Busy Bean Ready For Berlin Raceway |
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Topics: Dexter Bean, Request Foods-GFS 200
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Chris Knight
BlackJack Racing
July 3, 2007
“Returning To Top-Three In Points Has Bean Hungry For More”
MARNE, Michigan (July 3, 2007) - - It’s no secret that Dexter Bean and BlackJack Racing are enjoying a record season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and as the series begins their journey for the second half of the 23-race season, the team plans to step it up even further beginning with Saturday’s Request Foods-GFS 200.
Bean, sitting third in the championship standings heading into Saturday’s thriller made his Berlin Raceway debut last July. After practicing in the top-20, he qualified 19th and finished a solid 12th. This year, Bean is looking for more, much more.
“I’m actually looking forward to going back to Berlin ,” said Bean. “Last year was my rookie year and there was a bunch of tracks that I never competed at before. Berlin was one of them. When I go out and practice this weekend, I’m going to feel more comfortable. Our short track program has been strong this season and I really expect no different on Saturday.”
He continued, “We’re bringing the same car that we finished second with at Salem . It’s been a good car, one of the best in our shop; we should be pretty good this weekend.”
Rewinding back to Michigan , Bean considered the race a success. After unveiling a brand new car, the team shook out the new bugs, led some laps and had a respectable finish.
“ Michigan was pretty good. It was a new car for us. We didn’t practice or qualify as well as we wanted to. But, we kept adjusting on the car all race long and we got better at the end. We know what this car wants and needs, so the next time we bring it to the track, it should be a contending Chevrolet Monte Carlo.”
With his solid finish at Michigan , Bean rose from fourth to third in the championship standings giving some additional confidence to the Wisconsin team that the 2007 championship is still within reach.
“It’s good to be sitting third in points heading to Berlin ,” added Bean. “You have to be careful at tracks like Berlin though. This track can come up and bite you for no reason, which could cost us big. We’re going to remain focused and give 150 percent and see if we can’t drum up our first win on Saturday.”
During his two week breather from ARCA competition, Bean kept on the run.
The week following Michigan , Bean headed to Washington , D.C. on behalf of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to participate in the 2007 Children’s Congress conference.
The event, one of the most anticipated for the year for the foundation brought 150 children with type one (1) diabetes ages 4 to 17, representing all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia to serve as delegates and meet with their elected officials to seek additional funds from Congress for diabetes research.
“What an opportunity of a lifetime Washington D.C. was,” said Bean from his home in Westby , Wisconsin . “First, I would like to thank everyone at JDRF for asking me to attend an event of such magnitude, it was a great honor and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.”
The week after, Bean participated in a short track event in his home state of Wisconsin at Madison International Speedway. In the First Supply All-Star Challenge presented by Capital City Harley-Davidson of Madison late model race saw NASCAR icons Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth also dabble in, Bean won his heat event gaining him a berth (18th) in the main feature race starting behind former NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. During the event, Bean stayed competitive and finished a solid 14th. Kenseth won, with Stewart trailing in seventh.
Now he is ready to head back to familiar territory.
“The time off was fun, but I was super busy,” Bean added. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I’m glad that we’re going back ARCA racing. I love this series and I love the people surrounding it. I still have some goals I want to accomplish this year; hopefully I can cross one of them off this weekend.”
While BlackJack Racing is still searching for additional sponsorship of Bean’s No. 6 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, the team is glad to have local longtime supporter Five Star Telecom on board as an associate sponsor.
Since their beginning in 1973, FST (Five Star Telecom), a long-time supporter of Bean’s racing career has become one of the largest interconnect companies in the Upper Midwest , with multiple locations serving the tri-state area.
Rolling into Berlin, Dexter Bean has 38 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with four-top fives finishes and 11 top-10 efforts. He holds a career best finish of second at Salem Speedway and Pocono Raceway (April 2007 and June 2007). He owns the 2006 ARCA SIM Factory pole award at Salem Speedway (September) while hoisting a career-best speedway time trials effort of fourth at Pocono Raceway (June 2006). Bean also has controlled the ARCA field for 138 laps in six races.
BlackJack Racing is still seeking additional primary and associate sponsors for the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact BlackJack Racing at david@mwt.net or 608.634.4242.
The Request Foods-GFS 200 (200 laps/88 miles) is the 12th of 23 events on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 20th ARCA race held at Berlin Raceway is a one-day show. Practice begins Saturday, July 7 with an hour and a half practice (2:30pm-4:00pm) session planned. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 5:00pm Local Time. The event will take the green flag later that night at 8:30pm Local Time. The race will not be televised. However, additional race coverage can be found online at arcaracing.com
For more on Dexter Bean and BlackJack Racing please visit DexterBean.net
DEXTER BEAN BERLIN QUICK FACTS:
2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series Stats:
Starts: 11
Best Start: Second at Salem Speedway , April 2007
Top-Fives: Two (Second at Salem Speedway , April 2007, Second at Pocono Raceway, June 2007)
Top-10s: Five (Ninth at Nashville Superspeedway, second at Salem Speedway, eighth at Winchester Speedway, 10th at Kansas Speedway and second at Pocono Raceway.)
Did Not Finish (DNFs): One ( USA International Speedway )
Laps Led: 54 (30 at Salem Speedway, April 2007, 19 at Pocono Raceway, June 2007 and five at Michigan International Speedway, June 2007)
Notes of Interest:
Halfway through the 2007 season, Bean has already tied his 2006 stats with five top-10 finishes in 23 races. This season, Bean in just 11 races has amassed two top-fives, five top-tens, an outside pole and 54 laps led.
Bean sits third in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship standings just 20 markers behind second place competitor Bobby Gerhart. 150 points keeps Bean from overtaking the top spot from eight time ARS champion Frank Kimmel.
Bean participated Tuesday night in “Inside The ARCA RE/MAX Series”, the official radio show of the ARCA RE/MAX Series on Race Talk Radio.
When not working on racecars, Bean concentrates on his construction company, Checkered Flag Construction based in Westby , Wisconsin .
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MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, BlackJack Racing
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: knight849@aol.com