TOLEDO OH (5-29-09) - The report cards are in and nobody flunked thank goodness, including 18-year-old ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Parker Kligerman, who gave himself a B+ after the first trimester in 2009. Kligerman is actually getting a double whammy with grade cards as he finishes up his senior year of high school this week in his hometown of Westport, Connecticut. Hopefully, his high school marks will measure up to his motorsports marks, or possibly even exceed them. At any rate, ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers were recently asked to evaluate themselves with a letter grade, and then tell why they feel they deserve that particular grade. Here are the results........
NOTE: Championship point leader Justin Lofton did not submit a grade for himself. However, given the fact that he's atop the championship standings, quite possibly, his performance, grade-wise, speaks for itself. We'll go with that. That said, we begin with Parker Kligerman, currently second in points.......
Parker Kligerman, Cunningham Motorsports Dodge: If I were to grade myself so far I would give myself a B+ and my team a definite A+. The reason being is although I am very new to stock cars I am very hard on myself and believe unless you lead every lap and have won every race you do not deserve an A. Although this may be impossible, it makes me work harder. Therefore I found it unacceptable when I spun going for the win at Kentucky. I also was upset with myself in Rockingham where I fell from 3rd to 5th in that last long run. So with my most recent win at Toledo and my performance at Talladega with an overheating car I feel a B+ is acceptable. It leaves room for improvement. I also feel my race feedback on the cars handling is not up to par and I should be leading more laps.
Regarding my team. Well they have been absolutely stellar; my crew chief Chris Carrier has been able to teach me so much about stock cars and accelerate my learning curve a lot, while having setups being so well thought out, that we usually unload very close to the perfect setup. My car chief Mike Strauss and my two mechanics Jersey and Adam work so hard to prepare some of the best prepared stock cars in the garage, which is amazing considering we are not the largest team in the garage. Also, I know that Mark Gibson, Kerry Scherer and the entire staff at Cunningham Motorsports really believe me, which is always a plus. So the entire organization deserves an A+.
Frank Kimmel, Ansell-Menards Ford: I feel that I deserve just a "C" average. Although I'm the driver for the team, I also play a big role in setups of the cars and management of the team. We as a team feel that we need to improve to make our cars more competitive than they are. Due to the lack of sponsorship last year, we have not been able to test and that has put us behind. I as a driver feel that I have been racing a bit on the conservative side so that we can get caught up on the technology and mechanical part of our race cars. I believe that our crew members deserve an "A" for the effort they have been putting forth to get us caught up. I can assure you that the entire Kimmel Racing team is not happy with our performance so far, and we will strive to improve that performance.
Bryan Silas, Rockingham Speedway-Oasis Outsourcing Ford: I would give my team an A, and as far as my driving I feel I'm getting better each race and I'll withold my grade until the end of the season. All the teammates support each other. Communication throughout the team is very high, and our pit stops are getting better every race.
Tom Hessert, Cherry Hill Classic Cars Ford: I would give myself a B+. I think that at some points early in the year we struggled and in others we excelled. Coming off a great run a Toledo I want the rest of the season to be an A. Team owner Andy Belmont adds: we are a C minus at best. Our speedway program has been awesome. Good cars at Daytona (wreck) and Talladega (pole). Talladega race went sour when bird we hit broke hood brace and killed cowl pressure. Toledo we had a great day 3rd. Rockingham (13th) and Kentucky (rear end failure) just weren't very good. We need to be better and are working hard to figure out what is happening. We are testing at MIS. Test results will dictate our next move.
Patrick Sheltra (left), Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge: Without a doubt, I have to give my guys an A. They have stepped up their game to be a championship contending team every race. We've had a few bumps along the road this year but it does not involve them. As a team we notched our first victory at Salem Speedway and that speaks volumes especially after all that happened at Daytona. We know that we have some challenges we'll have to face during the rest of the year but as a team we are committed and we are strong. We want and will win some more races for Buffalo Wings & Rings and all of our marketing partners while more importantly make the climb in the championship chase. If we can conquer those hiccups the guys will definitely get an A plus come season's end.
Craig Goess, Greenville Toyota of NC Toyota: I'd say I'd give myself a B+ so far after my 17th start ever in a full size car. This year we've had an outside pole at Salem and Talladega. Our team plan fell apart at Talladega in the first corner and our day of problems went on from there. Lesson learned. We qualified 9th at Daytona and overheated. Were running top 5 all day at Salem and cut a tire with 15 to go and hit the wall. Finished 6th at the Rock, 7th at Kentucky with an extra pit stop, and were running 5th or 6th at Toledo and got taken out by a unprofessional/irresponsible move by the 60. Our performance is there; we've been consistently top 5-10 in the test sessions, practice, qualifying. Now we need some luck to go our way; it will come, and I think we're only going to get stronger as the season progresses. Who knows, by the end of the year maybe I can feel good about giving myself an "A".....but of course I'm a little bias.
Tim George, Jr., Ruby Tuesday Toyota: I would give myself a B-. The minus is for only having one top-ten finish thus far, and so much of this sport is result-based. At the same time, I have started to pick up on the performance, and have found synergy within my new team, which is where the B comes from. I have locked in a full-time sponsor, Ruby Tuesday, and I'm very proud of this as well. Results will follow my strong work ethic, hard work, passion and determination to succeed in stock car racing.
Joey Coulter, Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevrolet: For first quarter grades I am grading myself at a B+. I feel that I have performed well in most areas of competition, but there are some areas that I can stand for a little improvement. 
At this level of competition I'm very open and willing to take this rookie learning curve to the next step. Day by day I am making progress as a driver and Coulter Motorsports is progressively taking steps as a team to be better and with that type of commitment and drive I feel that we are going to be a top contender in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2009.
Steve Arpin (left), ESR Toyota: Our results as of now have not shown what my team and I are capable of. We have been running in the top-10 at every race and setting ourselves up for some good finishes, but luck just hasn't played on our side. I am adapting real well to the asphalt and have learned a lot, especially in the last couple of races. Everything is coming together for us really fast right now, I am very comfortable and know what I need out of these cars and we have some great new people on board with us now. Jefferson Hodges is our crew chief now and has been a great leader for the team. Him and I work great together and in the short two races he has been with us, he has really adjusted to what I like in a car. For me to get my grade up to an "A" I am going to really focus on all these new race tracks that I am seeing for the first time. I need to work on my entry at the big tracks to get the car rolling through the center better. We had a great test at Michigan and really picked up and learned a lot about that track, so come the middle of June, we look to bump the grade up to an "A"!
Robb Brent (left), Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dodge: I give myself a "C" average after the first quarter of the year. The team has worked hard and prepared some great cars but my luck and performance have been up and down so far. We failed to make the Daytona race, and then had engine problems at Rockingham and Talladega where we were running well. On the other hand, we finished in the top ten at Salem and Toledo where we stayed out of trouble. The one race that we really put it all together was Kentucky. We ran in the top-10 most of the night and had the potential for a top five finish. I am really looking forward to some of the next tracks that I have run well at in the past and think we can compete for top 5's and wins like we expect to.
Darrell Basham, Anti Monkey Butt Powder Chevrolet: NOTE - Worth pointing out that Darrell has only bought 1 set of new tires this season and all of the motor builds, repairs, maintenance, body work and painting have been done by Darrell.
We started off the 2009 season determined to run as hard as our cars and money would allow us. Daytona gave us the momentum we needed to get the job done. We then hit Salem, our hometown track. We were fast; qualifying 16th ahead of some good cars, but an engine failure earlier in the event left us with our first DNF. Rockingham was no better; once again we had engine problems and another DNF. With the same car and motor we used at Daytona, we came away from Talladega with a 20th place finish. Keep in mind, the motor in this car has run 7 superspeedway events, including 2 practice sessions. Kentucky was embarrassing for me, another home track and we just couldn't get a handle on it. We finished 23rd out of one of the fastest fields I have ever seen at this track. And finally, Toledo, what a race we came away with our second top-10 finish and had fun doing it. All in all, my season has been up, down and back up again, so to give it a grade I would have to say C. I thought this might add something to my story. I am not sure how you can fit this in but keep in mind that we have only bought 1 set of new tires this season and all of the motor builds, repairs, maintenance, body work and painting have been done by Darrell.
