For Immediate Release:
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Ty Dillon Wins Tense Menards 200 Presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway for Fourth ARCA Victory
(TOLEDO, Ohio) - Short track racing is known for close, exciting action and flaring tempers, and the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care gave Toledo Speedway fans some of both, as ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rookie Ty Dillon spun nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel just over 10 laps from the checkered flag and drove to his second win of 2011.
With Kimmel (No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford) leading on Lap 189 and appearing ready to win for the first time in 48 races - a stretch dating back to late 2008 - Dillon (No. 41 Hemelgarn Enterprises Chevrolet) moved Kimmel off of the white line around the bottom of the track and into a spin, assuming an advantage he would not relinquish.
Dillon fended off challenges by Grant Enfinger (No. 36 Acme Dismantling Dodge) and Matt Merrell (No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge) over the final two restarts to win by 0.291 seconds and drive to Victory Lane for the fourth time in seven career ARCA starts.
"It was an awesome day," Dillon said. "As soon as we unloaded, I felt like we had the fastest car for sure. We even cut short our practice, and I don't like to do that, but we knew we had the fastest car. Our pit crew did awesome. I went in fifth and came out second. We came in, tightened up, and she took off."
Dillon's celebration was not without controversy. Following an extended burnout, Dillon drove to Toledo Speedway's Sunny D Victory Lane with the checkered flag in hand - until parking the car and seeing a waiting Kimmel standing nearby. Kimmel took the flag from his hand and threw it to the ground, and opened Dillon's window net to speak to the driver who had taken away his chance at a win. After the race, Dillon understood Kimmel's anger.
"I was approaching behind him for a long time there, probably 40 or 50 laps," Dillon said. "I was being as patient as I can. We came up on some lapped cars, and he was starting to get loose; I was getting in deeper and deeper. My car was getting better and better.
"I hate that it happened that way. I wrecked him. It was my fault, but it's racing. Stuff like that happens. I really look up to Frank and he's helped me out a lot this year. Hopefully, we can get over this and everything will be alright."
Within a stone's throw of Victory Lane after the race, Kimmel was not pleased.
"I wasn't blocking or doing anything; I was just running my lap," Kimmel said. "He just hit me wherever he could and then he got me in the left rear corner and ran me around. It's just frustrating as heck. You race so hard, and you race clean, and we didn't have a scratch on the car all day.
"I just asked him, 'How can you celebrate a win like that?' It'll come back. It's a long season, and we have to race all year."
Kimmel finished ninth.
Tim George Jr. (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet) finished fourth after suffering early damage, matching his best result on a short track. Two-time Toledo Speedway winner Chris Buescher (No. 17 David Ragan Fan Club Ford) also battled back from early damage to finish fifth.
John Stancill, in his first ARCA Racing Series event, finished sixth. Chad McCumbee and Dakoda Armstrong followed in seventh and eighth, respectively. After Kimmel, Kenzie Ruston finished 10th in her ARCA debut. Venturini Motorsports fielded the cars for Stancill and Ruston in their first race.
Ohio native Chad Hackenbracht finished 11th and 17-year-old Josh Williams was 12th. Sixteen-year-old Jared Marks, a debut driver from nearby Napoleon, Ohio, finished 13th, one spot ahead of Tom Hessert. Milka Duno was 15th.
Matt Crafton, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader, led 13 laps and finished 18th.
The full recap from the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care will be released shortly.
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