Factsheets
Michigan Int'l Speedway Factsheet
RACE: Racing For Wildlife 200
TRACK: Michigan Int'l Speedway, 2-mile paved oval
WHEN: Friday, June 12, 2009
LOCATION: Brooklyn, Michigan
RACE DISTANCE: 200 miles (100 laps)
EVENT: Event #8 of the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series
SANCTION/WEBSITE: ARCA (www.arcaracing.com)
TRACK PR/MEDIA: Sammie Lukaskiewicz, Dennis Worden (517) 592-6666
SCHEDULE: Thurs, June 11: Practice 10:00-12 noon. Menards Pole Qualifying by Ansell 3:00 PM (2 laps). Fri, June 12: Driver Intros at 5:00 PM. Racing For Wildlife 200 at 5:15 PM
POSTED AWARDS: $206,665
ARCA OFFICIAL COMPANIES: RE/MAX International Inc, Aaron's Sales & Leasing, Ansell, Featherlite Trailers, Hoosier Racing Tire, Lincoln Welders, Mallory Ignition, Menards, Racing Electronics, Sunoco Race Fuels.
ARCA OFFICIAL PRODUCTS: Amkus Rescue Systems, ARCA Nation, Bilstein Shocks, CGS Imaging, Cometic Gasket, Eibach Springs, Fast Track High Performance Driving School, Flowmaster, G-Force Racing Gear, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Mo'sGold, Print Resources, University of Northwestern Ohio.
PARTICIPATING COMPANIES: BSR Products, Crane Cams, Ford Motor Company, Hutcherson-Pagan, Ilmor Engineering, Impact Racing, JE Pistons, Joyce Julius & Associates, Moroso, Performance Friction Brakes, RaceSafe Systems, Rhyne Racing Engines, Tesar Engineering, Toyota Racing Development.
TV: LIVE on SPEED at 5:00 PM ET. Re-Airs June 13 at 2:30 AM ET.
INTERNET/RADIO: Live Timing & Scoring and Live Streaming Audio on the ARCA Racing Network at ARCAracing.com.
RECORDS: Qualifying - Justin Hobgood, 38.257 (188.210 mph), 2004. Race - Justin Lofton, 150.596 mph, 2008.
DEFENDING RACE WINNER: Justin Lofton
DEFENDING POLESITTER: Scott Speed (38.895 seconds/185.114 mph)
TOTAL ARCA RE/MAX SERIES RACES RUN: 27
NO. OF RACES WON FROM THE POLE: 6
NOTES OF INTEREST:
Michigan, Race #8
The Racing for Wildlife 200, the 28th ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Michigan Int'l Speedway since 1980, is the 8th of 21 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule.
Defending Race Winner Lofton Leads; Valvoline Instant Oil Change Sponsors for MIS
Defending MIS race winner Justin Lofton, driver of the Eddie Sharp Racing Lofton Cattle Toyota, leads the points headed to MIS. Lofton is off to a phenomenal start in 2009 with one win (Talladega), four runner-up finishes and a third after the first seven races. The 23-year-old Westmorland, California racer leads rookie Parker Kligerman by 95 points. Lofton also secured a one-race deal with Valvoline Instant Oil Change as title sponsor for MIS.
Lofton Leads Hoosier Superspeedway Challenge to MIS
Lofton also leads the Hoosier Superspeedway Challenge title headed to MIS. The Superspeedway Challenge, a championship within a championship, combines points from all the superspeedway events in any given season. MIS represents round 5 of the 9 superspeedway races on the '09 ARCA RE/MAX Series tour. Past Superspeedway champions include Davey Allison, Bill Venturini, Bob Keselowski, Jeff Purvis, Mike Wallace, Tim Steele, Mark Gibson and Frank Kimmel to name a few.
Penske Development Driver/Rookie Parker Kligerman Graduates From High School to MIS
Leading Rookie of the Year contender Parker Kligerman, a development driver for Penske Racing, just finished up his senior year in high school in Westport, Connecticut last week. After finishing 6th last Saturday at Pocono, Kligerman hopped in his passenger car, and then drove 150 miles to Westport in time to attend his senior prom later that same night. The 18-year-old rookie, who has 7 top-10 finishes in 8 career starts, is leading the Rookie of the Year standings, and is currently 2nd in overall championship points.
Eddie Sharp Fields Four - Three are Rookies
Eddie Sharp Racing, who fielded cars for Scott Speed ('08) and Michael McDowell ('07), has four teams entered, three of which have rookies driving. Those rookies include Greenville, North Carolina's Craig Goess, New York, New York's Tim George, Jr. and Fort Frances, Ontario's Steve Arpin. Goess is 6th in championship points whereas George and Arpin are 8th and 10th respectively. The 4th seat in the ESR stable is occupied by championship point leader Justin Lofton.
Joey Coulter, quickest in the Michigan test 2 weeks ago, is yet another up and coming rookie to be reckoned with. Coulter, after finishing a career-best 4th at Pocono last Saturday, 7th at Toledo and 8th at Talladega, has moved to 9th in championship points. Coulter, also 18, is from Miami Springs, Florida and is crew chiefed by NASCAR veteran Harold Holly.
