Frank Kimmel Wins 2008 Bill France Triple Crown
TALLADEGA AL (10-5-08)—Frank Kimmel officially clinched the 2008 Bill France Triple Crown in the ARCA RE/MAX Series this weekend with his sixth place finish in Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Kimmel has earned the prestigious award, designed to highlight the diverse nature of the ARCA RE/MAX Series national stock car tour, a total of six times, including the last two consecutive years.
Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX 250 marked the third and final leg of the 2008 Bill France Triple Crown and Kimmel posted a sixth place finish in the 94 lap/250-mile race despite starting on a provisional. He won both the first and second legs of the 2008 Bill France Triple Crown at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile-dirt in Southern Illinois on September 1st and at Salem Speedway, a .555-mile paved oval in Southern Indiana on September 13th.
“It’s good to be able to put something like the Bill France Triple Crown on our trophy shelf this year because I don’t think we’re going to be able to clinch the [ARCA RE/MAX Series] Championship,” said Kimmel, who is fourth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings with just one race remaining this season. “We won the two mile-dirts and Salem this year. The Kimmel Racing Ford Drive One Fusion was horrible all weekend at Talladega. We couldn’t do anything with it out on our own and it ran decently in the draft but certainly not where it should have been so a sixth place finish at Talladega is more like a win to us. It’s special to us to be able to win this award as a first year team.”
Kimmel, a 19-year veteran of the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the only driver in the 56 year history of the national stock car tour to hold nine driving championships, departed long-time car owner Larry Clement to start his own team with his crew chief/brother Bill Kimmel in 2008. The 2008 Bill France Triple Crown marks the first year that Kimmel, a six-time recipient of the award, has been able to earn it in his own equipment.
Heading into Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, 15 drivers were mathematically eligible to clinch the 2008 Triple Crown, including Kimmel, Dexter Bean, Matt Carter, Patrick Sheltra, Scott Speed, John Wes Townley, Justin Allgaier, Bryan Silas, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Justin Lofton, Tayler Malsam, Darrell Basham, Gabi DiCarlo, Tom Hessert, III and Ken Butler, III. Kimmel is the defending winner of the Bill France Triple Crown and the only driver who has won the award a total of six times. Other Bill France Triple Crown award winners include Blake Bjorklund, Brent Sherman, Jason Jarrett, Tim Steele, Bill Baird, Harris DeVane, Bob Hill, Bob Keselowski, Bobby Bowsher, Bill Venturini, Tracy Leslie, Grant Adcox, Lee Raymond and Davey Allison.
The Bill France Triple Crown award winner has been honored at the ARCA RE/MAX Series National Championship Awards Banquet each consecutive year since 1984.
Bill France Triple Crown Champions, 1984-2008
2008
Frank Kimmel
2001
Frank Kimmel
1994
Bob Hill
1987
Grant Adcox
2007
Frank Kimmel
2000
Tim Steele
1993
Bob Keselowski
1986
Lee Raymond
2006
Blake Bjorklund
1999
Bill Baird
1992
Bobby Bowsher
1985
Lee Raymond
2005
Frank Kimmel
1998
Frank Kimmel
1991
Bowsher-Venturini
1984
Davey Allison
2004
Brent Sherman
1997
Tim Steele
1990
Bob Keselowski
2003
Jason Jarrett
1996
Tim Steele
1989
Tracy Leslie
2002
Frank Kimmel
1995
Harris DeVane
1988
Grant Adcox
Just one race remains in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series—The Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire and Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway. The 200 lap race marks the 21st and final event of the 2008 season and is set to roll off at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, October 11th, 2008, live on SPEED Channel. The race will determine the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series champion and is part of ARCA Championship Weekend at Toledo Speedway.
CONTACTS:
ARCA PR/Media, office (734) 847-6726
Don Radebaugh, cell (419) 450-0611
Jackie L. Franzil, cell (419) 574-2685
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