Wayne Peterson Racing: This team is underfunded and does not have the horsepower and budget to run in the top 10 without a major sponsor or several associate sponsors. Our goal is to finish in the top 20 each race with an occasional top 10 finish. We are looking for sponsor(s) to move to that next level. We want to race competitively but have to be cautious not to destroy a car during the race.
Barry Fitzgerald, TheBusPlace.com Ford: The Driver performance was an A+ for Daytona finish of 13th and B- for Rockingham (no track time in practice setup the spin in qualifying) with respectable finish. A score of B+ for Talladega and Kentucky (no driver penalty for engine failures and made good driver change at Kentucky) is not reflected by the finishes. No grade for Salem because the team did not attempt to qualify. The driver gets a C for not babying the clutch at Toledo. ARCA had each of the cars facing uphill at the Toledo prerace. These multi disc clutches cannot be slipped. If clutch was going to fail any way, driver gets to take the bullet.
Zach Gibson, Peterson-Gibson Chevrolet: He had a minor mechanical problem early, but ran a clean race after repairs. The next 4 races will be a new experience for Zach. If he keeps the car in once piece and running at the end, we can reach our goal.
The Crew performance was A+ for Daytona and Talladega. Salem & Rockingham got a D for car preparation, but Rockingham got an A for repairs and race performance on #06. The crew gets a B for Kentucky and Toledo (good work on race performance on the #0, but having the shifter come loose is a penalty for car preparation).
Overall the Driver performance gets a B. The Crew gets a C- for car preparation and an A- for race performance for an average score of B-. Getting these cars updated and adding Nick during the week to car preparation next week should help the team bring a car to the track each week ready to practice and race. We have gone to the track already behind the completion a few times this season. 3 cars (Smokey, Ray, & Timex) are in good shape now. We still have work needed on 2 more cars (FedEx and Rodger) to get through the season. Having a fresh engine ready will be critical especially if we have any more motor failures during practice or during the race. Being prepared for each race is half of the battle and limited resources are holding us back form showing this team's potential. New tires and fresh motors could improve the on track performance to get consistent top 10 finishes and challenge the top 5 positions.
Jeremy Petty, #23 Hixson Construction Chevrolet/Dodge: B. Jeremy (left) is competing in his rookie season, with only 3 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts prior to 2009. Jeremy drives for a very underfunded Hixson Motorsports team, and although he did not compete at Daytona, he has managed to climb into 18th place in the Driver's Standings, while helping the car to the 12th position in the owner's points, just 75 points out of 10th. Jeremy has brought the cars home in one piece, knowing that he has to finish races and bring the cars home in order to stay competitive in the points battle, and has not posted a DNF, while posting 2 top 15 runs, with another top 15 run getting away from him when the clutch broke at Rockingham forcing him to limp home to the checkered. Team Owner Wayne Hixson grades Jeremy a B+ because he "hasn't torn any cars up."
Alli Owens, ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota: I give myself a B- for the races that we have run. Even though we sat outside pole at Daytona - that really was due to the hard work of my team - and have had two back-to-back career best finishes, I still think I have a lot of work ahead of me to be an "A". The thing I have improved on is being a student of the game and learning. I think that showed at Rockingham when Eddie coached me throughout the race and 'smacked my hand' on my bad habits. Moving on from there we really excelled at Talladega and learned a lot from Frank Kimmel about drafting and working with the air. It wouldn't surprise me after a few more races that our whole team moves up into the grade "A+" bracket.
Grant Enfinger, Beasley Allen Ford: Grade of B for good effort, but we have made a couple of costly mistakes early in the season. This is all still new to us but I feel like we are learning quickly. Also depends what the grading scale is as well, since we are a rookie and new to the ARCA RE/MAX Series, then we might have to be on elementary school grading scale which would be an S for satisfactory, with a "works well with others, and some needs improvement on..." as a side notes, and maybe a sticker or stamp if we are lucky.
