ARCA at The Rock

Tight ARCA Points Battle Heading to a Finish at Rockingham

Twenty Points Separate Top-Three Drivers

 (TOLEDO, Ohio) - Twenty points in a single ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards race can be as simple to calculate as the difference between four positions on the track. With Patrick Sheltra, Craig Goess, and Tom Hessert all within that range at the top of the series standings, the American 200 presented by Black's Tire and Auto Service at Rockingham Speedway can be classified as a true championship event.

Sheltra (No. 60 Ferguson Pipe/Jones Group International Toyota), who entered Thursday's Kansas Lottery 150 as the series points leader, finished fifth to maintain a 10-point advantage over Goess (No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota), who gained some ground with a third-place finish at Kansas Speedway. Sheltra's 4495 points top Hessert (No. 77 Cherry Hill Classic Cars Dodge), in third place, by 20.

Hessert's deficit to the lead may have been more, if not for a key decision. The Cunningham Motorsports driver took two fresh tires instead of four on the final pit stop at Kansas Speedway, gaining several positions to finish sixth. Hessert had been running outside the top 10 for the majority of the 100-lap event.

Though the last two seasons have been among the most competitive in ARCA's history, 2010's finale will occur under even tighter conditions. Justin Allgaier's thrilling championship in 2008 is famously remembered for his dash from 110 points out of the lead with one race remaining, but even then, incoming points leader Scott Speed held an 85-point advantage before the final race. Last season, Justin Lofton edged Parker Kligerman by the smallest margin possible without using tiebreakers - five points. Lofton's lead entering the final race? 15.

Drivers stress the importance of "staying up front" or "racing clean," and say that recording "top-fives or top-10s" will help everything fall in place for a championship. Given the high level of competition in the ARCA Racing Series, that's not necessarily true.

For example, Sheltra, who has finished in the top five 11 times in 2010 - more than any other driver - will likely need more than just a typically strong finish. If Hessert were to win while Sheltra finishes fifth without leading a lap Saturday, Hessert would overcome the points leader in the standings. That's a scenario that doesn't even include Goess, and it's far from the only combination of possible events.

Consider that 15 points are given to the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell winner, and that the second and third qualifiers earn 10 and five points, respectively. Goess leads the series with three Menards Pole Awards, earning 45 points along the way; Sheltra and Hessert, meanwhile, have not qualified in the top spot this season.

Again, with a championship race this close, picking a champion before the final checkered flag flies is far too difficult a prospect. With no room for error - and hardly any space for anything outside of a drive to Victory Lane - the American 200 is set to be a race for the ages.

  

On to the Finale: The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards visits historic Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, October 9 for what promises to be a thrilling championship finale. The 200-lap American 200 presented by Black's Tire and Auto Services airs live on SPEED at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, with live timing and scoring and live audio coverage presented by ARCA Nation and the ARCA Racing Network at ARCARacing.com.

  

The race will be the fifth for the series at the track. Championship contender Parker Kligerman won last season, but Justin Lofton finished third to edge Kligerman by five points for the series championship.

Festivities for the American 200 race weekend kick off on Thursday, Oct. 7 with the ninth annual Thunderfest in downtown Rockingham. The street festival at Harrington Square gets underway at 11 a.m. and will feature music from the The Tams and Nantucket, a Kids Zone, an ARCA and UARA driver autograph session at 6:30 p.m., a beer garden and many other attractions.

Racing action also gets underway on Oct. 7 with an open practice for the cars of the ARCA Series. General admission to the grandstands is free. Practice begins at 11:30 a.m. Friday and lasts for 90 minutes, and Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell takes place at 2:30 p.m. that day. Live timing and scoring and live audio coverage of both events will be available at ARCARacing.com.

The American 200 presented by Black?s Tire and Auto Service gets underway Saturday, Oct. 9 with the UARA Late Models rolling off at 11 a.m. followed by the ARCA 200-miler. Tickets, starting at $20 in advance, and suite packages are still available.

Source: http://the-auto-racing-journal.blogspot.com/2010/10/arca-at-rock.html

Target Chevrolet A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford Clint Bowyer