ARCA 200 AT DAYTONA RACE REPORTS
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Speed Dominates Early; Eliminated in Big One at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 9, 2008) -- Scott Speed started exactly where you want to at Daytona International Speedway, on the front row with no one in front of him. Speed jumped out and was in a league of his own, leading nearly every one of the laps before coming to the pits during a caution on lap 24. Shortly after the race resumed, the notorious 'big one' occurred, collecting Speed and the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota. Only 29 laps into the ARCA 200, Scott Speed's day was over. Speed finished 39th.
 When the green flag dropped, the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota was ready to show exactly how fast it was. Speed made an impressive start, quickly jumping out in front the pole sitter, and leading the first lap. Speed's radio chatter was entertaining as he quoted Talladega Nights stating that "this is the coolest thing I've ever done!"
Speed reported early that the car was a little loose and that towards the end of the run "we were skating around out there."
On lap 24 Speed came down pit road for his first pit stop. The Eddie Sharp Racing team put on four tires and added fuel to the Red Bull Toyota. Speed restarted the race on lap 27 in the 13th position.
On lap 30, two cars ahead of Speed bounced off of each other, triggering a multi-car pileup that red-flagged the event. In typical superspeedway fashion, the 'big one' eliminated many of the races key players, including Scott Speed. In characteristic fashion and much to the amusement of the fans, Speed hopped out of his crumpled car and promptly stuck his thumb out to hitch a ride back to the back to the infield.
The No. 2 Red Bull Toyota returned to the garage on the back of a flatbed and Speed made the required visit to the infield care center. When Speed arrived at the team hauler following his check-up, he was all smiles. Despite the early exit, Speed was thrilled with the car's performance and the experience of competing at Daytona.
"The car was running well," Speed stated with a grin. "I think we had our stuff sorted. Yeah, we were looking good."
 Speed added when asked if he had fun, "it was definitely fun! I learned a lot actually about the draft, even in that short amount of time. About how the air comes off the bodies and spoilers and how that changes in the straightaways and the turns. I can definitely take a lot of that away with me."
Speed will be back on track at the Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana on April 13, 2008.
| ESR ARCA 200 RACE RESULTS |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
STATUS |
| 19 |
22 |
BUTLER III |
RUNNING |
| 24 |
93 |
BOURQUE |
ACCIDENT |
| 39 |
2 |
SPEED |
ACCIDENT |
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Butler, III Has Fast Car and Bad Luck at Daytona
Brings No. 22 Aaron's Toyota Home 19th in ARCA 200
 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 9, 2008) – Ken Butler, III and his Eddie Sharp Racing teammates came to Daytona knowing they had a strong car for Saturday's ARCA 200. Suffering damage in the multi-car pile-up on lap 30, the No. 22 team worked feverishly in the pits and the garage, losing only 7 laps. Returning to the track, KBIII drove the wheels off of his Aaron's Toyota, at times running faster than the leaders. When the checkered flag was waved, KBIII and the No. 22 team came home in the 19th position, nowhere near the potential of the car.
"It is just so frustrating," Butler commented, shaking his head. "We had such a fast car. I was on the brake at the beginning just trying to stay off the bumper ahead of me. Nineteenth is definitely not where this car and this team belonged today."
Butler ripped off a 49.814 second qualifying lap that put him 5th fastest in the field. However, following inspection the No. 22 Aaron's Toyota was required to start in provisional-land. Rolling to the green flag in the 34th position, Crew Chief Wayne Carroll reminded his driver to "be careful out there. You'll have a lot around you until you can move to the front."
The first ten laps of the race quickly produced two cautions. Riding around under the yellow flag during the caution laps, Butler reported on the No. 22 Toyota.
"My care is awesome, guys!" Butler reported with excitement in his voice. "I'm always off the gas trying not to run up on them [the cars in front of him]." Butler also radioed to the team that "it feels like everyone is just everywhere. These cars are all over the place back here."
Carroll once again reminded his driver to "just be careful. Listen closely to the spotter."
Moving up through the field, Butler climbed to the 14th position by lap 20. On lap 23, the caution flag came out once again. Butler came down to his pit stall on lap 24 for four fresh tires and fuel. The race resumed on lap 27 with KBIII restarting in the 25th position.
On lap 30, two cars ahead of the No. 22 bounced off of each other and caused a multi-car pile-up. Butler maneuvered quickly past one mess, only to be caught by another car sliding down the track in front of him. With nowhere to go, the right front of the Aaron's Dream Machine was damaged in the impact. Once the red flag was lifted, Butler was able to drive the car to the pits for the team's assessment and work. The quick reaction and hard work of the team put Butler back out on the track on the lead lap. Unfortunately, as soon as Butler made a lap in his Toyota, he radioed in that he was feeling a "really bad vibration."
"Guys, it feels like the right front is going to fall off," Butler reported. "It's not too bad on the straightaways, but in the corners it just feels like it's going to come right off. I'm bringing it back in."
With the car in the garage and up on the jack, Crew Chief Wayne Carroll reassured his driver that he made the right call. The impact to the front right had indeed bent the tie rod and broke the nut loose.
"Don't worry, KB," Carroll radioed. "You're tire was about to fall off. It wouldn't have lasted much longer out there. Good job buddy."
The No. 22 Eddie Sharp Racing crew quickly repaired the damage and returned Butler and his Dream Machine back to the track on lap 48, only seven laps down to the leader. Returning in the 26th position, Butler worked with many of the lead-lap cars to climb to the 19th position by the closing lap. Running faster than the leaders at times, Butler pulled a stout finish despite lost laps.
"So frustrating, but what a great race," Butler commented after the race. "I had so much fun out there. I just know we had a top-notch car. I think we really had something there that was worthy of victory lane. If only we could have missed that wreck. My guys did a fantastic job, both getting this car ready and getting it fixed and back to the track during the race. I can't begin to thank them enough."
Butler added, "This race is such a tease. We won't be back on-track until Salem in April. We do test some, but not until mid-March. This is the worst part – getting to drive at Daytona and then have to wait. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel!"
KBIII be back on track at the Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana on April 13, 2008. |
Right Place, Wrong Time for Bourque at Daytona
Contact Ends Day While Running in Top-5
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 9, 2008) – Canadian-native Pierre Bourque was all smiles every time he climbed out of his No. 93 impreMedia Dodge. This veteran driver but Daytona rookie had an extremely strong car this weekend. Starting 14th in the ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway, Bourque was running in the top-5 when another car blew a tire and collected the No. 93 impreMedia Dodge Charger. Suffering suspension damage from the impact, Bourque retired the car to the garage after 58 laps, finishing 24th.
"The car was running really fantastic," said Bourque. "We were really coming on to everybody. I really thought we had a car to be there at the finish. All my guys did just an awesome job today. I had so much fun out there."
Pierre Bourque knew he had a fantastic car when he went out to qualify for the ARCA 200. He ran his first lap in just 50.258 seconds. On the second lap, the left front tire was damaged. Losing momentum, Bourque completed the lap and brought the car to the garage. The team confirmed there was indeed a hole in the tire. Despite losing the second lap, Bourque's first lap time was good enough to put him 14th on the time list. Disappointed because the team knew they had a much faster car, they were confident that the No. 93 Dodge would find its way to the front on Saturday.
Saturday afternoon as Bourque drove the pace laps before the ARCA 200 green flag waved, he radioed to his team that "this is quite a site out here. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work. You are truly riding with me out here."
The first ten laps of the race quickly produced two cautions. Bourque continued to settle into the race, discussing the car handling with spotter/crew chief David Leiner. When the caution came out on lap 23, the No. 93 Dodge came down for its first pit stop. The team put on four fresh tires and added fuel, making no adjustments to the impreMedia Dodge. When the stop was complete, the No. 93 was blocked into its pit stall by the car in front of it. Frustrated, Bourque finally got off of pit road but was shuffled back to the 35th position for the restart on lap 27. However, starting in the back of the field was the position to be in for the next on-track excitement.
Lap 30 brought out the notorious "big one". Because Bourque was toward the back of the field, he escaped the melee with no damage to the No. 93 impreMedia Dodge. When the red flag was lifted and the race resumed, Bourque worked the draft with fellow competitors, climbing into the top-10 by lap 50.
With only 27 laps remaining in the 200 mile race, Bourque pulled into the 5th position. The powerful No. 93 Dodge was working to move forward when the No. 60 of Patrick Sheltra lost a tire. Running three-wide at the time, the No. 93 was hit hard in the right side. The caution came out and Bourque came back to pit road for his team's assessment. The impreMedia crew quickly changed tires and worked on the right fender, keeping the No. 93 on the lead lap and in the 18th position.
Bourque returned to the track but radioed in quickly with an update. "We got a big problem out here guys. It's not steering correctly. I think we have a rub on the right front. The car's filled with smoke and I can't hold it straight. I'm coming back in."
Bourque brought the impreMedia Dodge back to the pit stall. The team put another new tire on, worked the fender again, and put Bourque back on the track.
Bourque keyed the radio on the backstretch reporting, "I'm coming in again. Something's broken."
