Jason Jarrett Finishes 12th At Michigan
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
BROOKLYN, MI - After five races and a lengthy rain delay Saturday, 25-year-old ML Motorsports driver Jason Jarrett and his Warsaw-based stock car team got rid of the monkey on their back.
Having not finished a race since his first national-level win on June 2, Jarrett qualified fourth for Saturday's ARCA RE/MAX Series Michigan 200 and finished 12th, stuffing a 4-foot purple gorilla in the car for good luck prior to the race.
It wasn't a win, but for the third-generation driver and his team it was a step in the right direction.
"We think we can go to any track and get a pole or a win," team owner Mary Louise Miller said. "We got the monkey off our back today. I think this is gonna be the start of some very good things."
Said Jarrett: "We've run good every time we've showed up here. After practice we knew we didn't have the fastest car. In my mind I just wanted finish the race with nothing broke and nothing messed up. That was my game plan, and we got it done today."
After starting in the second row, Jarrett, who set the track record in his first appearance at Michigan International Speedway, ran no worse than seventh prior to taking four tires and fuel on lap 47 of 100.
When former NFL coach Jerry Glanville pitted on lap 60, the third generation driver from Hickory, N.C. took over fifth position and was still in fifth with 25 laps to go.
Trying to regain a lap in the waning moments of the race, the transmission in Jarrett's No. 67 Biomet/Damon RV Pontiac stuck in third gear. Having to pit once more, Jarrett lost a lap and fell out of the top 10.
"We've run good every time we've showed up here," Jarrett said. "We only had one mishap today, with the transmission. Luckily it wasn't a day-ending problem."
Jarrett's streak of five consecutive DNFs started at Michigan June 9 when he ran over debris on the track and broke a fitting, losing fluid to the rear end and damaging a gear. Over the next four races, Jarrett and the ML Motorsports team ended their efforts early due to engine failure.
At Michigan Saturday, Jarrett's team used a new engine builder. He finished the race.
Pennsylvania driver Blaise Alexander sat on the pole and took the checkered flag, leading 44 of the 100 laps around the 2-mile oval. Jeffersonville native Frank Kimmel, the series point leader and defending champion, led 48 laps and came in second, followed by three-time series champion Tim Steele, Rick Carelli, Richard Mitchell and Glanville. Walkerton's Chad Blount qualified seventh and finished 10th.
After leading the first seven laps, Kimmel, who has five wins this season, passed Alexander and led the field for the next 37 laps. On lap 45, Alexander, a veteran of the NASCAR Busch Series, took the lead again, this time for 13 laps. Kimmel assumed the lead on lap 65 and led for 10 laps, but Alexander again passed the No. 46 Ford.
Alexander passed Steele, a three-time Michigan winner, on lap 81 and led the rest of the way, picking up his third career ARCA win.
Jarrett, who was the highest finishing rookie, remains fourth in the season standings with 2,775 points. He trails Kimmel (3715), Steele (3095) and Pennsylvania's Andy Belmont (2955), who started 13th and finished 14th. Tennnessee's Ron Cox, who started 31st and finished 13th, is fifth in the standings with 2,725 points.
Jarrett is testing the new Chicagoland Speedway today. The ARCA RE/MAX Series will be in action at the 1.5-mile track Sept. 1.
"We need to go into the next 10 races with our heads up," ML Motorsports crew chief Scott Eldridge said. "We're still confident that we can get a couple more poles and wins this year. We're gonna go test Chicagoland and figure some things out."
The next stop for Jarrett and the ML Motorsports team will be Pocono International Raceway on July 28. The race can be seen live on TNT.
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES
Michigan 200 (100 laps, 2-mile oval)
July 21, Michigan International Speedway
Top 15
1. Blaise Alexander (Montoursville, PA) Pontiac
2. Frank Kimmel (Jeffersonville, IN) Ford
3. Tim Steele (Coopersville, MI) Ford
4. Rick Carelli (Arvada, CO) Chevy
5. Richard Mitchell (Bruceton Mills, WV) Pontiac
6. Jerry Glanville (Roswell, GA) Ford
7. Robert Burroughs (Laurel, MS) Pontiac
8. Larry Hollenbeck (Kalamazoo, MI) Ford
9. Rick Thoennes (Garfield, MN) Chevy
10. Chad Blount (Walkerton, IN) Chevy
11. Vern Slagh (Zeeland, MI) Ford
12. Jason Jarrett (Hickory, NC) Pontiac
13. Ron Cox (Soddy Daisy, TN) Chevy
14. Andy Belmont (Penndel, PA) Ford
15. Donny Morelock (Largo, FL) Ford
Mrgn of Victory - .699 seconds
Time of Race - 1:25.01
Cautions - 3 for 16 laps
Avg. Speed - 141.49 mph
Lap Leaders - Blaise Alexander 1-7, 45-58, 76-78, 81-100 (44); Frank Kimmel 8-44, 65-75 (48); Jerry Glanville 59 (1); Rick Carelli 60-64 (5); Tim Steele 79-80 (2)
Season Standings - 1. Frank Kimmel 3715, 2. Tim Steele 3085, 3. Andy Belmont 2955, 4. Jason Jarrett 2775, 5. Ron Cox 2725, 6. Todd Bowsher 2450, 7. Norm Benning 2450, 8. Chuck Weber 2425, 9. Donny Morelock 2335, 10. Billy Venturini 1560 [[In-content Ad]]
BROOKLYN, MI - After five races and a lengthy rain delay Saturday, 25-year-old ML Motorsports driver Jason Jarrett and his Warsaw-based stock car team got rid of the monkey on their back.
