By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises Staff

Springfield, IL August 16, 2017-Sellersburg, Indiana’s Will Kimmel hasn’t reached his 30th birthday yet he is celebrating his 10th season in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menard’s.  Will continues to attempt to become a ‘generational’ winner in the ARCA racing series, grandpa Bill Sr. was a three-time ARCA winner while uncle Frank captured 10 ARCA titles and won 80 ARCA events including a record 8 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.  It’s on the one mile dirt track at the Illinois State Fair that Will Kimmel hopes to become a third generation winner in the ARCA series and just the second ‘second generation’ winner of the Illinois State Fair stock car race, the Herr’s Potato Chips 100.

Father Jack Bowsher and son Bobby Bowsher won ARCA races and titles and happen to be the only generational winners of the Illinois State Fair stock car event, the Herr’s Potato Chips 100.  Jack won during the Illinois State Fair in 1971 & 1973 and Bobby won in 1991 & 1992.  If Will Kimmel could pull off a victory at Springfield August 20 it would mark the first time in Springfield history that an uncle and nephew won the same stock car event.

In 102 starts prior to the 2017 season Will Kimmel managed to have 15 top 5 finishes, 33 top 10 finishes and lead 12 races for 258 laps and a career best finish of 3rd.  On the dirt at Springfield Will has made 8 consecutive starts since 2009 with a best finish of 4th in 2009.  Last year he started on the outside of the front row and led 15 laps before the engine expired on lap 79.

Will is frequently the first out for practice on the mile dirt tracks and displays an enthusiasm for the fairground dirt tracks that would seem unusual for a driver who cut his teeth on the pavement high banks of Salem, Indiana.  Yet when interviewed last year Kimmel said the dirt tracks were “fun and we only get to do this twice a year”.  It appears that the love for the fairground dirt tracks uncle Frank found over the years has made it to the third generation of the Kimmel family as well.

Kimmel has a lot of help in his quest for one of the coveted 100-mile dirt track wins.  Father Bill is a championship winning crew chief in ARCA and helped uncle Frank to most of the ARCA titles and a large portion of the ARCA victories.

Fans should arrive early at the Illinois State Fair on Sunday, August 20 to see if Will is first out for practice at 9 a.m. for the 55th Herr’s Potato Chips 100.  General Tire Pole qualifying is slated for 11 with the 100-mile championship stock car race slated for 1:30.

It’s all part of three great days of racing in Central Illinois.  It all starts Friday night at Lincoln Speedway with the “Night Before The State Fair Race” at Lincoln Speedway with POWRi/WAR Sprint Cars, UMP Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds, and POWRi DII Midgets by Nutech Seed.  Then, following the Bettenhausen 100 on Saturday afternoon, everyone makes the 40 minute trek east to Macon Speedway for the POWRi National Midgets, Micros, UMP Pro Late Models, UMP Street Stocks, and UMP Hornets.  Rounding out the weekend will be the Herr’s Potato Chips Chase The Taste 100 on Sunday afternoon at 1:30.

Full information on the events can be found at www.trackenterprises.comwww.lincolnspeedwayil.com, andwww.maconracing.com.

About Track Enterprises:

Track Enterprises is a racing promotion company that oversees popular events that feature top touring series like the ARCA Racing Series, USAC Racing, Dirtcar UMP, POWRi Racing, All Star Circuit Of Champions, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, CRA, Southern Super Series, and more.  The company also oversees all racing promotions at Macon Speedway, Lincoln Speedway, and the Terre Haute Action Track.
For more information on the upcoming racing schedule, visit www.trackenterprises.com, like the Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/TrackEnterprises, or call the office at 217-764-3200.