RFMS Racing owner, Don Fike, recently announced that he will not continue to race in the ARCA Menards Series in the 2020 season.
01/22/2020
RFMS Racing owner, Don Fike, recently announced that he will not continue to race in the ARCA Menards Series in the 2020 season. Fike has decided to sell his race team and step away from ownership.
Fike, who has been involved in racing for over 50 years, says that it has been a very difficult decision for him. “I almost sold the team after the 2017 season. I had a bicycle accident that year, which ultimately made my Parkinson’s symptoms worsen. My doctor and I talked about reducing my stress, so I decided to stop racing. My wife and some of my closest friends could tell how miserable I was with my decision to sell, so they talked me into doing it another year or two. But it’s time now. As much as I love racing, I just don’t need the extra responsibility anymore.”
Fike made a great run of his racing career. For 52 years, he has either raced, worked on, sponsored or owned race cars. He developed his life-long passion during his college years, when he put together his first stock car. He competed in a six cylinder at local tracks in Illinois such as the Mazon Speedbowl, where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. Fike continued with his late model driving career for many years, and then he developed RFMS Racing in 1996. RFMS Racing was one of the elite open-wheel operators in the United States Auto Club (USAC Racing) - racing Midgets and Silver Crown cars throughout the country. RFMS racing has enjoyed considerable success with over 60 wins across the following series: NAMARS, UMARA, USAC Silver Crown, USAC National Midget, BADGER, Infiniti Pro, World Midget Championship, POWRi, and the ARCA RACING SERIES.
When asked what some of his biggest accomplishments were, Fike stated, “I am very proud of finishing 4th in driver points and 7th in owner points in the ARCA Menards Series in 2019. ARCA was such a competitive series, we learned a lot, and it was a fun change of pace from the open wheel stuff. One of the things I am most proud of in my career though is our USAC National Midget Championship in 2012 against some very tough competition. I will also always remember our Springfield wins in the USAC Silver Crown Car and the ARCA car with my son, AJ. We were proud to win at that home track in both series. The most important thing though is all the friends I have made doing this. I really have some of my closest friends and best memories from being involved in racing.”
Don also plans to continue his Racing for Others Program, where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are able to attend a race. “We take them to the track, give them t-shirts, a meal, have drivers stop by and sign autographs. They have a great time, and it is something that they wouldn’t normally be able to do. We cover all the expenses, and put them up in a suite and everything. It has become one of things I look forward to the most.”
RFMS Racing and Don Fike would like thank all of the fans, sponsors, crew members, vendors, competitors and friends for their support over the years, as none of his career would have been possible without each and every one of them.
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Rare Home Track Race Up Next for Travis Braden at Lucas Oil Raceway
10/01/2019
Everyone loves a home game.
The ARCA Menards Series doesn't race in Wheeling, West Virginia, hometown of Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford), but it does have a race in suburban Indianapolis, not that far from the RFMS Racing shop.
So Saturday's Herr's Potato Chips 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway is the best version of a home game Braden will get in 2019.
"Having a home track race is really a foreign concept to me, and I have had a lot of fun being able to call Lucas Oil Raceway my home track for the past few years," Braden said. "RFMS Racing's shop is just a few minutes drive from the track. Growing up in West Virginia, I was used to at least a two-hour drive to even the nearest track. Typically much further yet. While the short drive is extremely convenient, probably my favorite part about this home track race is that I get to race in front of a lot of my peers from my daily life here in Indiana. That's something I've never experienced before, and it's adrenaline-filling. I now know why they call it the home field advantage."
Racing at Lucas Oil Raceway doesn't just mean racing close to home for Braden, it means returning to the site of his first career ARCA Menards Series win, which came in his series debut in 2015.
Driving for his own family-owned team, and with a budget that only guaranteed them just that race, Braden used well-timed pit strategy to have fresher tires at the end of the race and he passed William Byron, at the time an ARCA rookie driving for Venturini Motorsports but now an established Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver for Hendrick Motorsports, with 21 laps to go.
It was perhaps one of the most surprising wins in recent ARCA Menards Series memory, and no one was more surprised at the time than Braden.
"To be honest, even now, years later, at times people will randomly bring up that race and I kind of forget that it was an actual thing that really happened," Braden said. "It didn't seem real then, and it doesn't seem real today. First-time winners are not extremely uncommon in the ARCA Menards Series, but it was nearly unheard-of that a first time winner wasn't driving for one of the big powerhouse teams, let alone a family-owned-and-operated team that had zero experience.
"When I tell you that we had no idea what we were doing, we had no idea what we were doing. HI had to buy a new HANS device at the track because I didn't know that they went out-of-date. The whole process of preparing for the race, and the entire raceday, were just a total cluster. Oh, and not to mention, we put basically our entire budget for the entire season into running just this one race. I think it was really these realities of the backstory that made it so surprising for everyone. It just wasn't supposed to happen. I'm so thankful for the steps ARCA had just recently taken to bring the spec Ilmor engine into competition, which really was the puzzle piece that made it feasible for us. And I can never forget to mention Matt Weber, who was our crew chief and made the perfect call at the perfect time and truly made the magic happen."
Braden, a graduate of West Virginia University with dual degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering, now drives for long-time ARCA team owner Don Fike. The team, located in Brownsburg just outside of Indianapolis, has just two full-time employees: Braden and Casey Swift. Crew chief Jim Long is in regular communication with Braden throughout the week and joins the team at the track.
Despite the long odds, the small RFMS Racing team has stood toe-to-toe with the series powerhouse teams and has acquitted themselves very well. Braden currently sits fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, just 110 points out of third.
