are the only two drivers that have scored top ten finishes in 2012.

S&S VOLVO LAPS COMPLETED AWARD: Through 18 of 19 races, Kimmel has competed all but four laps of competition thus far. His consistency has placed him second in series standings as well as second in the S&S Volvo Laps Completed Award. Kimmel is four laps behind award leader, Buescher, who has completed all the laps in 2012.

KANSAS AREA MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will appear at the St. Joseph, MO Menards location on Thursday night from 6-7:30pm CT. Fans can meet and get an autograph from the nine-time ARCA champ in addition to seeing the #44 Ansell/Menards Camry showcar. During that time, any guests that purchase a pair of Ansell gloves will receive a voucher for a free pair of Ansell gloves, presented by Kimmel outside the store. The St. Joeseph, MO Menards store is located at 4320 Commonwealth Dr., St. Joeseph, MO 64503.

ANSELL HyFlex® PRECISION GLOVES: Ansell's HyFlex® brand is the most comprehensive light-duty synthetic portfolio in the industry. In addition to the ergonomic design and protection infused into all its products, the line also provides industry-leading grip technology and the largest cut-resistant portfolio in the light-duty segment. HyFlex® gloves are ideal for automotive, metalwork, electrical, and construction projects. For more information on the HyFlex® brand, visit www.ansellpro.com/hyflex/.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel

WHAT DID YOU BENEFIT BY TESTING AT KANSAS? "I thought the test went really well. Taking two cars, and having Matt Crafton there, was a real big deal for us. Both cars ran real well and ended up in the top five in overall speeds. That was the first time we were about to test on a mile and a half track all year and we feel like we learned a few things"

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HAVING TO GAIN 85 POINTS TO WIN THE TITLE? "I've said all along the past few weeks, we're going to have to have some help. We're 85 points behind, and Chris has been running real well all year long and has been very consistent. I'm not expecting him to have problems, so we have to go out and do our thing. If they run into some issues, then we need to have ourselves in position. It should be a good race, we've run real good all year, and if we gain the points we need to, then it will be a real good night."

HOW PLEASED ARE YOU WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF YOU AND THE TEAM IN 2012? "My favorite thing this year has been being with Thorsport Racing and being with a team that wanted me to drive the car. We got along really well with everybody on the team, which has been a real rewarding part of the season. A real special moment was winning at LORP because that was such a big event for us. We were showing signs that we could run up front and lead races, but to win there was great. Then to come back and win at Springfield was really good too. It's been a really good year for everyone at Thorsport Racing and for me personally as well."

With two races remaining in the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season, Frank Kimmel comes to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds to make up 85 points on the championship lead. DuQuoin has been the site of much of Kimmel's success in the ARCA Racing Series, accounting for five of his seventy six career victories. In the series' first dirt event of 2012, Kimmel led 51 of 100 laps on the Springfield Mile, and returns to DuQuoin hoping to take his third win of the season and is focused on sweeping the dirt events in 2012.

On the heels of a fourth place finish at Salem Speedway in September, DuQuoin provides the Thorsport Racing team the perfect opportunity to gain points on the championship lead, given the Ansell/Menards team's performance on the first dirt track race in August. Four seasons ago, Kimmel led 96 of 102 laps en route to the victory that swept the dirt races that season, a feat that has been accomplished just twice since 2006, and one he is looking to replicate this weekend.

In his 21 career starts at the southern Illinois dirt track, Kimmel has amassed five victories, tied for the all-time record at DuQuoin. After starting his DuQuoin career with three finishes outside the top twenty, Kimmel quickly took a liking to dirt racing, and has scored fifteen top tens at DuQuoin, including four in the last five visits. Over the past twelve events at DuQuoin, Kimmel's incredible dirt record includes his five victories, as well as eight top fives.

During the span of his five DuQuoin wins, Kimmel had an incredible run of results, in which he finished outside the top five just once in those eight races. Not only has Kimmel had a history of winning at DuQuoin, but he has had a history of leading numerous laps. He is currently second in the track's all-time laps led category, and is twelve behind the all-time record holder, Billy Thomas. With one stellar dirt track performance under his belt this season, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team are focused on using their performance and the nine-time champ's dirt experience to vault them back towards the championship lead.

TOP TEN STREAK: As a result of finishing 4th after being nearly two laps down at Salem Speedway on September 15th, Kimmel extended his streak of top fen finishes to nine races. Kimmel is in the midst of his longest streak of consecutive top ten finishes in 2012, which dates back to a 7th place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

POINTS REPORT: After 18 of 20 races, Kimmel currently sits second, 85 points behind championship leader, Chris Buescher. To this point in 2012, Kimmel has scored two victories, ten top fives, and fifteen top ten finishes.

CHASING THE RECORDS: Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Sunday afternoon at noon CT. Kimmel's 76th career win at the Springfield Mile in August moved him to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all time ARCA Racing Series win record of 79.

DUQUOIN LAPS LED/WIN RECORDS: In 21 starts at DuQuoin, Kimmel is second all-time in laps led, just twelve behind Billy Thomas. In his career at DuQuoin, Kimmel has led twelve or more laps in seven races. Should Kimmel take the checkered flag, he would move into sole possession of the all-time with record at DuQuoin with six. Currently, he is tied with the late Dean Roper with five victories.

FAST TRACK CHALLENGE: Not only is Kimmel on the heels of a 10th championship, but he is chasing the ARCA Fast Track Challenge title as well. The Fast Track Challenge scores drivers' finishing position only and does not include bonus points for qualifying or leading laps. Kimmel trails Chris Buescher by 25 points with two events remaining. Kimmel and Buescher are the only two drivers that have scored top ten finishes in 2012.

S&S VOLVO LAPS COMPLETED AWARD: Through 18 of 20 races, Kimmel has competed all but four laps of competition thus far. His consistency has placed him second in series standings as well as second in the S&S Volvo Laps Completed Award. Kimmel is four laps behind award leader, Buescher, who has completed all the laps in 2012. There are 199 laps remaining in 2012 (100 at DuQuoin, 99 at Kansas).

CHASSIS CHOICE: Thorsport Racing will bring chassis A-6 to the racetrack for the third time this season. Kimmel most recently drove to victory at Springfield two months ago in chassis A-6. He also finished fourth with this chassis at Elko Speedway in June.

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THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE LAST TWO RACES CHASING THE CHAMPIONSHIP? "It's not going to change anything anymore. We've been behind all year, and we have to go out and do everything we can do to gain the most points. The team has really come together and the cars have been really fast. We've had really good opportunities to win the last five or six races, I think. We have to just keep doing what we're doing. All the guys that we're racing for the championship have been running really well the last few races. Being that we're 85 points behind, I feel like we're going to have to get a little help. If (Buescher) has some bad luck, we can get caught up and go into Kansas and race hard."

HOW DIFFERENT IS THE DRIVING STYLE FROM PAVEMENT TO DIRT? "There is quite a bit of difference, but it still comes down to the same thing. You want a car that turns good and still gets forward traction. It's all the same, but there is a different technique for dirt. You run through the gas a little bit different through the turns, but you still have to get through the center of the corner like on pavement."

WILL THE RACE DATE CHANGE HAVE AN IMPACT? "It really remains to be seen how the track will be. Considering there will be no race the day before like there usually is, and being deeper into the season, it's going to be a completely different track. Good thing for us racers is that Bob Sargent and his guys are so good at track preparation, that we know the track will be in good shape no matter what. They know what's going on and what it takes to get the track ready regardless of the circumstances."

In a race that saw multi car wrecks, long green flag runs, and numerous tire strategies, Frank Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team made a recovery after being one lap down to score a 4th place finish at Kimmel's home track. While Kimmel entered the event aiming for his tenth Salem win and tenth championship, the finish was his 27th top five and is still alive in the championship hunt with two races remaining. Kimmel started the 200 lap event from 7th, and took advantage of his track position to run in the top five in the early laps of the race. For much of the opening stages, the top seven cars ran nose to tail setting a torrid pace before a lap 18 caution slowed the pace with Kimmel running 5th. On the restart, Kimmel continued to conserve tires and brakes running 5th before a race altering wrecked occurred directly in front of him exiting turn four. Numerous front runners were collected in the incident, which forced Kimmel to stop on the apron to avoid damage, and moved to third as a result. After a brief red flag period, the nine-time Salem winner ran as high as second on the lap 53 restart. A slew of quick caution periods from lap 57-63 opened up the pit strategy for teams to use their one and a half sets of tires which showed several seconds of fall-off throughout a fuel run. Crew chief, Jeriod Prince, opted to keep Kimmel on track and save tires for the later stages. Kimmel conserved tires through the following green flag run, and went a lap down on lap 99 to his son, and leader, Frank Kimmel, who took advantage of fresh tires. Under the lap 115 caution, Kimmel radioed a loose condition to his crew and said the Ansell/Menards Toyota was a "handful" to hang onto on the long green flag runs. During the yellow, Kimmel came to the attention of the Thorsport team and took four tires as well as a track bar adjustment. In order to gain a lap back, Kimmel needed to be the first car one lap down to earn the Lucky Dog award, which he did by the lap 138 caution, running in 9th. Kimmel made his second stop of the night for a wedge adjustment to improve the loose condition for the event's final 55 laps. Kimmel restarted 8th and made his way up to fourth within ten laps, and ran laps comparable to the eventual race winner, Tom Hessert, for the race's remaining 45 laps. The 4th place effort is Kimmel's 27th top five finish at Salem in thirty eight starts, and his ninth consecutive top ten finish in 2012. Title rival, Chris Buescher's second place finished opened up an 85 point lead over Kimmel with two races remaining. "It was a good night for the Ansell/Menards team", Kimmel said. "We stayed out too long on tires and it caught us and we got a lap down. We came in and put on four to get our lap back and drove right back to the front there. We were getting caught up pretty quick, but just ran out of time there at the end, but were able to rebound to get a nice finish.We had a good effort tonight, and it was nice to see Frankie run that good and lead laps. It's always good when you can put together a top five effort like that."

Salem Speedway's second event of the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season provides Frank Kimmel with a prime opportunity to add to his legendary record on the Indiana high banks. With a record nine wins at the lightning fast short track, Kimmel's bid for a 10th championship reaches a pivotal mark, sitting 60 points out of the championship lead with three races remaining. In addition to chasing a championship, Kimmel is chasing two ARCA records, the all-time pole award record and the all-time race win record, both held by series legend Iggy Katona. After salvaging a 9th place finish after a late race spin at Madison Int'l Speedway, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team return to the site of their first top five finish of 2012. In the April event at Salem, Kimmel finished 2nd and was the race that kick-started their impressive performances on short tracks in 2012. The Indiana native's most recent trip to Salem's victory lane occurred in 2008 when a led 62 laps, en route to his third win that season, a feat that he will attempt to duplicate on Saturday night. Through 37 starts at Salem, Kimmel's record of nine-wins is two ahead of Jack Bowsher's 7 victories, and holds the all-time pole record, with 8 pole awards. Since the beginning of his ARCA career, Kimmel quickly found success at his home track, finishing in the top five in his first four starts. 2012 marks the beginning of Kimmel's third decade racing at Salem in the ARCA Racing Series, looks to notch his tenth win on his home asphalt. Salem will round out the ten short track events of 2012, and few drivers have outperformed Kimmel and the Thorsport team on short tracks this year. Through the nine short track races thus far, Kimmel has an average finish of 5.8 including his win in Indianapolis as well as the runner-up finish at Salem in April. In the ten most recent races at Salem, Kimmel has finished ninth or better including his win in the 2008 fall race, and has three consecutive top five finishes. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team will look to keep up their short track performance and inch closer to Iggy Katona's win record with a victory on Saturday night. TOP TEN STREAK: By salvaging a 9th place finish after a late race spin at Madison, Kimmel extended his streak of top ten finishes to eight races. Kimmel is in the midst of his longest streak of consecutive top ten finishes in 2012, which dates back to a 7th place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park. CHASING THE RECORDS: Kimmel's 76th career win at the Springfield Mile two races ago moved him to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all time ARCA Racing Series win record of 79. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday afternoon at 4pm ET. SALEM RECORD HOLDER: Kimmel holds the all-time win record at Salem with nine victories and the all-time pole record with eight pole awards at his home track. From April 2000-September 2002, Kimmel won five consecutive races, all from the pole position. Over his 37 starts, Kimmel has led 1,737 laps at his home track. FAMILY AFFAIR: Kimmel's son, Frankie Kimmel, will make his first start of 2012 at Salem driving the #09 entry, and will mark the second consecutive fall race at Salem the father and son duo have competed against each other. In the fall race last season, Frank finished 5th while young Frankie notched a 7th place finish. POINTS REPORT: After 17 of 20 races, Kimmel sits second in the season long championship point standings, 60 points behind leader Chris Buescher. In 17 races, Kimmel has amassed two wins at Indianapolis and Springfield, as well as nine top fives and fourteen top ten finishes. CHASSIS CHOICE: Salem will mark the return of chassis A-1 after a 9th place finish at Madison Int'l Speedway one race ago. Kimmel finished second driving A-1 at Salem in April, and will race it for the ninth time this weekend. (Mobile - 17th, Salem - 2nd, Toledo - 2nd, Winchester - 11th, Iowa - 5th, LORP - Win, Berlin - 2nd, Madison - 9th) ANSELL HyFlex® PRECISION GLOVES: Ansell's HyFlex® brand is the most comprehensive light-duty synthetic portfolio in the industry. In addition to the ergonomic design and protection infused into all its products, the line also provides industry-leading grip technology and the largest cut-resistant portfolio in the light-duty segment. HyFlex® gloves are ideal for automotive, metalwork, electrical, and construction projects. For more information on the HyFlex® brand, visit www.ansellpro.com/hyflex/. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE CHAMPIONSHIP RUN WITH THREE RACES REMAINING? "We have to chip some points away every week. We can't expect Buescher to have a failure or problem or anything like that. We just have to race it out and race hard. It's a 60 point lead, and that's a pretty good lead, so hopefully we can gain points every week. If we do the best we can on the racetrack, hopefully we can narrow it down by the time Kansas comes around. It's going to be real close all the way to Kansas." DO YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO THINK ABOUT BREAKING IGGY KATONA'S ALL-TIME WIN RECORD AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN? "I don't think about it much at this point. It took so long to get back winning again, we've put that on the back burner. The most important thing right now is to go out and win the next race. If we compete at the level we have the last few weeks, we can be a contender. If we run to our potential every week, we can get to the win record, but I just race one race at a time. Right now, we're trying to race for a championship." DO YOU APPROACH YOUR HOME RACE DIFFERENTLY, AND HOW MUCH WILL YOU WORK WITH YOUR SON, FRANKIE, THIS WEEKEND? "Not really, but the nice thing is you sleep at home and stay at your own house. That part of it is very nice. Everyone at Salem knows us, and we have a big contingent of fans at this race, which is really exciting. Having Frankie in the race is something we'll pay attention to, there's no doubt. With Howard Bixman and his team, it's as least of a distraction as it can be. We know they'll bring a real safe, fast racecar. I try to let that team do their deal. I'll try and help with advice or anything like that. Last year went well for him. Frankie will have enough pressure on himself, he know what to do, and I expect him to have a very good racecar and do a good job too."

