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Previewing the
Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper ARCA 200
By Dino Oberto … “Keeping Track”
(Long Pond, PA) At the center stage this weekend at Pocono Raceway will be the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target NASCAR Sprint Cup event which is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
While NASCAR is the rightful headliner, every year since 1983 the Saturday prior to the 500 has always been featured with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards.
Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Over the years they have stayed true to their roots by racing on both paved and dirt tracks as well as road courses which is why ARCA is considered one of the most diverse organizations in the sport.
At Pocono, ARCA is as recognizable as NASCAR as fans have come to expect some very thrilling races, many in the past number of years coming right down to the wire.
This weekend will also mark a milestone for ARCA and Pocono as the series’ will be holding its 50th race on the 2.5-mile tri oval which will be the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200.
ARCA's history in Long Pond dates prior to 1983, however. Bobby Watson beat Benny Parsons to the line in 1969 to win the track's inaugural ARCA race on the defunct 3/4-mile track.
Heading into Saturday’s landmark event, Patrick Sheltra is the series point leader after six events. Sheltra has six consecutive top-10 finishes including a season-best second at Talladega Superspeedway last month. The Sheltra Motorsports team is the only team this year that has not yet finished out of the top-10. He was third in this race last year and in seven previous starts has finished each on the lead lap.
Justin Marks sits second, just 10 points behind. Marks got his career first ARCA win when the series made its first ever appearance at the road course at West Palm Beach in February.
Canadian Steve Arpin is third in the standings and the only repeat winner, scoring back-to back victories at Salem and Texas Speedways. He races for popular ARCA team Venturini Motorsports.
Tom Hessert III is enjoying his best ever season with ARCA as he sits solidly in 4th. A New Jersey native from Cherry Hill, Pocono is considered his home track and driving for Cunningham Motorsports, which has previous ARCA wins here, this could be his time to shine.
Second year ARCA driver Mikey Kile is a surprise 5th in points. He runs Chevrolets fielded by Brad Keselowski Racing and will be making just his 14th series’ start this weekend.
Frank Kimmel is the face of ARCA. He has a record nine championships and comes to Pocono as a three-time winner on the tricky triangle. Kimmel owns numerous records with ARCA. His 74 career wins is second only to the late Iggy Katona who has 79.
Kimmel’s 6th place in points is the lowest he has been heading into Pocono since 1996. Winning the 50th race on the on the 2.5-mile oval would be fitting for this legend.
Craig Goess, 7th, will be a force as he is driving for Eddie Sharp Racing which has always fielded some of the strongest cars at Pocono over the past few seasons. Goess has a pair of seconds and fourth and could easily breakthrough for his career first win come Saturday.
8th in points is 18-year old Dakota Armstrong who is in a second Cunningham Motorsports car. He had an impressive career first win at Talladega where he also sat on the pole.
Rounding out the top 10 is Joey Coulter and Tim George. Coulter will be turning 20 on Tuesday. He was 4th in points a year ago, his rookie season and could be the dark horse.
Likewise George is in a Richard Childress prepared mount which speaks for itself.
Others to watch include 2010 Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart from Lebanon. Gerhart is a master on Superspeedways yet the driver who has more Pocono starts than anyone, has not finished better than third which came in 2004. He would love nothing better than to take the checkered flag his home track.
Chase Mattioli, Nick Igdalsky, Kory Rabenold, Steve Fox and Kyle Martel are the other area drivers entered in the 80-lap race.
Aside from Kimmel, Chad McCumbee is the only other previous Pocono winner entered.
17 drivers have won from the pole in the 49 previous ARCA Pocono races. Tim Steele is the all-time wins leader at Pocono with nine (including five consecutive from 1996-98) and he is closely followed by Bob Schacht (six) and Bob Keselowski (five). Familiar names like Ryan Newman, Casey Mears and Justin Allgaier dot the winners list. 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Joey Logano triumphed in this race one year ago.
Kyle Busch set the single-lap ARCA track record in 2003 as a development driver for Hendrick Motorsports, 52.678 (170.849 mph). Mike Wallace holds the race record of 142.668 mph set in 1995.
The lone practice for the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 takes place from 10:15-11:55 a.m. on Friday with Menards Pole Qualifying Presented by Ansell following at 1:45 p.m. The 80-lap, 200-mile race goes green at 1 p.m. Saturday with live streaming audio coverage featured on ARCARacing.com and same-day television coverage provided by SPEED at 4 p.m
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