Dan Peters
Sports Editor Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
Oak Park Journal
Forest Park Journal
Erin
Crocker Earns ARCA RE/MAX Series Pole Award at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH FL (2-9-07) – Bobby Gerhart’s quest to win a fifth
consecutive pole award at Daytona came to a screeching halt Friday
afternoon at Daytona Int’l Speedway when Erin Crocker qualified just
over two-tenths quicker, winning the pole for the 44th annual ARCA 200
at Daytona.
Crocker, in the #98 Evernham Motorsports Dodge, qualified with a top
speed of 182.219 mph over Gerhart, who qualified second at 181.437 mph.
“"It’s a thrill to be on the pole here in Daytona,” said Crocker. “I
used to come here as a little girl.
“The plan is right now to run twelve ARCA races and four truck races.
Right now we have no sponsor, but if we get one maybe we will run more.
Right now the pressure is off. I plan to have fun. The car felt good
but we'll see what it does with cars around it. It was a Kasey Kahne
car. Not sure when he last used it. I don't know much about it.
“Bobby Gerhart congratulated me but told me to buckle up...I'm not sure
what that meant, but I do think that the veterans respect me. I think I
have a shot at winning tomorrow based on the car they gave me and the
qualifying lap that I ran."
Crocker’s Daytona pole marks her fourth career ARCA RE/MAX Series pole,
tying her with Patty Moise with the most poles in series history among
female drivers.
However, Crocker was not the first female pole winner at Daytona. That
honor goes to Moise who won RE/MAX Series poles at Daytona in 1989 and
1990.
Crocker also has pole awards at Nashville Superspeedway in her 2005
series debut and two at Kentucky Speedway in 2005 and 2006.
In 13 career ARCA RE/MAX Series starts, Crocker’s career-best finish
was second at Kansas Speedway in 2006 and second at Kentucky Speedway
in 2005, which ties her with Shawn Robinson as the highest finishing
females in series history. Although Crocker is the only female driver
in series history who has earned two second place finishes.
Gerhart, who had previously won a record four consecutive Daytona pole
awards (2003 through 2006) had to settle for the second starting
position in his #5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet.
“Congratulations to Erin,” said Gerhart. “We did what we thought we
could do. My guys did a great job and I'm proud that my cars are built
by ARCA guys. My engines are built by Jeff Collins and everything is
done in-house, not by NASCAR. We are really happy with where we are at."
Eight-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel, in the #46
Tri-State Motorsports-Pork Ford, qualified third at 180.173 mph.
“The cars really good,” said Kimmel. “It's been running good all day.
It's the best qualifying run I've had here in Daytona."
Mario Gosselin qualified fourth in his own #12 Danmark
Construction-Guaranteed Concrete Chevrolet.
AJ Henriksen, in a Bobby Gerhart Racing Eagle Warranty-sponsored
Chevrolet, completed the top five
Josh Wise and Brandon Whitt made history by qualifying Toyotas into the
starting line-up, marking the first-ever foreign nameplate to compete
in ARCA RE/MAX Series competition.
Wise, in the #22 Eddie Sharp Racing Development team Camry, qualified
18th.
“The car drove a lot better than it did yesterday and I think that gave
me a lot more confidence on how it’s going to race,” said Wise. “Our
ultimate goal is to race good; it’s always nice to qualify well, but
it’s all about the race. This Eddie Sharp Racing team worked really
hard to get this car ready for this weekend and we’ve made a lot of
improvements. As long as we are learning and improving, those are the
most important things.
“There’s a lot of pressure being one of the first Toyotas to take to
the track in competition, but really no more pressure than I put on
myself already. This is an exciting week for Toyota, and I’m just
really excited to be a part of it.”
Whitt, in the #51 Brandon Whitt Racing Camry, qualified 23rd.
“We knew we weren’t going to be very good by ourselves based on what we
saw yesterday during practice,” said Whitt. “But the thing that matters
is how we run tomorrow, and we were very pleased with the way the car
handled in the draft. Our BWR Camry is set up to be there at the end of
the race tomorrow although we didn’t want to start quite that far back;
we’ll just have to take it and move our way up tomorrow.”
Gerhart will be aiming for a record fifth Daytona victory when
Saturday’s ARCA 200 rolls off at 4 pm ET LIVE on SPEED while Crocker
and Kimmel will be seeking their first Daytona triumphs. Kimmel has
back-to-back (2004 and 2005) runner-up finishes at Daytona. No female
driver, in 55 consecutive seasons, has won an ARCA RE/MAX Series race.
