Harris DeVane Wins ARCA Bondo Mar-Hyde Series Reese's 400K
16 November 1997
HAMPTON, GA -- In a wild three wide dash across the line Harris DeVane has won the Reese's 400K ARCA Bondo Mar-Hyde Supercar series event here at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The three-wide shoot out came as a result of lap 157 caution that was brought out when, then race leader, Gary Laton found the wall going into turn three. The field resumed racing on lap 160 of the 162 lap event. What happened next could only be described as phenomenal as pole sitter, Frank Kimmel, took the field to the green flag. He was followed by Andy Hillenburg and DeVane. Kimmel, running on old tires looked to be a sitting duck by the time he got to the back straight. Hillenburg saw Kimmel's car twitching and tossing as it went down the backstraight. Hillenburg looked high then low but Kimmel was able to keep the line behind him for that lap. The next lap is when the fireworks started. As Kimmel charged down the backstraight Hillenburg did everything he could to get by Hillenburg, but the best that he could do is get beside Kimmel. As Hillenburg worked the outside, Kimmel slide up the track trying to slam the door shut. That is when DeVane saw a hole big enough for a car. DeVane mashed the gas and went for it - his car swaying side to side, almost hitting Kimmel. The three charged out of turn four door-to-door three wide heading for the checkers, all three looking for the traction they needed. It was DeVane that somehow kept it straight and he crossed the line 0.023 seconds ahead of Kimmel. Hillenburg crossed the line just inches back from Kimmel but the sway his car had took him around and into the turn one wall. "They got to racing each other and I guess they forgot I was there," said DeVane. "They went high and I saw some room there and stuck it in there trying to get the win. I didn't know I had it won 'till I got to the start finish line." Second place finisher Frank Kimmel described the last lap by saying, "The car just wouldn't turn no more. I did everything I could. One went high - One went low. I thought it was a terrible finish because I didn't win." "I was on the outside," commented Hillenburg. That's the place you usually want to be and that's what's what had been working best for me during the whole race. I just came up short at the end, that's all. That's racing." The Reese's 400K netted Devane $17,800 for the win in the race that took 2 hours to 10 minutes 6 seconds to complete. The average speed of 109.195 was the result of the 9 caution flags for a total of 65 laps. There were 14 lead changes among 6 drivers. This will mark the end of the 1997 ARCA series schedule. Racing will resume at Daytona Beach during the February Speedweeks - a celebration of speed that starts the 1998 stock car racing schedules. Mike Snow -- The Auto Channel