As a two-time ARCA/CRA Super Series late model champion, Braden knows how to get around short tracks. He's finished second five times in ARCA/CRA competition this season, and is a former winner in late model competition at Lucas Oil Raceway as well. That gives him a lot of added confidence heading back to one of his favorite tracks.
"I have a lot of confidence at LOR," he said. "It's been a great track for me. There seems to be a very select few guys that ever find success here, and I feel blessed to have been one of those few over the past five years. It's probably the single most tactically challenging tracks on the schedule, and that gives really anyone a great chance to make things happen. Back in the 2015 race, we actually went a lap down briefly during that race before making the comeback and winning."
The Herr's Potato Chips 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway is set for Saturday October 5. Practice starts the day's activities at 2 pm ET, with General Tire Pole Qualifying at 5 pm ET. The 200-lap main event, scheduled for live broadcast MAVTV, will go green shortly after 8 pm ET. ARCA for Me members can access live timing & scoring, live chat, and live track updates at ARCARacing.com. New users can register for free with a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login. For more information, please visit TrackEnterprises.com.
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Rough night in Elko
07/14/2019
Travis Braden is at Elko Speedway.
Rough night in Elko but we fought hard. Thankful our car is coming home in, like, 6 or 7 pieces and not more. Made some mistakes and had some positives, though in the end we were still looking for just a little bit more speed. Thankful for the great group of MatrixCare folks st the track to root us on! Also Thankful for a great effort by RFMS Racing and it was a pleasure to compete in my first short track race with Jim Long. Better days to come! Now it's back to Indiana, and off to the Redbud 400 with Team Platinum tomorrow night!
Consistency the Key for Travis Braden's 2019 ARCA Menards Series Season
07/02/2019
In some respects, it’s been a season of firsts for Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) and the RFMS Racing team. But what they hope to accomplish is finding their seconds, that is their second career ARCA Menards Series victories.
The notable first they accomplished this year is indeed impressive. Despite having only three full-time employees – including Braden – they combined to lead the series’ championship standings twice so far in 2019. And despite some ups and downs, Braden is still just sixty points out of the lead with eight races remaining in the season.
Braden, a two-time ARCA/CRA Super Series champion, made waves when he won at Lucas Oil Raceway in his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2015. RFMS racing had won at Springfield with driver A.J. Fike at the wheel, also in 2015. Braden joined the team on a part-time basis in 2017 and then for a full-season run in 2018. His first season was solid in his debut season as he scored four top-five finishes, including a season-best third at Berlin, and eleven top-ten finishes on his way to fifth in the final series standings.
Although he led the standings early in the season, Braden isn’t satisfied. He’s scored ten top-ten finishes in the first twelve races of the season, and he’s been in the top five in two of the last three races at Madison and Chicagoland. But the outright speed to go compete for victories hasn’t been there just yet. In order to take that next step, Braden and RFMS Racing made a change, adding Jim Long to the team as crew chief.
“We have been alright,” Braden said of his 2019 season to this point. “We’ve been consistent. It’s been up and down but we’ve been more consistent than 2018. We are still looking for the speed to go compete with the top six or eight cars.”
That consistency has been the biggest strength of the team’s season so far.
“The consistency is definitely our strong point right now,” he said. “We don’t have failures. We don’t have things falling off the cars. We don’t have the speed but we are consistently right there. Last year there were times we would be right there, but there would also be some times we were pretty far off. We haven’t been that far off at any time this year, but we’re still looking for that speed.”
If he’s going to go out and knock Michael Self off the top of the series championship standings, Braden knows he and the team will need to make some strides in performance. It’s not just one little thing, or even one big thing, the team needs to improve upon, but rather an accumulation of several very small things that add up to that missing tenth of a second on the speedway.
“Honestly we need a little bit of everything,” he said. “If you compare where we would struggle the most with in 2018 to this year, we would be really tight or really loose or very insecure at all times. Now we are secure, we’re just looking for little things that pick you up. Like rotation in the corner. Mechanical grip. Aero. They all add up to the tenths you are looking for. We don’t have any glaring issues, but it’s all just the little things.”
RFMS Racing, owned by long-time ARCA owner Don Fike, doesn’t have a technical alliance with a major NASCAR team so access to data can often be hard to come by. But Braden, a college grad with degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering, is as hands-on as any driver can possibly be. He knows what the car is doing because he’s involved in building them and setting them up. But he also knows that, being an independent team, there are places they will struggle. But, at the same time, he also knows there are places where his ability behind the wheel and his small team’s work ethic and desire can make up for that lack of access to technology and data.
“The mile and a halfs are the toughest for sure,” he said. “Even when we are at our best it’s the little things when you factor in the aero part on top of it. We are learning about it all the time. There’s always an aero part to it, but on the short tracks it always a chassis and tires deal. Places like Elko, Lucas Oil Raceway, and Salem. And if we can’t win one of those dirt races we are going to be pretty mad.”
Braden started his racing career in a go-kart on dirt but had never raced a full-sized car on dirt until last year. He took to it like a duck takes to water.
“I started on a dirt go-kart track but it was like racing on pavement,” he said. “There wasn’t any sliding. I always said I would be a lot better dirt driver than asphalt but I couldn’t ever tell anyone why. It worked out that we were pretty good at Springfield last year. We got like ten laps of practice but the track is totally different than that in the race. It changes all day long. We would have been in contention for that one if we had a little more experience. Then we went to DuQuoin and felt like we had a chance to win. We were leading on a restart at DuQuoin and got taken out. But we’re really excited to get back to the dirt this season.”
