Scott Speed Earns Career-First ARCA RE/MAX Series Victory In 5th Start

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 25, 2008) - ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Scott Speed, with an assist from the Aaron's Lucky Dog award, won the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand Friday at Kansas Speedway.

Speed, driving his Red Bull Toyota, battled back from a lap down, blew by rookie Jesse Smith on a late-race restart with six laps remaining, and then kept Roush Fenway Racing's Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at bay to claim his first career victory in his fifth series start.

Speed, who led 21 laps, lost a lap early in the event while leading when he had to pit under green to refasten his window net, which had fallen down.

"I don't let things that I can't control affect me while I'm driving," Speed said. "Obviously, something like a window net I can't control. I just got really aggressive after that happened so that we could be in a position to earn the Lucky Dog. Once we got that, I pushed real hard to make up a lot of positions."

Speed was in position to get the Aaron's Lucky Dog during a lap 54 caution period, which put the former Formula One competitor back in the lead-lap mix.

"It's certainly great to win a race; it's been a while,” Speed said. “The goal is to be successful in Cup, so if we are learning a lot here, that's great. Every lap I make on a race track is beneficial. This is why I am pushing so hard, because it's beneficial."

Speed, who earned the SunTrust Highest Finishing Rookie honors, also established a race record at 124.855 mph. Speed's crew chief, Patrick Donahue, was the Cometic Crew Chief of the Race.

Stenhouse Jr., piloting the No. 99 RoushFenway.com Ford, finished second, 10 lengths away, a career-best for the Olive Branch, Miss., driver. Stenhouse Jr., who started 17th, also earned the Casite Hard Charger of the Race award.

"The pit crew did an awesome job today. They gained several spots on that first caution," said Stenhouse Jr. "I have to apologize to the No. 93. I got a better run than I thought I did off (turn) four and accidentally got into him there late in the race. I was disappointed that the last caution came out. It took me a few laps to get going and there at the end, I think we could have caught the leader. I just ran out of laps."

Rookie Jesse Smith, in only his third series start, finished a career-best third in his Lloyd's Barbeque-Spam-Hormel Dodge after leading 24 laps. Michael Annett placed fourth in his Northland Oil-Pilot Travel Centers Toyota and was the Aaron's Lap Leader of the Race, setting the pace for 29 laps. Annett was followed by Robb Brent, who finished a career-best fifth in his Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Chevrolet. Brent led 19 laps.

In all, six drivers exchanged the lead 11 times, while four caution flags, all for minor incidents, slowed the race for 19 laps.

Speed's teammate, Ken Butler III, finished seventh in his Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Toyota after earning the SIM Factory Pole Award with a one-lap track record of 175.330 mph. He was one of five cars to qualify faster than the track's previous record. Butler also posted the Accel Fastest Lap of the Race.

Justin Allgaier entered Kansas as the series points leader but finished 30th, 17 laps down, after experiencing mechanical woes in the closing laps. Rookie Matt Carter, who finished 11th in Larry Clement's Stine Seed-Ft. Dodge Animal Health-Pork Ford, now leads the series' point standings.

The next event on the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule is the Carolina 500 at Rockingham, N.C. The May 4 race will be televised live on SPEED at noon.

Unofficial ARCA RE/MAX Series Point Standings

Kansas Lottery $150 Grand. April 25, 2008

1.Matt Carter 805
2.Frank Kimmel 765
3.Justin Allgaier 760
4.Scott Speed 715
5.Patrick Sheltra 710
6.Tom Hessert III 700
7.John Wes Townley 695
8.Ken Butler III 670
9.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 660
10.Bobby Gerhart 610

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Courtesy of ARCA