The Season Is Over, Or Is It?
by Andy Belmont-Staff Writer and ARCA Series Driver
10/29/2003

Only once or twice in my career have I been in a situation where I just couldn't wait for the season to be over. This has been one of those years. Broken motors in a bunch of races while running pretty good, fueled that passion for being overbearing and pressing. We've talked about it before. Most racers are their own worst critic and we put the pressure on ourselves. Pressure and lot's of things that you just couldn't possibly predict, made this a season to forget. It was like there was a full moon over our pit all season long. Correct that, house, marriage, shop, employees. blah. blah. blah. Somehow we've got to rebound and forget about all that we can't learn from.

Well, technically, the racing season for the ARCA RE/MAX Series has come to a close. The points schedule officially ended with the make up of the rain out at South Boston.

Not sure if anyone noticed, but had it not been for a transmission failure and one crash, Frank Kimmel would have finished in the top 5 in every event in 2003. Say or think what you want, but the team and driver have it all together. This perhaps is a little redundant, but those of us who race with Frank week in and week out, might take a moment to realize that we are racing with perhaps one of the greatest driver's in history. Kimmel is fast approaching Iggy Katona's record of championships and is young enough to tie and break the record.

Special thanks to Larry Clement. I am told that he is the absolute entertainment in the spotter's stand!

The season has really ended, and for all but the banquet, we are all back at zero points. The December test will be here in no time and we have to get our program back in shape. We killed two cars at Talladega, something you can't plan for and hope doesn't happen. But the law of averages catches up to you. We have been to the plate race tracks so many times and come home with everything intact, it was only a matter of time before something happened.

Atlanta has been taken off of the schedule. This is quite unfortunate to our team, as both of Southern Pan Services and Phil-Mart Transportation, two of our sponsors, call this their home track. But the handwriting is on the wall with Mr. Smith's race tracks. Charlotte in the spring will no doubt be our last visit to the big top. With those guys courting the ASA and wanting to have total control of a series, ARCA is the odd man out. The way the management treats the racers in general is enough to make you never want to go back there anyway. Say what you want about the ISC/SMI war, but the ISC folks treat you like human beings. Give me a second Kansas any day, same with the Dover entertainment group. Frankly speaking, they all can take a page from Dr. Joe Mattioli's play book.

Pocono built a garage specifically for the ARCA RE/MAX SERIES and named it after a fallen ARCA RE/MAX regular, Blaise Alexander. Through thick and thin, Dr. Joe and Rose go out of their way to take care of the competitors who are putting on the show. Kansas is right up there with them. We were fortunate enough to be asked to judge the barbecue cook off and it was hilarious. Besides the midway and the fun atmosphere, Kansas has thought seriously about the fans and the competitors.

Don't get me wrong, I admire the Smith's ability to make money. They could just treat the racer with a little respect. The ASA guys will get a belly full of it pretty quick. I am not sure I understand it, but all of the other race tracks treat you with a little dignity. Not so at Charlotte and Atlanta. We raced at those places before the circus bought them and it is kind of a black eye that they so easily blow us off. We aren't flat towing out race cars in there. They haven't noticed the fact that most of us have about as much money tied up in a transporter and cars and parts as our big brothers do on the other side of the fence. Our propaganda machine isn't quite as forceful I suppose?

I got settled in at the new shop and its good to be back home. The boys are here at the shop with Dad everyday. My nephews are here as well and hopefully we can teach them a thing or two about working on cars. One of the cars is at Mr. Kerner's Collision repair shop at the Bucks County Technical School getting fresh Verizon colors put on. The kids do a great job making us look good!

There is a big gap in the schedule next year between Daytona and the next event at Nashville. Not sure we will ever get one, but the custom made guitar trophy for the winner is pretty cool. Since their first race, the management at Nashville have really stepped it up to help our series put on a good show. The crowds that have come out to support the ARCA Series at some of these speedways is pretty incredible. A good job of promotion has been a big help.

Our fantasy schedule would have us going to "The Rock" and Darlington. Pikes Peak and Indianapolis Raceway Park too. Peach State would be a blast and of course Bristol, Tennessee. We'd probably have to park our rigs on the Virginia side of town at Bristol! Don't laugh, it could happen.