Braden and the rest of the ARCA Menards Series returns to action on Saturday July 13 in the Menards 250 at Elko Speedway. Practice is set for 2:15 pm ET/1:15 pm CT, General Tire Pole Qualifying is scheduled for 6:15 pm ET/5:15 pm CT, and the 250-lap feature event will go green shortly after 10 pm ET/9 pm CT. The race will be televised live on MAVTV, and ARCA for Me members can follow every lap made my every car entered throughout every on-track session with free live timing & scoring at ARCARacing.com. Discounted tickets to the Menards 250 are available at nearly 40 Minneapolis-St. Paul Menards locations for just $20. For more information, please visit ElkoSpeedway.com or call (952) 461-7223.
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Overnight Rains Force Delays at Pocono; Practice Postponed, Qualifying for General Tire 200 Canceled
05/31/2019
Practice for the General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 has been postponed due to damp track conditions after heavy overnight rains at Pocono Raceway. Track officials started track drying efforts at 6:30 this morning but water coming up through the track surface at the entrance to turn one and a brief shower that slowed drying efforts earlier in the morning forced ARCA Menards Series officials to postpone the session.
With little time remaining as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series teams are waiting to begin their on-track activity for the weekend, General Tire Pole Qualifying, originally scheduled for 12 noon, has now been canceled. Series officials still hope to have a one-hour practice this afternoon. If so, times from that session would be used to set the field.
Check back in an hour for updates!
The General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 is scheduled for a 5:30 pm ET start and will be televised live on FS2. There will be an immediate rebroadcast on FS1 at 8:30 pm ET. ARCA for Me members can access free live timing & scoring, live track updates, and live chat at ARCARacing.com; new users can register for free with a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login.
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Pocono a Challenge for Driver - and Engineer - Travis Braden
05/29/2019
Racecar drivers love a challenge. They want to beat the best head-to-head, not because there was a crash or someone had a mechanical problem and failed to finish. Bragging rights are just as important as the trophy.
So it should come as no surprise that drivers want to excel at the most demanding and challenging tracks they race at.
For the ARCA Menards Series, its diverse schedule includes twenty races at eighteen different venues. None is more challenging for drivers and teams than Pocono Raceway.
The triangular 2.5-mile layout nestled in the Pocono Mountains has three completely different corners. Turn one is a high-banked, high-speed hairpin, modeled after turns one and two at the long-defunct Trenton Speedway. Turn two is a nearly-flat ninety degree bend that is modeled after the corners at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Turn three, a flat sweeping corner that seems to go on forever, is patterned after the corners of the Milwaukee Mile. The different radii and the different banking in each corner, not to mention the different lengths of the three straightaways that connect them all, offer drivers and teams one of their biggest challenges of the season.
For the series’ championship contenders, Pocono presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge, of course, is beating the other contenders and the track itself. The opportunity comes from taking finding the right combination and strengthening your position in the points championship.
For Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) the General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 presents a challenge for him as a driver and as an engineer. The 25-year-old West Virginia University graduate has two degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering, and he will be putting that knowledge to use as he helps crew chief Dan Glauz find the right setup on their RFMS Racing entry.
“As a driver, you need to hit all three corners just right,” Braden said. “if you miss one corner it messes up all three of them. Everyone looks at the long straightaways and you think you want to reduce drag, but the corners are where the speed is at.”
Braden’s team has just three full-time employees. Despite some ups and downs in the first half of the season, they’ve found themselves in the midst of the series championship battle. Braden knows his team needs to find some consistency if they are going to stay in the hunt through the heat of the summer stretch and into the fall.
“We want to win races,” Braden said. “If you win the points will come with it. Everyone has issues at some point. We had ours at Toledo. We need to avoid any more problems and that should keep us near the front.”
While other teams have more employees and more access to resources, Braden and his small band of warriors enjoy the challenge and the camaraderie of taking on the big teams.
“It’s hard,” Braden said. “We’re going to work hard and do our best. When we have a bad day it sticks out. We don’t want to say us not being a bigger team is an excuse. Not at all. We want to come out and beat them.”
The battle for the ARCA Menards Series championship continues in the General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 at Pocono Raceway on Friday, May 31. Practice starts at 9 am ET, followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 12 noon. The race is scheduled to start at 5:45 pm ET and will be televised live on FS2 with a same day replay on FS1 at 8 pm ET. ARCA for Me members can access live timing & scoring, live track updates, and live chat for free at ARCARacing.com. New users may join for free with a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login. For tickets, log on to PoconoRaceway.com or call 800-RACEWAY.
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Travis Braden- "This Place Is Pretty Tricky"
05/15/2019
Championship Contender, Travis Braden, tells us what all is going through his head as he goes into Toledo as the current ARCA points leader. - video
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Travis Braden Retakes Points Lead After Nashville
05/08/2019
For the fifth time this season, the ARCA Menards Series championship points lead has changed hands.
Travis Braden- Current Points Leader After Nashville Race
Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) retook the top spot in the standings following his eighth-place finish in the General Tire Music City 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. It was fourth top-ten finish in the five races run so far this year.
Braden was in a car his RFMS team had recently acquired and was racing for the first time in 2019. Plans call for it to be their primary short track car for the rest of 2019.
“We just got this car and we’ve spent a lot of time working on it,” Braden said. “It’s a great car with a lot of potential. We were a lot better than we were here last year. We were five laps down here last year with no issues or reason for it, and we got lapped today right there at the end. We had a lot more speed here than we did last year. As bad as we were here last year, I am really confident this car will help us even more at some of the short tracks coming up where we were good last year.”
