Another race, another running at finish for the #06. Tim Mitchell finished in 29th position in today's Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care run at Toledo Speedway(click here for race results). Tim's day began in the 32nd position as he used a provisional to take a spot on the starting grid. Today's finish should keep Tim in 21st in the season's point standings.

ARCA takes the next two weekends off. The next race is the Pocono 200 on June 7. The season is 1/3 complete. Look comments from Tim soon about today's race and how the first part of the season has gone.

- Don

Kentucky 150 Wrap Up

The Drive Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150 was held earlier this evening. Tim Mitchell finished in 26th position (click here for race results). While it may seem odd to be excited about a 26th place finish, one must keep Tim's performance in perspective. This time last year he struggled weekly just to make the field. When he did make races, it seems he had misfortune of some kind that took him out of races.

The weekend did not start out well as Tim turned in the 38th fastest time in practice and took a provisional to start 36th. Congrats to Tim for completing the race and continuing to rack up points. There is one more race in the current string of races on six consecutive weekends, the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care, at Toledo Speedway next Sunday.

Tim Takes 24th at The Rock

The #06 turned in another solid finish today in the Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway with a 24th place finish (race results). The result was good considering Tim began in 39th position. Better yet, Tim finished the race (for the fourth time out of five races in '08) rather than struggling with mechanical problems like he has in past years.

Tim was pleased overall with today's outcome. "We had a pretty good day today," he said. "The car handled decent and we avoided trouble." In particular, Tim stayed out of a major wreck that left him with only minor damage after scraping the inside wall to avoid the mishap. Tim's first race at The Rock was a good one; "if we come back here to race again I will have good memories from today's race."

Now, it's on to Kentucky Speedway outside of Cincinnati next Saturday for the Drive Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150. "Kentucky is one of the nicest facilities where we race, but I have had mediocre runs there," according to Tim. Hopefully, his recent streak of solid performances will continue at Kentucky.

29th for the #06

The Kansas Lottery $150 Grand just ended, and Tim finished in 29th position. He started the field in 39th and ran 87 of the race's 100 laps. His finish is one place higher than his 2007 finish in this race.

Comments from Tim about the race will be posted soon.

- Don

Kansas Preview

The Kansas Lottery $150 Grand race is scheduled for Friday at 4:00 PM at Kansas Speedway. Race fans can attend the race for free, courtesy of the Kansas Lottery. Click here for promotion details. The race is part of a weekend of racing at the track that includes a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday and an IRL race on Sunday.

I asked Tim about his experience racing at Kansas Speedway: "I enjoy racing at Kansas. We have run there 3 or 4 times and have had decent luck at the track. The most difficult part of the track is coming out of Turn 2. If you aren't careful, it can put you in a spin."

The weather at the track has gone from a hail storm Monday night- "not much fun when you're in a motor home" said Tim, to sunny weather today with a forecast in the 80s. However, rain is predicted to move in later tonight and Friday morning, which could impact qualifying again this week.

- Don

#06 Finishes 30th in Iowa

Tim bounced back from failing to make the race in Salem by finishing 30th in the Prairie Meadows 250 at the Iowa Speedway. The setup problems that plagued the #06 at Salem continued to be a problem in Iowa. Also, rain washed out almost all practice time as well as qualifying. As a result, the field was set based on 2007 points, giving Tim the 23rd position on the starting grid.

"We didn't have the setup of the car where it needed to be," said Tim. He brought the car in for work on a couple of occasions during the race. "We finally got the setup right, but by then it was too late." Tim's persistence paid off in terms of earning points that are valuable over the course of the season.

It's a relatively short week. Tim has headed on to Kansas rather than return home to prepare for the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand Friday afternoon. Hopefully, Tim's luck will take a turn for the better at Kansas.

- Don

"A Very Frustrating Day"

That's the way Tim described qualifying for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 yesterday. The troubles began when the car was unloaded. There were several mechanical problems with the car that had to be corrected before qualifying, leaving Tim with virtually no practice time. Then, as Tim was running his first qualifying lap the protective net came undone. Tim was startled by something hitting him on the shoulder, and it broke his concentration. He recovered a bit during the second lap, but by then his fate was sealed. Bottom line: Tim missed the race.

It's on to Iowa Speedway for the Prairie Meadows 250 on Saturday. Hopefully, all of the bad luck that could befall Tim did so in one day.

- Don