ARCA RE/MAX Series Event #1
Daytona Int'l Speedway
ARCA 200 at Daytona
(2-10-07)
POS NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM & CAR TIME SPEED
1
98 Erin Crocker/Wilbraham MA Evernham
Motorsports Dodge 49.391 182.219
2 5
Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA Lucas Oil
Chevrolet
49.604 181.437
3
46 Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN Tri-State
Motors-Pork Ford 49.952 180.173
4 12
Mario Gosselin/Lake Wales FL Danmark Construction-Chev 50.111 179.601
5
7 AJ Henriksen/Mooresville NC
Eagle-Kolbe Windows Chev 50.138 179.505
6 9 Tim
Russell/Longwood FL Rinnai Water Htr-EagleCreek Dodge 50.157 179.437
7 61
Steve Wallace/Mooresville NC Nu South Lemonade
Dodge 50.182 179.347
8 94 Brad
Coleman/Houston TX Parent Project Muscular Dyst Chev 50.291 178.958
9 25 Billy
Venturini/Chicago IL Hamptons Luxury Homes Chevrolet 50.293 178.951
10 55 Damon Lusk/Kennewick WA Save-A-Load/Panelite/Fenton
Racing Dodge 50.304 178.912
11 47 Phillip McGilton/Marion IL SI
Performance-Gould's Electric Chevrolet 50.335
178.802
12 3 Jeremy Clements/Spartanburg SC Harrison's Work-1
Stop Conv-Saxon
Chev 50.359 178.717
13 39 David Ragan/Unadilla
GA AAA
Ford
50.360 178.713
14 4 Scott Lagasse, Jr./St. Augustine FL
Cunningham Motorsports Dodge
50.383 178.632
15 85 Greg Barnhart/Oklahoma City OK Panelite-Fenton Racing Ford 50.406
178.550
16 8 Brian Conz/Livonia MI Scottishrite.org Dodge 50.482 178.281
17 2 Michael McDowell/Phoenix AZ Hillcrest Capital Partners Dodge
50.512 178.175
18 22 Josh Wise/Mira Loma CA Eddie Sharp Racing Development Team Toyota
50.538 178.084
19 31 Timothy Peters/Providence NC Cometic Gaskets-Okuma Chevrolet
50.644 177.711
20 93 Marc Mitchell/Tallahassee FL Ergon Pontiac 50.673 177.609
21 08 Jason Hedlesky/Clinton MI Hardcore Motorsports Dodge 50.697
177.525
22 11 Bryan Silas/Stuart FL Fast Track Driving School-PBG Chevrolet
50.707 177.490
23 51 Brandon Whitt/El Cajon CA Brandon Whitt Racing Toyota 50.710
177.480
24 63 Dawayne Bryan/Winter Haven FL Hi Tech Construction Service Dodge
50.726 177.424
25 24 Benny Chastain/Tallahassee FL Bob Schacht Motorsports Ford 50.729
177.413
26 75 Billy Tanner/Newton PA CheapCaribbean.com Ford 50.746 177.354
27 72 JR Heffner/Stephentown NY Simmons Machine Tool-Colarusso-Park
East Chevy 50.756 177.319
28 14 Michael Faulk/Ocala FL Cal Bay Int'l-OritalTV.com Dodge 50.763
177.294
29 0 Butch Jarvis/Blountville TN Zandel Bowers Chevrolet 50.799 177.169
30 62 Chad McCumbee/Supply NC NOS Energy Drink Chevrolet 50.824 177.082
31 16 Justin Allgaier/Springfield IL AG Tech-Trashman-Hoosier Tire
Midwest Chevy 50.831 177.057
32 65 Justin Marks/Rocklin CA Construct Corps Dodge 50.931 176.710
33 59 Justin South/Hueytown AL HD Supply Dodge Provisional
34 32 Ryan Howard/Tipp City OH Colt Atlantic-Midwest Switchgear
Services Dodge Provisional
35 21 Todd Bowsher/Springfield OH Jack Bowsher & Associates Ford
Provisional
36 84 Norm Benning/Pittsburgh PA Benning Motorsports Chevrolet
Provisional
37 6 Dexter Bean/Westby WI BlackJack Racing Chevrolet Provisional
38 34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN Anti Monkey Butt Powder Chevrolet
Provisional
39 26 Brad Smith/Belleville MI BradSmithMotorsports.com Ford
Provisional
40 38 Mike Harmon/Birmingport AL Bert Oostlander Racing Chevrolet
Provisional
41 52 Bill Baird/Sarasota FL Saturn Machine-Ken Schrader Racing Dodge
Provisional
