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ARCA: Lap Traffic Causing Heartburn for Leaders
Written by: Mike Harper
RaceTalkRadio.com   http://www.racetalkradio.com
06/07/2007 - 07:00 PM
Temperance, MI
 
Frank Kimmel holds off Michael McDowell at the finish line to score his first victory of the 2007 Season. (ARCA RE/MAX Photo) ยป More Photos
Have you ever wondered what makes a racecar driver mad? Whether in open-wheel or stock cars, a lapped car racing the leaders will do it every time. While it's easy to point out the differences in the various forms of racing, in all of them you have winners, losers and lap traffic.

After nine ARCA RE/MAX Series events this season, nine different winners have celebrated in Victory Lane. But these days, lifting the trophy goes beyond beating the best cars on the track. It also means you were the best at maneuvering through the lap traffic and this was evident during last weekend's Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway.

In the closing laps of the race, Michael McDowell's attempt to chase down race leader Frank Kimmel was interrupted by a lap car. McDowell lost momentum and in the end, eight-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel clinched his 69th ARCA RE/MAX Series victory.

The recent challenges of dealing with lap traffic can't be blamed on the number of cars going a lap down. The competitive nature of mixing NASCAR funded development teams, young upcoming drivers with ARCA RE/MAX Series veterans is causing that issue.

In my opinion, the underlying challenge is a combination of pure desire to meet the expectations of the current racing environment and not respecting fellow competitors.

On the topic of racing against development drivers with or without NASCAR support, ARCA RE/MAX Series veteran Bobby Gerhart said, "They're here for a short time and running a hand full of races. Hopefully they understand there's a group of us trying to run for a national championship and sometimes that gets forgotten. I think we need to remind all of our competitors that in a nutshell."

Unlike in NASCAR the ARCA RE/MAX Series doesn't utilize the "Lucky Dog" rule where the first
lapped down car receives a lap back after each caution. Racing to get a lap back is the only option in ARCA. Patrick Sheltra who finished last weekend's Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway nine laps down, ended up racing the lead lap cars in an effort not to lose more positions and laps. "I don't want to be another lap down and I knew the leaders where coming," said Sheltra. "I had to go."

Based on his comments, it's this racing mentality that's causing some of the issues. I do agree with the desire of drivers not wanting to lose another lap, but I must ask those drivers, when is it time to respect the leaders and move aside?

"Something has got to be done, penalties have got to be issued," said driver Justin South. South's currently 10 points out of the top five in the ARCA RE/MAX Series standings and finished eighth, on the lead lap at Iowa Speedway. "I'm not the only one who feels this way, I might be the only one who says it, but I'm not the only one who feels this way."

In most cases, it's the drivers going multiple laps down who are causing havoc on the track. It's these drivers who are ultimately the ones changing the outcome of a race as we saw at Iowa. And, while I'm not in favor of ARCA racing officials penalizing drivers for racing hard, I do believe every driver running multiple laps down to the leaders need to understand the consequences of their actions.

Bottom line, when you're out of contention to win the race, a little respect for those who are in contention, will make you a winner in the minds of your competitors.

Mike Harper is an ARCA RE/MAX Series contributor for SPEEDtv.com, and host of Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series radio show on RaceTalkRadio.com.

ARCARacing.com