With three races remaining in the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season, Frank Kimmel returns to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds to make up 60 points on the championship lead. DuQuoin has been the site of much of Kimmel's success in the ARCA Racing Series, accounting for five of his seventy six career victories. Two weeks ago, Kimmel led 51 of 100 laps on the Springfield Mile dirt, and returns to DuQuoin hoping to take his third win of the season and is focused on sweeping the dirt events in 2012. Coming off a disappointing finish at Madison, Kimmel finds himself 60 points out of the point lead, and chasing his 10th career title with momentum still at his side. DuQuoin provides the Thorsport Racing team the perfect opportunity to gain points on the championship lead, given the Ansell/Menards team's performance on the first dirt track race two weeks ago. Four seasons ago, Kimmel led 96 of 102 laps en route to the victory that swept the dirt events that season, a feat that has been accomplished just twice since 2006, and one he is looking to replicate this weekend. In his 21 career starts at the southern Illinois dirt track, Kimmel has amassed five victories, the all-time record at DuQuoin. After starting his DuQuoin career with three finishes outside the top twenty, Kimmel quickly took a liking to dirt racing, and has scored fifteen top tens at DuQuoin, including four in the last five visits. Over the past twelve events at DuQuoin, Kimmel's incredible dirt record includes his five victories, as well as eight top fives. During the span of his five DuQuoin wins, Kimmel had an incredible run of results, in which he finished outside the top five just once in those eight races. Not only has Kimmel had a history of winning at DuQuoin, but he has had a history of leading numerous laps. He is currently second in the track's all-time laps led category, and is twelve behind the all-time record holder, Billy Thomas. With one stellar dirt track performance under his belt this season, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team are focused on using their performance and the nine-time champ's dirt experience to vault them back towards the championship lead. TOP TEN STREAK: By salvaging a 9th place finish after a late race spin at Madison last Sunday, Kimmel extended his streak of top fen finishes to eight races. Kimmel is in the midst of his longest streak of consecutive top ten finishes in 2012, which dates back to a 7th place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park. CHASING THE RECORDS: Kimmel's 76th career win at the Springfield Mile two weeks ago moved him to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all time ARCA Racing Series win record of 79. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Monday morning at 1pm CT. DUQUOIN LAPS LED RECORD: In 21 starts at DuQuoin, Kimmel is second all-time in laps led, just twelve behind Billy Thomas. In his career at DuQuoin, Kimmel has led twelve or more laps in seven races. POINTS REPORT: After 17 of 20 races, Kimmel currently sits sixth points behind championship leader, Chris Buescher. To this point in 2012, Kimmel has scored two victories, nine top fives, and fourteen top ten finishes. CHASSIS CHOICE: Thorsport Racing will bring chassis A-6 to the racetrack for the third time this season. Kimmel most recently drove to victory at Springfield two weeks ago in chassis A-6. He also finished fourth with this chassis at Elko Speedway in June. SUMMER STREAK: In the previous seven consecutive weeks of racing, Kimmel has not finished worse than 9th and has finished outside the top five just once. The Ansell/Menards team currently has momentum on their side thanks to Kimmel's two wins at Lucas Oil Raceway Park and the Springfield Mile during the stretch of consecutive races. ANSELL HyFlex® PRECISION GLOVES: Ansell's HyFlex® brand is the most comprehensive light-duty synthetic portfolio in the industry. In addition to the ergonomic design and protection infused into all its products, the line also provides industry-leading grip technology and the largest cut-resistant portfolio in the light-duty segment. HyFlex® gloves are ideal for automotive, metalwork, electrical, and construction projects. For more information on the HyFlex® brand, visit www.ansellpro.com/hyflex/. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel HOW DIFFERENT IS THE DRIVING STYLE FROM PAVEMENT TO DIRT? "There is quite a bit of difference, but it still comes down to the same thing. You want a car that turns good and still gets forward traction. It's all the same, but there is a different technique for dirt. You run through the gas a little bit different through the turns, but you still have to get through the center of the corner like on pavement." HOW MUCH DIFFERENT ARE THE TWO DIRT TRACKS, DUQUOIN AND SPRINGFIELD? "The distance is probably the one thing similar between them. They are very, very different the way you drive them. The dirt itself is quite a bit different too. DuQuoin is kind of a brown sandy dirt and is more abrasive to the tires, where Springfield gets real packed down. You do things a little differently driving though the corner at both places, but the setup stays pretty close between both tracks."

After running in the top five for the majority of Sunday's Herr's Live Life With Flavor 200 at Madison Int'l Speedway, Frank Kimmel was the victim of late race contact, relegating him to a 9th place finish. While the spin took him out of contention, Kimmel's impressive run of top ten finishes was extended to seven races. Kimmel took the green flag from the 9th position and quickly got into a rhythm as the leaders began racing nose to tail. As the leaders quickly caught lapped traffic, Kimmel looked for any opportunity given to advance his position with limited real estate. Kimmel moved to 7th by lap 25 and was running laps as fast as the race leaders. On lap 31, Kimmel narrowly avoided disaster as the eventual race winner, Chris Buescher, spun directly in front of Kimmel in turn 2. On the lap 38 restart, Kimmel took the green in 7th and moved into the top five by lap 83. As the race reached the halfway mark, Kimmel began to flex his muscle, moving the Ansell/Menards Toyota into the top thee by lap 110. Before the lap 131 caution, Kimmel consistently ran the fastest lap times of any car on the racetrack, and was reeling in the leaders. Under the yellow, crew chief, Jeriod Prince, brought Kimmel to pit road for four tires and sent Kimmel out 3rd. Kimmel then restarted 4th, but quickly advanced to 3rd, and began to charge his way towards the lead. Less than 20 laps after the restart, Kimmel moved to second and challenged Buescher for the race lead as the duo sliced in and out of lapped traffic. The two traded lap times back and forth for a number of laps before Kimmel got to the inside and led at lap 173. Soon after, Buescher took the lead back as Kimmel continued to stalk the #17 of Buescher for the eventual race win. Through the event's final stages, Kimmel remained in second, through a lap 187 caution. Another caution at lap 198 forced the race past the scheduled distance, and set up a green-white-checkered finish. On the lap 203 restart, contact with the #22 car knocked Kimmel out of the groove and out of position as the field came to the white flag. On the final lap, the late race mayhem escalated when #58 car drove deep into turn 1, made contact with Kimmel's left rear quarter panel, and sent the nine-time champ spinning front of the field to bring out another yellow. Kimmel was relegated to 10th, but moved to 9th on the final one-lap shootout to score his 14th top ten finish of 2012. Kimmel now sits 65 points out of the championship point lead with three races remaining. "That's a real unfortunate to have the race end that way", Kimmel said. "We raced clean with those kids all race, and didn't get the same in return. We had a good race and a great racecar, and got run over there at the end. As far as the championship, it puts a dent in our chances. It's just a very frustrating day. To get knocked back to 9th, that's tough to take."

Coming off his 76th career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory at the Springfield Mile, Frank Kimmel has championship momentum on his side as the series moves to Madison International Speedway. Kimme's only start in Wisconsin's capital city came last year when he finished 6th after starting 16th. Short tracks have been the strength of the Ansell/Menards team this year, scoring six top five finishes in eight races, which included the breakthrough win at Indianapolis. For the second time this year, Kimmel returns to action as the defending race winner. The Thorsport Racing team is riding an incredible streak of momentum on the heels of two consecutive dominating performances at Berlin and Springfield when Kimmel led the most laps in each event. Now with 76th wins, Kimmel sits three behind Iggy Katona's all time win record of 79. Kimmel sees Madison as a prime opportunity to return to victory lane, given the track's similarities to tracks like Winchester and Toledo. Along with chasing the win record, Kimmel has chased down the championship lead and has closed 140 points on the point leader in the last seven races, and sits just 15 points out. With one prior start at Madison, Kimmel and the Thorsport Racing team are determined to improve upon the nine-time champion's 6th place effort last season, and inch closer to a record 10th ARCA title. Throughout the course of the 2012 season, crew chief, Jeriod Prince, and his team have continuously improved their fleet of Toyota Camrys, and are in the midst of their most impressive performances thus far. This weekend at Madison, Kimmel eyes his first back-to-back win since 2008, a second short track victory, and the ARCA championship point lead. TOP FIVE STREAK: After leading 51 of 100 laps at the Illinois State Fairgrounds last Sunday, Kimmel scored his second win of 2012 and racked up his ninth top five this season. The win marked Kimmel's sixth consecutive top five finish, and his third top two finish in the last three races. CHASING THE RECORDS: Kimmel's 76th career win at the Springfield Mile last weekend moved him to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all time ARCA Racing Series win record of 79. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm CT. POINTS REPORT: After 16 of 20 races, Kimmel is just fifteen points behind championship leader, Chris Buescher. Kimmel gained 30 points on the lead by leading the most laps in his 8th career Springfield Mile victory. So far in 2012, Kimmel has scored two wins, nine top fives, and thirteen top ten finishes. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-1 chassis at Madison on Sunday afternoon. Chassis A-1 has been raced seven times in 2012, and visited victory lane at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in July. (Mobile - 17th, Salem - 2nd, Toledo - 2nd, Winchester, 11th, Iowa - 5th, LORP - Win, Berlin - 2nd) SUMMER STREAK: Since finishing 7th at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team have been performing at the highest level of the season. In the past six events, Kimmel has scored six consecutive top fives, visited victory lane twice, and has led 227 laps. MADISON, WI AREA MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will make two appearances at area Menards stores this Friday, August 24th leading up to Sunday's Herr's Live Life With Flavor 200 at Madison Int'l Speedway. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the nine-time ARCA champion, see the #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota showcar, and purchase discounted tickets to Sunday's race. Kimmel will be at the Madison East Menards (2102 East Springs Dr., Madison, WI 53704) from 4pm-5:30pm CT. He will appear at the Monona Menards (6401 Copps Ave, Monona, WI 53716) location later that evening from 6:30pm-8pm CT. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RUN WELL AT MADISON? "The way the track is shaped, longer straightaways and tighter corners, brakes will be a factor, so you've got to manage that. As for the track itself, I really like Madison. You can run side-by-side all the way around. The bottom lane is where everyone wants to be for the most part, but the top lane can work too. As tight as the track is, you can definitely pass at Madison, which makes for great racing." WHAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE WILL IT TAKE IN THE LAST FOUR RACES TO WIN THE TITLE? "I feel like the team is bringing me the best racecars on the racetrack. When you're sitting in something like that, there's no more excuses. You got to go out and get the job done. I feel like the guy that doesn't fail in these next few races could have the upper hand, because we're all going to run well at every racetrack. We'll have to do our job, keep our nose clean, and be at the end of every race."

For the 8th time in his career, Frank Kimmel took the checkered flag on the dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in dominating fashion. In the second consecutive week, Kimmel led over half the event, for a total of 51 laps, and drove away from the field to capture his second win of the season, and moved to within fifteen points of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship lead. "This Toyota was really strong right off the truck," said Kimmel. "I knew it was going to be fast. It was just a really special day. When you've got a car that runs that good, you need to stay up there. I appreciate all the fans coming out and I really appreciate what a wonderful day it was for our entire team." With a condensed, one day, schedule, the Ansell/Menards Toyota team quickly went to work in the morning practice session. Kimmel relayed to the team he was very pleased with the racecar and posted the 10th fastest lap in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. From the drop of the green, Kimmel made a charge towards the front, and was inside the top five by lap 15. Kimmel continued to flex his muscle as the fastest car on the racetrack by climbing into the top three by the races first caution, just past the one quarter distance. Despite a tight condition on the ensuing restart, Kimmel came from fourth to second within five laps. During the race's third caution period, Kimmel conveniently used a feather duster, purchased at one of the Springfield area Menards locations, to clean the windshield while inheriting the lead from Kevin Swindell. Spotter, David Pepper, and crew chief, Jeriod Prince, preached tire management to the nine-time champion during the following green flag run, and adequately managed the pace of the race while leading the field. Kimmel showed the way at the halfway point and eased away from the field, opening up a straightaway lead as he continued to manage his Hoosier tires. While holding a four second lead, Kimmel radioed that he had blistered the tires and had a vibration just before the yellow flag flew again on lap 75. Under the caution, Prince called Kimmel to pit road for a set of sticker tires. The Ansell/Menards Thorsport team made quick pit work and got Kimmel off pit road first, and would restart third on lap 79. "I knew once we started running those guys down that we had a really good racecar," Kimmel said. "Jeriod made a great call to put those tires on at the end. I didn't want to come in when we were leading, but I had a little bit of a shake. This car ran flawless, all I had to do was keep it between the two walls and not hit anything. I hated to pit with the lead we had and things were going well...but that call won the race for us." Kimmel made quick work of Mason Mingus in the #32, driving defensively, to move into second, and set his sights on the leader, Alex Bowman. On lap 87, Kimmel put the nose of his #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota to the inside of Bowman's #22 in turn 1, and made the final pass for the lead. From there to the checkered flag, Kimmel checked out and dominated the late stages to score his 8th win at the Springfield Mile. By notching his 76th career ARCA Racing Series victory, Kimmel moves to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all-time record of 79 wins, and took a big step towards a potential 10th championship. By leading the most laps, Kimmel moved to within 15 points of Chris Buescher with four races remaining, and is the hottest driver on the circuit with six consecutive top five finishes. "It's cool to win here," Kimmel said. "This is the way racing ought to be. I couldn't ask for a racecar to run any better than it did today. As I said a few races ago, the best way to make up points is to end up in victory lane. The cars have been really, really good the last few races. These guys definitely deserve it, they work awful hard."