Having not finished a race since his first national-level win on June 2, Jarrett qualified fourth for Saturday's ARCA RE/MAX Series Michigan 200 and finished 12th, stuffing a 4-foot purple gorilla in the car for good luck prior to the race.
It wasn't a win, but for the third-generation driver and his team it was a step in the right direction.
"We think we can go to any track and get a pole or a win," team owner Mary Louise Miller said. "We got the monkey off our back today. I think this is gonna be the start of some very good things."
Said Jarrett: "We've run good every time we've showed up here. After practice we knew we didn't have the fastest car. In my mind I just wanted finish the race with nothing broke and nothing messed up. That was my game plan, and we got it done today."
After starting in the second row, Jarrett, who set the track record in his first appearance at Michigan International Speedway, ran no worse than seventh prior to taking four tires and fuel on lap 47 of 100.
When former NFL coach Jerry Glanville pitted on lap 60, the third generation driver from Hickory, N.C. took over fifth position and was still in fifth with 25 laps to go.
Trying to regain a lap in the waning moments of the race, the transmission in Jarrett's No. 67 Biomet/Damon RV Pontiac stuck in third gear. Having to pit once more, Jarrett lost a lap and fell out of the top 10.
"We've run good every time we've showed up here," Jarrett said. "We only had one mishap today, with the transmission. Luckily it wasn't a day-ending problem."
Jarrett's streak of five consecutive DNFs started at Michigan June 9 when he ran over debris on the track and broke a fitting, losing fluid to the rear end and damaging a gear. Over the next four races, Jarrett and the ML Motorsports team ended their efforts early due to engine failure.
At Michigan Saturday, Jarrett's team used a new engine builder. He finished the race.
Pennsylvania driver Blaise Alexander sat on the pole and took the checkered flag, leading 44 of the 100 laps around the 2-mile oval. Jeffersonville native Frank Kimmel, the series point leader and defending champion, led 48 laps and came in second, followed by three-time series champion Tim Steele, Rick Carelli, Richard Mitchell and Glanville. Walkerton's Chad Blount qualified seventh and finished 10th.
After leading the first seven laps, Kimmel, who has five wins this season, passed Alexander and led the field for the next 37 laps. On lap 45, Alexander, a veteran of the NASCAR Busch Series, took the lead again, this time for 13 laps. Kimmel assumed the lead on lap 65 and led for 10 laps, but Alexander again passed the No. 46 Ford.
Alexander passed Steele, a three-time Michigan winner, on lap 81 and led the rest of the way, picking up his third career ARCA win.
Jarrett, who was the highest finishing rookie, remains fourth in the season standings with 2,775 points. He trails Kimmel (3715), Steele (3095) and Pennsylvania's Andy Belmont (2955), who started 13th and finished 14th. Tennnessee's Ron Cox, who started 31st and finished 13th, is fifth in the standings with 2,725 points.
Jarrett is testing the new Chicagoland Speedway today. The ARCA RE/MAX Series will be in action at the 1.5-mile track Sept. 1.
"We need to go into the next 10 races with our heads up," ML Motorsports crew chief Scott Eldridge said. "We're still confident that we can get a couple more poles and wins this year. We're gonna go test Chicagoland and figure some things out."
The next stop for Jarrett and the ML Motorsports team will be Pocono International Raceway on July 28. The race can be seen live on TNT.
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES
Michigan 200 (100 laps, 2-mile oval)
July 21, Michigan International Speedway
Top 15
1. Blaise Alexander (Montoursville, PA) Pontiac
2. Frank Kimmel (Jeffersonville, IN) Ford
3. Tim Steele (Coopersville, MI) Ford
4. Rick Carelli (Arvada, CO) Chevy
5. Richard Mitchell (Bruceton Mills, WV) Pontiac
6. Jerry Glanville (Roswell, GA) Ford
7. Robert Burroughs (Laurel, MS) Pontiac
8. Larry Hollenbeck (Kalamazoo, MI) Ford
9. Rick Thoennes (Garfield, MN) Chevy
10. Chad Blount (Walkerton, IN) Chevy
11. Vern Slagh (Zeeland, MI) Ford
12. Jason Jarrett (Hickory, NC) Pontiac
13. Ron Cox (Soddy Daisy, TN) Chevy
14. Andy Belmont (Penndel, PA) Ford
15. Donny Morelock (Largo, FL) Ford
Mrgn of Victory - .699 seconds
Time of Race - 1:25.01
Cautions - 3 for 16 laps
Avg. Speed - 141.49 mph
Lap Leaders - Blaise Alexander 1-7, 45-58, 76-78, 81-100 (44); Frank Kimmel 8-44, 65-75 (48); Jerry Glanville 59 (1); Rick Carelli 60-64 (5); Tim Steele 79-80 (2)
Season Standings - 1. Frank Kimmel 3715, 2. Tim Steele 3085, 3. Andy Belmont 2955, 4. Jason Jarrett 2775, 5. Ron Cox 2725, 6. Todd Bowsher 2450, 7. Norm Benning 2450, 8. Chuck Weber 2425, 9. Donny Morelock 2335, 10. Billy Venturini 1560 [[In-content Ad]]