Braden now has a thirty-point advantage over Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) in the standings. The two have traded the lead in each of the last three weeks. Harrison Burton led after the Daytona race, Christian Eckes took command after round two at Five Flags, and Braden took the lead for the first time after the race at Salem. Self assumed the lead after the Talladega event, but he was swept into a crash at lap 73 while running among the top five at Nashville and finished 15th, dropping him back to second.
“It was a great run for us,” Braden said of his day. “We started off really tight and burned off the first set of tires. We got a set of rights at the first caution and I burned them off trying to keep up. We just had to work on managing that tight condition. I have a lot of confidence in the direction we’re going. At one point we were making some moves through the field then I’d burn up my stuff at the end of a run. It was a good day but we want a little bit more.”
Practice for the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Toledo Speedway is scheduled for 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, May 18, followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 4 pm ET. A 35-lap late model sportsman feature event will close Saturday night’s activities at the track. The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 will go green shortly after 2 m ET on Sunday, May 19. The race will be televised live on MAVTV. ARCA for Me members can access live timing & scoring, live track updates, and live user chat throughout all on-track sessions at ARCARacing.com. New users can register for free with a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login.
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ARCA Menards Series Standings Shaken Up Again After Nashville
05/06/2019
For the fifth consecutive race, the lead in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings has changed hands.
On the strength of two wins at Five Flags and Salem, Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) entered the General Tire Music City 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions with a five-point lead in the standings. Self ran strong in the early stages of the race at Nashville, but was eliminated in lap 73 when Tommy Vigh, Jr. lost control after contact from Ty Gibbs entering turn one. Vigh made contact with the right side of Self’s car sending it up the banking and hard into the turn two retaining wall. Crew chief Shannon Rursch and the team evaluated the damage but quickly determined the car to be too damaged to continue.
Self was frustrated to be eliminated in a crash for the second time in 2019. He finished 31st in the season-opener at Daytona after contact with another driver on lap three.
“Ty is a good driver but he has to have more patience,” Self said. “Tommy was five laps down. I know he was in the way but just pass him in the next corner. His granddad isn’t Joe Gibbs and can’t fix that. And because of that two cars got trashed because he couldn’t be patient.”
With Self sidelined, Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) was able to retake the top spot with an eighth-place finish. It was Braden’s fourth top-ten finish of the season and unofficially gives him a thirty-point advantage heading into the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Toledo Speedway on May 19.
“We had a good solid day,” Braden said. “This was a new car for us, and we’re just working the bugs out and getting used to it. It’s a good car and it’ll be our primary for the rest of the season. It’s a shame Michael had problems again but we’re focused on getting our cars better and getting our first win together as a team. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and we like the direction we’re headed.”
Bret Holmes finished fifth at Nashville and moved to third in the series standings, 60 points out of the lead.
“It’s never too early to start counting points but we’re working to get a win,” Holmes said. “We had a little bad luck here at Nashville but we still came out of here with a top five. I locked up the brakes trying to get by the 25 (Self) and couldn’t steer and we got into it a little bit. There was some damage to the left side but it’s just bodywork. We should have had a better run at Talladega than we did so it’s good to come out of here with some momentum. I am ready to get to Toledo.”
Joe Graf, Jr. (No. 77 EAT SLEEP RACE Ford) and Nashville winner Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) round out the top five in the ARCA Menards Series standings heading into the next series event at Toledo Speedway, the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 on May 19. Practice is scheduled for 12:30 pm ET on Saturday May 18, with General Tire Pole Qualifying to follow at 4 pm ET. Round six of the 2019 ARCA Menards Series season will go green at 2 pm ET on Sunday, May 19. The race will be televised live on MAVTV. ARCA for Me members can follow live timing & scoring, live track updates, and live chat throughout all on-track sessions at ARCARacing.com. New users can register for free with a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login.
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The ARCA Menards Series standings were shaken up in a big way following Sunday’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway.
04/16/2019
The championship leader going in to the first of two clashes on Salem’s high banks, Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota), did not race on Sunday due to illness. Although he did not race on Sunday, Eckes did receive 25 points for entering and participating in the event, and he remains eligible for the 250-point bonus for participating in each race in the first of four five-race segments in the 2019 season. Eckes is now fifth, eighty points behind new leader Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford). Braden finished a disappointing 12th at Salem after scrubbing the wall just past the 80 lap mark. It’s the first time in his ARCA Menards Series career that he has led the series championship standings. Braden, who won in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Lucas Oil Raceway in 2015, is a two-time ARCA/CRA Super Series late model champion.
Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota), the winner on Sunday, jumped to second in the standings. After a 31st-place finish at Daytona, Self has won the last two ARCA Menards Series race and has closed to within five points of the series lead. Bret Holmes (No. 23 Holmes II Excavating/Southern States Bank Chevrolet) is third, 20 points out of the lead. Holmes finished tenth at Salem, his second consecutive top-ten run after being involved in a late-race crash at Daytona.
Self has scored 15 bonus points so far in 2019, ten bonus points for leading at least one lap at both Five Flags and Salem, and five bonus points for leading the most laps at Salem. Braden has yet to earn any bonus points so far in 2019.
Joe Graf, Jr (No. 77 EAT SLEEP RACE Ford) sits fourth in the standings, 55 points out of the lead, followed by Eckes in fifth.
Bounty Rookie of the Year contender Tommy Vigh, Jr. (No. 10 Extreme Kleaner/Menards Ford) is sixth, Daytona winner Harrison Burton (No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota) is seventh tied his car-mate Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman/828 Logistics Toyota). Burton was not scheduled to race at Salem but substituted for Eckes at Salem and drove to an eighth-place finish. Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy/ORCA Coolers/Terrible Herbst/Advance Auto Parts Toyota) is ninth, and Brad Smith (No. 48 HIE Publishing Ford) is tenth.