Frank Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team come to the Illinois State Fairgrounds with momentum from five consecutive top five finishes. In his incredible ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards career, Kimmel has had a great deal of success at numerous tracks, but the Springfield Mile boasts one of his most stunning records. With a tenth championship within reach and five races remaining, Kimmel is poised to add to his dirt track record at Springfield. Through twenty starts at the Springfield Mile, Kimmel holds the record for most wins, with seven, and tied for the most Menards Pole presented by Ansell awards, with three. In the five races prior to this weekend's Allen Crowe 100 on the dirt, Kimmel has led 176 laps, including leading 110 laps of the Berlin ARCA 200 last week, and finishing 2nd. Given Kimmel's past record on Springfield's dirt mile, it would be no surprise if Kimmel paces the field for much of the afternoon. Throughout his career, and in 2012, Kimmel has been a model of consistency. That has also been true at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, by combining superior performances to craft an unmatched record on dirt. From 1998 to 2008, Kimmel finished first or second, and led at least eight laps in every event at Springfield, and started no worse than eighth. Coming off a dominant performance last weekend at the Berlin Raceway, where Kimmel led over half the event and finished 2nd, the nine-time ARCA champion looks to put on another dominating dirt effort. TOP FIVE STREAK: With his third runner-up finish at Berlin Raceway last Saturday night, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team have continued their impressive performance through the grueling summer stretch with five consecutive top five finishes. CHASING THE RECORDS: By taking his 75th career checkered flag in Indianapolis, Kimmel moved to within four wins of the all-time ARCA win record, held by Iggy Katona. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Sunday morning at 11am CT. Kimmel has won from the pole in five of his seven Springfield victories. POINTS REPORT: After 15 of 20 races, Kimmel sits third in ARCA Racing Series points and trails point leader, Chris Buescher, by 70 points. Kimmel gained 10 points on the championship lead after finishing 2nd at Berlin Raceway last weekend. So far in 2012, Kimmel has scored one win, eight top fives, and twelve top ten finishes. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-6 chassis at the Springfield Mile. Kimmel drove A-6 in one previous race in 2012, that being at Elko Speedway in June where he led 41 laps and finished 4th. SUMMER STREAK: Since returning to action from the off weekend early in July, Kimmel and his Jeriod Prince led Ansell/Menards team have put together a stretch of five consecutive top five finishes, and six consecutive top tens dating back to New Jersey Motorsports Park where they finished 7th. DOMINATING ON THE DIRT: Kimmel holds the record for most wins (7) at Springfield and is tied for the most pole awards (3). In twenty career starts at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Kimmel has seven wins, thirteen top fives, and sixteen top tens. From 1998-2008, Kimmel either won or finished second and led laps in each race. In his last thirteen starts at Springfield, Kimmel has led laps in twelve of those races and finished outside the top nine on just one occasion. SPRINGFIELD, IL AREA MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will make two appearances at area Menards stores this weekend leading up to the 30th Allen Crowe 100. Kimmel and his #44 Ansell/Menards showcar will be at the Springfield North location on Saturday August 18th from 11am-12:30pm CT. Later that day, Kimmel will move to the Springfield South location from 2pm-3:30pm CT. The Springfield North store is located at 2701 Marketplace Dr, Springfield, IL 62702, while the Springfield South store is located at 3325 South Veterans Pkwy, Springfield, IL 62704. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel BESIDES BEING ON A DIFFERENT RACING SURFACE, WHAT MAKES SPRINGFIELD STAND OUT? "When I first started racing on dirt, I didn't like it all," Kimmel said. "I could never tell what the car needed. I didn't know how it was supposed to feel. Honestly, it took me a while to get the hang of it. Running the mile dirts, Springfield and DuQuoin, is one of the neatest things this series does. It's just so neat that ARCA still races on the dirt. I tip my hat to them every day for keeping their traditions and dirt-track roots alive. I consider my wins at Springfield and DuQuoin every bit as big and important as my wins at Charlotte, Michigan, Pocono or any of the other great tracks we race at." WHAT SORT OF IMPACT WILL THE DIRT TRACKS HAVE ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE? "We've been really good all year, close in a lot of places", Kimmel said. "I feel really good where this team is, and where I believe it's going. This championship is still within our reach. There's no reason we can't go out and win more races this year. These kids running this series are so good, and in such good equipment, so I don't think the dirt tracks, or any of the rest are going to cause them any trouble. It's going to be a battle to the end; but I feel really good about our program."

For roughly 150 laps, it appeared that Frank Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team had the Berlin ARCA 200 presented by Hantz well in hand. After leading 110 laps, Kimmel raced with the leaders and dominated the majority of the event and looked to be the favorite to visit victory lane for the 76th time in his career. Circumstances, caution flags, and tire sequences ultimately denied the Thorsport team of their second win, but gained more ground on the championship point lead and continued their summer streak of top five finishes. Throughout the afternoon's two practice sessions, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team worked on rear grip at the uniquely shaped .438 mile short track. With a premium on real estate and forward bite, Kimmel took advantage of his 4th place qualifying effort and consistently clicked off the fastest laps in the field by lap 13 while running 3rd. Kimmel paced himself while racing for the lead through thick lapped traffic which made it difficult to race for position. As the leaders set a blistering pace, Kimmel took charge of the event on lap 49 when he took the lead, all while conserving tires and forward bite. By lap 65, Kimmel had lapped up to 7th place and had a half lap lead by the halfway mark. Kimmel put several championship rivals a lap down during the 160 lap green flag stretch, sliced his way through the ever present lapped cars, and continued to add to his lead through the course of the long green flag run. By lap 117, just three cars were on the lead lap, but numerous drivers hit pit road to take advantage of fresh tires to make up the deficit to Kimmel. A myriad of different pit strategies played out through the field, and saw fresh tires allow numerous drivers to rejoin the mix for the lead. Finally, on lap 161 with Kimmel running 3rd and the only leader to not pit under green, the caution flag flew and solidified crew chief, Jeriod Prince's, strategy call and allowed Kimmel to hit pit road for four scuff tires. On the lap 170 restart, Kimmel moved to second after restarting third before another yellow at 176 bunched the leaders together for the race's final restart on lap 180. Fierce racing on the ensuing restart pushed Kimmel to third, but regained the position just a few laps later. Ultimately, Kimmel ran out of laps to chase down the race winner, Chris Buescher, due to a tight racecar as a result of the scuff tires. The 2nd place finish is Kimmel's third runner-up finish of 2012, and his 4th consecutive top five. The result moved Kimmel to within 70 points of the championship lead with five races remaining. "It was a great car", Kimmel said. "Wow, what a neat deal to have a car run that good. When you're leading the race, you can't pit under green at a short track. About halfway, we had all but a few cars a lap down, it was really good, but it wasn't meant to be tonight. When we changed those four tires, the car got really tight. They were scuff tires from practice, and the car wouldn't turn very good, so we just held on. It's cool to have that good of a car."

Through 24 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards events at the Berlin Raceway, no driver has equaled the success of nine-time series champion, Frank Kimmel. With three wins, Kimmel holds the all-time record for wins at the Marne, MI short track, and looks to add to that total and chase down the championship lead. When the 25th ARCA event goes green at Saturday, Kimmel will be one of the favorites to go to victory lane, and the only previous Berlin winner in the field. It has been no secret that short tracks have been the bread and butter for Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Thorsport team in 2012. Kimmel broke back into victory lane two weeks ago at Lucas Oil Raceway Park after coming close at Salem and Toledo earlier this season. Combining Thorsport Racing's short track program and Kimmel's history at the Marne, MI short track, the final stretch of the ARCA events leading toward the championship lend themselves towards the strength #44 Ansell/Menards team. Five of the final six events are on tracks one mile or shorter, and Kimmel has visited victory lane at five of the remaining venues. Through 14 events, an impressive summer stretch has yielded results to place Kimmel in the mix for the series championship. Since a disappointing 11th place finish at Winchester in June, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team have rattled off one win, five top fives, and six top tens in six races. Combining consistency with strong performances, the upcoming stretch of events leading toward Kansas have the Thorsport Racing team focused on returning to victory lane and taking hold of the championship battle. TOP FIVE STREAK: With a 4th place at Pocono Raceway one week ago, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team have elevated their performance to consistently race in the top five. The team is on a roll of four consecutive top five finishes, beginning with a 5th place finish at Iowa Speedway, including Kimmel's 75th win at Indianapolis. CHASING THE RECORDS: By taking his 75th career checkered flag two weeks ago in the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 in Indianapolis, Kimmel moved to within four wins of the all-time ARCA win record, held by Iggy Katona. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday at 5 pm ET. POINTS REPORT: After 14 of 20 races, Kimmel sits third in ARCA Racing Series points and trails point leader, Brennan Poole, by 80 points. Following his effort at Pocono's Trianlge, Kimmel has notched one win, seven top fives, and eleven top tens through 14 events in 2012. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-1 chassis at Berlin, the chassis' 7th race of the season. Most recently, Kimmel drove this chassis to his 75th career ARCA Racing Series victory at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis (Mobile - 17th, Salem - 2nd, Toledo - 2nd, Elko - 4th, Winchester - 11th, Iowa - 5th, LORP - 1st). SUMMER STREAK: After Winchester, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team have put together a streak of five consecutive top five finishes, and four top fives in the last four races. BERLIN PERFORMANCE: Since his first Berlin Raceway win in 1999, Kimmel has an impressive history in the previous 13 ARCA races at Berlin. Kimmel is the winningest driver at Berlin, with three victories, but has finished outside the top eight just once in that span of races. From 1999-2006, Kimmel finished no worse than 4th at Berlin. In the last six Berlin races, Kimmel has led a total of 257 laps. MICHIGAN MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will be at the Comstock Park Menards location on Friday, August 10th, along with the #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota showcar to sign autographs for fans. Additionally, fans can purchase discounted tickets to the Berlin ARCA 200 presented by Hantz at the area Menards locations. The Comstock Park Menards is located at 4151 Alpine Avenue, Comstock Park, MI 49321. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel OVER THE NEXT FIVE RACES, WHAT ARE THE GOALS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SHOT AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN KANSAS? "We've had great performances the last few weeks on all types of tracks. The team is doing a great job making adjustments through the weekend and getting our cars better. We come to the track prepared every week, and have had solid performances each race. We need to capitalize when guys make mistakes and keep clicking off those top five finishes. Especially with these tracks coming up that we've had success at in the past."

On the heels of his landmark 75th victory at Indianapolis, Frank Kimmel continued his streak of stout summer performances with a 4th place finish at Pocono Raceway. The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' second appearance at the Pennsylvania Triangle featured a different complexion, as the event's distance of 50 laps put a premium on track position and pit strategy. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team were able to parlay a 7th place qualifying effort to run in the top five for the majority of the race. With only 50 laps to work with, Kimmel made quick work of the competition to crack the top five on lap one. Before the first and only caution on lap 7, Kimmel was able to fine tune his line to the Goodyear rubber coated racetrack and improved his lap times, setting his sights on the top three. Kimmel moved into the top three on the ensuing restart at lap 14. The nine-time series champion ran lap times as fast as the leaders on a consistent basis before crew chief, Jeriod Prince, employed a pit strategy cognizant of track position, attempting to place Kimmel in a position to race for the win at race's end. Kimmel came to the attention of the Thorsport Racing crew on lap 26 for a four tires and an air pressure adjustment to alleviate his loose condition. After battling a tight racecar in Friday's practice, Kimmel fought a free racecar during the race's opening fuel run. Kimmel rejoined the fray outside the top fifteen, but was the first of the lead cars to hit pit road. Kimmel moved into the Lucky Dog position at lap 34, and back inside the top ten by lap 39. Once the cycle of green flag stops had circled back to the initial race leaders, Chad Hackenbracht, in the #58, assumed the lead by way of early race fuel strategy with Kimmel solidly in fourth. Throughout the entire race weekend, the tire troubles from the June race were a concern, and came to the forefront yet again on lap 34 when Kimmel radioed a vibration. Down the final ten laps, Kimmel held Chris Buescher at bay for the 4th place finish and his fourth consecutive top five finish. The finish keeps Kimmel third in the championship point standings, now 80 points behind the leader, Brennan Poole. "We blistered the right rear tire a little bit again, so that is probably what caused the vibration on the second run. On sticker tires, the car was really free, and the whole second run, we were really free. We ran as fast as we did all day the last few laps, and the car started the come around. We learned more this weekend and should be able to apply what we learned to this racecar for the future. It's always nice to have solid top five runs and stay in the thick of the points battle."

Coming off his 75th career win last Friday at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, Frank Kimmel returns to the Pocono Raceway looking for his second consecutive win and fourth career win at the Pennsylvania Triangle. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team enter the second Pocono event of 2012 riding a wave of impressive performances through the summer, and look to continue gaining on the championship point leaders. In June, Kimmel battled back from a flat tire to finish 6th in the Pocono ARCA 200. Since the off weekend at the beginning of July, Kimmel has gained 95 points on the series point lead on the strength of three top five finishes. Leading up to his monumental 75th win, Kimmel scored a 5th place finish in Iowa and followed that effort up with an impressive 3rd at the Chicagoland Speedway. Kimmel and the #44 Thorsport Racing team come to Pocono to continue their momentum through the hot summer stretch of consecutive races, and look to improve on their effort in the June Pocono event. Pocono Raceway has been the site of great success for the 75-time ARCA Racing Series race winner. Kimmel has scored three wins at the Tricky Triangle, the most recent of those coming in July 2006 when he won from the pole. In recent history, Kimmel has been a model of consistency at the 2.5 mile facility finishing inside the top ten in the last six consecutive ARCA events at Pocono, and finishing all but one lap. The 2012 edition of the Pennsylvania ARCA 125 will hold added intrigue for the nine-time champ, as he will look to accomplish something he has not done since 2008, win back-to-back races. TOP FIVE STREAK: Kimmel returns to Pocono on a streak of three top five finishes dating back to Iowa Speedway on July 13th where he finished 5th. Before last week's victory, Kimmel finished 3rd in the Ansell ActivArmr 150 at the Chicagoland Speedway. Starting with a 7th place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Kimmel has a streak of four consecutive top ten finishes since finishing 11th at Winchester Speedway in June. CHASING THE RECORDS: By taking his 75th career checkered flag in last week's Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 in Indianapolis, Kimmel moved to within four wins of the all-time ARCA win record, held by Iggy Katona. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday at 5:15pm ET. POINTS REPORT: After 13 of 20 races, Kimmel sits third in ARCA Racing Series points and trails point leader, Chris Buescher, by 65 points. As a result of his win at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, Kimmel gained 35 points after leading 43 laps en route to his first victory with Thorsport Racing. Kimmel has accumulated one win, six top fives, and ten top ten finishes thus far in 2012. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-2 chassis at Pocono, the car's fourth appearance of 2012. Chassis A-2 has been raced to three top ten finishes in as many starts this season. (Pocono - 6th, Michigan - 7th, Chicagoland - 3rd). SUMMER STREAK: During the three races in July, Kimmel scored one win, three top five finishes, and led in two events for a total of 66 laps. Those performances vaulted Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team 95 points closer to the championship lead with seven races remaining. GOING FOR BACK-TO-BACK: In his ARCA Racing Series career, Kimmel has scored consecutive race wins on 23 occasions. After breaking a 75 race winless streak, Kimmel will look to visit victory lane in back-to-back races at Pocono Raceway. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WHAT DID YOU LEARN AT POCONO IN JUNE THAT YOU WILL TRANSFER TO THIS WEEKEND? "We don't know if we'll have a tire issue when we go back. We don't know if the track has cured enough and lost a little bit of grip. We're going to be aware of the tire issues and pay attention to that. The tires are going to need some attention, and our car was pretty good in the spring race. What we learned at Michigan and Chicago we are applying to the car, because we've raced this chassis at all those races." WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE DO YOU HAVE COMING OFF THE WIN AT INDY? "Confidence. We were all worried if we were doing the right things to the racecars and in the racecars. We were close several times, but could never get ourselves to break through. All that is gone now. That pressure is off Jeriod Prince and myself, and the entire team. The guys that work on the cars want to win, and everybody wants to see results. It wasn't an easy one, we had to improve the car all race and really work for it. That's what you have to do. It really increased our confidence to know that we can go out and win races now."

In his home state of Indiana, Frank Kimmel snapped his winless drought, and returned to Victory Lane, for the 75th time in his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards career. After moving to Thorsport Racing for 2012, Kimmel was able to deliver the Sandusky, OH based team their first ARCA Racing Series win, and Kimmel's first since September 2008 at Salem. "Any time I can win in Indiana, its special", Kimmel said. "It's such a legendary track. It doesn't seem like it's been (75 races) since we won. This almost feels like a first win. We won a lot of races in a lot of years. A lot of times you win races based on being smart and being there at the end, and we're still pretty good at that." Kimmel started from the 7th position and rode well inside the top ten for the entire event. Quick pit work by the Ansell/Menards team helped jump Kimmel into the top four on the first pit stop. Kimmel wasted no time slicing through lapped traffic and into 3rd by lap 62 and into contention for the win. The top spot was tightly contested, with Kimmel in the mix at all times dealing with a tight racecar in the center of the corner, and loose on exit. Kimmel restarted 3rd on a lap 140 restart, and immediately made an aggressive three wide move in an attempt to grab the lead on lap 142. The move resulted in advancing to second, and grabbed the lead from Mason Mitchell 16 laps later on lap 158. Kimmel's rise toward the front was made possible by effective adjustments that improved his Toyota Camry throughout the event. "The first part of the race, it was tight in the middle and loose off", Kimmel said. "We just battled and kept pace. On the second pit stop we had some better tires and it ran longer. The third stop, it was really good to the finish. Once we got ahead, we just ran our own line and cut through traffic a little better than everyone else." After a caution on lap 167, the race's duration was decided by tire management. A hard charging Brennan Poole, with fresher tires, was kept at bay by Kimmel, conserving his Hoosier tires throughout the course of the last tire run. Kimmel was not able to run away and hide when the race's final yellow flag flew inside ten laps to go. On lap 197, Kimmel got a spectacular restart, and pulled out to a comfortable lead to capture his first win of 2012 and first win at Lucas Oil Raceway Park. "I was running as hard as I could without spinning the tires or making it push too bad", Kimmel said. "That's the thing about this racetrack, you have to stay within yourself. I was trying to be real smooth and keep the tires under me. I felt like if he drove all the way to me, I was going to run my line. If he got around me, he got around me. I wasn't going to worry about it. I was going to race as hard as I could." In their 13th race together, Kimmel and crew chief, Jeriod Prince, were able to deliver Thorsport the first ARCA win in team history. To date, the win is the culmination of consistent top ten and top five runs that the Ansell/Menards team has put together thus far in 2012. After scoring the victory, Kimmel now has six top fives and ten top ten finishes this season. After gaining 60 points on the championship lead at Iowa and Chicago, the win moves Kimmel to within 65 points of the championship point leader with seven races remaining in ARCA's 60th Anniversary season. "It's tremendous. The only thing I could say over the radio after the race to those guys was 'Thank You'", Kimmel said. "They believed in me. They know when we get into the race I'm going to give them 120%. Every race this year we've gotten a little bit better, and a little bit stronger. The last four or five races, we've been really good. I can't wait for the rest of the year. It's going to be a good season."

For the ninth time in series history, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will hit Indianapolis' short track for the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200. 2011 marked the first time Frank Kimmel competed at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, and the nine-time champion returns this weekend chasing a break through short track win. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team have consistently performed near the front of the field at every short track event in the 2012 season. After season best finishes of 2nd at Salem and Toledo, the tight confines of short tracks have proved to be the strongest efforts for Kimmel thus far in 2012. Four of Kimmel's five top five finishes in 2012 have come on short tracks, and has only one finish outside the top ten on short tracks. After leading 23 laps at Iowa two races ago, Kimmel has led a total of 84 laps on short tracks this season. Over the last two weeks, Kimmel has become a major player in the championship chase, trying to win an unprecedented 10th ARCA title. With six of the eight remaining events on tracks one mile or less, Kimmel and the Thorsport Racing team like their chances to gain ground on the point leaders through the hot summer stretch. Consistency has always been a staple of Kimmel's career, and 2012 has been no exception. After 12 events, Kimmel has nine top ten finishes, and just two finishes worse than 11th. With solid performances week after week, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team are focused on breaking into victory lane this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway Park. 2012 SHORT TRACK PERFORMANCE: Kimmel has scored his season best finish on short tracks this season. Two runner-up finishes at Salem and Toledo have contributed to a total of five top five finishes. Kimmel has led 84 laps on short tracks this season, and has one finish worse than 11th. TOP TEN STREAK: Kimmel rides a streak of three consecutive top ten finishes dating back to New Jersey Motorsports Park on July 1st. After finishing 3rd at Chicagoland Speedway, Kimmel enters LORP with two consecutive top five finishes. CLOSE TO THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday at 5:30pm ET. In addition, Kimmel's 74 career wins is five behind Katona's all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series. POINTS REPORT: After 12 of 20 races, Kimmel sits fourth in ARCA Racing Series points and trails point leader, Chris Buescher, by 100 points. With finishes of 5th at Iowa, and 3rd at Chicagoland, Kimmel has gained 60 points on the point lead in the last two races. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-1 chassis for the sixth time in 2012. Chassis A-1 has been raced to two runner-up finishes, and was most recently raced at Iowa where Kimmel finished 5th. (Mobile - 17th, Salem - 2nd, Toledo - 2nd, Winchester - 11th, Iowa - 5th). THORSPORT TANDEM: For the first time this season, Thorsport Racing will field two cars in the ARCA Racing Series. Matt Crafton, driver of the #88 Menards Toyota in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Thorsport Racing will pilot the #18 Messina-Menards Toyota. AVON, IN MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will visit the Avon, IN Menards location on Thursday, July 26th, from 7-8pm ET. Kimmel will be joined by the defending Brickyard 400 race winner, Paul Menard, and Thorsport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton to sign autographs. Menard's #27, and Crafton's #88 showcars will also be on display. The Avon Menards store is located at 10555 East US Highway 36, Avon, IN 46123. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WITH ONLY ONE START, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON RETURNING TO LORP? "I'm really looking forward to going back. It's only 2 hours from home, which is always nice. It's such a legendary racetrack, lots of history and a really cool racetrack. Last year, we didn't run good at any point during the day. I was frustrated that we ran so poorly. So, this year I'm really looking forward to improving, especially with our record on short tracks this year. In order to stay in the points battle, we have to run well and redeem ourselves from last season." WHAT MAKES LORP SO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SHORT TRACKS IN THE SERIES? "The biggest difference is how flat it is. The track surface is a lot different from anywhere else we run because you don't run right on the bottom. You run in up in the middle of the racetrack and sometimes, even higher. It's a difficult place to get a hold of. The cars don't want to turn, and once you do, it's free up off. We seem to be tighter in the middle and loose up off the corner there more than anywhere else we go."

Frank Kimmel scored his second consecutive top five finish, and fifth top five finish overall this season, in the Ansell ActivArmr 150 at the Chicagoland Speedway after finishing 3rd. With the support of 200 guests from Menards and Ansell Gloves in attendance, the #44 Thorsport Racing team put together one most impressive efforts of their 2012 season. Coming into Chicagoland, the Ansell ActivArmr/Menards team was anxious to improve on performance at intermediate racetracks. Early in practice, the Thorsport Toyota team was faced with challenges of adapting to a new setup, but persevered and found a solid race trim baseline. Kimmel posted the 9th fastest lap in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell, but started 8th after the initial pole winner's time was disallowed. From the immediate drop of the green flag, Kimmel's Ansell ActivArmr/Menards Toyota was on the move. Kimmel picked up two spots of the first lap, and was in fourth by the race's first yellow on lap 4. Kimmel radioed the crew, reporting he was very happy with the balance on a short run with fresh tires. Kimmel took advantage of restarts all race long, and on the lap 8 restart, moved into the top three. On lap 24, Kimmel was racing hard for second and made slight contact when the #35 car made a three-wide move the inside on the tri-oval. After recovering from the contact, Kimmel radioed a tight condition in the center of the corner, and was running fourth at the lap 46 caution for debris. Under the event's second yellow flag, Kimmel came to pit road for an inner-liner air pressure adjustment. The Thorsport Racing crew made quick work and gained Kimmel two spots, moving him to 2nd. After another quick caution at lap 53, Kimmel made a move for the lead and challenged eventual race winner, Kevin Swindell, on the outside on the restart at lap 56. With 30 laps remaining, Kimmel settled in the 3rd spot, putting distance from all other challengers for position. Kimmel remained in 3rd through the race's concluding green flag run, and took the checkered flag to net his fifth top five finish of the season. Kimmel gained five points on the championship point lead, and heads to Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis 4th in ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards points. No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota "It was a good day and pretty consistent", Kimmel said. "We had a top five, or top three Ansell ActivArmr/Menards Toyota all day long, and that's where we ended up. These are the best, nicest racecars I've ever driven, so we just have to keep up, and keep getting better. We always try and get the best finish we can with the car we have each race. To beat these guys for the championship, we're going to have to beat them on the racetrack. If you win the race, you gain the most points, so we need to keep getting better and win."

This weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Frank Kimmel will be racing with an extra incentive and a bigger fan base as part of the Ansell ActivArmr 150 weekend. Over 200 guests from Menards and Ansell will be on hand at Chicago to witness Kimmel chase his second win at Chicagoland. The #44 Toyota will have a different look this week, with Ansell's ActivArmr being showcased on the hood, complimenting the familiar Menards yellow paint scheme. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team have scored two top ten finishes on intermediate style tracks this year, Pocono (6th) and Michigan (7th). Kimmel and the #44 are coming off a solid top five finish at the Iowa Speedway, where the #44 Thorsport team gained ground on the point leader and are now within 105 points of the championship lead. Consistency has put Kimmel in the thick of the championship hunt in 2012, finishing in the top ten in eight of the eleven events thus far. After an 11th place at Winchester snapped a streak of top tens, a 7th place finish at New Jersey, and last week's effort at Iowa have kick-started another top ten streak for the nine-time champion. With an average finish of eighth over 11 races at Chicagoland, the Joliet, IL 1.5 mile speedway has proved to be one of Kimmel's most productive venues in recent years. Kimmel is one of two drivers to start every ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event at Chicago, and has nine top ten finishes in eleven starts. Kimmel is one of the eleven different winners, scoring his Chicagoland victory from the pole in 2003. CHICAGOLAND PERFORMANCE: Kimmel is one of two ARCA Racing Series drivers to compete in every race at Chicagoland Speedway. In the eleven races at Chicagoland, Kimmel has scored five top fives and nine top ten finishes. Kimmel scored a win in 2003 from the pole, and has just one finish worse than 11th at Chicago. TOP TEN STREAK: In the last three Chicagoland races, Kimmel has scored three top ten finishes and in the top eleven in the last seven Chicago races. Kimmel is coming off of two consecutive top ten finishes at New Jersey Motorsports Park (7th) and Iowa Speedway (5th). CLOSE TO THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday morning at 9:30 amCT. In addition, Kimmel's 74 career wins is five behind Katona's all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series. POINTS REPORT: After 11 of 20 races, Kimmel sits fourth in ARCA Racing Series points and trails point leader, Chris Buescher, by 105 points. After leading 23 laps and finishing 5th at Iowa, Kimmel gained 55 points on the championship lead. Through 11 events in 2012, Kimmel has four top fives and eight top ten finishes. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-2 chassis for this weekend's Ansell ActivArmr 150. Chassis A-2 has been raced twice in 2012 to two top ten finishes (Pocono - 6th, Michigan - 7th). NEW LOOK: Coinciding with the Ansell ActivArmr 150, Ansell's ActivArmr brand will adorn the hood of Kimmel's Menards Toyota this week at Chicagoland. JOLIET, IL MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will visit the Joliet, IL Menards location on Thursday, July 19th, from 6-7:30 PM. Kimmel will sign autographs for fans while the #44 Ansell/Menards showcar will also be on display. The Joliet Menards location is at 2524 W Jefferson Street Joliet, IL 60435. ANSELL ActivArmr: Ansell is introducing their new Multipurpose line of ActivArmr gloves. ActivArmr Multipurpose gloves are available in Light Duty, Medium Duty and Heavy Duty. These 'second skin' feel gloves are made from engineered yarns for durability, breathability and comfort. They each have a foam nitrile outer layer for enhanced wet/dry grip and improved finger lengths for improved fit. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE PERFORMANCE ON INTERMEDIATE TRACKS IN 2012? "It's hard to say really, because the first two races have been on new asphalt. No one had a good notebook on Pocono or Michigan. We ran well at both races, but the tire situation at both tracks took away from the performance and made it hard gauge. Chicagoland is going to be the first true challenge of what our intermediate program will be like." WHAT MAKES CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY DIFFERENT NOW FROM WHEN IT FIRST OPENED? "Like every track, it has more bumps, more character, and has lost grip over time. It's a much different style of intermediate track than Pocono or Michigan because of the difference in asphalt. We're changing our philosophy with the racecar this week to try and compensate for that. We're bringing a fast car this week, and hope that we can run up front all weekend." WHAT WOULD SOLID PERFORMACE OR A WIN MEAN IN THE ANSELL ActivArmr 150? "When we do win, wherever it is, it's going to be big. Every time Menards and Ansell are at the track, we have a big contingent of people watching, so you want to run well. Ansell and Menards have been great supporters of ours and it's going to be fun having a lot of guests from both companies at the racetrack. We're confident we can run well and run up front, but it's important for us to have a chance to win everywhere we go."