"Take it back to the garage," radioed Leiner, "and let's get it up on jacks."
When the team evaluated the damage from the impact with the No. 60 car, they discovered that the upper jack bolt was broken.
"We're done here," stated Leiner.
"It's one of those things where you sit and wonder what could have happened if we hadn't been hit," Bourque commented back at the team hauler. "But what I saw to me really opened up my eyes. A, I absolutely loved it. B, I felt great once we got going. And C, we were totally in contention right until the end and I knew we were going to be there. I couldn't avoid what happened. But had we not had that happen right in front of us, I'm sure we would have been there in the top-3, maybe even contending for the win."
Bourque added that "the car felt absolutely great, like it was an extension of me."
For continued updates on Bourque's 2008 plans, please visit www.pierrebourque.net . |
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ARCA 200 QUAIFYING REPORT
SPEED ON FRONT ROW!
Rookie to start second at tomorrow's ARCA 200 at Daytona;
Flat holds Bourque to 14th; KB3 fast but inspection glitch pushes 22 car back to 34th |
DAYTONA BEACH FL (Feb 8, 2008) - It's an all-Toyota front row for the ARCA 200 and Scott Speed is sitting pretty on the outside pole. Practice sure paid off for all of the ESR teams.
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Scott Speed and the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota |
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"The car felt really good for qualifying," commented Speed after his 49.637 second lap. "We'd rather be on the pole of course, but whenever you are starting at the front of the field here it's a good thing."
Saturday marks Speed's first start at the Daytona International Speedway and only his second-ever start in a stock car. When asked if he thought the race at Talladega helped his qualifying run, Scott replied "qualifying here and at Talladega is the same. It's all about the work of the team. I had nothing to do with it…The team has stepped up its game and I'm excited to be a part of it."
Driving the No. 93 ImpreMedia Dodge, Pierre Bourque flexed some muscle and ran a 179.076 mph lap. Unfortunately his second lap was interrupted by a flat left front tire. The tire held together and Bourque completed his lap, however he lost the momentum that certainly would have carried him towards the front in the field.
"My first impression is that it was a good experience," said Bourque. "It was frustrating though with the flat tire. It really prevented us from getting our full potential out of the car. We could have been a top-5 easily."
Bourque rolls off the starting grid in the 14th position.
"I'm really excited for tomorrow's race," added Bourque. "We have a rocket ship of a car. I'm just thrilled to be here."
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"We have a rocket ship of a car." -Pierre Bourque |
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Ken Butler, III was pumped up when his time posted on the scoring pylon. Butler landed the No. 22 Aaron's Toyota at the top with a lap time of 49.814 seconds. The excitement amongst his teammates was quickly squelched when the No. 22 rolled through post-qualifying inspections and came up a fraction of an inch short.
"It's really frustrating," stated Butler back in the hauler lounge. "But I'm really glad because we know we have a strong car. Qualifying is not the end of the world here. But it will be tough and important to stay out of trouble."
The time posted by the Aaron's Toyota would have placed Butler in the 5th starting position. Instead, the No. 22 team will roll off 34th, being forced to forfeit the qualifying run and use a provisional.
"I tell you, I'm going to look to hook up with the [No.] 93 and run to the front!" Butler added with a grin.
Driver introductions begin tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The green flag for the 45th ARCA 200 drops at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 9th and will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED. All times are EASTERN.
| ESR ARCA 200 QUALIFYING TIMES |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME(sec) |
SPEED(mph) |
| 2 |
2 |
SPEED |
49.637 |
181.316 |
| 14 |
22 |
BOURQUE |
50.258 |
179.076 |
| 34 |
93 |
BUTLER III |
Provisional |
NA |
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ARCA 200 PRACTICE UPDATE
SCOTT SPEED EIGHTH IN PRACTICE AT DAYTONA
KBIII 20th; Bourque 27th. Qualifying tomorrow. |
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DAYTONA BEACH FL (Feb 7, 2008) - Red Bull Toyota 2-car driver Scott Speed was eighth fastest in practice for Saturday's ARCA 200 at Daytona this afternoon. ESR teammates Butler III and Bourque were 20th and 27th respectively
"It's going to take a lot more to drive the race than at Talladega," said Speed.
"The track has less grip and is a lot bumpier. The car felt pretty good especially in the small amount of drafting that we did. The track changes a lot with the wind so that was a factor today. I think optimistically we could qualify in the top-5. Realistically top-10. We would love to see a little rain tomorrow."