Other rookies entered include Shelby Township, Michigan's Robb Brent, Smolan, Kansas's Jeremy Petty, Richwood, Ohio's Zachary Gibson, Humble, Texas's Stephan McCurley in the American Screen-Porter Glass-Royal Purple Chevrolet, and Westlake, Louisiana's Mikey Kile entered in a no. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Greased Lightning Chevrolet.
International Flavor
In addition to a solid line-up of drivers from the United States, there are also three drivers entered from Canada and France in Friday's race. Canada has representation from Steve Arpin, who is from Fort Frances, Ontario and Terry Jones, who is from Amherstburg, Ontario. Michel Disdier, from Nice France, is also entered in the no. 21 Bowsher Motorsports Ford. Disdier also announced a 10-race deal with Bowsher Motorsports in 2009, which started at Kentucky Speedway in May.
Entry List Full of Flavor
Rookie Jesse Smith, of Wildwood Missouri, was second quickest in the open test at MIS. The 19-year-old driver is entered in the no. 25 Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet. Smith most recently finished 3rd at Kentucky Speedway. Venturini Motorsports has also entered Rocklin California's Justin Marks, who makes his first ARCA appearance of the year. Also entered is Austin Dillon, the grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, and Plano, Texas driver James Buescher, who won the season-opening Daytona ARCA 200 and the race at Kentucky Speedway. Kevin Belmont, after a 7-year hiatus, has filed an entry in a second Andy Belmont Racing entry. Kevin is the younger brother of Andy. Brian Ickler, a former NASCAR Camping World East winner, will make his third series start at MIS. Ickler finished a career-best 4th at Kentucky.
Car Owner Battle Extremely Tight
Jessica Sharp, car owner for Justin Lofton, leads the overall car owner points by just 25 points over Win-Tron Racing. Win Tron Racing, based in Lakeville, Minnesota, a co-ownership between 3-time ASA champ Kevin Cywinski and Nate Thiesse, has utilized three different drivers so far in 2009. Those drives include James Buescher (winner at Daytona and Kentucky), Chris Bires and Matt Merrell. Buescher is scheduled to drive in the Win-Tron car in Friday's Racing for Wildlife 200 at MIS.
Alli Owens Fast Female at Michigan
Alli Owens, on the heels of two consecutive top10 finishes (career-best 6th at Talladega and 10th at Pocono), has filed an entry in the Eddie D'Hondt Motorsports ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota. Owens is taking the same chassis to MIS that she raced in at Pocono. Owens, of Daytona Beach, Florida, finished 24th at Michigan in 2008.
Few Repeat Winners at MIS; Winners List Impressive
There has not been a repeat winner at MIS since Tim Steele went back-to-back with victories in 1996 and 1997. Prior to that, only Jeff Purvis repeated as winner at MIS with 3 consecutive in '93, '94 & '95. Steele, who is tied with Purvis with the most Michigan wins, also won at MIS in 2000. Other MIS winners include Joe Ruttman (1980), Bob Keselowski ('92), Ron Barfield ('96), Frank Kimmel ('98 & '05), Kerry Earnhardt ('01), Casey Mears ('03), Reed Sorenson ('04), Steve Wallace ('05), David Stremme ('06) and Erik Darnell ('07).
Track Information
Michigan Int'l Speedway
The ARCA RE/MAX Series returns to MIS on June 12, 2009!
Mispeedway.com
Location: Brooklyn, Michigan
Address: Michigan Int'l Speedway, 12626 US 12, Brooklyn MI 49230
Track Layout: 2-mile paved, 18 degrees banking in turns, 12 degrees on frontstretch, 5 degrees on backstretch
President: Roger Curtis
PR/Marketing: Sammie Lukaskiewicz, Dennis Worden, Cheryl Dorian
Telephone: (517) 592-6666
Tickets: (800) 354-1010
First ARCA RE/MAX Series race: 1980
Total ARCA RE/MAX Series races run: 27
Qualifying record: Justin Hobgood, 38.257 seconds, 188.210 mph, 2004
Race record: 150.596 mph, Justin Lofton, 2008
# of races won from the pole: 6
Race Winners: Jeff Purvis 3, Tim Steele 3, Frank Kimmel 2. Tied with 1 each - Blaise Alexander, Ron Barfield, Chad Blount, Erik Darnell, Kerry Earnhardt, Billie Harvey, David Keith, Bob Keselowski, Tracy Leslie, Justin Lofton, Dave Mader, Casey Mears, Joe Ruttman, Brent Sherman, Stanley Smith, Reed Sorenson, David Stremme, Mark Thompson, Steve Wallace.
Pole Winners: Mark Thompson 3, Ben Hess 2, Jimmy Horton 2, Kyle Krisiloff 2, Bob Schacht 2. Tied with 1 each - Blaise Alexander, Chad Blount, Bobby Bowsher, Harry Gant, Bobby Gerhart, Justin Hobgood, Sam Hornish, Jr., Jason Jarrett, David Keith, Gary Laton, Casey Mears, Shawna Robinson, Joe Ruttman, Brent Sherman, Scott Speed, Chuck Weber.
Updated 2-27-09