The battle for the ARCA Menards Series championship resumes Friday April 26 in the General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway. The day starts with practice at 9:30 am ET/8:30 pm CT, followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 3:35 pm ET/2:35 pm CT, and concludes with the General Tire 200 at 6 pm ET/5 pm CT. The race will be televised live on FS1 while ARCA for Me members can follow with live timing & scoring, live track updates, and live chat at ARCARacing.com. New users can register for free with a valid e-mail address at ARCARacing.com/login.
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After Two Top Tens to Start 2019, Travis Braden Sitting Second in ARCA Menards Series Standings
04/03/2019
Former ARCA/CRA Super Series champion Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) has had a solid, in unspectacular, start to the 2019 ARCA Menards Series season. And that’s been the way the Wheeling, West Virginia driver wants it. For now.
Braden was involved in a late-race crash while battling for the win in the 2018 season opener at Daytona that resulted in writing off a race car. The crash not only hurt him in the points, but it put the team behind for much of the season as the close-knit Don Fike-owned RFMS team struggled to rebuild a racecar while getting prepared for other races as well.
Braden’s approach to this season’s Daytona event was drastically different. He stayed out of trouble and came home with his racecar in one piece, and just as important, an eighth-place finish. The team also didn’t have to rebuild a racecar and could therefore give 100 percent focus to the next race on the schedule at Five Flags Speedway.
Braden and team came out of Five Flags with their second consecutive top ten finish, and they head to the next race on the schedule at Salem Speedway on April 14 second in the series standings.
“I think we are getting so close to getting up there with those guys,” Braden said. “If you compare to last season, this was still a relatively strong run for us on a short track. Especially when you consider that it was a new track, we only got one round of practice to get it right, and a lot of the other top ten teams had tested there numerous times. I was proud of the effort, and I felt like we just needed to catch a break to get a caution before going a lap down. After the first caution and our pit stop, we were able to make some adjustments that had us well into the top ten in terms of speed. We just couldn't ever get our lap back.”
Heading into the second short track race of the season second in the championship standings is a big change from where Braden was last season, a welcome change that has instilled a lot of confidence.
“I'm ecstatic about where we are,” he said. “These first two races were on my mind all off-season as "the two" that could make or break us. I really felt like the first two races of 2018 doomed our chances at a top three in the championship right from the start. Now that we are focused on race number three and the stretch of races during the Summer in such good position, I have a ton of confidence that we will pick away at that points lead and start to really put pressure on in this championship.”
Despite a trying night at Five Flags, Braden’s Dan Glausz-led team came away with some hard-earned information and data that will help going forward, starting at Salem.
“We've worked tirelessly on our cars this winter to make gains,” Braden said, with specific emphasis on the word tirelessly. “We were able to finally truly test those changes for the first time, and the results were very positive. Now we can just settle in, tweak our stuff every race, and get in a rhythm. At this point in 2018 we were sort of scratching our heads. Now we're sort of chomping at the bit. That is going to be key. Confidence is everything in this game!”
Braden returns to action in the ARCA Menards Series in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway. Practice is set for 11 am ET on Saturday, April 13, followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 3 pm ET. The 200-lap race is slated for Sunday, April 14 and will go green shortly after 2 pm ET. It will be televised live on MAVTV. ARCA for Me members can follow live timing & scoring throughout all on-track sessions at ARCARacing.com. New members can register for free by providing a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login.
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MatrixCare Named Official Title Sponsor of RFMS Racing
02/04/2019
LTPAC Technology Company Increases Support with Expanded Relationship in 2019
February 4, 2019 – RFMS Racing and their driver, Travis Braden, are pleased to announce an expanded partnership with MatrixCare, a leading out-of-hospital technology provider in the United States. Having finished in 5th place in 2018, Braden is a notable competitor in the ARCA Racing Series and a third-year driver for RFMS Racing. As a two-time ARCA CRA Super Series champion, Braden made headlines in 2015 when he won his first ARCA Racing Series start at Lucas Oil Raceway. Braden, who holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from West Virginia University, also won the Winchester 400 in 2016.
The ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards is a professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national touring series of NASCAR. In this newly expanded relationship, the MatrixCare brand will be prominent on everything from the #27 Ford Fusion, to the driver’s suit, pit crew uniforms, pit stall signage and more. In addition, MatrixCare will be hosting a number of VIP events for LTPAC providers at key locations throughout the 2019 ARCA racing season—with the first one taking place at Daytona International Speedway this Saturday, February 9th. At-track attendees and Fox Sports 1 viewers will get the first look at the enhanced MatrixCare branding during the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona Driven by General Tire before a nationally televised audience.
“Everyone at RFMS Racing is very excited to announce that we are back with Travis and running the full ARCA season in 2019! MatrixCare has decided to make an even stronger commitment with us, and we are making some professional improvements to our team in response. All our additional sponsors are coming back with us again this year too, and we couldn’t be more grateful,” said Don Fike, Founder and President of RFMS Racing. “We finished the 2018 ARCA Racing Series with a strong 5th place finish, and we are confident that we have the experience, momentum, and support to do even better this coming season,”
“We are thrilled to support RFMS Racing once again and look forward to playing a part in the success they’re working toward in 2019. The folks at RFMS are making significant updates to their race team and equipment on the heels of our increased commitment, and after last year’s exciting season, our confidence level in both the RFMS team and Travis is very high.” said John Damgaard, MatrixCare President and CEO. “At MatrixCare, speed matters and outcomes matter, and we know that Travis and team will do everything in their power to achieve both.”
