Grant Enfinger; Allgaier Motorsports Set For Pocono Raceway Showdown

Grant Enfinger; Allgaier Motorsports Set For Pocono Raceway Showdown

Topics: Grant Enfinger, Pennsylvania ARCA 125

Grant Enfinger; Allgaier Motorsports Set For Pocono Raceway Showdown

Chris Knight
Knight Motorsports Management
Allgaier Motorsports
August 3, 2011

LONG POND, Pennsylvania (August 3, 2011) - - Without question, without hesitation, the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has been a solid one for the Allgaier Motorsports team and their driver Grant Enfinger.

12 races complete, the Springfield, Illinois-based team has maneuvered four top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes. If you expand into their season statistics a little more, you would find that the team has finished no worse than 14th in what has been deemed a very competitive ARCA Racing Series season.

With the second and final ARCA race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on deck for Saturday’s Pennsylvania ARCA 125, the duo looks not only to keep their strong season alive but also land themselves in victory lane for the first time in a year.

That’s right, a year ago at Pocono; Allgaier Motorsports provided the car that allowed Robb Brent to surge to his first career ARCA victory. This weekend, the veteran team is looking to pull off that same feat with Enfinger aboard their No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest / racetires.com Dodge Charger.

In fact, Allgaier Motorsports has two victories at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway as former ARCA Racing Series champion and current NASCAR Nationwide Series star Justin Allgaier tallied his fifth career ARCA win in 2008, the same year that the family-owned team hoisted the ARCA championship trophy.

30 ARCA Racing Series races added to his resume and with three runner-up finishes including a second at Toledo Speedway in May, no one would be surprised if Enfinger’s dream of winning an ARCA race would come true.

“There’s a lot of reasons I like Pocono,” said Enfinger. “It’s a place where you have to hit your marks every lap. Each corner is different and the ability or places to pass changes constantly during the race.”

That’s a wise statement coming from the Fairhope, Alabama native who made his inaugural debut at the track doomed the “Tricky Triangle” back in June. After qualifying fifth, the team found themselves in contention for the win but had to settle for third.

“We were so close to victory, we could almost taste it,” recalled Enfinger. “Kelly (Kovski, crew chief) and the entire Allgaier Motorsports team gave me a superb racecar that day and I don’t expecting less on Saturday. It’s pretty cool knowing that the Allgaier Motorsports team has a couple of victories here, which helps just make our chances at a possible win in the No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest / racetires.com Dodge Charger that much sweeter.”

Should Enfinger take the checkered flag first in the 13th race of the season, there will be many people for the 26-year old to thank and praise. “I wouldn’t have a chance at winning or having another good run on Saturday if not for Mike (Allgaier, car owner), Justin (Allgaier) and Ashley (Allgaier). We’ve been running this program virtually sponsorless all season long but they have continued to give us what we need to get the job done. The win would be important for me and all those who helped me in my racing career, but it would be extra special for a great family like the Allgaiers.”

With Saturday’s contest shortened to just 50 laps because of a double-header with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Enfinger and his posse know that when the green flag flies, it’s game on.

“Believe it or not, even though Pocono is a long track, those 50 laps can go by relatively quickly, especially if we’re under green flag conditions,” offered Enfinger. “The team was able to win utilizing some strategy last year and we’ve armed ourselves with that exact same game plan should we need to use it. You have to be after it right from the start or you may never have the opportunity to catch backup.”

With seven races remaining and because of their respectable ninth place finish last Thursday night at Lucas Oil Raceway, Enfinger and Co. lock third in the ARCA Racing Series championship surpassing Chris Buescher (+ 30) while trailing nine-time champion Frank Kimmel for second by just a mere 10 markers. Fifth place runner Chad McCumbee sits in the deficit of 175 points to Enfinger’s current placement.

Entering Pocono, Enfinger has 30 ARCA Racing Series starts to his credit. In those events, he has maneuvered 11 top-fives and 20 top-10 finishes including a career-best finish of second three times at Kentucky Speedway (July 2009), Chicagoland Speedway (August 2009), and Toledo Speedway (May 2011). He has controlled the field nine times for 216 laps. His best qualifying run occurred at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway where Enfinger bolted to his first career pole.

The Pennsylvania ARCA 125 (50 laps / 125 miles) is the 13th of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 53rd ARCA race at Pocono Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, August 5 with a one hour and twenty minute practice session planned from 1:40 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin later in the day at 5:40 p.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 6. The event will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST. Live timing and scoring throughout the 1,325th race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

For more on Grant Enfinger, please visit grantenfinger.com.

Additional input on Allgaier Motorsports is available by logging on to AllgaierMotorsports.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: Grant Enfinger, driver of the No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest / racetires.com Dodge Charger for Allgaier Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

MEDIA CONTACT:

NAME: Chris Knight, Knight Motorsports Management
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: chris@chrisknightpr.com