Drivers to watch for:
Justin Allgaier: His driving performance in May was nothing short of incredible. He drove to the outside on the
late restarts trying to get around Schrader. He kept his 16 car on the razors edge of control, squeezing every bit of speed
possible out of it, while keeping Schrader pinned down to the bottom. Meanwhile Kimmel was dead on Schrader’s rear bumper
making it a three car rocket sled that seemed tied together as they raced madly around the track at full speed. One slight
mistake by any of the three and all would have been in trouble. Justin performed as well or better than the two veterans,
showing that he certainly has the stuff great racers are made of. Coming off a win at Springfield and a 4th place finish at Milwaukee
in a new car, Justin is looking forward to Toledo. He is full of confidence and
the bad luck that plagued the team mid season seems to have been shaken off.
Frank Kimmel: What else is there to be said about Frank Kimmel and ARCA short tracks? As mentioned in the Berlin preview Kimmel has 47 career victories
and over 6700 laps led on ARCA short tracks. He has thrown off his early season “blahs” and while not flawless
in every race since then, he and the 46 team have worked hard to be in the front or near it in the last several races. Their
momentum has carried them to a comfortable 170 point lead over Bobby Gerhart. Without a mechanical failure or accident Kimmel
is a lock for a top 5 finish.
Brian Keselowski: SCR’s “dark horse favorite” for Berlin
has almost always been a top 10 finisher in his limited ARCA starts. Since breaking through for his first win in any series
in the ARCA Berlin race, Keselowski has been driving with even more confidence and if possible, fire. In three starts at Toledo
Brian has 3 top ten’s, a pair of 7th’s, and a 4th in his most recent race there this spring.
Keselowski is fighting hard to get noticed by someone who will give him full time sponsorship and knows that nothing gets
attention like victories. Look for him to be up on the wheel and pushing his 29 car as hard as it will go.
Ryan Foster: Coming off two straight races where bad luck has jumped
up and bitten them, look for the 47 team to be looking for redemption. Finishing in the top 10 in all four previous short
track races this year, Ryan has proven that not only can he run with the big dogs, but also that he is one of the big dogs.
Foster finished 5th in Toledo this spring and is relentlessly hunting
his first ARCA win. Do not expect him to back down to any on track challengers. With good pit strategy and no more bad luck
this could be his week.
Brent Sherman: Brent made his 2006 ARCA return at Toledo this spring
with a 6th place finish. It was quite a feat for a team that had only been reunited for less than two weeks. With
four starts at Toledo, Brent has finished in the top 10 three times. The lone
exception was due to a blown radiator that only allowed his to run 54 laps. It is inconceivable that the 04 car will not be
one of the top cars on Friday.
Ryan Matthews: Matthews made an unimpressive ARCA debut at Toledo
in the spring but has shown he is an impressive driver ever since. Look towards the front of the pack and you will see his
number 22 car. His finishes have not always reflected his performance as he has been wrecked by other cars, but when he is
not being taken out by another driver he has finished well. Riding a pair of back to back top 5’s look for Ryan to exact
his revenge on the ill treatment Toledo gave him this spring.
Billy Venturini: Billy has traditionally run well at Toledo. His worst
finish, a 28th was due to a blown engine. His 25 car was firmly in the top 5 earlier this year when he was rear
ended and spun out in turn three in the waning laps of the race. After showing his displeasure of the incident by spinning
Sherman out under the caution he was placed on at the end of the lead lap cars
where he finished in 11th. He will want vindication for himself and his team on Friday and short tracks lend themselves
to his aggressive driving style. Barring a mechanical failure or any more on track incidents he will be in the top 10, more
than likely the top 5.
2006 StockCar Review.