Tune in to FS1 at 4:45 PM EST to watch all the action live from Daytona with a special inside look from the “MatrixCare On-Board” camera. Learn more about MatrixCare’s sponsorship of RFMS Racing and see the complete season schedule at www.matrixcare.com/speedmatters.
About RFMS Racing
Based in Brownsburg, Indiana, RFMS Racing was created by Don Fike, founder of RFMS, Inc., an operator of skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living facilities in 4 states. RFMS Racing started in 1996 and was one of the elite open-wheel operators in the United States Auto Club – racing Midgets and Silver Crown cars throughout the country. RFMS racing has enjoyed considerable success with over 60 wins across the following series: NAMARS, UMARA, USAC Silver Crown, USAC National Midget, BADGER, Infiniti Pro, World Midget Championship, POWRi, and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
RFMS Racing would like thank all of our fans and 2019 sponsors for their support.
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
Liberty Village
RSM
Office Specialists
R.D. McMillen Enterprises
Assurance Agency
HealthCap
Holt Supply
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
RFMS Racing and Travis Braden Off to a Great Start
02/11/2018
Travis Braden did an amazing job back behind the wheel of the MatrixCare, Consonus Healthcare, Liberty Village Ford at Saturday’s Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire at Daytona International Speedway. Braden started in 7th position and kept the #27 in the top-five for most of the race. In the last turn of the last lap, he got caught up in a wreck with the other lead cars, and was scored in the 22nd position.
Braden said after the race, “I'm very thankful for the effort put in by the RFMS team and Don Fike’s commitment to us which allowed us to do what we do. As a smaller team compared to the 3-4 "big teams," we took a lot of pride in the competitiveness of our car against theirs. After struggling some at the test last month, we brought a much better car back to Daytona and that is a great feeling for us, our sponsors, and fans.”
Braden added, “The race was very exciting and challenging. The draft in these new composite bodies was much different than the old bodies, and I felt like I was able to pick up on it about as well as any of the drivers in the field. My spotter Justin Withers was a big help in that regard, and he really learned a lot throughout the week as well, which paid off numerous times during the race. Looking at the race as a whole, we honestly accomplished everything that we set out to accomplish. We stayed cautious and kept our car clean for 79/80 laps, which we knew would put us in position for a great finish. It's just so difficult to maintain luck avoiding wrecks when they happen as frequently as they did last night. After we mentally recuperate, we'll just have to shift focus ahead and do what we have to do to get back on track. There are 19 more races, and we are poised for a lot of success.”
Don Fike stated, “I am really proud of Travis. He had very little experience bump drafting, and he prefers the short tracks, but you wouldn’t have guessed it. He drove a great race, and we are excited to see what he can do this season. I’d like to say a special thanks to Dan and Casey for all their hard work in the shop. They really put a great car together.”
RFMS Racing and Braden are excited for the next race on April 7 at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville. Follow the RFMS Racing team (@rfmsracing) on Facebook and Twitter for more news and results.
RFMS Racing would like thank all of our 2018 sponsors and fans for their support.
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R.D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Assurance Agency
Don Fike, President of RFMS Racing, has announced that he has hired Travis Braden to run the full ARCA schedule in 2018.
12/13/2017
Don Fike, President of RFMS Racing, has announced that he has hired Travis Braden to run the full ARCA schedule in 2018.
Founded in 1996, RFMS Racing has enjoyed considerable success with over 60 wins across the following series: NAMARS, UMARA, USAC Silver Crown, USAC National Midget, BADGER, Infiniti Pro, World Midget Championship, POWRi, and the ARCA Racing Series. RFMS Racing has competed off and on in ARCA since 2004, running the series full-time since 2016.
Braden has competed in the ARCA series part-time in family-owned cars since 2015. He won in his first-career start at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, and also posted top 10 finishes in his 4 other starts between 2015 and 2016, at Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, and Chicago. He is well-known in the asphalt super late model community as a NASCAR Whelen All-American series Rookie of the Year and state champion, ARCA/CRA Super Series Rookie of the Year and two-time (back-to-back) champion of the series.
The Brownsburg, Indiana based team will be headed by crew chief Dan Glauz and car chief Casey Swift. Braden will also provide an additional hand in the shop throughout the year.
"After working with these guys for a month or so last season, I feel pretty blessed to get to join Don, Dan and Casey for an entire season and finish what we started in 2017," Travis explained. "After the first few weeks, we started to mesh well as a team and really make progress with these cars and finding speed. There's a lot more we know we can work on and that's going to be our goal. We have a baseline, and we know what seems to work well and where we need to focus some more attention. We're adding some new cars and equipment to the stable as well. Things are looking fantastic, and we are chomping at the bit to get the season started!"
Don Fike stated, “We couldn’t do this 2018 season without our loyal support of our sponsors. We would like to thank all the people that pitch in to make this happen.”
Sponsors include:
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
17th Place Finish at Kansas City Speedway
10/23/2017
After promising runs at Chicago and Kentucky, RFMS Racing and Travis Braden hit the setup even better at Kansas Speedway for the ARCA Racing Series season finale this past Friday. Braden started in 11th position, and was making some good moves to the front of the pack but cut the right front tire around lap 40. He brushed the wall but was able to race the damaged MatrixCare, Consonus Healthcare, Liberty Village Ford to a 17th place finish.
“I was proud and anxious to be behind the wheel again, knowing that I'd have a great chance to pick a first-win on a superspeedway for myself and this deserving race team,” said Braden. “The effort showed right off the bat in practice, where we tied for P5. The field was very tight within the top 15 lap times, but I knew we had a top 10 car for qualifying, and more importantly, a top 3 car in race-trim. In qualifying, I was able to go wide open in turns 1-2, but made a mistake exiting turn 2 by hitting the apron ever so slightly, killing my chances at a top 5 lap in such a competitive field. We qualified 11th.”
“After the first yellow flag during the race we restarted 6th, but a wild restart sent us back outside of the top 10. As the run progressed, we eventually found speed in the high groove and found ourselves getting ready to break into the top 5. As I was making quick passes, I began to feel a slight vibration in the right front wheel. Within only a few laps the vibration suddenly worsened dramatically, and sadly our right front tire went flat, sending me hard into the turn 3 wall. The circumstances were emotionally very hard to overcome given the speed I knew we had and the progress we were making in the race. Nonetheless, we changed our tires and limped to the checkered flag with damage, in the 17th position.”
Braden went on to say, “Given the effort the RFMS Racing team put in for these final 3 races, I'm bummed that I couldn't bring enough luck to at least finish the races as well as we all know we could have. Given the chance to "redo," I would think 3 top 5 finishes would not be hard to imagine. A win would've been within reach without question. Nonetheless, I'm proud to say we gave it our best as a team. I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you to the Fike family, the RFMS Racing team, and their fantastic sponsors for allowing us to go racing. It has been a great pleasure, and I hope that one day we could have the chance to pick up where we just left off!”
The RFMS Racing Team and Don Fike, Team Owner, would like thank all of our 2017 sponsors and fans for their support. It was a wonderful year full of memories and fun. Thank you to everyone.
Sponsors include:
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
8th Place Finish at Kentucky Speedway
09/25/2017
Travis Braden was back behind the wheel of the MatrixCare, Consonus Healthcare, Liberty Village Ford at yesterday’s Crosley Brands 150 at the Kentucky Speedway. Braden started in 10th position, got the #27 up into the top five toward the end of the race, and crossed the finish line 8th.
Braden said after the race, “This week in Kentucky was up and down. The new surface on the Speedway was very challenging and created a fine line to work with our chassis setup. Unfortunately, I feel that I personally was not able to help my team understand the issues I felt behind the wheel fully, and it hurt us in the race a bit. I've always put huge emphasize on training myself to give highly detailed feedback and having an in depth understanding of the car's setup and how to take advantage of it. It's something that I pride myself in and have mastered in the short track ranks, but this is a different animal. However, the amount of experience I've gained this week has undoubtedly taught me more than any "perfect" race would have. All of the chassis changes the RFMS crew worked on with me this week have given me a better understanding of these cars on these tracks, which is something that is necessary to keep improving. With a long break leading into the next race in Kansas, I'm excited to see how things turn out for us when we get to the season finale!”
Braden went on to say, “In terms of the race itself, it was another story of us fighting hard coming from mid-pack and having a shot at the very end of the race. We ran the early portion of the race in 10th place, making adjustments each pit stop. With 2 to go, we found ourselves restarting 4th after a few wild restarts late in the race. Starting in the outside lane was not the most ideal situation, and I fought hard through turns 1 and 2. One of the cars on the inside lane drifted up into my quarter panel off of turn 2 and it killed all of the momentum I had built up. With only 1 lap remaining, there was no time to recover. We took the checkered flag 8th, solidly in the top 10. I'm extremely appreciative of the warm welcome and support from RFMS Racing, the Fike family, and all of their sponsors.”
RFMS Racing and Travis Braden will be at the Kansas Speedway on October 20 to close out the ARCA season. Practice will begin at 9:30 AM, qualifying will be at 2:30 PM, and the race will start at 7:30 PM CDT. Follow the RFMS race team (@rfmsracing) on Facebook and Twitter for more news and results.
Don Fike, Team Owner, would like thank all of our 2017 sponsors and fans for their support. Sponsors include:
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
RFMS Racing and driver Travis Braden finished 11th at last night’s Scott 150
09/15/2017
RFMS Racing and driver Travis Braden finished 11th at last night’s Scott 150 sponsored by Menards at Chicagoland Speedway, but the results are not a good indicator of how well the team ran. Braden Qualified 13th with a speed of 173.986. During the race, he brought himself to the front and stayed there for most of the night. In fact, Braden was able to lead the race for 12 laps.
Braden said after the race, “Although the stats sheet won’t show it, I am very proud of what these RFMS Racing guys pulled off in Chicagoland. We were up against some cup series caliber teams and drivers, using a short track car, and we managed to race near the front of the pack and even lead laps on older tires. With a little bit of luck at the end of the race, we’d have likely been battling for the win, but knowing that we were at least in the hunt is very promising. I’ve been overwhelmed this morning by the literally hundreds of fans, friends, family and competitors who have reached out to me and expressed how impressed they were by our performance. And I must emphasize how much it was “our” performance, because it took the cooperation and effort of every person on the RFMS Racing team to get us in that position and give me a chance to go for the win. Thank you to the sponsors, the Fike family, and all of our family, friends, and fans for making it possible and making it a blast!”
Dan Glauz, Crew Chief, said, “We pitted out of sequence hoping that we would get a break on a yellow. Being out of sequence, we needed the yellow, but unfortunately it was too late and we did not have a chance on the green-white to get back in the lead. I am very pleased with the effort of the team. We did not win but, believe me, people knew we were there. Travis did a wonderful job driving the RFMS #27 Ford Fusion. It is unfortunate that we did not get the finish we deserved, but our pit stops were flawless.”
The next race on the RFMS Racing schedule will be the Kentucky Speedway at the Crosley Brands 150 on September 22. Practice will begin at 1:00, qualifying is at 5:10, and the race will start at 8:00 PM EDT. Follow the RFMS race team (@rfmsracing) on Facebook and Twitter for more news and results.
