Dexter Bean Excited About Pocono Return

Topics:  Dexter Bean, Pocono 200

Chris Knight
BlackJack Racing
June 6, 2007

“Tough Track No Problem For Racing Idol”

LONG POND, PA (June 6, 2007) - - Since the ARCA RE/MAX Series launched it’s 2007 season in February at Daytona International Speedway, Dexter Bean has been checking off the races while circling the two events surrounding Pocono Raceway as an opportunity to shine and put his BlackJack Racing team in victory lane.

Last season, Bean visited the 2.5-mile with eyes wide open. While a rookie on the tour in 2006, he maneuvered the tricky track like a veteran qualifying strong in both events while propelling himself to a then career best fourth in the July event.

Nine months later, Bean is excited about Saturday’s Pocono 200 and cannot wait to climb into his No. 6 Five Star Telecom Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.

“I love Pocono Raceway,” said Bean. “When I arrived there last year, I was thinking what did I get myself into? But now after two races at the track, I’ve been waiting for a long time to come back and I cannot wait till Saturday’s race.”

In the spring event last season, Bean qualified a strong fourth and soared to lead his first laps in ARCA competition but his engine ignited shortly after sending the Westby, Wisconsin native to the garage early obviously dejected.

Bean vowed to his then rookie-team, they would turn their performance around in the summer event. He kept his promise. After qualifying ninth, Bean maneuvered his No. 6 Chevrolet through the pack to be a contender all day before settling for his first top-five finish of his young career.

Now returning to Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Bean is more than ready to score his first career ARS victory and what a place to do it.

“We’ve been focusing our efforts on this race for a while,” Bean added. “This race provides an extreme opportunity for our team to shine. We have a great racecar, the same we ran here last year. We have a new and better motor package and my team is getting excited. We just need a little luck too.”

Heading into the 10th race of the ’07 season, Bean looks to notch his fifth top-10 finish of the season which has included a runner-up finish at Salem Speedway in April.

Not even half-way through this season Bean has nearly eclipsed his previous season results which saw the BlackJack Racing team end the ’06 season with five top-10 finishes. Not to mention Dexter Bean is sitting fourth in points heading into the 44th ARS event held at Pocono Raceway.

“We’ve had a good season so far,” explained Bean. “The last couple races we’ve run strong but haven’t been able to close the weekend out with the finishes we deserved. A flat tire at Kentucky , an incident at Toledo and a green-flag pit stop all have hindered us the past three weeks. We’re looking to put our team back on track with our second top five finish of the season on Saturday. I wouldn’t mind gaining a few points too.”

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 onboard this weekend 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 Pocono, Dexter Bean has 36 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with three-top fives finishes and 11 top-10 efforts. He holds a career best finish of second at Salem Speedway (April 2007). He owns the 2006 ARCA SIM Factory pole award at Salem Speedway (September) while hoisting a career-best speedway time trials effort of fourth at Pocono Raceway (June 2006). Bean also has controlled the ARCA field for 114 laps in four races.

BlackJack Racing is still seeking additional primary and associate sponsors for the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact BlackJack Racing at david@mwt.net or 608.634.4242.

The Pocono 200 (80 laps/200 miles) is the 10th of 23 events on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. Practice begins Friday, June 8 with a one hour forty five minute (10:15am-11:55am Local Time) session planned. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is slated for later in the afternoon at 1:45pm Local Time. The event will take the green flag on Saturday at 1:00pm Local Time. The race will be taped-delayed and aired on SPEED at 8:00pm Local Time. Additional race coverage is available online at arcaracing.com

For more on Dexter Bean and BlackJack Racing please visit DexterBean.net

DEXTER BEAN POCONO QUICK FACTS:

2007 Stats

Starts: Nine

Best Start: Second at Salem Speedway , April 2007

Top-Fives: One (Second at Salem Speedway , April 2007)

Top-10s: Four (Ninth at Nashville Superspeedway, second at Salem Speedway, eighth at Winchester Speedway and 10th at Kansas Speedway.)

Did Not Finish (DNFs): One ( USA International Speedway )

Laps Led: 30 ( Salem Speedway , April 2007)

Notes of Interest:

Bean’s crew chief Chris Bires is the brother-in-law of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Johnny Sauter who will also compete in Saturday’s ARCA 200.

Jeff Spraker of Spraker Racing Enterprises will spot for Dexter Bean for Saturday’s event. Spraker has been influential in the development of Bean in the ARS.

Bean has two prior starts at Pocono Raceway in May and June 2006 with finishes of 36th and fourth respectively.

Dexter Bean has led three laps in his two trips at Pocono Raceway. He controlled the field in the May 2006 event.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

NAME: Chris Knight, BlackJack Racing
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: knight849@aol.com