The last week has been tough on the ARCA RE/MAX Series competitors. Saturday’s Chicagoland ARCA 200 marks the third and final race in eight days with the BlackJack Racing team looking to end the stretch on a positive note.
A bad night at Gateway left the race for DuQuoin only to go in the right direction. It appeared that Bean would nail his 10th top-10 finish of the season, but a jiggered restart inside five laps remaining forced Bean to settle for 11th.
Now reaching ahead to Chicagoland, Bean is banking on last year’s stout fourth place run to yield the team back on track and set up for the final four races of the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season.
“I’m looking forward to going to Chicagoland, ” said Westby’s Wisconsin native Dexter Bean. “I’ve run two races at Chicagoland with a top-15 in 2005 before racking in one of our best finishes of the season last year. This year we’re going in with the same outlook, but also hoping to put ourselves in position to grab our first victory. ”
The biggest change for the BlackJack Racing team this year though will be the equipment. The team had planned to race the same Chevrolet Monte Carlo they competed with last year, but that car was destroyed in a vicious accident at Gateway.
The team has been working hard on the backup car and will bring the same Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS they’ve competed with at Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway (July) this year.
“I didn’t think we were going to race this car anymore this year, but now after losing one of my favorite cars, we have to bring out the black one this weekend. It’s disappointing to lose a racecar but that’s racing. We’ve been able to salvage some of the pieces from the car and will apply it to the black car. We’ve been working overtime and I think the hard work will pay off again for this BlackJack Racing team. ”
Bean continued, “This team has been able to shine in times of doubt. We have a great group of guys. Everyone comes to the track looking for a win. We’ve been close this year. I know some may doubt the car we’re bringing this weekend, but I’m confident in our chances and I look forward to coming out ahead. ”
Although built like the tracks of Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway, Bean notes that Chicagoland Speedway has no similar characteristics.
“Chicagoland Speedway is its own track, ” sounded Bean. “I know everyone thinks that all the mile-and-a-half tracks we compete on are the same, but that’s not the case. Each place requires a different driving style, different setups and different approaches. Our success at Chicagoland is based on those topics. ”
Sitting third in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship standings heading into the 20th event of the season, Bean knows he controls that spot but still has his sights set on the top two positions.
“This championship chase is going to come down to the end. One bad race and it can cost you a ton of points. We had a bad race at Gateway but Michael (McDowell) had a bad race at DuQuoin. We’re all chasing Frank and I think that’s the way it is going to be going to Toledo next month. ”
While BlackJack Racing is still searching for additional sponsorship of Bean’s No. 6 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, the team is glad to have local longtime supporter Five Star Telecom on board as an associate sponsor.
Since their beginning in 1973, FST (Five Star Telecom), a long-time supporter of Bean’s racing career has become one of the largest interconnect companies in the Upper Midwest, with multiple locations serving the tri-state area.
Rolling into Chicagoland, Dexter Bean has 47 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with five-top five finishes and 15 top-10 efforts. He holds a career best finish of second at Salem Speedway and Pocono Raceway (April 2007 and June 2007). He owns the 2006 ARCA SIM Factory pole award at Salem Speedway (September 2006) while hoisting a career-best speedway time trials effort of fourth at Pocono Raceway (June 2006). Bean also has controlled the ARCA field for 138 laps in six races.
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