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| ESR ARCA 200 PRACTICE TIMES |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME(sec) |
| 8 |
2 |
SPEED |
49.429 |
| 20 |
22 |
BUTLER III |
49.957 |
| 27 |
93 |
BOURQUE |
50.109 |
| VIDEO |
Ken Butler III discusses his practice session at Daytona
...view it |
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ARCA 200 TEAM PREVIEWS
ESR TEAMS, DRIVERS GET READY FOR THE GREEN |
Speed Ready to Rock at Daytona
 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 8, 2008) – The ARCA RE/MAX Series will certainly never be the same. California native Scott Speed has arrived. Make no mistake, despite his European-influenced style that has turned some heads in the garage, when Speed is behind the wheel of the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota Camry he is all business and ready to dominate on the track. Speed makes his Daytona debut this weekend in Saturday's ARCA 200, marking just the second stock car start for this former Formula 1 driver.
"Daytona is definitely more driving-involved than Talladega because it is a lot bumpier," stated Speed. "So for me Daytona is going to be even more fun!"
Gaining valuable track time in the off-season, Speed was happy with his test session at Daytona International Speedway in December and again at Talladega in recent weeks.
"We made a lot of progress on the car [at the Talladega test]," Speed added. "We started with a new car. Something that we thought was going to be better than our old speedway car and we ended up making it even better. So we definitely improved on what we had and what we had was pretty good at Talladega the last race."
Speed made his first stock car start last October at the Talladega Speedway. The initiation went well with a seventh-place start and a seventh-place finish.
"These speedway races for us certainly aren't our strong point," said Speed. "Our goal here at Daytona and for the first couple races is to get through them with top-5 or top-10 finishes and get some points on the board. We'll be very happy with that and to start the season solid in the points standings."
The ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie of the Year candidate enters the 2008 season with high hopes for success, both with his Eddie Sharp Racing team and in the world of stock car racing.
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Bourque Abandons Snow and Cold for Daytona Sun and Superspeedway Debut
 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 8, 2008) – This weekend Canadian native Pierre Bourque will kick off his 2008 season behind the wheel of the No. 93 ImpreMedia Dodge Charger at Daytona International Speedway. Saturday's race marks the first restrictor plate race for this veteran driver.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be about to take part in my first Daytona race," stated Bourque. "I think this is going to be one of the most exciting races I've ever participated in."
Despite being a rookie on a superspeedway, Bourque is anything but a stranger to a stock car. Bourque has logged laps while competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Camping World Series (formerly the NASCAR Busch East Series), and the ARCA RE/MAX Series. In preparation for this weekend's ARCA 200, Bourque participated in the ARCA open test at Daytona International Speedway in December 2007. A successful test, Bourque's Dodge Charger sat 12th on the speed charts. Bourque and his Eddie Sharp Racing teammates traveled to Talladega Superspeedway in January to continue their testing for the Daytona debut.
Bourque also has an ace up his sleeve for the 45th running of the ARCA 200. Crew Chief David Leiner, Jr. was in victory lane at the 2007 ARCA 200.
"We had a great handling car at the test in Daytona, really fast," said Bourque. "We had a great test at Talladega, too. We'll be in great shape for qualifying. I'm very impressed by ESR and my crew. Dave Leiner is tremendous!"
Bourque's season was supposed to start in Daytona two weeks ago in the famed Rolex 24. Bourque was set to compete with three teammates, piloting the No. 63 Porsche. Unfortunately on lap 31 of the 24-hour race, the engine gave up, leaving the team with a 66th-place finish. Only 70 minutes into the event, Bourque did not get a turn behind the wheel.
"[The Rolex 24] was a bitter disappointment. But I love the event and I'll be back next year. I expect great things out of the ARCA 200 this weekend," added Bourque. "I can't wait to get back to Daytona."
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Butler, III Ready for Daytona Debut in ARCA 200
KB Running Full ARCA RE/MAX Series 2007 Schedule
 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 8, 2008) – Ken Butler, III, affectionately known to friends and family as KB or KB3, is poised to run his first race at Daytona International Speedway in Saturday's ARCA 200. 2008 marks Butler's first full season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Wheeling the No. 22 Aaron's Toyota Camry for Eddie Sharp Racing, Butler is ready to rock and roll in the next step of his racing career.
"I am so excited to be here," stated Butler, with a huge grin. "We tested here in December, but to be here and to actually race on this track is indescribable. I mean, it's Daytona!"
In preparation for his Daytona debut, Butler participated in both the ARCA RE/MAX Series open test at DIS in December and in a team test session at Talladega Superspeedway in recent weeks. Butler was 22nd on the speed charts in the December test.
