Published: April 12, 2008 11:56 pm      

Kimmel brothers are racing on their own terms

The goals have not changed for the brother racing duo of Frank Kimmel and Bill Kimmel Jr.

This season, the Clarksville natives want to win as many races as possible and claim another ARCA RE/MAX Series championship.

But in 2008, the Kimmels are taking a different route in their quest for a ninth consecutive series title.

After both of them served long stints at Tri-State Motorsports, they left the successful organization and started their own race team, Kimmel Racing in Clarksville.

“I don’t know that it was the right time, but it was about time,” said Frank, who drove for Tri-State owner Larry Clement for 11 seasons and won a series-record nine ARCA crowns in that span. “In every good relationship, there is a time to move forward and we felt like we needed to.”

Bill Kimmel, who was Frank’s crew chief at Tri-State for nine years, said the situation at his former team was not as rosy as it seemed.

“Things on the inside weren’t what they looked like on the outside,” said Bill, the older of the two brothers.

There were two main reasons why the Kimmels decided to leave Tri-State. One, the brothers wanted to have more control on the business side of a racing organization.

Second, they wanted to guarantee their family’s future in racing, and creating Kimmel Racing was a way to keep the Kimmel racing tradition going. Each brother has a son who is currently racing (Will Kimmel, Bill’s son; Frankie Kimmel, Frank’s son) and both sons want to pursue racing careers.

“We just decided to do something different,” Frank said. “In all reality, we had no say-so in anything. It was (Clement’s) deal, his equipment and his cars. We didn’t own a lot.

“Both of our sons are doing very well in racing, and down the road we want a Kimmel to be racing somewhere all the time. This allows us to build something for our future.”

Frank Kimmel placed fifth in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was an encouraging finish for Kimmel Racing after Frank got into the race on a past champion’s provisional and started from the 43rd spot.

“It was phenomenal,” said Kimmel, who raced a Dodge furnished by one of his ARCA competitors, Cunningham Motorsports. “To get a finish like that with the car that we had was very much overachieving. We felt very fortunate to come out with that good of a finish. It was almost as good as a win.”

Bill Kimmel credited several former Tri-State crew members for the top-five finish.

“They’ve been used to winning forever, and they expect nothing less than a win,” Bill said. “To see the excitement in their faces after you finished fifth was pretty remarkable. That means the fire is still there.”



THE SPONSORSHIP HURDLE

The main challenge the Kimmels have faced in their new venture is securing a full-time sponsor for the entire season. If Kimmel Racing does not find a full-time sponsor, they will not have enough money to run the entire 21-race schedule.

It is a daily routine for the brothers to search for a corporation to help fund their rookie team.

“That’s probably 50 percent of Bill and I’s day right now is talking to potential sponsors,” Frank said. “It’s really been the biggest hurdle for us, and that’s an owner’s responsibility to go out and do that. That without a doubt is our biggest challenge. We’re not really doing anything different as far as the mechanic’s part of the race team. But the sponsorship search is really different.”

The Kimmels have gotten some financial assistance as of late. Ford Motor Company has agreed to give the brothers some associate funding the rest of the season. Kimmel won seven ARCA championships in a Ford from 2001-07, and will drive a Ford in today’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway.

“It gives us credibility. It says leaps and bounds about a company like Ford. They’re making an investment in us right now,” Bill Kimmel said. “Do they expect Frank to win 10 more championships? Probably not. So why are they doing this? I think more than anything they’re saying, ‘You’ve done a hell of a job these past seven or eight years, and we’re going to help you do what you want to do.’”

Kimmel Racing has picked up a primary sponsor for today’s race in Interstate Equipment Sales and Rentals. Frank Kimmel hopes the Salem race will be the first of several races that the Richmond, Ky.-based company will sponsor his team this season.

Kimmel Racing has also gotten support from several longtime associate sponsors in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area. In fact, the team will honor those sponsors on its car today with a hood decal stating, “Thanks to our Kentuckiana business leaders.”

“Every one of the associates that we’ve had in the past stays with us, and that’s great,” Frank said. “These are people that do it because they love to be a part of this race team, and that means a lot.”

Frank credits Dave Embry, president of New Albany-based Rite-Way Industries, for coming up with the financial support from local sponsors.

“Dave Embry took it completely upon himself without really discussing with us and got several local businesses to chip in and none of which are doing it for the advertising,” Frank said. “All of them are doing it strictly on our behalf and Dave’s behalf.”



WIN OR BUST

With the lack of sponsorship dollars, the Kimmels have changed their approach going into races this season.

In the past, they have stressed consistency by stringing together a series of top-10 finishes, which has aided in their eight straight championships. But this year with no guarantee of running the full ARCA schedule, the Kimmels are focused on winning every race they compete in.

“If we don’t secure a full-time sponsor, we’ll go to each race that we can find full-time funding for, and we won’t go to ride around,” Frank Kimmel said. “We’re going to go and try to win. That’s a little bit of a change in our philosophy, but that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Bill Kimmel thinks the win-or-bust attitude can be beneficial.

“It takes the pressure off,” he said. “If you go just to win, there’s no pressure anymore. It’s win or nothing. With the equipment we’ve been fortunate to get, I think it’s going to put us in a situation where we can do that.”Kimmel Racing is expecting to get at least one 2007 Ford from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series powerhouse Roush Fenway Racing. Bill recently talked with Robbie Reiser, general manager of Roush Fenway’s Cup teams, about acquiring one of the automobiles. Plus Kimmel Racing is going to be a part of the Roush-Yates engine program.

“We have better equipment. This is the best cars and parts that we’ve ever had,” Bill said.

Both Kimmels agree on one thing — if they find a full-time sponsor, then they are confident they can contend for another championship.

“Without a doubt — there isn’t any doubt in my mind,” Frank said.

“If we can get this sponsorship deal behind us, I think personally we can be stronger than we’ve ever, ever been,” Bill said. “I will be disappointed if we didn’t win five or six races by the end of the year.”



KIMMEL RACING

• OWNERS: Frank Kimmel, Bill Kimmel Jr.

• ADDRESS: 201 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN 47129

• CAR NUMBER: 44

• CAR MAKE: Ford

• FRANK KIMMEL’S ARCA TITLES (9): 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007



KIMMEL STARTING SEVENTH AT SALEM

Frank Kimmel qualified seventh for today’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway in Saturday’s time trials. Kimmel posted a lap of 115.987 mph.

Kimmel has won eight times at the half-mile oval, but his last Salem victory came in 2004.

New Albany resident Josh Clemons qualified 13th with a lap of 113.976 mph. Henryville resident Darrell Basham will start 25th with a qualifying lap of 108.228 mph.

The race starts at 2:15 p.m. today. An on-track autograph session takes place on the track from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

— Staff writer Kevin Harris