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ARCA Motors to Memphis

30 May 1998

By Don Radebaugh

The Memphis ARCA 100 will be the first-ever ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series race held at the new mile paved Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tennessee where drivers from a dozen or more states are expected to turn out for the inaugural event. The last time the series raced in Tennessee was in 1992 at Nashville Motor Speedway where current Winston Cup driver David Green won in a Roulo Brothers entry. The ARCA race will be run in conjunction with the USAC Silver Crown Series.

Current point leader Frank Kimmel comes to Memphis having won the last two ARCA races at Salem and Charlotte. The victory at Charlotte was the first-ever on a superspeedway for the popular Jeffersonville, Indiana driver.

Longtime NASCAR starter Doyle Ford will serve as the official starter for the Memphis ARCA 100.

Lansing, Michigan driver Jeff Finley, who is currently fifth in points, has recently replaced Billy Venturini as the driver of the Team 83 Chevrolet for Memphis and beyond. Venturini, who is seventh in points, is scouting for another ride to finish the season.

Veteran ARCA racer Bob Schacht has filed an entry for Memphis. The Chapin, South Carolina driver will be going after his 19th career ARCA victory in his 142nd start. Schacht^s 18 wins are more than any other driver entered. However, Roger Blackstock, who is entered in the only Dodge in the field, will attempt to make his 150th career ARCA start at Memphis, more than any other driver entered. Mark Gibson, currently second in points, is next in line with 144 starts.

Making their first career ARCA start at Memphis include Columbus, Ohio dirt late model racer Rick Perry, Carlyle, Illinois driver Charles Schaefer, Beresford, South Dakota driver Jason Weatherton and Manheim, Pennsylvania^s Dave Adcock who will be aboard a Bobby Gerhart Chevrolet with sponsorship from Manheim Auto Auction.

Dirt late model ace Shane Yoder posted the quickest speed in a May 28th ARCA practice session at Michigan Speedway in preparation for the upcoming June 13th Michigan ARCA 200. Yoder, who replaced Donnie Moran as the driver of the Toledo, Ohio based Ken Moore Ford, stopped the clock at 40.810 seconds; a speed of 176.430 mph. Yoder had also practiced at Michigan the day before with veteran crew chiefs^ Don Strait and Bob Bissinger assisting, as well as Winston Cup driver Jimmy Spencer who shared the test session with Yoder. IRL driver Jimmy Kite was second quickest at 175.481 ahead of Flint, Michigan late model champion Dennis Berry at 172.951 and Josh Baltes at 172.660.