"Both tests went really well," commented Butler. "The tracks are pretty different. Daytona is a lot harder to drive. It's bumpier so it requires a little more effort from the seat." Butler added, "the Talladega test helped us, though. We found some more speed there and should be good and competitive at Daytona."
Butler ran more than seven ARCA RE/MAX Series races in the 2007 season, making him ineligible to compete for 2008 Rookie of the Year honors.
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ARCA 200 AT DAYTONA PREVIEW
KEN BUTLER III ANTICIPATES GREAT THINGS AT DAYTONA
KBIII starts his first full ARCA RE/MAX season under the Aaron's banner |
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"This is a new track for me, but I'm pretty confident with the No.22 Aaron's Dream Machine and the Eddie Sharp race team."
- Ken Butler III |
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ATLANTA, GA (February 5, 2008) - Ken Butler III and the Eddie Sharp Racing team will start its 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series racing season at Daytona International Super Speedway. Butler will be behind the wheel of the No.22 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry this Saturday.
This will be KBIII's first attempt at a super speedway, but with one season under his belt Butler is confident he can bring home a solid finish. This year he will run the full schedule with the ARCA Re/Max series, giving him a chance to gain even more experience at the super speedways.
With over 80 cars expected to show up for qualifying and only 43 cars making the field, the Daytona 200 will feature strong competition and exciting racing for the spectators. This race is the start of a full week ahead with the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout the same night and the NASCAR series coming to the beach the following weekend for its season opener.
"I am really looking forward to the race at Daytona," said Butler. "This is a new track for me, but I'm pretty confident with the No.22 Aaron's Dream Machine and the Eddie Sharp race team. We are hoping to get a strong qualifying time and that everything goes smoothly with the car."
As a tribute to Aaron's, KBIII will drive the Aaron's Dream Machine until the full time sponsor position is filled. There will be many Aaron's executives and associates at trackside this Saturday supporting the No.22 Aaron's Dream Machine and the new paint scheme featuring Aaron's Lucky Dog on the hood. Z-line Designs has hopped on board as an associate sponsor for the Camry along with the Arena Football League as the league enters its 22nd season.
The ARCA RE/MAX Daytona 200 at Daytona International Super Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL is this Saturday, February 9th. Qualifying is Friday night, and the action begins Saturday at 4:00 pm ET. The race will be live on SPEED.
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No.22 Aaron's Dream Machine |
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Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership stores offer customers access to high-quality furniture, appliances, electronics and computers for sale or as a lease-ownership arrangement. Customers have the option of buying their merchandise for an attractive cash price or opting to lease their merchandise for even greater flexibility. With a lease option, customers make modest monthly payments and have the immediate use of the items they need without waiting for credit checks or other delays. Plus, Aaron's will take care of delivery, setup, repairs, and more for the duration of a customer's lease.
The Aaron's concept has proven to be successful for half a century; in fact, the very first Aaron's location opened in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1955. Aaron's is a leader in the sale and lease ownership of residential furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances, with more than 1,500 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. The Company also manufactures an exclusive line of furniture, bedding and accessories at 10 facilities in four states. |
EDDIE SHARP RACING ANNOUNCES ASSOCIATE SPONSORS JOINING THE NO. 22 TOYOTA
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 6, 2008) – Z-line Designs and the Arena Football League join Eddie Sharp Racing and the No. 22 Toyota Camry as Associate Sponsors for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season.
Z-Line Designs is no stranger to ESR, participating in the 2007 Season as a sponsor of Michael McDowell and the No. 2 Toyota. Z-Line Designs combines style and functionality as the nation's leading import manufacturer of home office and home entertainment ready-to-assemble furniture. For additional information, please visit www.z-linedesigns.com .
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The Arena Football League brings the thrill and excitement of American football indoors. Often recognized as one of the nations most affordable and fan-friendly sports leagues, the Arena Football League will begin its 22nd season this March with 17 teams. It enters its second year of a five-year media partnership with ESPN. On the strength of its Mission Statement and Fans' Bill of Rights, the AFL is the second-longest running football league in U.S. history. For more information, please visit www.arenafootball.com .
"I'm really excited to have Z-Line and the AFL on the car this year," said Ken Butler, III, driver of the No. 22 Toyota Camry. "We're ready to have a great season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and take Z-Line and the AFL to victory lane!" |
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| ARCA 200 at DAYTONA |
| Date: |
Saturday, Feb. 9 2008 |
| Track: |
Daytona International Speedway |
| Race Distance: |
80 laps/200 miles |
| ARCA Pole Qualifying will take place at Noon on Friday. Race starts at 4:15 ET Saturday and will be broadcast live on SPEED |
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