Kerry Earnhardt: “I’m hoping that Friday’s race delivers the results are looking fo
Talladega, Alabama
Oct 01, 2007
After a six year absence from ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) competition Kerry Earnhardt returns for one of the biggest races of the season, Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX 250 from Talladega Superspeedway.
Teaming up with Jeff Spraker of Spraker Racing Enterprises, Earnhardt will take the wheel of the No. 37 GLOCK Chevrolet Monte Carlo fielded by Spraker substituting for GLOCK’s primary driver Michelle Theriault who will utilize the final speedway event of the ARCA season to learn and communicate from the sidelines with Earnhardt.
The team is invading the 2.666-mile facility with good equipment and plenty of horsepower. Earnhardt will pilot a car recently purchased from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) and the power will also come from a motor built by DEI. The organization is banking on Kerry’s past Talladega success and a team committed to performance to hopefully pay off in Friday’s thriller.
Coming fully prepared for the final speedway race of the 2007 season, it’s hard not to consider Earnhardt a potential contender for Friday’s race. “It’s good to be back, ” said Earnhardt, who has four ARCA RE/MAX Series wins to his credit. “It’s been a long time since I’ve competed in an ARCA race. Almost too long. We’ve been able to put everything together to go out there and have a shot at doing very well. ”
The ARCA RE/MAX 250 won’t mark the first time that Earnhardt and Spraker have teamed up at Talladega Superspeedway. Back in 2005, Spraker and Earnhardt competed in the NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) Aaron’s 312 event which produced outstanding results. Running in the lead pack all day, the team was in contention for the checkered flag that ended with a fifth place finish. And earlier this year, Spraker and Earnhardt gelled by competing in the NASCAR Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo event at Daytona International Speedway on July 7.
“Jeff and I work well together, ” continued Earnhardt, who will attempt to make his 12th career ARCA start. “This is another great opportunity to put us in the spotlight. I also have to thank our sponsor GLOCK for choosing me to step in and help the team out. Michelle has done a good job for them this year and I’m hoping that Friday’s race delivers the results they are looking for. ”
“Our initial plan was to run Michelle (Theriault) in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Talladega, but after careful review, we all felt it was in the best interest of the team and sponsor to bring a veteran to this race. Michelle has done an absolutely phenomenal job for Spraker Racing Enterprises and GLOCK this year, ” said car owner Jeff Spraker. “As an organization we did not believe it was fair to throw her into a “restrictor plate” event without more speedway experience. Michelle will be with us at Talladega to support Kerry and endorse GLOCK. ”
With a huge entry list posted for the ARCA RE/MAX 250, Earnhardt knows that every minute of track time is crucial and a strong starting position will aid the team in this week’s race.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to compete at the test, but that doesn’t worry me. We have a good setup for the car, but we need to utilize the practice sessions to go out there and get our car in contending mode. Starting near the front at a restrictor plate race is crucial. Trouble can strike at any time and sometimes it doesn’t matter where you are on the track, it happens. Odds are though if we are up front, we have a better chance to avoid any potential chaos that could break out, ” Earnhardt sounded.
“Our goals and expectations are set high, but that’s because we know we have everything it takes to run well at Talladega. However, as everyone knows, restrictor plate races are known for their dramatic turns. One mistake, or mechanical failure, can not only ruin your day, but it can impact most of the field as well. We hope that luck will be on our side Friday. ”