The first night race, and one-day show, of 2012 offered plenty of changing factors for teams at the Iowa Speedway, and Frank Kimmel returned to the top five with a 5th place finish at the night's end. Both practice sessions for ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards competitors occurred during the heat of the afternoon. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team battled a tight condition throughout practice, but were near the top of the speed chart all afternoon. The Thorsport Racing team made changes to the #44 Toyota for Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell, which also took place in bright sunshine. Kimmel earned the 10th starting position, which was his fourth top ten qualifying effort in the last five races. From the drop of the green flag, Kimmel aggressively gained positions in the opening laps, moving up to 6th, and settled inside the top ten throughout the first green flag run. The Iowa Speedway lends itself to some of the most competitive side-by-side racing on the ARCA Racing series circuit, and Kimmel was right in the middle of the action. For many laps, Kimmel battled hard to protect his top ten position racing door-to-door with the competition for numerous laps. The event's first caution flew at lap 74, under which, Kimmel came down pit road for four tires as well as adjustments to fix an ill-handling racecar, lacking side bite and rear grip off the corners. The Ansell/Menards team picked up a position on pit road and sent Kimmel out in 7th position. Kimmel was running 9th at a lap 113 caution flag and came to pit road for more adjustments as the tight condition from practice had plagued the team yet again. After restarting 11th, the pit stop allowed crew chief, Jeriod Prince, to employ an off-sequence strategy to gain track position on the following yellow flag. Prince kept Kimmel on-track during the caution on lap 127, as Kimmel inherited the lead after communicating the car had felt the best it had all day long. Numerous cautions littered the subsequent laps, while Kimmel showed his prowess on restarts, keeping the competitors at bay. On lap, 152, Kimmel battled the tight condition through the center of the corner and surrendered the lead to eventual race winner, Alex Bowman. Kimmel led a total of 23 laps and ran in the top five through the duration of the event, and held on to his 5th place position during the green-white-checkered finish. By finishing fifth, Kimmel secured his fourth top five finish and eighth top ten finish. While Kimmel lost a position in the series standings, he closed the gap on point leader, Chris Buescher, to 105 points. The finish also extended Kimmel streak of top tens at Iowa Speedway to six consecutive races. "The Ansell/Menards Toyota ran pretty decent all night", Kimmel said. "We were on a tightrope with the balance. If we tried to tighten it up off, it'd get so tight to turn in the middle and we struggled with that all day. It's frustrating, because we work on it every week. One of these day's we're going to figure it out. I'm really proud of the effort, and the call to get the track position that allowed us to get up towards the front and get another top five finish."

For the seventh time in the track's history, Iowa Speedway will host the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, this year on Friday the 13th. In the previous six events, Iowa has seen unpredictable races, results, and six different winners, including Frank Kimmel in 2007. Kimmel has been a model of consistency at Iowa, scoring finishes of 7th or better in the five most recent ARCA Racing Series events at the .875 mile oval. Kimmel has been a player at each short track event thus far in 2012, scoring two runner-up finishes at Salem and Toledo. Chassis A-1 was the Ansell/Menards Toyota that the nine-time champ piloted to those season best finishes, and will race the same Thorsport Racing Toyota at Iowa this weekend. Kimmel has led laps at two of the last three short track races for a total of 61 laps, including two top five finishes (2nd - Toledo, 4th - Elko). As the 2012 season has reached the halfway mark, Kimmel finds himself in the thick of the championship battle chasing a record tenth championship. Kimmel and team have made the most of tough days through the early portion of the year, and capitalized on opportunities with solid performances as well. This week, Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is holding additional importance for the #44 Thorsport team. Five of the six Iowa race winners, including Kimmel, have started in the top four. Additionally, Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time pole record of 43 poles in the ARCA Racing Series by setting fast time on Friday afternoon at 4:30 pmCT. TOP TEN STREAK: Through six ARCA Racing Series races at Iowa Speedway, Kimmel has finished in the top ten in the last five events at Iowa, dating back to his win in 2007. Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team began another streak of top tens after a 7th place at New Jersey Motorsports Park. CLOSE TO THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday afternoon at 4:30 pmCT. In addition, Kimmel's 74 career wins is five behind Katona's all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series. POINTS REPORT: After 10 of 20 races, Kimmel sits third in ARCA Racing Series points at the halfway mark of the season, and trails point leader, Brennan Poole, by 160 points. Thus far, Kimmel has scored three top five finishes, and seven top tens. IOWA PERFORMANCE: Since the inaugural event at Iowa in 2006 when he finished 32nd, Kimmel has scored a win and never finished worse than 7th in the following five races. Kimmel's Iowa win came in 2007 when he led 94 of the 250 laps. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-1 chassis for this weekend's Prairie Meadows 200. Chassis A-1 has been raced four times in 2012 at Mobile, Salem, Toledo, and Winchester. THORSPORT AT IOWA: Thorsport Racing and driver, Matt Crafton, visited victory lane last summer at Iowa in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Thorsport's #88 NCWTS team has been servicing Kimmel's #44 Toyota on pit road all season long, and look to bring Thorsport and Menards back to Iowa's victory lane for the second consecutive year. IOWA MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will visit the Altoona Menards location on Thursday, July 12th, from 6-7:30 PM. Kimmel will sign autographs for fans while the #44 Ansell/Menards showcar will also be on display. The Altoona Menards location is at 370 36th Avenue SW Altoona, IA 50009. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel GIVEN YOUR TRACK RECORD, DOES IOWA FIT YOUR DRIVING STYLE MORE THAN MOST TRACKS? "I really like the racetrack. I think it's the perfect size. It's not so fast that aerodynamics is the most important thing, and it's short enough that huge horsepower isn't a necessity. Iowa is about the guy that makes the car handle well and get through the corner. The track has some bumps with it aging and it's changed over time. We put pressure on ourselves to run well and we've had good luck there the past few years." DOES BRINGING A PROVEN CHASSIS GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL CONFIDENCE? "I'm really excited take chassis A-1 there. We've been using it on most of the short tracks this year and has run very well each time out. We've got a lot of time and laps in the car, so we have a good history on it. The entire team works really hard on preparing the car and we have a good understanding of it too. I do have a lot of confidence taking that car to the racetrack, and know that there will be a good setup under it." WHAT WOULD TYING THE ALL-TIME ARCA POLE RECORD MEAN? "It would be very important for myself, as well as the team. We're continuing to learn about each other and what to do to the racecar each week. I think it would show how much we've made strides with our racecars I'm working on qualifying better every race. A pole would be a great shot in the arm. Tying the record would be great, but it would be satisfying to show that we're a team capable a winning poles and races every week."

Over the course of 67 laps, and 150 miles, Frank Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team earned a 7th place finish overcoming numerous challenges throughout the season's lone road course event. Kimmel's finish marked his fifth top ten at NJMP in as many races and vaulted him to third in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards standings. Following last week's disappointing result at Winchester, Kimmel and the Thorsport team showcased the resiliency and determination it takes to win races and championships by battling to a solid finish at a challenging racetrack. After practicing 10th and 15th in the two sessions on Saturday afternoon, Kimmel qualified 15th and started from the rear of the field due to pitting prior to the green flag. Crew chief Jeriod Prince elected to make adjustments to the Ansell/Menards Camry during the pace laps to improve the handling from the two practice sessions. The fifth ARCA Racing Series event at NJMP started with a 23 lap green flag run, during which Kimmel advanced through the field and into the top 15 by lap 8. Kimmel's Toyota showed muscle throughout the initial green run and worked his way to 11th by the first pit stop. As the #16 slid off course on lap 23, Kimmel was strategically called down pit road before the full course yellow flew, and made it to pit road to change left side tires. After beating the leader off pit road, Kimmel returned to pit road with the race leaders to get right side tires and top off with fuel under the caution period. Kimmel restarted in 4th at lap 28 and raced in the top ten until lap 33 when he was briefly shoved off course in turn 4. By entering turn 5, Kimmel had recovered and caught a caution the following lap while running 10th. While battling for the 10th position at lap 50, a stalled car brought out the second to last caution, allowing Kimmel to pit for four fresh Hoosier tires. Starting 7th on the ensuing lap 53 restart, contact with the #81 for the second time during the weekend forced Kimmel off track in turn 2 prompting Kimmel's late race charge. In the final eight laps, the nine-time ARCA Champion regained the lost positions and fought back to a 7th place finish while Andrew Ranger scored his second career win. No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota "We did everything we could to make the car better", Kimmel said. "The guys worked so hard on it all weekend. It seemed like we made it better in the race, and the more laps we ran, the better we got. We probably would have come out with a top five and got run off course near the end and lost a ton of track position. It was a hot day and we made up as much as we could and come home with another solid finish."

Since 2008, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has had a midseason twist, visiting the road course at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The 150 mile event on the 2.25 mile road course is the only event of its kind in 2012, and Frank Kimmel is determined to take advantage of the unique event given his consistent history at NJMP. Through the four ARCA Racing Series events at the east coast road course, Kimmel is one of eight drivers to compete in every event, and has finished in the top ten in every start. In two of the last three races, Kimmel and the Thorsport team have scored top ten finishes while combating tire issues. Coming into the season's halfway point, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team enter Millville, NJ looking to put the string of bad luck behind them. Dating back to Salem in April, Kimmel had a streak of six consecutive top ten finishes, which was broken last week at Winchester due to a flat tire. Kimmel's Thorsport Racing team has shown outright speed and consistency this season and look to start another top ten streak this weekend. With only one road course event each season on the ARCA Racing Series tour, drivers have limited experience at road racing and every advantage can pay big dividends. Kimmel spent time earlier this week honing his road racing skills at Arizona's Bondurant High Performance Racing School. The school teaches novices to experts about the fundamentals of road course racing across numerous racing platforms. After scoring his best career finish in 2010 at New Jersey, 4th, Kimmel looks to take advantage of the road racing schooling and improve upon his road course record as the 2012 season reaches the halfway mark. TOP TEN STREAK: After finishing 11th in last weekend's Herr's Chase the Taste 200 at Winchester Speedway, Kimmel's streak of six consecutive top ten finishes ended, but looks to continue his perfect record of top ten finishes at NJMP. CLOSE TO THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards on Saturday, June 30th, during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. With 74 career victories, Kimmel is five wins behind Katona's all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series. POINTS REPORT: After 9 of 20 races, Kimmel is currently 4th in series points after his 11th place finish at Winchester Speedway. Kimmel trails point leader Brennan Poole by 155 points after scoring three top five finishes and six top tens. BILL FRANCE FOUR CROWN: NJMP marks the second of four races in the pursuit of the Bill France Four Crown Award. After finishing 7th at Michigan International Speedway, Kimmel sits 5th in the standings that showcases the versatility of ARCA Racing Series drivers. The Springfield Mile and Salem Speedway are also included in the Bill France Four Crown. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-7 chassis for the first time in 2012. This particular chassis was previously used in Sprint Cup Series competition and is brand new to the Thorsport Racing stable. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS WHEN YOU RACE ON A ROAD COURSE? "Road course races we just have to finish. We've finished right in the top five and top ten there in the past. Hopefully we'll learn a little bit this week to improve our performance going into this weekend. It'd be nice to at least run how we have in the past, and hopefully be up in the top five near the end." WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO LEARN FOR ROAD RACES BY GOING TO BONDURANT? "I haven't done a racing school like that, ever. I'm looking forward to picking up anything new I can learn and get a little bit better. It's always important to constantly stay ahead of the curve and be able to race on different types of tracks. That's especially important in this series, and as we're racing on a bunch of different tracks during this stretch of the year."

