Justin Allgaier Becomes One of Two Repeat Winners in 2008 with Inaugural Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 Victory
Justin Allgaier led 57 of 250 laps in his family-owned No. 16 Zoller & Bergfield Farming-AG Tech Chevrolet to win the inaugural Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Canada’s Cayuga Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The win represented Allgaier’s fourth career ARCA RE/MAX Series victory and second of 2008.
“I got turned around early,” Allgaier said. “Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) and I got together a little. I had to check up and got around. It’s one of those the racing things. This place is tight and one lane so to come out of here with a win we’re pretty happy with that. I got into the wall in the front straightaway, just racing hard out there. I love this track! I told the guys that this is such a cool little track and I had so much fun. I am so proud of these guys doing so much with so little and this is for them. We did our homework and made sure we came here with all our ducks in a row and it showed. We had the best time we could for 250 laps and we ended up in Victory Lane. That is really special to me to win the inaugural race here at Cayuga Motor Speedway. We have Zoller & Bergfield Farming on the car here and Ebby who owns the midget I drive so I was really glad to bring them to victory lane.”
In all, eight drivers have found victory lane in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. In addition to Allgaier (Salem, Cayuga) and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Kentucky, Pocono), 2008 race winners include Michael Annett (Daytona), Justin Allgaier (Salem), Matt Hawkins (Iowa), Scott Speed (Kansas), Joey Logano (Rockingham), Matt Carter (Toledo) and Justin Lofton (Michigan).
The ARCA RE/MAX Series record for most different race winners in a single season of competition is 17, set in 2006.
Bent Sheet Metal Typical of Short Track Racing
Luckily the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 was a stock car auto race and not a show car appearance, as 250-laps of rough-and-tumble short track racing created its share of dents and blemishes among the race’s 34 competitors. In all, the race was slowed by 18 cautions for 106 laps and even eventual winner Justin Allgaier did not go away unscathed, as he spun his No. 16 Zoller & Bergfield Farming-AG Tech Chevrolet early during the race while battling with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Nine of the top-10 finishers either spun, made contact with the wall, caused a spin or were chastised over the radio by race control for rough driving on Sunday.
Eddie Sharp Racing’s Scott Speed, formerly of Formula One notoriety, was among the drivers with extensive body damage on his No. 2 Red Bull Toyota following the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250. Speed spun through the backstretch on lap 38, falling five laps down. He used a combination of hard racing and lucky dog breaks to get back onto the lead lap, eventually finishing eighth.
Eddie Sharp Racing Earns Fourth SIM Factory Pole Award of 2008 with Lofton This Weekend
The rear bumper of the Official ARCA RE/MAX Series Dodge Charger Pace Car has become a familiar sight at the beginning of race events for Eddie Sharp Racing’s stable of drivers. Combined, teammates Justin Lofton, Scott Speed and Ken Butler, III have earned 44 percent of the series’ SIM Factory Pole Awards this season, including the last three consecutive. Lofton was the most recent pole sitter with a 20.424-second lap around the 0.625-mile Cayuga Speedway during Saturday’s SIM Factory Qualifying session, marking his career first pole award. Speed has earned two pole awards (Pocono, Michigan) and Butler, III has one (Kansas).
Last season, Michael McDowell led the series in SIM Factory Pole Awards with nine while competing under the Eddie Sharp Racing banner. Teammate Josh Wise also earned a SIM Factory pole award during the 2007 season, bringing the organization’s total to 10 for the year.
Top-10 Finish for Mike Harmon
Birmingport, Alabama’s Mike Harmon stayed plenty busy this weekend. After racing in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he traveled overnight more than 500 miles to Nelles Corners Ontario, Canada for Sunday’s inaugural Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250, where he faced the difficult task of starting a race at an unfamiliar track in a racecar that another driver practiced and qualified. Harmon withstood the challenges surrounding him, earning a season-best tenth-place finish and Hoosier Tire Hard Charger honors for advancing the most positions during the race.
