Frank Kimmel, in car #46, in the outside pole position leads the field across the starting line of the ARCA Channel 5-155 at Kentucky Speedway. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

Rae'Ven Reed, 8, from Mt. Orab, listens to country music star Chely Wright during a pre-race concert. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

Tailgating in the parking area at Kentucky Speedway. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

Frank Kimmel celebrates victory in the Channel 5-155 at Kentucky Speedway. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        SPARTA, Ky. — Frank Kimmel scorched the ARCA “Channel 5-155” field at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night, using a virtually unbeatable formula.

        Kimmel, with his fat checkbook and NASCAR Winston Cup pedigree, won easily in a series he has dominated for several years. With a reported annual ARCA RE/MAX budget of more than $1 million and with four Winston Cup starts this season, Kimmel had a decisive advantage over the field in both areas. There were 41 drivers Saturday but only 19 had run all four previous ARCA races this season.

        Kimmel, two-time defending ARCA RE/MAX season champion, won his third straight ARCA race of the season. It was also his third straight ARCA win at Kentucky, including two victories here in 2001.

        A crowd of 27,575 watched Kimmel lead most of the 155-mile race, with the event televised live in Cincinnati by event sponsor WLWT (Channel 5).

        Kimmel, 40, lives in Jeffersonville, Ind., just across the river from Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky track is about an hour's drive from his home.

        “It's like a home track for us, and we've got a fan following,” Kimmel said. “We always love to run here. This was a big crowd for an ARCA race, and it's cool to see.”

        Kimmel trailed Chad Blount (Walkerton, Ind.) with fewer than 10 laps to go, but took advantage of a late spinout by another driver to pass Blount for the lead. Blount finished second and Jason Rudd, a nephew of Winston Cup veteran Ricky Rudd, finished third.

        In Winston Cup, Kimmel has not been a top contender this year but plans to enter one more race this season. He is pondering a full-time Winston Cup package for 2003, but for now seems set to claim another ARCA title.

        “The Winston Cup has been good experience for us this year,” Kimmel said. “We haven't run as well as we wanted to, but we've learned a lot.”

        Willie Green of Walton, Ky., finished 12th to lead a contingent of Greater Cincinnati drivers. Green, 40, is director of transportation for Covington City Schools.

        Other local finishers were Mike Burg of Bridgetown (15th); Joe “Jeep” Pflum, also of Bridgetown, was 18th; and Neil McClelland of Hamilton (23rd).

        One of Kimmel's top “name” opponents departed quickly.

        Tim Steele, like Kimmel a three-time ARCA season champion, spun and hit the wall just two laps into the event. Steele, who had not raced in ARCA previously this season because he was reorganizing his team, had one of the few teams that potentially could run with Kimmel. But the rusty Steele wrecked his primary car in practice Friday, then damaged his backup car beyond repair Saturday.

        “We knocked a hole in the water cooler,” Steele said. “There was no reason to go back out.”

        Steele, of Coopersville, Mich., dominated ARCA in the mid-1990s the way Kimmel does now. Like Kimmel, Steele also has driven in Winston Cup.

        “He was so dominant for a long time in ARCA,” Kimmel said of Steele. “I know when he gets back to full strength, he'll be tough again.”

        Kimmel dedicated the Mother's Day weekend win to his mother, Mabel. His car's nickname is Mabel, also in honor of his mother. Kimmel said his wife, Donna, couldn't attend Saturday because she stayed home with the couple's two children.

        “I don't think they care about the trophy as long as I bring home the check,” Kimmel said, laughing.

        Kimmel won just more than $20,000 of the race's $179,000 purse. He is approaching $2 million in career ARCA winnings, extending his series record.

        John Metcalf of Aurora, Colo., who won the pole with a qualifying speed of 167.059 mph to edge Kimmel, finished fourth.

        Jason Jarrett, son of Winston Cup star Dale Jarrett, finished 13th. Former NFL coach Jerry Glanville was 19th.

        The crowd of 27,575 was slightly larger than that for the ARCA race here in May 2001, which drew 26,202 for a daytime start. Saturday's race started at 8:15 p.m.

RESULTS

Results of the ARCA RE/MAX Channel 5/155, Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway:    1. Frank Kimmel, Jeffersonville, Ind., 104 laps    2. Chad Blount, Walkerton, Ind., 104    3. Jason Rudd, Suffolk, Va., 104    4. John Metcalf, Aurora, Colo. 104    5. Andy Blemont, Penndel, Pa. 104    6. Michael Vergers, Oxford, UK 104    7. Shelby Howard, Greenwood, Ind., 104    8. Mark Gibson, Winder, Ga., 104    9. Damon Lusk, Kennewick, Wash. 104    10. Billy Venturini, Charlotte, NC 104    11. Chase Montgomery, Mt. Juliet, Tenn. 103    12. Willie Green, Walton, Ky. 103    13. Jason Jarrett, Hickory, NC 102    14. Norm Benning, Pittsburgh, Pa. 102    15. MIKE BURG, CINCINNATI 102    16. Justin Ashburn, Joelton, Tenn. 102    17. Kevin Belmont, Feasterville, Pa. 102    18. Jeep Pflum, Cincinnati 101    19. Jerry Glanville, Dawsonville, Ga. 101    20. Darrell Basham, Henryville, Ind. 101    21. Mike Buckley, Ann Arbor, Mich. 101    22. Chuck Weber, Mesquite, Tex. 100    23. Neil McClelland, Hamilton 99    24. Jimmy Edlin, Indianapolis 99    25. Brent Sherman, Barrington, Ill. 98    26. Eric Martin, Hixson, Tenn. 98    27. Brad Smith, Dearborn, Mich. 98    28. Todd Bowsher, South Vienna, Ohio 96    29. Frank Kapfhammer, Louisville, Ky. 90    30. Greg Sarff, Columbus, Ohio 77    31. Ron Cox, Soddy Daisy, Tenn. 75    32. AJ Henriksen, Mooresville, NC 69    33. Keith Murt, Paducah, Ky. 58    34. Vern Slagh, Zeeland, Mich. 52    35. John Hayden, Owensboro, Ky. 31    36. Randy VanZant, Brookville, Ohio 19    37. Michael Zazula, Turnersville, NJ 8    38. Tim Steele, Coopersville, Mich. 3    39. Todd Antrican, Miamisburg, Ohio 3    40. Jeff Caudell, Austin, Ind. 0    41. Christi Passmore, Pryor, Okla. 0

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