Frank Kimmel Riding a Wave of Momentum to Michigan

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 8, 2010) - Webster's Dictionary defines momentum as "the strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events." Kimmel Racing has certainly studied this as they are riding a large wave of momentum into Michigan International Speedway (MIS) this weekend. Coming off a string of two top-five finishes and his best qualifying effort in over a year, Frank Kimmel hopes to keep riding that wave into Friday's Racing for Wildlife 200.

"A strong run at Michigan is really important for us right now, because we have momentum," explained Kimmel. "Our cars have been running a lot better these past two races, and our finishes have shown that. We are pretty competitive right now."

As the only returning MIS race winner entered in Friday's ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards event, Kimmel hopes his experience and the team's momentum will drive him right into victory lane. A return to the winner's circle isn't out of the question, as Kimmel knows how to get around the high-banked D-shaped oval. Kimmel comes into the weekend boasting two wins, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes at MIS.

"We are going to have to improve on our fuel mileage this week," said Kimmel. "Getting the car to turn is a really difficult thing to do, and we worked on that extensively during the test here. We are hoping that what we learned at Pocono can apply to Michigan and make the car turn better. If we can do that, we will be very competitive."

On-track activities for the ARCA Racing Series are set to begin Thursday with practice and qualifying. NASCAR's Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series will join the stars of the ARCA Racing Series Friday for a full day of on-track activity. The green flag will drop for the Racing for Wildlife 200 at 5:15 p.m. EST. ARCARacing.com will have live audio and timing and scoring coverage with SPEED carrying the live race broadcast beginning at 5:00 p.m. EST.

"Kimmel's Top 10"
In anticipation of his 10th Championship, Frank Kimmel gives a look at his "Top 10" before each ARCA Series race. With 74-career ARCA Racing Series victories, Kimmel is no stranger to victory lane. This week Kimmel unveils his "Top 10" wins (In no particular order).

10. Toledo Speedway, 1994- Kimmel won his first-career ARCA Racing Series race
9. Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1998- His first win at the famed Speedway
8. DuQuoin, 2002- Kimmel raced Tony Stewart side-by-side for 20-30 laps, before beating out the NASCAR superstar by just a fender
7. Talladega Superspeedway, 2006- Kimmel finally won his long-awaited first Superspeedway race
6. Salem Speedway, 1998- First ARCA Racing Series win at his home-track
5. Salem Speedway, 2008- Kimmel's last win at Salem Speedway, which was on his Dad's Birthday
4. Iowa Speedway, 2007- Kimmel won at his long-time car owner Larry Clement's home track
3. Lake Erie, 2003- Kimmel won the first race at Lake Erie, passing Billy Venturini on the last lap to take home the victory
2. Springfield, 2008- The first win for Kimmel Racing, the team Frank started with brother and crew chief Bill Kimmel, Jr.
1. Kansas Speedway, 2001- Kimmel won the first-ever race run at Kansas Speedway, a Winston West race. After wrecking the car in the final practice the day before, the team did a superb job fixing the car, allowing Kimmel to drive it to victory lane one day later. The ARCA race followed the Winston West race, and there was a bonus to win both races. Kimmel was on track to earn the bonus, leading until seven laps were left in the race, when a valve spring broke forcing him to finish second.

Frank Kimmel and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Fast Facts

Michigan History: In 21-career starts at MIS, Kimmel has earned two wins, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Kimmel earned his first MIS win in 1998, with his second win coming in 2005. He also made his debut in NASCAR's top series at the 2.0-mile oval in 1998 driving for Travis Carter.

Quick Test: Kimmel and his No.44 Ansell/Menards team participated at the open test session held at MISlast month, clicking off the fourth-fastest time of the day with a speed of 181.566 mph (39.655 sec.).

About Pocono: Kimmel did not have luck on his side at Pocono Raceway last weekend, but he did have a fast car and wheeled his way to a fifth-place finish. Poor fuel mileage pegged Kimmel one lap down twice during the race, although he had one of the fastest cars in the field all afternoon long.

In The Points: Kimmel's fifth-place finish at Pocono solidified his sixth-place position in the championship standings, sitting only 150 markers behind points leader Patrick Sheltra.
Autographs: On Thursday, June 10, Kimmel will be signing autographs at the Brooklyn-Irish Hills Race Fest from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. EST.

Did You Know? Truck driver and gas man, Larry Meadors, is more than just a member on the Kimmel Racing team; he is also Frank and Bill Kimmel's brother-in-law.Larry married their sister, Kim, in August of 2003. Larry was also an accomplished racer, winning several titles along with competing against both Frank and Bill on the local Louisville, Ky. area race tracks.

Chasing the Record Books: If you look at the ARCA Racing Series record books, there are not many lists that do not include the name Frank Kimmel. This season, Kimmel looks to break his own record of nine championships and win a record-setting 10th ARCA Racing Series Championship. His sights are also set on breaking the all-time ARCA win record. With 74 career ARCA victories, Frank is six wins shy of breaking the record held by Iggy Katona.

Follow Frank Kimmel: Want to know what happens when Kimmel is not behind the wheel of his Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion? Fans can logon to www.facebook.com/frankkimmelracing to follow him on Facebook and www.twitter.com/frankkimmel to follow him on Twitter.

Chassis Info
No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion: Chassis No. 320. Crew Chief, Bill Kimmel Jr., has chosen to run chassis No. 320, "Carrie" at Michigan International Speedway. Kimmel has used this chassis twice this season, at Pocono and Texas. He drove "Carrie" to a fifth-place finish last weekend at Pocono Raceway and a sixth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway