THE CHAMP

It was not a typical Frank Kimmel season, but the Indiana veteran still collected his ninth ARCA RE/MAX championship and his eighth in a row.
Without a primary sponsor, Kimmel didn’t win his first race until the ninth event of the season and won only three races during the 23-event campaign. Still, he outdistanced rookie Michael McDowell to earn the title on the 55-year-old stock-car tour.
“It’s just real cool and very rewarding to be able to win this championship despite all of the competitive teams in ARCA this year,” said Kimmel after the season finale. “Michael [McDowell] and Eddie Sharp Racing put a lot of pressure on us and they made us want to run well. We struggled this year with all kinds of adversity. We didn’t have a sponsor, and despite the problems we had, the team stuck together and it was good to be able to win a ninth championship.”
Kimmel also won ARCA’s annual Bill France Award.

MOMENTOUS OCCASIONS

TOP TYRO: Michael McDowell won four races en route to claiming the rookie of the year championship.
OPEN WHEELERS: The October event at Talladega Superspeedway included IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti and former Formula One racer Scott Speed. Speed will race the series full time in 2008.
FIRST TIME: Michael Annett gave Toyota its first ARCA victory when he won at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

ON THE RECORD

“I could never have fathomed at the time we’d one day have five (wins). It’s so hard to believe. It’s been so much hard work getting here. But what a feeling when it all pays off.” — Bobby Gerhart after his fifth Daytona victory

“We didn’t win the championship and I congratulate Frank (Kimmel) on that accomplishment, but everything that happened this year made me become a better race car driver.” — Michael McDowell, ARCA rookie of the year

“My dad (Tracy) spotted for me; he talked me through this. This is the best day of my life.” — Billy Leslie after winning at Winchester

STAT PACK

15      Number of different drivers who posted victories during the 23-event season

9      Poles won by runner-up Michael McDowell, the only driver in the top 10 in points to capture a pole. Every other pole was won by a non-series regular.

TOP 10

    Driver    Points    Wins    Top 5    Top 10
    1. Frank Kimmel    5,705      3    11    17
    2. Michael McDowell    5,455     4    11    15
    3. Dexter Bean    4,890    0    3    10
    4. Justin Allgaier    4,855    1    4    11
    5. Justin Marks    4,795     0    4    10
    6. Phillip McGilton    4,745     0    2    8
    7. Patrick Sheltra    4,615    0    2    5
    8. Justin South    4,380    0    1    9
    9. Bryan Silas    4,135     0    0    3
    10. Josh Krug    4,080     0    1    4

WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE

    Date    Track    Winner    Car     Laps
    Feb. 10    Daytona Int’l Speedway (Fla.)    Bobby Gerhart    Chevrolet    80
    March 24    USA Int’l Speedway (Fla.)    James Buescher    Dodge    253
    April 7    Nashville Superspeedway (Tenn.)    Chad McCumbee    Chevrolet    113
    April 22    Salem Speedway (Ind.)    Brian Keselowski    Dodge    200
    April 27    Kansas Speedway    Scott Lagasse    Dodge    100
    May 6    Winchester Speedway (Ind.)    Billy Leslie    Ford    200
    May 12    Kentucky Speedway    Erik Darnell    Ford    100
    May 20    Toledo Speedway (Ohio)    Ken Butler III    Ford    200
    June 2    Iowa Speedway    Frank Kimmel    Ford    250
    June 9    Pocono Raceway (Pa.)    Chad McCumbee    Dodge    80
    June 15    Michigan Int’l Speedway    Erik Darnell    Ford    100
    July 7    Berlin Raceway (Mich.)    Brian Keselowski    Dodge    200
    July 13    Kentucky Speedway    Michael McDowell    Dodge    100
    Aug. 4    Pocono Raceway (Pa.)    Michael McDowell    Dodge    80
    Aug. 11    Nashville Superspeedway (Tenn.)    Jeremy Clements    Chevrolet    113
    Aug. 19    Illinois State Fairgrounds    Frank Kimmel    Ford    100
    Aug. 26    The Milwaukee Mile (Wis.)    Frank Kimmel    Ford    200
    Aug. 31    Gateway Int’l Raceway (Ill.)    Bryan Clauson    Dodge    120
    Sept. 3    DuQuoin State Fairgrounds (Ill.)    Ken Schrader    Chevrolet    100
    Sept. 8    Chicagoland Speedway (Ill.)    Michael McDowell    Dodge    134
    Sept. 15    Salem Speedway (Ind.)    Justin Allgaier    Chevrolet    200
    Oct. 5    Talladega Superspeedway (Ala.)    Michael Annett    Toyota    94
    Oct. 14    Toledo Speedway (Ohio)    Michael McDowell    Dodge    200