Broken Crank Shaft Ends Jarrett's Day
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SPARTA, Ky. - ML Motorsports driver Jason Jarrett couldn't believe it happened. Off in the distance, crew members and fans stared in disbelief.
After running in the top three for nearly the first half of Friday's Bluegrass Quality Meats 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Kentucky Speedway, the 25-year-old North Carolina racer finished 24th due to a broken crank shaft on lap 72 of 134.
"It gave no warning, it just locked up over there in turn three," Jarrett said. "That's the quickest I've ever felt one go away. I've seen where belts have caused problems, but very rarely will you see a crank shaft break in two like that."
On Friday the 13th, a day some believe bad things happen to them, it looked as if the luck that has haunted Jarrett and his team since mid-June was vanishing. After qualifying third for the 134-lap race, the No. 67 Biomet/Damon RV Mary Louise Miller-owned Monte Carlo, the car Sterling Marlin drove at the Winston All-Star race two years ago, cruised around in third for the first 28 laps.
On lap 29, 17-year-old outside pole-sitter Chase Montgomery and Jarrett took over the first two spots and made it a two-man show, easily outdistancing themselves from series point leader Frank Kimmel and the rest of the 37-car field.
Jarrett remained in second for 33 laps around the 1.5-mile oval before taking four tires and fuel on lap 62. On worn tires, Jarrett put nearly 10 seconds between him and Kimmel's car, which had fresh tires at the time.
"That car has always been good to us," Jarrett said of his No. 67 Chevy, also the car he won the inaugural race with at Kansas Speedway June 2. "We were as fast on old tires as we were when we qualified. And then we had a good pit stop."
Jarrett came off pit road in 13th and then quickly worked his way through the field.
By lap 67 the ML Motorsports enty was in 10th. On lap 69 Jarrett, the son of Winston Cup star Dale Jarrett, was in eighth. On lap 70, he passed two cars and took sole posession of sixth place and continued to charge toward the front.
Two laps later he filled the Kentucky night air with large amounts of smoke, creeping down pit road and then back to the garage area.
In the two years of racing at Kentucky Speedway, the ML Motorsports team hasn't finished a race, leaving with two blown motors and two badly damaged cars.
After getting his first national-level win on June 2, Jarrett has come away with five consecutive DNFs, the last four being engine failure.
"I'm getting kind of tired of saying we were running good when it happened," Jarrett said. "I was tired of saying that after the first time, much less after four. I've been in wrecks four weeks in a row, but never in nine years of racing have we blown engines four weeks in a row."
With Jarrett off the track and Montgomery trying to regain track position after a pit stop, Kimmel, who won the Kentucky ARCA race earlier this year, stole the show.
The Jeffersonville native took the lead on lap 87 and led the final 48 laps, picking up his fifth win of the year, this one coming on crew chief and brother Bill Kimmel's birthday.
In all, Kimmel, who scored his 28th career ARCA win, led 73 of the 134 laps.
Finishing in second was Colorado's John Metcalf, followed by Billy Venturini, Todd Bowsher and Montgomery in the top five.
Among other notable drivers, Andy Belmont, third in the season standings, drove his way to a 15th-place finish. Former NFL coach Jerry Glanville led one lap before an accident on lap 94 led to a 19th-place finish.
Despite some hard times, Jarrett and the ML Motorsports crew remain in fourth place with 2,580 points, trailing Kimmel (3,365), Tim Steele (2,875) and Belmont (2,795). Steele has missed the last two races and is rumored to be running just three more races this year. Tennessee's Ron Cox, the 1999 ARCA Rookie of the Year, is in fifth and trails Jarrett by 20 points.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series will be in action again Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, where last time Jarrett set a new track record.
"It's your job," Jarrett said when asked what kept him excited about racing after a rough month. "I hate to look at it that way, but we know we can show up and get a pole or a win at any track we go to."
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES
Blue Grass Quality Meats 200
Kentucky Speedway, June 13
1.5-mile (134 laps)
Top 10
1. Frank Kimmel (Jeffersonville, Ind.) Ford
2. John Metcalf (Aurora, Colo.) Chevy
3. Billy Venturini (Concord, N.C.) Chevy
4. Todd Bowsher (South Vienna, OH) Ford
5. Chase Montgomery (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) Chevy
6. A.J. Henriksen (Moorseville, N.C.) Ford
7. Billy Bigley (Naples, Fla.) Ford
8. Jeep Pflum (Cincinnati, OH.) Chevy
9. Larry Hollenbeck (Kalamazoo, Mich.) Ford
10. Greg Sarff (Columbus, OH.) Ford
24. Jason Jarrett (Hickory, N.C.) Chevy
Margin of Victory: 3.846 seconds
Avg. Speed: 120.060 mph
Lap Leaders - Frank Kimmel 1-25, 87-134 (73); Chase Montgomery 26-67 (42); Willie Green 68 (1); Jerry Glanville 69-81 (13); Billy Venturini 82-86 (5)
Season standings - 1. Frank Kimmel 3465, 2. Tim Steele 2875, 3. Andy Belmont 2795, 4. Jason Jarrett 2580, 5. Ron Cox 2560, 6. Todd Bowsher 2375, 7. Norm Benning 2320, 8. Chuck Weber 2280, 9. Donny Morelock 2180, 10. Billy Venturini 1555 [[In-content Ad]]
SPARTA, Ky. - ML Motorsports driver Jason Jarrett couldn't believe it happened. Off in the distance, crew members and fans stared in disbelief.
