Jacob Francis Looking For More In Toledo Season Finale

Topics:  Jacob Francis, Hantz Group 200

Chris Knight
Francis Racing
October 10, 2007

TOLEDO, Ohio (October 10, 2007) - - ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) Jacob Francis heads to Sunday’s Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire looking to impress. With the race located just two hours from his hometown of Painsville , Ohio , Francis is looking to dazzle the hometown crowd in his second career start.

In August at the famed Milwaukee Mile, Francis behind the wheel of his family owned No. 61 Francis Engineering Dodge; the rookie qualified a respectable 23rd before moving patiently through the field to finish a solid 12th. Now, heading to Toledo Speedway, a track that he is familiar with, Francis believes he has the capabilities of finishing in the top-10.

“ Milwaukee was a great momentum booster for my team,” said Francis, who qualified an impressive third at Toledo Speedway a few weeks ago in the Glass City 200. “It was my first opportunity to compete in an ARCA RE/MAX Series car and I learned a lot. Now we’re going back to Toledo this weekend with the urge to do well and with a little luck, I know we’re going to.”

Francis has paired up with veteran ARCA RE/MAX Series owner Andy Belmont and will utilize the No. 62 for the season finale on Sunday. Toledo won’t mark the first time that the rookie and veteran have worked together this season. Last month, Belmont and Francis paired up for the Talladega ARS test with Francis turning impressive times. With Belmont ’s help this weekend, the youngster is more confident than ever.

“What do you say about a guy like Andy Belmont? He is awesome. He has been extremely important asset as I’m trying to learn the ropes in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. We already had this deal for Toledo , but it’s nice to know that coming off the success that we had at Talladega that we can only continue to learn each other and get better for the future.”

Francis continued, “I think you will find Andy and I tied together a lot more in the future. He is incredible teacher. He has taught me a lot of things and I know he will only continue to flood my brain this weekend at Toledo .”

Speaking of Toledo , while Francis has plenty of late model experience at the half-mile oval, he’s banking on that past success to help him succeed in Sunday’s closer.

“ Toledo is a fun place to race, but you have to hit your marks. If you mess up just a little it can really ruin your lap. It’s a lot of different with the ARCA car, I’m sure. I’m going to watch and learn. Practice will be crucial for us, but we’ll make the best out of it, I promise you that. Once we qualify for the race, it’s all about the race. My goal is to run in the top-10, but I also want to earn the respect of my competition. I’m going to be around a lot in ARCAville next year, so it’s important to use the give and take method on Sunday.”

Switching it up from The Milwaukee Mile, the team will unveil a Pontiac Grand Prix compared to a Dodge in the team’s inaugural run last month.

“This is our car and we’ve been working hard on it,” added Francis. “My team has poured an endless amount of hours into it. They are trying to give me a car that can win and I think we’ve put together a good setup and a motor that can get the job done. The manufacturer change will not hinder us at all this weekend, I guarantee you that.”

Francis Engineering, Habco Tool & Development, Bonner Frams, Campana Excavating, ASR Services, J.R. Collins Trucking and Sander Excavating have all stepped up to the plate to sponsor Francis’s No. 62 entry this weekend.

“We’re welcoming back a lot of our sponsors for the race this weekend,” sounded Francis. “It’s also great to have our new sponsor ASR Services onboard for Sunday’s race at Toledo . I have a feeling it’s going to be a great day of racing and we plan to do our absolute very best to keep our sponsors in the spotlight.”

Before turning all of his attention towards making his second career ARCA RE/MAX Series start, Francis will join a host of drivers at the third annual ARS Fan Fest at Toledo Speedway on Friday, October 12 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. local time.

Following Toledo , Francis is expected to participate in the three-day open ARCA RE/MAX Series test at Daytona International Speedway in December.

The Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire (200 laps/100 miles) is the 23rd of 23 races on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 62nd ARCA race held at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, October 13 with an hour and-a-half hour practice session planned from 12:30-2:00 p.m. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag on October 14th, shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

For more information on Jack Francis, please visit jdfracing.com.

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NAME: Chris Knight, Francis Racing
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