SPEED TV's Tretow: Bold 2010 Predictions

Written by ARCA News

By Jim Tretow
TOLEDO OH - The challenge of predicting what may take place in any given ARCA Racing Series season is far more difficult when compared to any other national American motorsports series.

The two drivers who dominated the headlines last season have moved on. While the respective championship teams of Justin Lofton and Parker Kligerman remain, Eddie Sharp Racing and Cunningham Motorsports have been retooled, molding a new mix of aspiring drivers, leaving the championship chase wide open.

The diversity of the tracks is appealing to some talented drivers that run one or a handful of events. Case in point, 2009 found Patrick Long's victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park,  the strong short track performances of teenager Chris Buescher, and young Casey Roderick's run at Rockingham last October under Bill Elliott's direction.

There are instances, seemingly, in every ARCA Racing Series event...making the predictable, well, unpredictable.

For the sake of conversation, here's a stab at some predictions of what will transpire in 2010:

-Joey Coulter will win one of the first three short track races. This team that thrashed on building cars for the better part of the first half of '09, now have confidence and equipment in hand.

-Pennsylvania native Bobby Gerhart will finally win a race at Pocono Raceway.

-Frank Kimmel will win multiple races, including at least one on the dirt. He is better prepared and has solid sponsorship backing his efforts. Last year's winless season is history.

-Ricky Carmichael will win a race. The GOAT is scheduled to run nine ARCA races this season. He's point chasing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, so he'll go for broke to win an ARCA race.

-Alli Owens will earn her first top-five finish at Talladega.

-Craig Goess will lead the most laps at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

-The record will be broken for number of winners in a single season.

And finally, in no particular order, here's the last five drivers to be introduced come December at the awards banquet:  Frank Kimmel, Justin Marks, Mikey Kile, Joey Coulter, and Patrick Sheltra.