ARCA: Pepsi 400K Fact Sheet

22 July 1998

RACE FACTSHEET

RACE:                   Pepsi 400k
TRACK:          Pocono Int'l Raceway, 2.5 mile paved triangle
LOCATION:               Long Pond, Pennsylvania
DISTANCE:               400 Kilometers/250 Miles (100 laps)
SANCTION:               Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA)
SERIES:         Event #11 of the '98 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series
PROMOTER:               Pocono Int'l Raceway, Inc.
MEDIA/PR:               Bob Pleban (717) 646-2300
SCHEDULE:               Thur. July 23:  Practice, Talladega Pole Award
Qualifying @
2:30 pm (1-25) 1 lap
                        Fri.  July 24:  Practice, BSR 2nd Round Qualifying
@ 9:30 am
(26-36)
1 lap
                                Sat.  July 25:  1 p.m. Pepsi 400k
POSTED AWARDS:  $ 145,630 in prize, point and contingency money

ARCA OFFICIAL COMPANIES: Bondo Body Filler, Mar-Hyde Paints, AC Delco Wire & Cable, Auto Value Parts Stores, Featherlite Trailers, Giant Recreation World, Hoosier Racing Tires, Racing Electronics, 76 Racing Gas.

ARCA OFFICIAL PRODUCTS: Amkus Rescue Tools, Cloyes Gear & Products, Earl's Performance Products, Eibach Springs, Fastlane Footwear, Flowmaster Mufflers, Geo Spray Guns, K&N Filters, K&N Oil Filters, Lincoln Electric Welders, Marson Rivets, Motive Gear, QuicShine 99, S-W Scales by Intercomp, Simpson Uniforms.

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES: ATI Dampers, Auto Meter Instruments, Barry Grant Fuel Systems, Bart Wheels, Bilstein Shocks, Brown Engineering Racing Engines, BSR Racing Products, Clevite 77 Engine Bearings, Dave Jensen Enterprises South, Dayco Belts & Hoses, Diamond Racing Products, Dyn-O-Mat Enviro Products, Edelbrock, Ford Motor Co., Hedman Hedders, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Hutcherson-Pagan, JE Pistons, MSD Ignition, Nelson Specialties, Oceans Eleven Resorts, Ohlins Shocks, Performance Profiles, Peterson Fluid Systems, Prestone Antifreeze, Pro Shocks, Quarter Master, Raceline Precision Products, Racing Radios/Diversified, Reed Cams & Carburetors, Rhyne Racing Engines, Ringers Resources, RJS Safety Equipment, Scott Performance Wires, 76 Racing Oil, Simpson Race Products, STP, Talladega Superspeedway, Thermo-Tec Header Wrap, Wallace Race Car Lettering.

TELEVISION: TBS Live

RECORDS:
Qualifying - Mike Ciochetti, 6/20/98, 163.845 mph (54.930 sec.)
Race - Mike Wallace, 1995, 142.668 mph (1:03:05)

NOTES OF INTEREST: The Pepsi 400k marks the return of the #66 Phoenix Air Ford team to ARCA competion since driver/owner Mark Thompson suffered injuries in the Atlanta ARCA race this past March. David Murry of Cartersville, GA will drive the car with veteran crew chief Don Strait turning the wrenches. Tim Steele is also entered in his father Harold's familiar #16 HS Die-Softech Ford. Steele will attempt to win his 5th consecutive ARCA race at Pocono. Steele, and current ARCA point leader Frank Kimmel, recently tested Winston Cup rides at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Steele for car owner Bud Moore and Kimmel for the Bill Elliott/Dan Marino owned team after they released Jerry Nadeau as their driver. 43 teams have filed entries for the Pepsi 400k, a record amount for an ARCA/Pocono event. Of the 43 entered, 7 are Pennsylvania drivers, including Bobby Gerhart, Tom Eriksen, Steve Bramley, 5th in points Andy Belmont, Tim Bainey, Jim Lamoreaux and 9th in points Norm Benning. Also entered is Bobby Hamilton Jr in a #43 Pontiac Grand Prix fielded by his father Bobby. Hamilton Jr finished 5th at Pocono back in June of this year in his first ARCA start. The Mountain Dew 400k will be the 27th ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series event held on the 2.5 mile triangle at Pocono since 1983. Veteran ARCA driver Bob Schacht and 3- time champion Steele are tied for the most wins at Pocono with 6 followed by Bob Keselowski with 5. Mike Wallace has 3 and Jimmy Horton is the only 2-time ARCA winner at Pocono, and 1-time winners include Ben Hess, Bobby Jacks, Jeff Purvis and Lee Raymond. Even though 8 ARCA races have been won from the pole at Pocono, all-time Pocono ARCA winner Schacht has never won from the pole. Other than one Chevrolet victory with Jeff Purvis in July of '94, Ford has been victorious in 9 of the last 10 ARCA races at Pocono dating back to 1993.