After running in the top three for nearly the first half of Friday's Bluegrass Quality Meats 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Kentucky Speedway, the 25-year-old North Carolina racer finished 24th due to a broken crank shaft on lap 72 of 134.
"It gave no warning, it just locked up over there in turn three," Jarrett said. "That's the quickest I've ever felt one go away. I've seen where belts have caused problems, but very rarely will you see a crank shaft break in two like that."
On Friday the 13th, a day some believe bad things happen to them, it looked as if the luck that has haunted Jarrett and his team since mid-June was vanishing. After qualifying third for the 134-lap race, the No. 67 Biomet/Damon RV Mary Louise Miller-owned Monte Carlo, the car Sterling Marlin drove at the Winston All-Star race two years ago, cruised around in third for the first 28 laps.
On lap 29, 17-year-old outside pole-sitter Chase Montgomery and Jarrett took over the first two spots and made it a two-man show, easily outdistancing themselves from series point leader Frank Kimmel and the rest of the 37-car field.
Jarrett remained in second for 33 laps around the 1.5-mile oval before taking four tires and fuel on lap 62. On worn tires, Jarrett put nearly 10 seconds between him and Kimmel's car, which had fresh tires at the time.
"That car has always been good to us," Jarrett said of his No. 67 Chevy, also the car he won the inaugural race with at Kansas Speedway June 2. "We were as fast on old tires as we were when we qualified. And then we had a good pit stop."
Jarrett came off pit road in 13th and then quickly worked his way through the field.
By lap 67 the ML Motorsports enty was in 10th. On lap 69 Jarrett, the son of Winston Cup star Dale Jarrett, was in eighth. On lap 70, he passed two cars and took sole posession of sixth place and continued to charge toward the front.
Two laps later he filled the Kentucky night air with large amounts of smoke, creeping down pit road and then back to the garage area.
In the two years of racing at Kentucky Speedway, the ML Motorsports team hasn't finished a race, leaving with two blown motors and two badly damaged cars.
After getting his first national-level win on June 2, Jarrett has come away with five consecutive DNFs, the last four being engine failure.
"I'm getting kind of tired of saying we were running good when it happened," Jarrett said. "I was tired of saying that after the first time, much less after four. I've been in wrecks four weeks in a row, but never in nine years of racing have we blown engines four weeks in a row."
With Jarrett off the track and Montgomery trying to regain track position after a pit stop, Kimmel, who won the Kentucky ARCA race earlier this year, stole the show.
The Jeffersonville native took the lead on lap 87 and led the final 48 laps, picking up his fifth win of the year, this one coming on crew chief and brother Bill Kimmel's birthday.
In all, Kimmel, who scored his 28th career ARCA win, led 73 of the 134 laps.
Finishing in second was Colorado's John Metcalf, followed by Billy Venturini, Todd Bowsher and Montgomery in the top five.
Among other notable drivers, Andy Belmont, third in the season standings, drove his way to a 15th-place finish. Former NFL coach Jerry Glanville led one lap before an accident on lap 94 led to a 19th-place finish.
Despite some hard times, Jarrett and the ML Motorsports crew remain in fourth place with 2,580 points, trailing Kimmel (3,365), Tim Steele (2,875) and Belmont (2,795). Steele has missed the last two races and is rumored to be running just three more races this year. Tennessee's Ron Cox, the 1999 ARCA Rookie of the Year, is in fifth and trails Jarrett by 20 points.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series will be in action again Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, where last time Jarrett set a new track record.
"It's your job," Jarrett said when asked what kept him excited about racing after a rough month. "I hate to look at it that way, but we know we can show up and get a pole or a win at any track we go to."
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES
Blue Grass Quality Meats 200
Kentucky Speedway, June 13
1.5-mile (134 laps)
Top 10
1. Frank Kimmel (Jeffersonville, Ind.) Ford
2. John Metcalf (Aurora, Colo.) Chevy
3. Billy Venturini (Concord, N.C.) Chevy
4. Todd Bowsher (South Vienna, OH) Ford
5. Chase Montgomery (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) Chevy
6. A.J. Henriksen (Moorseville, N.C.) Ford
7. Billy Bigley (Naples, Fla.) Ford
8. Jeep Pflum (Cincinnati, OH.) Chevy
9. Larry Hollenbeck (Kalamazoo, Mich.) Ford
10. Greg Sarff (Columbus, OH.) Ford
24. Jason Jarrett (Hickory, N.C.) Chevy
Margin of Victory: 3.846 seconds
Avg. Speed: 120.060 mph
Lap Leaders - Frank Kimmel 1-25, 87-134 (73); Chase Montgomery 26-67 (42); Willie Green 68 (1); Jerry Glanville 69-81 (13); Billy Venturini 82-86 (5)
Season standings - 1. Frank Kimmel 3465, 2. Tim Steele 2875, 3. Andy Belmont 2795, 4. Jason Jarrett 2580, 5. Ron Cox 2560, 6. Todd Bowsher 2375, 7. Norm Benning 2320, 8. Chuck Weber 2280, 9. Donny Morelock 2180, 10. Billy Venturini 1555 [[In-content Ad]]