Factsheets
Berlin Raceway Factsheet
RACE: Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac
TRACK: Berlin Raceway, .4375-mile paved circle
WHEN: Saturday, July 25, 2009
LOCATION: Marne, Michigan
RACE DISTANCE: 200 laps (88 miles)
EVENT: Event #12 of the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series
SANCTION/WEBSITE: ARCA (ARCAracing.com)
TRACK PR/MEDIA CONTACTS: Lisa Walker (616) 677-5000
SCHEDULE: Sat, July 25: Practice 2:30-4:00 PM; Qualifying 5:00 PM; Wolverine Power Systems 200 at 8:30 PM.
POSTED AWARDS: $105,665
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.
INTERNET/RADIO: Live Timing & Scoring with Live Streaming Video/Audio (ARCA Racing Network/ARCAracing.com).
RECORDS: Qualifying - Justin Allgaier, 16.963 (92.955 mph), 2008. Race - Frank Kimmel, 70.658 mph, 2003.
DEFENDING RACE WINNER: Scott Speed
DEFENDING POLESITTER: Justin Allgaier (16.963/92.955 mph) *Track Record
TOTAL ARCA RE/MAX SERIES RACES RUN: 21
NO. OF RACES WON FROM THE POLE: 6
FIRST ARCA RACE AT BERLIN: July 25, 1958
PAST BERLIN WINNERS: Frank Kimmel 3, Bob James 2, Brian Keselowski 2, Tim Steele 2. Tied with 1 each are Fred Campbell, Andy Hampton, Iggy Katona, Bob Keselowski, Joey Miller, Bob Senneker, Harold Smith, Les Snow, Scott Speed, Nelson Stacy, Ramo Stott, Don White.
NOTES OF INTEREST:
Berlin, Race #12
The Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac is the 12th of 21 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. A Lee Greenwood concert, from 6:15 to 7:00 PM, is included in the overall ticket price. Greenwood is also slated to sing the National Anthem. The Series has had six different race winners in 11 events, with three first time Series winners (Patrick Sheltra, Sean Caisse, Parker Kligerman).
Penske Development Driver/Current Point Leader Parker Kligerman on the March
Parker Kligerman, a development driver for Penske Racing, is on a roll. The 18-year-old rookie sensation, in the no. 77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge, has won five of the last six races including the last four consecutive - all this in only 13 career starts giving the recent high school graduate wins in just over 38% of all the races he has entered. Kligerman's wins at Michigan, Mansfield and Iowa came on tracks he had never seen before. The same situation will present itself this Saturday when Kligerman will see Berlin for the first time. He recently explained his success in new environments in his high school speech class.
"This is all about expectations," said Kligerman. "I just gave a speech in my high school speech class about this. When I head into a race weekend I don't know anything about the track or the car so I really don't have any expectations about how I am going to do or how the weekend will turn out. That is how I have been able to do so well."
Kligerman wins are at Toledo Speedway (half-mile paved oval), Michigan Int'l Speedway (2-mile paved oval), Mansfield Motorsports Park (.5-mile paved oval), Iowa Speedway (.875-mile paved oval) and Kentucky Speedway (1.5-mile paved oval). Kligerman has won the last four consecutive ARCA RE/MAX Series races. Kligerman, at 18 years old, currently leads the ARCA RE/MAX Series Point Standings by 150 points over Justin Lofton.
ESR's Justin Lofton Trails Kligerman in Points to Berlin
Westmorland, California driver Justin Lofton, coming off a 3rd place finish at Kentucky, is second in points, trailing Kligerman by 150 points heading to Berlin. Lofton, driver of the Eddie Sharp Racing Lofton Cattle Toyota, is, for the most part, having a phenomenal season in 2009 with one win (Talladega), four runner-up finishes, two third place finishes, a fourth and an eighth after the first 11 races.
Eddie Sharp Racing 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 5th in championship points whereas Arpin and George are 7th and 10th respectively. The 4th seat in the ESR stable is occupied by veteran Justin Lofton.
More Rookies Rock at Berlin
Series veterans have their hands full this year up against a solid contingent of talented series rookies including Joey Coulter, who heads to Berlin on the strength of 4 top-5 finishes including a career-best 2nd place finish at Mansfield and a third most recently at Iowa. Coulter also earned his career-first Menards Pole presented by Ansell at Iowa. Second-generation driver and Lansing, Michigan native Chad Finley is also entered. Finley, just 17, has two career series starts this year with finishes of 6th at Toledo and 9th at Iowa.
ARCA Icon Kimmel Always a Berlin Threat; 42 Laps Shy of 10,000 Laps-Led
9-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel is the all-time winner at Berlin with 3 wins; however, the Clarksville, Indiana veteran has not won at Berlin since July of 2004. Already the all-time series superspeedway lap-leader with 2,625 laps-led in 79 superspeedway races, the stock car legend is just 42 laps shy of leading 10,000 laps in ARCA RE/MAX Series competition. Kimmel's current total is 9,958 laps-led in 184 races. Although he's currently 3rd in championship points, he has not yet led a lap in 2009.
Kimmel to Participate in Menards Meet and Great on Friday
Nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion Frank Kimmel will be appearing at the Menards store in Wyoming, Michigan, on Friday, July 24 from 7-9 p.m. Kimmel will be on hand to sign autographs for fans of his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford team, which competes on a fulltime basis in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. The appearance at Menards precedes Kimmel's visit to Berlin Raceway for Saturday's Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac.
Youngest to Oldest
16-year-old Chris Buescher is the youngest driver entered while 74-year-old James Hylton is the oldest. Buescher, who will be driving a Roulo Brothers-prepared no. 17 David Ragan Fan Club-sponsored Ford, could become the youngest winner in series history should the Prosper, Texas driver win Saturday night at Berlin. Currently, Buescher's cousin James Buescher is the youngest winner in series history following his win at Lakeland, Florida 2 days shy of his 17th birthday in 2007. In four career starts, Chris Buescher has finishes of 4th at Salem and Iowa and a career-best 3rd at Mansfield.
International Flavor
In addition to drivers entered from 17 states across America, the entry list will also have international flavor with entries from Fort Frances, Ontario's Steve Arpin and Brampton, Ontario's Pete Shepherd. In addition, Nice, France's Michel Disdier is entered in the Bowsher Racing Ford.
Michigan Drivers
Drivers from the home state of Michigan so for include Chad Finley (Lansing), Brad Smith (Shelby Township), Robb Brent (Shelby Township) and Michael Simko (Clarkston). Finley and Simko are second-generation ARCA drivers. Finley's father Jeff Finley won an ARCA RE/MAX Series race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile-dirt in 1999.
Proud to be an American; Lee Greenwood to perform at Berlin
Just one week after performing in front of ARCA RE/MAX Series race fans at Kentucky Speedway, classic country music artist Lee Greenwood will perform at the Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac at Berlin Raceway this Saturday. Greenwood will perform in a 6:15 p.m. concert before singing the National Anthem during ARCA RE/MAX Series pre-race ceremonies on Saturday. The concert is included in the ticket price for this weekend's ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Greenwood, 66, skipped his high school graduation to begin forging what would evolve into a long and successful recording and touring career. His inspiring signature 1985 single, "God Bless the USA," was honored as the Country Music Association (CMA) Song of the Year and helped earn him one of his two career CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Awards.
