COVINGTON, Ky. — ARCA RE/MAX Series veteran Frank Kimmel joined his crew chief and brother Bill Kimmel, car owner Larry Clement and the Tri-State Motorsports team on stage at the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Awards Banquet this weekend to celebrate a record ninth championship Saturday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
Rookie of the Year Michael McDowell, Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Champion Erin Crocker and a video tribute to two-time ARCA champ-turned NASCAR legend Benny Parsons were among the headliners.
Kimmel, who remains the series’s all-time active race winner, all-time active lap leader and all-time money winner, is the only driver in series history to earn nine championships. En route to the 2007 title, Kimmel posted three victories, 11 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. Kimmel received checks and products from RE/MAX, Sunoco Race Fuels, Ford Motor Company, Hoosier Racing Tires, Casite and Lincoln Electric. ARCA President Ron Drager presented Kimmel with a traditional championship ring, while RE/MAX, Int’l Vice President Randy Morse presented the Kimmel brothers and Clement with championship jackets.
In addition to the championship accolades, Kimmel was formally honored on Saturday night for winning the 2007 edition of the Bill France Triple Crown, which is designed to measure a driver’s performance on a diverse array of tracks. This year’s Bill France Triple Crown included a mile-dirt track (The DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, Sept. 3), a short track (Salem Speedway, Sept. 15) and a speedway (Talladega Superspeedway, Oct. 5).
Crew chief Bill Kimmel was awarded the Cometic Engine Mechanic of the Year Award.
Eddie Sharp Racing’s Michael McDowell, who finished second in the final point standings on the strength of a series-high four victories, nine SIM Factory Pole Awards and 822 laps led in 15 races, was honored with the 2007 Rookie of the Year award.
Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Erin Crocker earned the 2007 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship.