Kimmel, Kentucky, And The Street Stocks

A little over a year ago, Frank Kimmel, the eight-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion, had an idea. "Ron Drager [ARCA president] and I where traveling together and we discussed how car counts in the Street Stock classes around the country seem to be up," says Kimmel. "One day, I was traveling by myself and I thought how great it is that I get to race at tracks like Nashville, Talladega, Daytona, and Kentucky."

It was about then when Kimmel remembered the first time he ever saw Salem Speedway. "I thought back then how great it would be to someday race on that track, and I eventually did. I was one of the fortunate ones," says Kimmel. "There are guys all across the country who spend hours each day preparing for that weekend shot at their local 40-lap event. These are some of the same guys who are the backbone of our sport and never get an opportunity at the big tracks. I thought, Maybe I could help out."

Kimmel's idea was to stage a Street Stock race at a major speedway, giving local racers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run their cars on the same track as some of stock car racing's biggest stars. His first stop was Kentucky Speedway, a major facility just under two hours from his race shop, where he'd use some influence to set up a meeting to feel them out. Kentucky management was skeptical at first, but after hearing Kimmel's plan they warmed up. "The meeting went very well and Kentucky would become very supportive of this race," says Kimmel.

Putting a Street Stock designed to run local short tracks on a high-banked 111/42-mile superspeedway, where speeds could easily top 150 mph, might seem a daunting task. But Kimmel and company were up to the challenge. The first order was rules. Frank got the Salem, CRA Street Stock, dirt track, and other Street Stock divisional rules together and used them as a framework to come up with his own set of rules for this event. Safety was first and most important. "My hope is that some of these racers will buy some safety equipment that they don't normally use, and after this event continue to use it at every track they race at," says Kimmel. "The HANS Device is one such piece of equipment. On these big tracks, as well as the short tracks, I think it is one of the most important pieces [of safety equipment] you could have."

Kimmel tested three times at Kentucky to get the rule package down pat, first with his own Street Stock, which had an engine spec'd to the rules of the event. With a 350 gear, he turned 6,600 rpm and broke all the rocker arms. He fixed the car and went back with a 300 gear and turned 5,800 rpm, but he was not happy with the high rate of speed. So he went to the garage and switched to a 275 gear, which brought the rpm down to 5,000 and was much more acceptable with speeds around 130 mph.

Still wanting to get the speeds down a bit, Frank developed the Air Deflector, or wicker bill as it came to be known. It was a piece of equipment that would become mandatory for the event. The Air Deflector is 8 inches high, 48 inches wide, and is placed 10 inches back from the windshield across the roof of the car. Manufactured by C Line Products, the results were fantastic. In the third and final test, Frank invited five Street Stock teams to participate while he watched. They all ran the 275 gear and toured the Kentucky track for 50 laps. Speeds stayed down around 115 mph and the stock, cast-iron block and head, two-barrel carbureted engines never saw the first drop in oil pressure. Mission accomplished.

Naturally, with the speeds these stock-appearing cars would be reaching on the banks, some special safety rules were also implemented. A fourth door bar was added to the driver-side compartment first. Then came a plate of 11/44-inch steel welded on the inside of the door bars for further protection. A full windshield was also mandated, along with no less than three vertical bars to help secure the glass. Also added was a collapsible steering column with a pad in the center of the steering wheel. Aluminum brake calipers where deemed illegal, and the master cylinders had to remain in the stock location.

"That final test went better than even I expected," says Kimmel. "The tire wear was at a minimum and the cars were very stable on the track. The Hoosier Comanche tire itself does not have a lot of grip. It is a very tough tire and carries a good temperature while helping to keep speeds down. As one car would pull away, the others were able to catch up. But even in a group, as a draft, they did not gain any speed due to the Air Deflectors. I was very impressed and believed the rules package was the right package for this event."

The purse itself was set at $25,000, paying $10,000 to win, and went back to the top 25 spots, paying $150 for 25th. Yellow-flag laps would be counted and there would be a mandatory pit stop for everyone at Lap 51. This would be the only time fuel could be added to the car. Other adjustments and tire changes would also be allowed at this time. The field would then be realigned at the time of the yellow, with racing resuming to the finish. The starting field would also be set by a blind draw. This event caught a lot of attention across the country from the word go and was well accepted by fans and racers.

"I wanted this event to be an event that the regular local racer could come down, bring his family, and do well," says Kimmel.

The response was unbelievable. Inquiries were made by racers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Georgia, and even as far away as Colorado.

Just two weeks before the big event was to begin, Kimmel landed a title sponsor. Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati (Ohio) and Thoroughbred Harley-Davidson of Florence (Kentucky) owner Robert Nolan came on board. "I see this as a great opportunity for my customers to come out and enjoy a day at the racetrack," says Nolan.