Rain Delays Cayuga
The start of Sunday’s Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 was delayed by thirty minutes as a result of rain showers throughout much of the area on Sunday morning but that’s not the first time that Mother Nature has put a damper on ARCA RE/MAX Series race events. Eight of the ten series events held this year have been affected in one way or another (either on race day or during a technical inspection day) by rain.
Cayuga Marks End of Five Race Leg
The Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 marked the tenth of 21 races on the 2008 schedule and one of five “bonus point” races for series competitors. At the end of the race, series officials awarded 250 bonus points to competitors who have entered and attempted to compete in the last five consecutive ARCA RE/MAX Series events as a way to reward full time series competitors; Eighteen of the top-20 point contenders heading into Cayuga earned the 250-point bonus. The only drivers who did not were Dominick Casola, who is running a limited schedule in 2008, and Bobby Gerhart, who did not enter the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250.
Although Stenhouse did not test at Cayuga, he tested at a Greenville (which, like Cayuga, is considered a flat track) for the event.
Point Leader Stenhouse Finishes Third Despite Missing Most of Practice at Cayuga
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., continues to lead the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings following a third-place finish in Sunday’s Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250. Stenhouse, who led 101 of 250 laps, posted his sixth top-5 finish of the season despite missing most of practice after making contact with the turn three wall in his No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford early during a two-hour practice session. Stenhouse joined his team in making repairs to his racecar in time for the weekend’s SIM Factory qualifying session.
Top Ten Unofficial Points After the Racing for Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Cayuga Motor Speedway (6-29-08); 1) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., 2490; 2) Scott Speed, 2360, 3) Matt Carter, 2340; 4) Frank Kimmel, 2315; 5) John Wes Townley, 2200; 6) Justin Allgaier, 2160; 7) Tom Hessert, III, 2120;
Tayler Malsam, 2085; 9) Patrick Sheltra, 2070; 10) Dexter Bean, 2045.
Toledo Speedway Jam Free to ARCA Members July 13th
Come listen to country stars James Otto, Heidi Newfield, the Hunter Brucks Band and Toledo’s own Buck 69 LIVE at the Toledo Speedway Jam on Sunday, July 13th, 2008. ARCA Members who present their ARCA License at the Toledo Speedway Box Office will enjoy FREE admission to summer’s hottest mix of live music, food and fun!
Gates open at 5 p.m. and the concert begins at 6 p.m. For more detailed information about the Toledo Speedway Jam call Toledo Speedway at (419) 727-1100 or log on to the official website at
http://toledospeedwayjam.com.
ARCA RE/MAX Series to Test at Kentucky Speedway July 1st
Following the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250, several ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers will participate in an open test session at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, July 1st in preparation for the Friday night, July 18th ARCA RE/MAX 150 at Kentucky Speedway. The full day test session will help teams prepare for ARCA’s 17th appearance to the 1.5-mile speedway. In May, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., the current series point leader, took advantage of a late-race restart to pull away from the 41-car field and earn his career first series victory.
Other ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers who have found victory lane at Kentucky Speedway include Frank Kimmel, Chad Blount, Ryan Hemphill, Kyle Busch, Brad Coleman, Erik Darnell, Michael McDowell, Ryan Newman, Tim Steele and Steve Wallace.
ARCA RE/MAX Series to Race at Kentucky Speedway July 18th
From short track racing at Cayuga, the ARCA RE/MAX Series is preparing for superspeedway style action at Kentucky Speedway for the ARCA RE/MAX 150 on Friday night, July 18th, 2008. Arcaracing.com will feature live-to-web timing and scoring for all ARCA RE/MAX Series on-track activities at Kentucky, including a practice session from 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m., SIM Factory Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. and the ARCA RE/MAX 150, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern. SPEED will air ARCA RE/MAX Series qualifying from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and the ARCA RE/MAX 150 beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.
CONTACTS:
ARCA PR/Media, office (734) 847-6726
Don Radebaugh, cell (419) 450-0611
Jackie L. Franzil, cell (419) 574-2685
Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=7756.msg46086#msg46086