No other driver had matched Frank Kimmel's career performance at Winchester coming into this weekend's Herr's Chase the Taste 200. Despite his incredible track record, Kimmel's streak of six consecutive top ten finishes in 2012 came to an end at one of his most productive venues. Kimmel had a strong car showing speed to run in the top three, but his strong run was derailed after a melted bead caused the right front tire to go flat. The Ansell/Menards Toyota team lost two laps and settled for an 11th place finish. Kimmel paced both practice sessions on Saturday afternoon with a car that was poised to be in contention for the race win. A disappointing qualifying effort put Kimmel in the 9th starting position, but flexed his muscle in the early stages. Through the opening green flag runs, Kimmel advanced positions on the narrow, high banked half mile, using his experience to his advantage. By lap 18, Kimmel had cracked the top 5 and raced with the leaders for much of the first 50 laps. The first caution flew at lap 43 while Kimmel ran in 5th. Under the caution, he reported a tight condition in the center of the corners, and loose under braking. On the lap 50 restart, Kimmel pounced on the competition and moved up to 4th, where he ran until misfortune struck. A melted bead on the right front tire caused the tire to go down, and forced the five time Winchester winner to pit road under green on lap 78. Kimmel rejoined the action two laps down and fighting to get a lap back in order to race for the Lucky Dog. During the caution on lap 93, crew chief, Jeriod Prince, made a track bar adjustment to help the handling on the #44 Toyota. On the ensuing restart, Kimmel reported a possible suspension issue as a result of the flat tire. Regardless, Kimmel earned one lap back the hard way, racing around the race leaders and vaulting himself into the Lucky Dog position after a restart on lap 154. However, the caution flag Kimmel and the Thorsport team needed did not come and settled for an 11th place finish. The finish was Kimmel's first outside the top ten since Mobile Int'l Speedway in March. It also marks the first time since 2001 that Kimmel has finished outside the top 10 at Winchester Speedway. No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota "I think we had a car to run in the top three without a doubt. We showed that speed all day. That last run of the day, we kept the same set of tires on, and ran about 110 laps on them. After we had a flat, we had a suspension issue too. It's a shame we didn't get a couple cautions when we needed them, because we still would have been in good shape. We'll go road course racing next week, give the best effort we can, and see what we can accomplish."

Over the course of 22 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards events at Winchester Speedway, no driver has been to victory lane more than Frank Kimmel. Short tracks have been the heart and soul of the ARCA Racing Series for years, and Kimmel has taken advantage of short tracks throughout his career. This weekend's Herr's Chase the Taste 200 will be the 23rd ARCA Racing Series event Winchester, and Kimmel will be the only former Winchester winner in the field. After two consecutive races on intermediate tracks with fresh asphalt, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team return to the short track racing that has provided the most success for the Thorsport Racing team in 2012. In the previous two short track races, Kimmel has scored two top five finishes, fourth at Elko Speedway, and a runner-up finish at Toledo Speedway. Those two finishes have contributed to a streak of consistency that has put the nine-time ARCA champ third in series points. Through the course of fourteen Winchester starts, the most of any driver, Kimmel's success at the Indiana half-mile is unmatched. The Indiana native has showcased much of his short track success at Winchester with a track record five wins, and just one finish worse than 11th. Three of his five Winchester wins came in consecutive events in 2002, 2003, and 2006. With three top four finishes in four short track events thus far in 2012, Kimmel is poised to challenge for his sixth Winchester event win and gain additional points towards his quest of a tenth career championship. TOP TEN STREAK: After finishing 7th in last weekend's RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan Int'l Speedway, Kimmel extended his top 10 streak to six races. At Winchester, Kimmel has five consecutive top 10 finishes, which include three wins and four top 5's. CLOSE TO THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards on Saturday evening during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. With 74 career victories, Kimmel is five wins behind Katona's all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series. POINTS REPORT: After 8 of 20 races, Kimmel sits third in series points, 95 points out of the lead after picking up two positions last weekend at MIS. Thus far, Kimmel has three top-5's and six top-10 finishes in 2012. WINCHESTER QUALIFYING PROWESS: Kimmel has a stout qualifying record at Winchester's half mile. In fourteen career appearances, Kimmel has never started worse than 10th. He has scored two poles and eight top five starts. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-1 chassis for the fourth time in 2012. The team has utilized this chassis at three of the four short track events this season. Kimmel has raced A-1 to two runner-up finishes at Salem and Toledo. WINCHESTER DOMINATION: Kimmel holds the all-time starts record with 14 at Winchester, as well as the all-time wins record with five trips to victory lane. Kimmel has four wins in his last seven Winchester starts, including three consecutive wins in 2002, 2003, and 2006. He has just two finishes outside the top 10, and has 11 top 5 finishes. MUNCIE, IN MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will be signing autographs at the Muncie, IN Menards location on Friday night from 6-7:30 PM local time. The #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota show car will also be on display. Fans can also purchase tickets for the Herr's Chase the Taste 200 at nine area Menards locations. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GET BACK TO SHORT TRACK RACING? "Both the Pocono and Michigan races were difficult for everyone involved with the new asphalt and tire issues. It's nice to not have to worry about that going to Winchester, which is a place that I really enjoy. I've had success in the past and run really well there. We're taking the car we ran Salem with, and looking forward to being real strong." HOW MUCH DO YOU ENJOY RACING IN YOUR HOME STATE? "I've always enjoyed racing at Salem and Winchester. Winchester is smoother and has a lot of grip to it. It's a real fast racetrack and a great track for the ARCA Racing Series to run at. It's been a neat place for us to run over the years, and I expect we'll run well this weekend."

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards christened the new asphalt on the two mile oval in Michigan, and saw competitors battle tire issues, while Frank Kimmel persevered to a 7th place finish. For the second straight week, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team have been plagued by tire woes, but continued to drive towards the top of the championship standings. After qualifying eighth, Kimmel gained positions from the initial green flag, dodging the frequent incidents throughout the early stages. With extreme tire wear on the forefront of the competitors' minds, Kimmel cautiously approached the event's first fuel run. On lap 29, Kimmel brought his Toyota to pit road for four tires and a track bar adjustment. Left side tire wear was found to be excessive, and crew chief Jeriod Prince proceeded to employ a cautious strategy to preserve tires. On the following restart, Kimmel moved to sixth by lap 37. Four laps later, Kimmel reported a bad vibration and found a friendly caution flag two laps later at lap 43. Kimmel radioed the team and reported the only way to find more speed in the car would be to solve his tire issues, which plagued most other competitors. Under the yellow, Prince and team serviced Kimmel with four fresh tires, and discovered right side tires "chunking" and blistering. After leaving pit road tenth, Kimmel moved to ninth following the lap 50 restart and was pleased with the car's handling during the subsequent laps. By lap 60, front running competitors began blowing out tires while Kimmel maintained a steady pace conserving tires. At lap 65, Kimmel found himself fifth, and one of the few front runners keeping all four tires underneath the racecar. Kimmel reported another vibration at lap 75, and moved into the top three two laps later, but pitting for tires shortly after. An ill timed caution flag soon followed on lap 82, and caught Kimmel one lap down to the race leaders. Bad luck continued under the yellow flag when Kimmel was forced to pit for a second time during the caution period for another flat tire. With 11 laps to go, Kimmel restarted 7th racing in the Lucky Dog position fighting through an additional vibration. Kimmel ran the final eight circuits of the event preserving his position, and tires, driving to a 7th place finish. It marked his sixth consecutive top ten finish of the season and moved him to 3rd in the series championship standings. No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota "It's frustrating to have to race so conservatively and take care of tires all race long", Kimmel said. "I felt like we had a lot better Toyota than what we were able to show. But, like last week, we tried to make the most of the situation and got a respectable finish. It's nice to move up in the standings again, and we'll keep working and try to run better each week."

For the second consecutive week, Frank Kimmel and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards competitors will tackle a newly repaved racetrack, at Michigan International Speedway. This will mark the second event of 2012 on an intermediate style racetrack which compliment the short track portion of the ARCA schedule. After battling back from tire woes last week at Pocono Raceway to finish sixth, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards team enter Michigan continuing to carry momentum after seeing their streak of top ten finishes extended. The ARCA Racing Series was the first series to host a race on Pocono's new pavement, and will do the same this weekend at MIS. With the asphalt similarities, Kimmel and the Thorsport Racing team hope to have their #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota perform similarly to last week's event in Long Pond, PA. With five consecutive top tens leading into this weekend's Rain Eater Wiper Blades 200, Kimmel is poised to take another step towards his tenth series crown. The nine-time series champion has made more starts at MIS than any other driver in the ARCA Racing Series with 23. Kimmel has also shown the way to victory lane twice, in June 1998 and 2005. With finishes in the top ten in the last two events at MIS, Kimmel has also been known to start towards the front in his career, combining strong qualifying efforts as well as high points positions. Kimmel has started in the top ten in five of the last seven MIS events, and has nine top fives and thirteen top tens. TOP TEN STREAK: Kimmel is gunning for his sixth consecutive top ten finish of 2012. His stretch of top tens dates back to Talladega in April where he finished 7th. Kimmel has also finished in the top ten in three of the last four races at Michigan. ON THE RECORD: Kimmel can tie Iggy Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards on Saturday morning during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. With 74 career victories, Kimmel is five wins behind Katona's all-time wins record in the ARCA Racing Series. POINTS REPORT: After 7 of 20 races, Kimmel sits fifth in series points, 95 points out of the lead. Thus far, Kimmel has three top-5's and five top-10 finishes in 2012. CLOSE TO THE FRONT: Kimmel has not started outside the top 15 at Michigan since June of 1999, span of fifteen races. He has started five of the last seven MIS events in the top ten, and is looking for his first career pole at MIS. CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will pilot chassis A-2 out of the Thorsport Racing stable in the RainEater Wiper Blades 200. This chassis saw its first laps of competition last week in Pocono where it qualified 5th, and was raced to a 6th place finish. MICHIGAN MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will be signing autographs at the Jackson, MI Menards location on Thursday night from 7-8PM local time, following ARCA Racing Series practice. Kimmel will be joined by Sprint Cup Series driver, and defending Brickyard 400 winner, Paul Menard. The #27 Menards Sprint Cup Showcar and the #88 Menards Camping World Truck Series showtruck will be on hand as well. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel WHAT CHANGES DO YOU ANTICIPATE AFTER THE REPAVING AT MIS? "It will be similar to Pocono, but different as well. The majority of the lap at MIS, you're in the turn. We're going to have the same issues trying to get the car to turn, and have to be on the throttle a lot. I think we'll be wide open the whole lap, especially for qualifying, and probably even in the race at times. You're going to need a car that turns good, but stay wide open a lot too." HOW VITAL IS AN INTERMEDIATE TRACK PROGRAM TO WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE ARCA RACING SERIES? "You have to have a good program at every place we go. Five years ago, we had more intermediate tracks than anything else. It's switched to where we have a lot of short tracks now. It's all important with two races at superspeedways, two on dirt, a road course and these intermediates. They guy that wins the championship is going to be good everywhere we go, no matter what type of track we race on."

For the fifth consecutive week, Frank Kimmel and the #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota team secured a top ten finish after a sixth place finish at Pocono Raceway. Competing over the course of 80 laps on a newly resurfaced racetrack proposed many additional variables for teams to manage, most notably, tire wear. After running in the top five for most of the event, Kimmel's strong run towards the front was foiled by a flat tire, but recovered for his fifth top-ten finish of 2012. After qualifying fifth, his second best qualifying effort thus far in 2012, Kimmel began the 200 mile affair solidly in the top five throughout the first ten laps of the event. At lap 15, ARCA officials gave the teams an opportunity to check tire wear on the brand new asphalt with a competition caution period. The Ansell/Menards team made air pressure adjustments to address Kimmel's tight condition on corner exit and restarted 7th. On the ensuing restart, a multi-car accident deep in the field in turn 1 brought out the event's second yellow. The caution period slowed the race for 11 laps and restarted on lap 33. Kimmel advanced back into the top five by lap 34, and was running fourth when bad luck stuck just past the halfway mark. Kimmel radioed his crew about a bad vibration and brought the Thorsport Racing Toyota down pit road with a flat left front tire. Kimmel rejoined the action a lap down and found himself racing for the Lucky Dog position, vying to work his way back on the lead lap. A caution at lap 59 gave the Ansell/Menards driver the break he needed and allowed Kimmel to take advantage of the Lucky Dog award and gain a lap back. After pitting under the yellow for four tires and chassis adjustment, Kimmel restarted 13th with 17 laps to go on the lead lap. Just four laps after the restart, Kimmel worked his way up to 6th and was poised to crack into the top five. Closing in on the checkered flag, Kimmel reported another vibration which threatened his position in the top ten. Kimmel was forced to conservatively guide his Toyota to the checkered flag in 6th, due to excessive right rear tire wear. The finish was Kimmel's fifth top-ten finish of the season, all of which have occurred in successive races. Kimmel remains fourth in ARCA Racing Series points, 45 points behind series leader, and Pocono race winner, Brennan Poole. "I thought we had a top five car much of the day", Kimmel said. "Even though we had a flat tire, some consider that bad luck, we probably had a good luck day by getting the Lucky Dog, getting back in line, and getting back to sixth. I think the mark of a good team is, through adversity, you run on and do the best you can. We could have run third or fourth, but came home sixth and salvaged a good day that could have been much worse."

Pocono Raceway's first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event of 2012 marks the third race in the grueling summer stretch, and Frank Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team are ready for the challenge. Sitting fourth in series points, Kimmel is coming off yet another top-five finish after last week's fourth place finish at Elko Speedway. The strength of two consecutive finishes in the top four have catapulted Kimmel into the top five in points heading into this weekend's Pocono ARCA 200. Pocono's 2.5 mile tri-oval is sporting a facelift of new asphalt this weekend, adding yet another challenge for ARCA Racing Series competitors. As is often the case with repaved racetracks, track position may prove to be the main deciding factor which will put added importance on Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. Not many drivers have been as consistently quick in qualifying at Pocono as Kimmel. Dating back to June of 2008, Kimmel has eight straight starts of 11th or better, six in the top five, and a pole in August 2010. The nine-time series champion not only has momentum on his side beginning the summer stretch, but has momentum on his side at Pocono Raceway. With three previous wins at the Pennsylvania Triangle, Kimmel has a stretch of five consecutive top-ten finishes as well. Kimmel has a good chance to extend his recent streak of finishes in the top five based on his Pocono track record. 17 of his 30 starts have resulted in top five finishes (56.6%). Kimmel will chase his first win of 2012 and first Pocono win since 2006 in a brand new Toyota chassis out of Thorsport Racing. TOP TEN STREAK: The nine-time ARCA champ is targeting his sixth consecutive top-ten finish at Pocono Raceway. Kimmel has 23 top ten finishes at Pocono, which total over 75% of his starts at the Tricky Triangle. POINTS REPORT: After 6 of 20 races, Kimmel sits fourth in series points, 35 points out of the lead. Thus far, Kimmel has three top-5's and four top-10 finishes in 2012. CLOSE TO THE FRONT: Kimmel has started 11th or better in the last eight Pocono races, including six consecutive top-five starts from June 2008-June 2011. That stretch of races included one pole position (July 2010). CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will pilot chassis A-2 out of the Thorsport Racing stable in the Pocono ARCA 200. This chassis is brand new and will see its first laps of competition this weekend. POCONO APPEARANCES: Kimmel will be signing autographs twice during the weekend's events surrounding the Pocono ARCA 200. Kimmel will be at the Sherman Theater in downtown Stroudsburg, PA on Friday, June 8th, from 7-8 PM. Kimmel will also be at the "Kid's Day" autograph session Saturday morning behind the main grandstand from 9:45-10:30 AM. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel What needs to be done to be a top-5 team during the summer stretch? "Jeriod Prince and all the guys are really working their butts off to get as prepared as they can. During this stretch of the season, it's important to be prepared, having cars ready to go and all the support and equipment to go with it. This team knows what it's like to be in a points battle and to be racing week after week. I have confidence that when we go to the racetrack, we're as prepared as anyone out there." How much different will Pocono be from the traditional style of racing there? "I really don't know exactly what to expect. I think it should be a traditional race at Pocono. The biggest difference, the speeds would potentially be up, but with the tapered spacer and the rear spoiler rules they've changed, really no one knows what to expect. It's up in the air how it will play out. We're prepared and ready to go and I understand the Pocono race, so we should be around at the end to contend to win." Will numerous wins or consistency be more important to win the championship? "I think they're both important. If we can go out and continue with our top five finishes and keep the car competitive, we'll get wins no matter what. Our goal is to make the cars as competitive as we can. The driver has to do as good as he can behind the wheel and the pit crew has been real good all season. We just have to do our own thing. If we can be as consistent as we've been, we can get that win and a few more after that."

Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry team, fielded by ThorSport Racing, came to the inaugural race at Elko Speedway with a healthy dose of short track momentum. With two second-place finishes under their belts in as many races (Salem and Toledo), they charged forward to the 3/8th-mile short track in a small corner of Minnesota. After fighting tight middle, loose off conditions most of the day and qualifying 15th, Kimmel showed his short track roots and even led the field - eventually crossing the checkers in fourth position. Kimmel started on the grid in the 15th position and quickly navigated through the young field, settling in to 11th by lap four and remaining until the first pit stop of the night at lap 67. The team opted to take four tires while others took two; fuel and air pressure adjustments. The gamble paid off, as the fresh set and a fast pit stop showed Kimmel to the ninth spot on the restart, then all the way to the lead by the race's second caution on lap 91. Dominating the lead until lap 139 when his tires started to fall off, Kimmel and new race leader Brennan Poole were able to pull away from the field. Unfortunately on the small track, lapped traffic presented a challenge as the laps clicked by - with cautions flying, tempers flaring and lots of on-track blocking. Kimmel showed the strength of a veteran as he held position as long as possible, but as he and fellow competitor Chris Buescher behind him found out - tires falling off, an accordioned field and track position were all winning factors. He went on to finish in an impressive fourth position - continuing the ThorSport Racing "top five streak" in the last three races. "We learned a lot today, and even Jeriod (Prince) said over the radio that it was all about the tires today," said Kimmel. "I'm just glad to have a great showing in front of so many of our sponsors, guests and ARCA fans today. It has been a Series team effort to promote this race, and the fans definitely came out - and we gave them a great race. The top five gives us a lot of momentum going into Pocono and Michigan, and the boys are used to week-to-week racing. Now it's time to rock and roll." The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will visit Pocono Raceway for the first of two events this season next Saturday, June 9. SPEED will air the race at 2:30 p.m. on a same-day delay, one of 10 broadcasts for the series on the network this season. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring of all on-track events Friday and Saturday. 2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO? Despite leading laps at Toledo Speedway two weeks ago, Frank Kimmel once again narrowly missed his long-awaited 75th ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win – his second podium finish in the second spot at the last two short tracks (Toledo and Salem). However, if history proves correct, Kimmel’s “two for two” going into this weekend at Elko Speedway bode well for the veteran driver – one who is known for winning inaugural races at short tracks. Elko Speedway, a 3/8th-mile asphalt oval, is right up the veteran’s driving alley – and in the backyard of his major sponsor, Menards. A MENARDS WEEKEND: This week, as the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rolls into Minnesota for the first time ever, nine-time champ Kimmel will be front and center. He will appear at two Menards stores just south of Minneapolis and St. Paul to launch the ARCA race weekend at Elko New Market. Friday, he will also take part in the Dudas, Minnesota Menards Grand Opening celebration with the No. 44 hauler and other ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards drivers. The 74-time ARCA race winner will meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and pose for pictures next to his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry show car. GLOVE FOR A GLOVE: Guests who purchase a pair of Ansell gloves inside the store during any of Frank’s appearances will receive a voucher for a free second pair of gloves, presented by Kimmel outside the store. In addition, Menards stores in and around the area will give race fans and store customers the chance to “Save Big Money” on tickets to see the action live for the first time. Through Friday, race fans can buy tickets to the ARCA race at $15 – a 40% discount off the advertised at-track price – at 32 Menards stores across Minnesota. CHASSIS INFORMATION: The No. 44 team will utilize chassis No. A-6 this weekend at Elko Speedway. A new chassis for the team for the 2012 season, it makes its debut in Elko. The chassis has tested at Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, Ohio. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel SO DO YOU FEEL LIKE A “ROOKIE” AT ELKO, BEING THE FIRST TIME HERE? It’s the first time here in Elko, absolutely, but no, I don’t feel like a rookie. It’s a small track, and I get excited about that – it’s so cool to see so many new short tracks appearing on different circuit schedules these days. The short track program has proven itself to be very strong this year at ThorSport Racing with great finishes, so I’m pretty confident going in that we’re ready to take on a new track. DO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE WEEKEND FOR WIN NUMBER 75? I’d like to hope so! You never know what can happen, and we’ve got some really fierce competition this year. The guys on the 32 team – this is their backyard, and I know Joey Miller is coming back to race. A few years ago, we really battled there for the championship. Plus you’ve got super strong contenders this year like Buescher, Bowman and others – so it’s always a level playing field no matter where we go. In the past, I’ve been decent at winning inaugural races, but we haven’t tested here and some of the other drivers might be a little more familiar. We’ll just get out there and race. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW CHASSIS? I had a chance to shake it down at Sandusky Speedway earlier this season, and it’s a fast little racecar. My crew chief, Jeriod Prince, is really holding his own on this short track program, and I’ve got to give him a lot of credit on getting up to speed fast in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. After the last few short track appearances, and even a top ten in Talladega, we’re building momentum going into the summer stretch. The boys have really dialed it in this weekend, so I’m looking forward to doing the easy part – driving! WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE IN THE BACKYARD OF “HOMETOWN MENARDS?” I’m hoping for a special weekend for them – I know we have a ton of special guests at the track this weekend, and that means so much from a support standpoint. This is not only an inaugural race for the series, but it’s a big weekend of appearances for me and our sponsor. There is so much pride in this relationship, and I’m very proud to carry the Ansell/Menards banner going into Minnesota this weekend. We’re going to try our very best to get them into Victory Lane in their hometown backyard with so many fans at the track!

Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry team continued their solid start to the 2012 season by finishing 2nd in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at the Toledo Speedway. The runner-up finish was Kimmel's second 2nd place finish in 2012, and his second top five finish in three short track races this season. After qualifying 12th in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell, the nine-time ARCA Champion methodically worked his way towards the front and battled for the lead in the final fifty laps. Starting outside the top-ten, Kimmel patiently carved his way through the field and worked his way into the top-ten by lap 14. Three caution flags flew in the first thirty laps of the 200-lap affair, limiting the opportunities to advance through the field. The Ansell/Menards Toyota proved to be stout as the race wore on, and broke into the top-5 at lap 45. No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Under the lap 64 caution while running 6th, crew chief Jeriod Prince and the Thorsport Racing team began to employ a one-stop strategy as Kimmel radioed a tight condition. Two quick cautions followed, and Kimmel ran laps faster than the leaders on the ensuing green flag run, making a charge to third when disaster nearly struck on lap 110. Two cars made contact and spun off of turn 2 in front of the Ansell/Menards Toyota, but Kimmel took evasive action to the outside and narrowly escaped. The team took the opportunity to take four tires under the yellow, which allowed Kimmel to shoot through the field and take the race lead by lap 133. Kimmel led once for a total of 20 laps and gave eventual race winner, Chris Buescher, a strong fight to the finish. Battling through another tight condition during the last fifty laps of the race allowed Kimmel to tally his 23rd top-five finish at the Toledo Speedway. "I'm real excited that we're running so competitive", Kimmel said. "To be this new of a team, and just starting this program, things are really working well. I've been excited that we have been running as good as we are right now. It was a good day for the big picture and point standings. It was almost a perfect day. We had a great contingent of Menards and Ansell people, being that close to the Thorsport Racing shop, it feels real good to perform the way we did."

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."

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."

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? There will be some accidents - it's Talladega, let's face it. We'll get our there and try to get the best finish we can and try to stay out of trouble. We haven't tested this chassis yet, so it's kind of an open-ended book. We don't know what we're going to have until we get out there for practice, which is okay. We have lots of time to figure it out. SO EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW, ANY BIG PLANS FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? Well, I did the weekly trip to Steak n' Shake with my dad for breakfast, and I ended up paying. Then (my wife) Donna's parents took us out to lunch and paid, so it canceled out! I had a great birthday with family, and that's what counts. Thanks to all the friends and family who thought about me and sent well wishes, that meant a lot. WHAT'S THE ROOKIE QUOTIENT AT TALLADEGA? Well, I have a lot of experience at all of the tracks we go to in the ARCA Racing Series, so I'm usually the guy who has a lot of rookies asking questions before a race or during practice. That's a good thing, because when we go to a place like Talladega, I know just about everyone. I can find a drafting partner no matter what, as well as helping these guys and girls progress. Hopefully, when we make a move, we'll get some support and get the No. 44 car up to the front no problem this weekend.

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."

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. SALEM, A FAMILY TRADITION: Kimmel has thirty years of experience at Salem Speedway - more years than a heavy percentage of the ARCA Racing Series field making their starts this weekend. Son Frankie and nephew Will also have histories at the track - with Frankie leading "the Kimmel charge" last year during the ARCA Racing Series race, outqualifying his dad. Frankie will be watching from pit road this year, as his focus is his studies at UNCC until his graduation next spring. TO TEST, OR NOT TO TEST: Many of the other ARCA Racing Series teams opted in for the open test session earlier this season at Salem Speedway - but Kimmel and his crew chief, Jeriod Prince, aren't phased. The two opted to focus on the Talladega superspeedway car instead, trusting in the experience level of their driver over the years and in his feedback to his new team. THE BIG 5-0: Kimmel is known on the race circuit for being a "jokester," always with a youthful smile. The Salem race weekend brings another "big" milestone for the veteran driver, as he turns fifty years old on Monday. According to Frank, that's reason and motivation to win - he wants a big cake for something other than his age! FROM THE TEAM PERSPECTIVE: David Pepper, ThorSport Racing's Director of Competition, knows that momentum is key to getting in a rhythm for the No. 44 boys. "Expectations are high with this being Frank's home track, and I know our guys are feeling the pressure. It's just good to be back racing consistently, because it's easier to continue momentum when you race week in and week out. Over the next month or two, we hope to show the strength of the team we built in the offseason." CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 44 team will utilize chassis No. A-1 this weekend at Salem Speedway. A new chassis for the team during the last race in Mobile, it joins a full fleet of new race cars at the ThorSport stable in Sandusky, Ohio. THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel 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? Well, my series, the Frank Kimmel National Street Stocks, went to Rockingham Speedway for the first time alongside NASCAR (as the Camping World Truck Series was also present). We had a full field of 36 cars, and my son Frankie was able to pull off the lead for the last 20 or so laps and take the win. Overall, it was a pretty amazing weekend! ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO BIRTHDAY TIMES? Being such a practical joker, I'm a little nervous to go to the racetrack - who knows what some of those guys are going to do to me! It'll be a family weekend, and we'll celebrate Monday between Donna and myself. To me, it's just another year at the track, and I want to keep doing this and being competitive as long as I can. I think I can still show these young guys a thing or two!

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. Kimmel took the green flag in the 11th position and quickly maneuvered through the field during the caution-laden race. Communicating much of the race that he was tight center and loose off, the veteran driver progressed to the second position by lap 69. Pitting for fuel, tires and an air pressure adjustment under caution at lap 80, he emerged in the 12th position to tackle the second half of the 200-lap race. Even though he was communicating to the crew about being loose in the brakes, Kimmel powered through, logging the fastest laps of the race. At lap 167 under the race's sixth caution, the No. 44 pit crew expertly guided the best stop of the day - pushing a splash of fuel and four tires on, then getting their driver back out in sixth place. By lap 180, Kimmel had wheeled back to the third spot and was eyeing his next move towards the checkered flag - when disaster struck. The No. 22 car turned low into the left bumper going into the turn, spinning the 44. After two pit stops to fix a flat left rear tire and extensive left front fender damage, Kimmel salvaged the unfortunate incident with an 18th place finish at the checkered flag. "This is just a shame, we had such a great car here today in Mobile," said Kimmel. "Not only did all the guys work hard to get a new chassis ready, we just had the right horsepower and setup package. I was ready to make a move and felt like we had a win here, and it's a shame to take a spin. It happens, it's a big part of short track racing - but the positive is, they saw what we had today. Everyone hopefully understands that we mean business this year, and we'll just keep tackling these tracks one at a time. I'm looking forward to getting to my home track of Salem next and see some hometown fans."

