Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio - October 13, 2011) - Sunday's Federated Car Care 200 at Toledo Speedway will in part be a coronation for rookie driver Ty Dillon, who will clinch the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship simply by starting the race.

Dillon's impending series title - built on the strength of a series-high seven wins in 18 races this season - will not be the only award up for grabs at ARCA's home track, though. Even as the rising Richard Childress Racing star (left) becomes the 29th different champion in 59 years of ARCA competition and the first rookie titleholder since Tim Steele in 1993, numerous special awards will also be in the balance over the season's final 200 laps.

Roulo Brothers Racing's Chris Buescher (right) has been Dillon's closest pursuer in the championship race, and now sits 335 points out of the overall points lead following two recent wins. However, Buescher and Dillon are tied for Rookie of the Year honors, having each earned 438 points in their best 15 starts.

Rookie points are assigned on a 30-28-26-24-and-continuing scale as rookies are ranked against each other in each race, and no driver outside of the top two has scored a 30 in any race this season. Dillon and Buescher have each been the top rookie nine times, and each driver has six second-rookie finishes, for 28 points apiece. 

Provided Dillon and Buescher are the top two rookies in Sunday's race - a feat the two have accomplished in each of the last four races and on 14 of 18 occasions this year - the driver who finishes ahead of the other will win the Rookie of the Year points championship.

Of course, the ARCA Racing Series rule book stipulates that "a driver may not win Rookie of the Year and (the) series driving championship in the same year," and the award is not officially presented until the driver is certain to have qualified based on a character and conduct clause specific to the award. Buescher, likely, will take the Rookie of the Year prize at the series' championship awards banquet on December 10 in Covington, Ky, but Toledo Speedway will decide whether or not the Roush Fenway Racing development driver wins it outright.

Buescher has already defeated Dillon for the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award, winning by 25 points after finishing second at Kansas Speedway last Friday. Though Dillon ended the seven-race speedway campaign with four wins, Buescher's seven top-fives paved the road to the award.

Dillon has already earned the Aaron's Lap Leader Award for 2011 with 626 laps led in 13 races. Even if Buescher were to lead all 200 laps Sunday, he would still fall short by 120 laps. However, Roulo Brothers Racing is still in the running for another major award.

Russell Roulo leads Matthew Wolper of the Venturini Motorsports No. 25 team by 41 points in the Klotz Engine Mechanic of the Year standings. If Buescher, driving Roulo's No. 17, qualifies anywhere in the top seven in Saturday's Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell, Roulo will clinch the award regardless of what happens in the race.

On the other hand, Scott Naset, who is Dillon's crew chief, leads the No. 17's Gary Roulo by 360 points in the Cometic Crew Chief of the Year standings. Naset stands to clinch the season-long award merely by entering the No. 41 Chevrolet. That would add to Dillon's and RCR's potential haul, which currently includes a lead in the Fast Track Award standings and the season-long Menards Pole Award. Dillon has seven poles in 2011.

Nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel (right) leads the charge for several other awards, including the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year Award, which he has clinched. Kimmel holds a 70-point lead over Buescher in the R.E. Lightning Challenge, and will take the S & S Volvo Laps Completed Award if he completes 94 laps of the 200-lap event, barring any extension of the race.

Chevrolet has already clinched the Manufacturer Championship, as the maker currently holds a 21-point lead over Ford. A single manufacturer can gain no more than nine points on another in a single event. 

Andy Belmont Racing's Chad McCumbee clinched the Bill France Four Crown Award, presented earlier this fall at Salem Speedway.

Twenty-three drivers on this weekend's entry list have experience at Toledo Speedway, a group led by Kimmel, whose nine wins and 32 starts are all-time highs. Buescher won twice at Toledo last season to sweep the year's ARCA slate, and Dillon won this May after starting in the 23rd position.

Top-10 finishers behind Dillon in May's race who will return this weekend were Grant Enfinger (second), Tim George Jr. (fourth), Buescher (fifth), McCumbee (seventh), and Kimmel (ninth).

The Federated Car Care 200 at Toledo Speedway will close the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season, completing a schedule of 19 races over speedways, short tracks, dirt tracks, and a road course.

Toledo Speedway will host two practices on Saturday, October 15, with one from noon to 12:45 p.m., and the second from 1:40 to 2:25. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will decide the final ARCA pole winner of 2011 at 4 p.m., preceding a USAC Midget feature and a USAC Silver Crown feature to close the first day of the track's championship weekend.

On Sunday, October 16, an on-track autograph session for all fans from noon to 1 p.m. will precede the 200-lap, 100-mile Federated Car Care 200, which will start at 2 p.m.

Advance discount tickets for the Federated Car Care 200 are available at Toledo-area Menards stores, including locations in Sandusky, Findlay, and Defiance.  Race fans can save on ticket prices through October 14.

Toledo Speedway is located at 5639 Benore Road in northeast Toledo, just off I-75 and Alexis Road.  More information is available by calling (419) 727-1100, or by visiting ARCARacing.com.