By Don Radebaugh,
ARCA PR/Media

ROCKINGHAM, NC - May 4, 2008 - Most say that Rockingham Speedway is one of the toughest, most challenging tracks on anyone’s tour. However, someone forgot to tell ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Joey Logano, who made his victory in Sunday’s Carolina 500 look simple.

Logano, in the no. 25 Venturini Motorsports-prepared Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevrolet, led 257 of 312 laps to conquer the “Rock” in his career-first ARCA RE/MAX Series start. Logano also earned the Aaron’s Lap Leader award for leading the most laps.

“I have to thank the Joe Gibbs crew for pitting me,” said Logano. “They kept me out front. We’re going to get a shot at Dover coming up, and hopefully we’ll see victory lane there too. I wasn’t running flat out the whole race. You’ve got to pace yourself. That’s a really big deal here at The Rock.”

Outside of a late-race wrestling match with Ken Schrader and mid-race battle with Michael Annett and Matt Hawkins, Logano had nary a challenger during the 500 kilometer/312-mile race.

With only five drivers on the left on the lead lap, Logano pitted for fresh tires 10 laps from the finish. Logano, who restarted fourth, was leading before the field completed one lap. From there, the Middletown, Connecticut driver pulled away by more than four seconds over Schrader, who finished second in his own no. 52 Four Winds Motorhomes Dodge.

“I would have loved to have won but it’s neat to see the fastest car win a race and that’s what happened today,” said Schrader. “I have to thank Johnny Benson who came out here and practiced the car for us on Friday. It was good. We just didn’t have anything for [Joey] Logano. We didn’t pit for tires at the very end there because we didn’t have any tires, but even if we did, we probably wouldn’t have pitted. We’re low budget so if there is an opportunity to cut costs anywhere, we do it.”

Schrader, who started 31st, also earned the Casite Hard Charger award for advancing the most positions.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., the only other driver who pitted with Logano during that final stop, finished third.

“All of the guys had great pit stops,” said Stenhouse. “Lumpy left us a set of tires for the end and that was good pit strategy. I just can’t thank these guys enough. It was a blast. You go back to sprint car days, you just come in put a right rear on and it just lights the thing up.”

Stenhouse, who moved to third in championship points, was also the SunTrust Highest Finishing Rookie.

Hawkins, in the JaniKing-Black’s Tire Dodge, finished fourth. Annett, in the Bill Davis Racing Pilot Travel Centers Toyota, finished fifth, the last driver on the lead lap.

At one point, Logano had lapped the entire 50-car field with the exception of the second place driver. Only varying pit stop sequences and the Aaron’s Lucky Dog award got more machines back on the lead lap for the chance to challenge in the final stages.

Logano, who earned the SIM Factory Pole Award on Saturday with a new ARCA RE/MAX Series one-lap track record (146.645 mph), also posted the Accel Fastest Lap of the Race with a top speed of 140.812 mph. Logano’s crew chief Billy Venturini won the Cometic Crew Chief of the Race honors.

Chad McCumbee finished sixth in the Danco Electrical Contractors Chevrolet in front of Austin Dillon, who finished seventh in his career-first series attempt in the Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet. Current ARCA RE/MAX Series point leader Matt Carter finished eighth in the Stine Seed-NuSouth Lemonade Ford. Tom Hessert III finished ninth in the Maaco Auto Painting-Boudreaux’s Butt Paste Ford, moving to a tie with Stenhouse for third in series points. Frank Kimmel finished 10th in the FordDriveOne.com-ECC Ford.

Four drivers traded the lead 10 times while 13 cautions slowed the race for 92 laps. Lap leaders included Hawkins (25), Annett (17) and Schrader (13). There were no injuries.

ARCA RE/MAX Series Headed to the Bluegrass State;
Drive Smart! Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 Next

From Rockingham, the ARCA RE/MAX Series is headed to Kentucky Speedway for the Drive Smart! Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 Saturday, May 10th. The race marks the ARCA RE/MAX Series’ 16th appearance to Kentucky since 2000. Former winners at the track include Frank Kimmel, Chad Blount, Ryan Hemphill, Kyle Busch, Brad Coleman, Erik Darnell, Michael McDowell, Ryan Newman, Tim Steele and Steve Wallace. The race is part of an all-ARCA weekend at the track, as the regionally touring ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series will compete on Kentucky’s quarter-mile track, also on Saturday.

Arcaracing.com will feature live timing and scoring for all ARCA RE/MAX Series on-track sessions at Kentucky.

ARCA RE/MAX Series Event #5
Rockingham Speedway - Rockingham NC
Official Results - Carolina 500


FIN
STR
NO
DRIVER/HOMETOWN
TEAM & CAR
LAPS
STATUS

1
1
25
Joey Logano/Middletown CT
Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevy
312
Running

2
31
52
Ken Schrader/Fenton MO
Four Winds Motorhomes Dodge
312
Running

3
2
99
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr./Olive Branch MS
RoushFenway.com Ford
312
Running

4
23
39
Matt Hawkins/Canton GA
JaniKing-Black's Tire Dodge
312
Running

5
4
28
Michael Annett/Des Moines IA
Pilot Travel Centers Toyota
312
Running

6
21
10
Chad McCumbee/Supply NC
Danco Electrical Contractors Chevrolet
311
Running

7
10
31
Austin Dillon/Lewisville NC
Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet
311
Running

8
6
46
Matt Carter/Denver NC
Stine Seed-NuSouth Lemonade Ford
311
Running

9
26
1
Tom Hessert III/Cherry Hill NJ
Maaco Auto Painting-Boudreaux's Butt Paste Ford
310
Running

10
29
44
Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN
FordDriveOne.com-ECC Ford
310
Running

11
20
37
Dexter Bean/Westby WI
Glock Chevrolet
309
Running

12
16
09
John Wes Townley/Watkinsville GA
Zaxby's Ford
309
Running

13
18
75
Clay Rogers/Mooresville NC
Killingsworth Environmental Ford
308
Running

14
11
4
Tayler Malsam/Monroe WA
Dodge Development-Cunningham Motorsports Dodge
308
Running

15
22
12
Alli Owens/Daytona Beach FL
ElectrifyingCareers.com Chevrolet
306
Running

16
17
59
Nick Tucker/Bremerton WA
Comp Cal-allsquare.com Dodge
305
Running

17
36
29
Jeff Buice/Charlotte NC
Shaver Motorsports Chevrolet
305
Running

18
37
24
Mike Harmon/Birmingport AL
Elite 2 Racing Chevrolet
304
Running

19
34
23
Donny Kelley/Humble TX
Porter Glass Chevrolet
303
Running

20
33
8
Kory Rabenold/Slatington PA
Interstate Batteries-Liquid Lightning Energy Drink Chevy
300
Running

21
5
19
Jack Bailey/Huntersville NC
D'Hondt Motorsports Toyota
297
Running

22
42
34
Darrell Basham/Henryville IN
Anti Monkey Butt Powder Chevrolet
290
Running

23
47
79
Mike Koch/Mountain Home AR
K&K Racing-Karl's Plumbing Chevrolet
290
Running

24
39
06
Tim Mitchell/Fayetteville TN
Star Wheels Skate Center Ford
289
Running

25
32
90
Gabi DiCarlo/Phoenix AZ
Great Clips Chevrolet
287
Running

26
43
84
Norm Benning/Pittsburgh PA
Shodeen Chevrolet
285
Running

27
8
16
Justin Allgaier/Springfield IL
AG Tech-Hoosier Midwest-Simpson Safety Chevrolet
277
Running

28
46
48
James Hylton/Inman SC
John Carter-Rhino's Energy Drink Dodge
271
Running

29
45
14
Ted Olswfski/Pennington NJ
T. Johnson Design Chevrolet
271
Running

30
24
11
Bryan Silas/Stuart FL
Nortrax-Shell Rotella T Ford
266
Accident

31
7
01
Justin Marks/Rocklin CA
AW North Carolina Toyota
265
Overhtng

32
44
26
Brad Smith/Shelby Township MI
Central Michigan University Ford
246
Running

33
15
3
Jeremy Clements/Spartanburg SC
1 Stop Convenience Stores-Saxon Group Chevrolet
244
Engine

34
12
60
Patrick Sheltra/Indiantown FL
Ferguson Pipe Enterprises-FloraGanics Chevrolet
200
Engine

35
25
2
Scott Speed/Manteca CA
Red Bull Toyota
152
Engine

36
30
32
Dominick Casola/Holmdel NJ
A. Casola Farms Dodge
149
Accident

37
19
45
Michael Phelps/Suwanee GA
Bowen Family Homes Dodge
127
Accident

38
13
18
Billy Leslie/Algonac MI
Titan Tire Ford
122
Engine

39
9
22
Ken Butler III/Lilburn GA
Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Toyota
114
Accident

40
50
05
Jeff Boyer/Harrisburg NC
Boyer-Rimi Racing Chevrolet
114
Handling

41
28
5
Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA
Lucas Oil Chevrolet
85
Oil Line

42
41
21
Mike Holt/Snow Camp NC
Jack Bowsher & Associates Ford
79
Running

43
3
20
Justin Lofton/Westmorland CA
Lofton Cattle Dodge
63
Accident

44
14
30
Jesse Smith/Wildwood MO
Lloyd's Barbeque-Spam-Hormel-Jones Group Dodge
62
Engine

45
35
35
Ricky Sanders/Stockbridge GA
RaceFanSponsored.com-Flagship RV Chevrolet
46
Accident

46
27
57
Brent Sherman/Barrington IL
Trackers Lodge Chevrolet
31
Accident

47
48
94
Jason Basham/Henryville IN
Darrell Basham Racing Chevrolet
16
Oil Prssr

48
40
7
AJ Henriksen/Mooresville NC
Engineered Components Company Ford
9
Clutch

49
38
54
Brandon Knupp/Sidney OH
Bob Schacht Motorsports Ford
2
Handling

50
49
0
Wayne Peterson/Pulaski TN
Wayne Peterson Racing Chevrolet
0
Handling


SIM FACTORY POLE AWARD: Joey Logano 24.549 (146.645 mph) *NTR
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 4.164 seconds
CAUTIONS: 13 for 92 laps
TIME OF RACE: 3:16:16
AVG SPEED: 95.380 mph

LAP LEADERS: Logano 1-50, 60-142, 174-278, 291-304, 308-312 (257); Annett 51-59, 143-148, 279-280 (17); Hawkins 149-173 (25); Schrader 281-290, 305-307 (13)






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