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. SHORT TRACK SUCCESS: Kimmel has fond memories of short tracks over his 17-year history in the ARCA Racing Series. His very first race, and notoriously his first victory, came at Toledo Speedway. Toledo and Mobile have been compared to one another in the low degree of banking and oval short track style. Kimmel welcomes the challenge, but knew a bit of research was in order to master the new location. He enlisted the help of local Gulf Coast short track legend Bubba Pollard to learn the "ins and outs" of Mobile International Speedway. CHIPPING IN FOR TORNADO RELIEF: After the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Kimmel's home state of Indiana - including racing families such as the Bashams - young Frankie Kimmel took it upon himself to start organizing. Kimmel is accepting donations of clothing, food and/or supplies and money for the American Red Cross Indiana Chapter at their family farm: 13461 State Road 60, Borden, IN 47106. Primary sponsor Ansell is currently mobilizing cut-proof gloves to ship to all Indiana first responders on the relief effort. HOPING TO TAKE THE POLE POSITION: 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 Mobile from an Ansell executive. CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 44 team will utilize chassis No. A-1 this weekend at Mobile 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 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? One thing Bubba told me is that Mobile has been likened to Toledo Speedway. I got my first win there, and it was also my first race ever. That's a track where I'm super comfortable, and I've had some great finishes there over the course of my career. So when he said that, it made me feel more confident that I could get up on the wheel from the get go. I mean, face it, at the end of the day, a short track is a short track - if you can't get up on the wheel, it's going to be a rough day for your team. This is a driver's track. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FRANKIE'S TORNADO RELIEF EFFORTS? I'm really proud of Frankie and what he's doing. He's in the middle of courses as a college student at UNCC in Charlotte, not to mention a budding racer himself, and he really wanted to help. The tornadoes really devastated Indiana, and it affected many of our friends and family. Thankfully, our home was spared, but so many others have been displaced or lost everything. These types of events take everyone pitching in, and Frankie really felt like it was his responsibility to take a leadership role. That's a great thing. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, IS IT STILL "COOL" TO GO TO NEW TRACKS? I love new tracks - I'll race anything, anywhere. You can see that in my street stock racing in the offseason. My heart is in short track racing, just because that's how most of us veteran racers grew up - but to be able to experience an inaugural race at any track in a series is really special. It's a big day for the series, and it makes a trip to Victory Lane special too. Let's hope we can get this Ansell/Menards Toyota there this weekend!

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!"

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 AFTER A SOLID YEAR IN 2011, IS THIS YOUR YEAR? I get that question quite a bit these days. It has been a great learning experience so far with ThorSport Racing. They bring great resources to the table, and with the partnership with Toyota, the resources expand even farther. We can call up the engineers at any time with a question, or something that is "stumping" the guys in the shop, and the engineers can't wait to tackle it. It's really refreshing to see in a make relationship, and we've provided a lot of good feedback from the test sessions. Now we've just got to see how these engines do on the biggest superspeedway we've got!

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THORSPORT RACING SO FAR? This is a great time to be joining a racing organization with momentum. These teams, in both series, are so focused on winning championships, it's unbelievable. Duke and Rhonda Thorson have slowly and steadily grown their program for 16 years, and they didn't do it in a "fly by night" way. It's the same way I look at my career - I've been blessed with a lot of opportunities from different team owners, and I knew to grow steadily. Coming from a family of "money racers" - ones who did it for a living and knew that they had to put bread on the table each weekend based on their racing results - it's the same way they run their shop. Every week, it's a run for a win and a championship. Top ten is great, but it's time to pay the bills with trips to Victory Lane. It changes everyone's focus.

ARE YOU READY FOR DAYTONA THIS WEEKEND? I can't wait for Daytona. I have so many memories here; so many good times and challenging times. That's what racing is all about, and it's fitting that we have such highs and lows at the "Superbowl" of racing every year. Last year, I was able to pull off a top ten, but it wasn't where I wanted to finish obviously. We've got some understandable nerves, with a new team and a new crew chief - but everyone has worked tremendously hard to prepare these race cars and be professional. I'm excited to get out on track for first practice and see how we can work out the details. Jeriod, my crew chief, and I have worked together quite a bit to fine tune the details in the offseason. It's a good partnership already.

ARE YOU THINKING OF BREAKING RECORDS? Iggy was one of my heroes in racing - I say that a lot. I grew up watching him race my dad, then racing him myself. It would be such an honor to be able to get past his win record, but it isn't something I think about daily. My dad always told me to get out there every race and be prepared. You really can't think past each race, since so much can happen. Especially at a superspeedway like Daytona - there are so many other factors at work, from luck to weather to other drivers' skill around you. We have a traditionally full field at Daytona, and my eye is always on safety. So I'll start conservative, but for sure my eye will be on Victory Lane. It's one place that I've never gotten a trophy, and I want that trophy!

Two-time USAC open-wheel champion Tracy Hines will attempt to boost his victory total at one of his favorite race tracks this summer when he drives a Toyota Tundra in a reunion with ThorSport Racing at Eldora Speedway's inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series dirt-track race.

When NASCAR scheduled its first national series' dirt race since 1970, it anticipated an all-star cast of dirt-track specialists entering. Hines, 40, of New Castle, Ind., brings much more than a notable dirt pedigree to his ThorSport entry in the July 24 mid-week NCWTS round at the half-mile speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

"We're excited to have a driver with Tracy's ability in one of our trucks for a truly unique event that we feel will really highlight what he's done at that venue as well as what he can do in the series' first dirt race," ThorSport general manager David Pepper said. "We're looking at Tracy to be a positive influence on our entire organization through his experience as a top-level dirt car owner and driver, but especially through the insight he'll be able to offer his teammates."

"The realization that a major NASCAR series is going back to dirt is super exciting," Hines said. "What is it going to be? I don't think anybody knows, until we run under that checkered flag, what we're actually going to see. So that's definitely huge."

Hines has 52 career Truck Series starts -- 48 of them for ThorSport in 2004-2005 -- but he's been an ace on dirt, where he's won 85 main events across USAC's three primary divisions, putting him fourth on USAC's all-time wins list. Those victories include Hines' 12th career Eldora win, in a USAC sprint car in September 2012. Hines' next Eldora start will come in a USAC sprint car on April 20 -- an event he won a year ago

Hines won championships in USAC's two most high-powered series, the 2000 Silver Crown Series and two years later in the National Sprint Car Series. He started the 2013 season with two USAC National Sprint Car Series wins at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., in February.

Hines made his NASCAR debut in 2003, with four Truck Series starts for owner Jim Smith before he raced two seasons in trucks with ThorSport. Hines had a best start of fourth for Smith in 2003 at Texas and fifth for ThorSport in 2005 at Daytona and a best finish of fifth, at Mansfield, Ohio in 2004 and Richmond in 2005.

In all, Hines has 69 career starts between the Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he made 17 starts for four owners between 2004-2006, with a best finish of 13th at Bristol in 2006, for Armando Fitz.

"(The year's been) pretty good so far (and) we won both races at Eldora (in 2012) so who knows?" Hines said while taking a break from car preparation in his Indiana shop. "You know you're only as good as your last race, so we'll see."

Hines' next race of about 80 he'll race in USAC this season is a Sprint Car Series event at Lawrenceburg, Ind. -- ironically the same day the NASCAR Truck Series races at Martinsville. April 12-13 Hines races a USAC midget at Kokomo (Ind.) before he's back in a sprint car April 20 at Eldora.

"We've had a lot of success over the years at Eldora, in many different types of cars," said Hines, who has 12 career victories at the fast half-mile, putting him one win behind legend Jack Hewitt on Eldora's all-time wins list. "I've ran modifieds over there so I have some bigger car experience and I'm excited to see how my 52 Truck starts and my wins at Eldora can hopefully add up to success in the Truck Series." .

With the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway approaching, ThorSport Racing announced today that the Riviera Hotel & Casino will serve as the official Las Vegas Hotel of ThorSport Racing.

The No. 88 Rip It/Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton, the No. 13 SealMaster Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 98 ampm Toyota Tundra driven by Travis Pastrana will each feature the Riviera’s logo in the September race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Additionally, ThorSport Racing drivers Sauter and Crafton will participate in a meet-and-greet at the hotel on Wednesday, September 27th from 6:30-9:00 PM PT.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will hit the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 29th with live coverage airing at 8:00 PM ET on SPEED.

ThorSport Racing, the longest-tenured team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, announced today its 2012 lineup of drivers and sponsorships on their "charge towards a championship." Returning for an unprecedented 12th year is Matt Crafton, who will pilot the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra in 2012; the relationship is one of the longest-running sponsorship partnerships in NCWTS history between a sponsor and driver. Johnny Sauter, 2011 driver champion runner-up and a ThorSport Racing driver since 2009, returns to the seat for a fourth season with the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra. Rookie Dakoda Armstrong rounds out the stout lineup, actively racing for the Rookie of the Year title in the No. 98 EverFi/Drive for Savings Toyota Tundra for a full season.

"We're excited to take on this year from all fronts," said Matt LaNeve, Vice President of Motorsports Partnerships for ThorSport Racing. "With such a great arsenal of really dedicated partners and sponsors, as well as the support from Toyota and Toyota Racing Development (TRD), we are ready to get to the racetrack. It's going to be a very successful year!"

Crafton, after a win in Iowa in 2011, returns to the track at Daytona with a renewed focus on a championship trophy, as well as a new crew chief. Longtime friend and member of the No. 88 team, Carl Joiner, takes to the top of the pit box as crew chief of the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra team. "There's always something special in the air when a new season approaches, particularly when at such a special place like Daytona," said Jeff Abbott, Promotions Manager & Spokesperson for Menards. "We can't wait to see the familiar neon-yellow #88 on the track and look forward to another outstanding season with Matt Crafton."

Sauter takes to the track in Daytona with more than just Victory Lane on his mind - he wants that championship trophy. After two visits to Victory Lane in 2011 and a narrow miss by six points of the championship, he's got nothing but positive vibes in his corner about the 2012 season. And he's ready to take it on by the horns. He returns with longtime crew chief and best friend, Joe Shear, Jr. atop the pit box. A sponsor and partner of both Johnny's and ThorSport Racing for their fourth year, Curb Records returns with the No. 13 for the season. "Johnny and I have a long history together in racing and many years of a great friendship and mentorship," said Mike Curb, President of Curb Records. "It has been amazing to watch his progress in the NCWTS in the last few years with ThorSport Racing, and we're ready to support him this year on a championship hunt."

Sauter also brings a partner on board with a little "buzz" - the Hot Honeys Honey Roasted Chipotle-flavored peanuts. In a partnership with The Peanut Roaster, the No. 13 will rotate race hoods throughout the season, focusing on a variety of peanut brands and products. "The Peanut Roaster is thrilled to have Hot Honeys on the hood of the number 13 this year. Nothing could be finer than to see Johnny Sauter drive that yellow honeycomb truck to Victory Lane at Daytona- what an awesome paint scheme," said John S. Monahan, President of The Peanut Roaster. "Grab a bag or can of our deliciously different Honey Roasted Chipotle peanuts today and enjoy while watching the race. We're excited to start engaging NASCAR fans in the Peanut Roaster brand in a variety of ways this year. They're all available at Peanut.com."

Rookie Dakoda Armstrong, earning his first top 10 finish in 2011, returns to ThorSport Racing in 2012 ready to tackle the chase for a Rookie of the Year trophy. The stiff competition doesn't phase him, as the former Rookie of the Year in ARCA Racing knows how to compete under pressure. He brings with him his 2011 crew chief, Dan Stillman, and his No. 98 EverFi/Drive for Savings Toyota Tundra team.

"We're thrilled to bring EverFi and our learning platforms to NASCAR," said EverFi Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Jon Chapman. "We share NASCAR's passion for speed in our urgency to bring critical life skills to schools across the US. It's going to be a fun and exciting 2012 season with Dakoda and ThorSport Racing."

Armstrong also returns with Drive for Savings, a strong supporter of his racing efforts in 2011. "Drive for Savings (DFS) is very excited to sponsor Dakoda Armstrong in the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," said Andrew Racer, Vice President of Sales for Drive for Savings. "The race season is about to kick off in Daytona, and we are ecstatic. We are so proud to take part in Dakoda's wonderful career in racing. He is a champion both on and off the track, so we are proud to play a part of his success. Let's all have a safe and exciting 2012 season and good luck to everyone, especially our driver!"

Longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team Announces Expansion Plans & Employment Opportunities within Two Series

ThorSport Racing, the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Trucks (NCWTS) team with entries since 1996, announced today their 2012 expansion plans – to include a partnership with TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development). After a successful 2011 season in the NCWTS, with three wins and four poles between two veteran drivers – Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton – and debut of rookie Dakoda Armstrong; the organization is hiring in its state of the art facility in Sandusky, Ohio for the No. 44 ARCA Racing Series team of Frank Kimmel.

“We’d like to thank everyone at Chevrolet for all the support over the last 16 years,” said Matt LaNeve, vice president of motorsports partnerships for ThorSport Racing. “ThorSport Racing, along with dedicated owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson, have a long-standing history and commitment to conservative, steady growth within NASCAR. Toyota’s business and competitive philosophies are in line with our 2012 goals for both Frank Kimmel, as he pursues his 10th ARCA Racing Series Championship; and our NCWTS teams of the 13, 88 and 98, as we further look to increase competition. We are aggressively chasing not only wins in our two respective series, but championship trophies for our drivers and sponsors.”

ThorSport Racing currently operates three NCWTS teams – the No. 13 of Johnny Sauter; the No. 88 of Matt Crafton; and the No. 98 of Dakoda Armstrong. The organization will also field the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry during the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season. The No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records entry finished second in driver championship points in 2011, matching the organization’s highest previous finish by the No. 88 Menards entry and Matt Crafton in 2009 – narrowly missing the championship by six points but capping the year off with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18th; adding to driver Sauter’s win list, shared with a trophy clock at Martinsville earlier in the year. The No. 88 Menards entry, piloted by Matt Crafton, finished 8th in overall driver championship points, earned two poles and wheeled into Victory Lane at Iowa Speedway during the 2011 season.

“ThorSport Racing is a first-class organization and a championship-caliber race team, as well as one of the most respected teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD, U.S.A.(Toyota Racing Development). “We look forward to working together with the entire ThorSport race team and are confident that it will raise the level of our entire Toyota Tundra racing program.”

“We’re always on the forefront of competition in whatever series we are competing in,” said David Pepper, Director of Competition and Team Manager for ThorSport Racing. “We’re looking forward to forging ahead with Toyota in the competition arena in 2012. We’re actively hiring top talent to our existing crew members on our championship-caliber teams. We’re encouraged, during a down economy in both the country and in racing, to be hiring and adding jobs back into our industry.”