(SANDUSKY, Ohio - August 22, 2012) - Coming off his 76th career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Frank Kimmel has championship momentum on his side as the series moves to Madison International Speedway.

Kimmel's only start in Wisconsin's capital city came last year when he finished 6th after starting 16th. Short tracks have been the strength of the Ansell/Menards team this year, scoring six top five finishes in eight races, which included the breakthrough win at Indianapolis.

For the second time this year, Kimmel returns to action as the defending race winner. The Thorsport Racing team is riding an incredible streak of momentum on the heels of two consecutive dominating performances at Berlin and Springfield when Kimmel led the most laps in each event. Now with 76th wins, Kimmel sits three behind Iggy Katona's all time win record of 79. Kimmel sees Madison as a prime opportunity to return to victory lane, given the track's similarities to tracks like Winchester and Toledo. Along with chasing the win record, Kimmel has chased down the championship lead and has closed 140 points on the point leader in the last seven races, and sits just 15 points out.

With one prior start at Madison, Kimmel and the Thorsport Racing team are determined to improve upon the nine-time champion's 6th place effort last season, and inch closer to a record 10th ARCA title. Throughout the course of the 2012 season, crew chief, Jeriod Prince, and his team have continuously improved their fleet of Toyota Camrys, and are in the midst of their most impressive performances thus far. This weekend at Madison, Kimmel eyes his first back-to-back win since 2008, a second short track victory, and the ARCA championship point lead.  

TOP FIVE STREAK: After leading 51 of 100 laps at the Illinois State Fairgrounds last Sunday, Kimmel scored his second win of 2012 and racked up his ninth top five this season. The win marked Kimmel's sixth consecutive top five finish, and his third top two finish in the last three races.

CHASING THE RECORDS: Kimmel's 76th career win at the Springfield Mile last weekend moved him to within three wins of Iggy Katona's all time ARCA Racing Series win record of 79. Kimmel can tie Katona's all-time record of 43 pole awards this weekend during Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm CT.

POINTS REPORT: After 16 of 20 races, Kimmel is just fifteen points behind championship leader, Chris Buescher. Kimmel gained 30 points on the lead by leading the most laps in his 8th career Springfield Mile victory. So far in 2012, Kimmel has scored two wins, nine top fives, and thirteen top ten finishes.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will race Thorsport Racing's A-1 chassis at Madison on Sunday afternoon. Chassis A-1 has been raced seven times in 2012, and visited victory lane at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in July. (Mobile - 17th, Salem - 2nd, Toledo - 2nd, Winchester, 11th, Iowa - 5th, LORP - Win, Berlin - 2nd)

SUMMER STREAK: Since finishing 7th at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team have been performing at the highest level of the season. In the past six events, Kimmel has scored six consecutive top fives, visited victory lane twice, and has led 227 laps.

MADISON, WI AREA MENARDS APPEARANCE: Kimmel will make two appearances at area Menards stores this Friday, August 24th leading up to Sunday's Herr's Live Life With Flavor 200 at Madison Int'l Speedway. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the nine-time ARCA champion, see the #44 Ansell/Menards Toyota showcar, and purchase discounted tickets to Sunday's race. Kimmel will be at the Madison East Menards (2102 East Springs Dr., Madison, WI 53704) from 4pm-5:30pm CT. He will appear at the Monona Menards (6401 Copps Ave, Monona, WI 53716) location later that evening from 6:30pm-8pm CT.  

Thoughts from the Driver: Frank Kimmel

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RUN WELL AT MADISON?

"The way the track is shaped, longer straightaways and tighter corners, brakes will be a factor, so you've got to manage that. As for the track itself, I really like Madison. You can run side-by-side all the way around. The bottom lane is where everyone wants to be for the most part, but the top lane can work too. As tight as the track is, you can definitely pass at Madison, which makes for great racing."

WHAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE WILL IT TAKE IN THE LAST FOUR RACES TO WIN THE TITLE?

"I feel like the team is bringing me the best racecars on the racetrack. When you're sitting in something like that, there's no more excuses. You got to go out and get the job done. I feel like the guy that doesn't fail in these next few races could have the upper hand, because we're all going to run well at every racetrack. We'll have to do our job, keep our nose clean, and be at the end of every race."

Race Info   

August 26, 2012

Madison International Speedway  

0.5 Mile Oval 

Herr's Live Life With Flavor 200   

200 Laps/100 Miles

Broadcast Info:

Live Timing & Scoring at ARCARacing.com

Saturday, August 25th: Practice - 1pm-1:45pm CT

Final Practice - 2:15pm-3pm CT    

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell - 4:30pm ET

Sunday, August 26th: Race - 2 pm CT   

Team Facts:

Current Driver Point Standings: 2nd    

Chassis: A-1 (Recently Raced at Berlin Raceway - 2nd)   

Engine: TRD (Toyota Racing Development) & TRIAD 

Frank Kimmel

ARCA RACING SERIES results at Madison Int'l Speedway:

WINS: 0      

POLES: 0       

  Top 5s: 0         

 Top 10s: 1        

Total Appearances: 1       

ABOUT MENARDS:

With 263 stores in 13 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it's no wonder their famous slogan - "SAVE BIG MONEY" - is so widely known and easy to remember.  Menards does things right - the company's strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere. 

ABOUT ANSELL:

Ansell is aglobal leader in protection solutions, with operations in North America, LAC, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.  Ansell designs, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of surgical, examination, industrial and household gloves, protective clothing and condoms. People in over 100 countries around the world put their trust in Ansell's innovative, high-quality solutions to offer superior protection, combined with high levels of comfort and performance.   Ansell holds its operational headquarters in Red Bank, NJ, USA and its parent, Ansell Limited, is registered  in Melbourne, Australia. Worldwide, the group employs over 10,000 people in 33 countries. In its Fiscal Year 2011, Ansell achieved sales of USD 1.2 bn. For more information visit www.ansell.com, www.safetypro.com, www.activarmr.com and www.ansellconstruction.com.