Don Fike, Team Owner, would like to pay his compliments to our partners who have sponsored the team during the entire 2017 racing season. “Without them, we would not be able to do what we do,” said Fike. RFMS Racing sponsors include:
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
Road America 100:
08/25/2017
The MatrixCare Consonus Healthcare Liberty Village Ford
#27 will be back in action at the motorsports complex in Plymouth, WI. A.J. Fike
will not be behind the wheel this time. Instead, veteran open-wheel and NASCAR
driver PJ Jones will be in the driver seat for the ARCA Racing Series presented by
Menards road course race.
“I’m very happy to be returning and driving for the Fike family again”, said PJ.
“Usually it’s in a midget at the Chili Bowl so I’m excited to drive a stock car at
Road America. It’s one of my favorite circuits. I have raced [both] IndyCars and
sports cars there.”
PJ’s racing career spans 5 decades ranging from go-carts, to Sprint Cars, to
IndyCar, to NASCAR, and more. Jones was the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of
Daytona. He also finished 4th at the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at
Watkins Glen, and second at the 1999 CART race at Nazareth.
“We're delighted to have a veteran road racer in the car, especially PJ”, owner
Don Fike had to say.
Road America is a four-mile, 14-turn road circuit that has challenged drivers for
over 60years. The Road America 100 race weekend starts Saturday with practice
from 8:50am – 9:30am CST. General Tire pole qualifying is set for 5:10 p.m and
the green flag will fly at 12:15pm CST on Sunday. The race will be tape-delayed
on MAVTV, but arcaracing.com will have live time and scoring along with a live
audio call.
A.J. Fike will be back in the seat to for the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Keep up
with A.J. Fike(Fikeaj@) and the RFMS race team(@rfmsracing) on Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram for more news and results.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017
sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
A.J. Fike finishes with a top 10 in Springfield:
08/21/2017
While it wasn’t the magical weekend we were all pulling for, it was still a great time to be at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Saturday’s USAC Silver Crown Tony Bettenhausen 100 looked to start the weekend off right. Office Specialist and R.D. McMillen put on a great hospitality tent in the infield for some of A.J.’s biggest fans. DD Homes residents from Beardstown Terrace, Glenwood Terrace, Gaines Mill Place, Taylor House, and Eileen Court were there showing their full support. They were the first ones to purchase the brand new A.J. Fike racing t-shirts.
Practice started at 10am and Fike looked ready for action. He was able to get a couple laps in and was running 3rd quick in practice. Then, the unthinkable happened. There was a problem as he was driving into turn 3 and A.J. had to pull in. As bad luck would have it, there was a problem with the motor and Fike was done for the day.
“[The] car was really fast in practice in the crown”, said Fike. “We ended up in the top 5 and I think we had a really good car. It’s disappointing that we had motor problems, but that’s racing.”
The #3 team was able to bring the silver crown car into the infieldallowing the Racing for Others Program to get some great pictures of the residents with A.J. and his race car. It was definitely the highlight of the weekend for everyone involved.
The team and driver dusted themselves off and prepared for Sunday’s ARCA Racing Series Herr’s Potato Chips 100. A.J. started the race in the 7th position. Fike had a great start, bursting a head into 6th place quickly. Lap 3 brought out the day’s first of seven cautions. A.J. was able to get a strong restart and pushed his way into 4th. Lap 27 brought out another yellow flag and Fike headed into the pits for tires and adjustments. It would be his only pit stop of the day. The 4th caution of the day broight the leaders in to pit, putting the #27 in 1st for the restart. A.J. would go on to lead 15 laps until the 6th caution of the day. There was a major pile up in turn 3 that brought out a red flag stopping the field on the track. Coming to the restart the engine couldn’t propel Fike around as fast as before and he lost a couple of spots. He was still able to bring the Matrixcare Consonus Healthcare Liberty Village Ford #27 to the checkered flag in the top 10 with an 8th place finish.
“The car got really hot during the red. The water gauge was almost pegged on the restart. The motor was loading it up with fuel trying to cool it down and [it] took a couple laps before I had full power. We had a good car; I think we had a car that could have won. But with the motor issue and the car getting looser at the end, it just wasn’t meant to be. Happy to roll the car in the trailer; there were a lot of torn up cars. Looking forward to racing both cars again at DuQuoin”, said A.J.
Keep up with A.J. Fike(Fikeaj@) and the RFMS race team(@rfmsracing) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more news and results.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
A.J. Fike hoping to make history in Springfield:
08/15/2017
Not since Al Unser, in 1972, has a driver won both the USAC Silver Crown Tony Bettenhausen 100 and the Menards ARCA Racing Series Herr’s Potato Chips (Allen Crowe) 100 in the same weekend. But A.J. Fike is looking forward to the challenge this Saturday and Sunday.
“This is by far my favorite race weekend each year. It’s great to see my family, friends, fans and sponsors at the track enjoying the races. I think we have a really good chance of sweeping the weekend”, Fike had to say.
In 2012, Fike won the Tony Bettenhausen 100 ending the 29 year drought for Illinois drivers. Before A.J., the last Illinois driver to win this race was Gary Bettenhausen, Tony’s son, in 1983. And in 2013, Fike was able to bring RFMS Racing back into victory lane for the second year in a row. A.J. was your pole winner and led the first 7 laps of the race. Lap 93, he was able to take back the lead and finish the last 7 laps all the way to the checkered.
A.J. also led his first three ARCA races on the Springfield Mile including his debut in 2004 where he won the pole position and led for 60 laps. In 2015, qualifying was canceled and A.J. had to start at the back of the pack in 25th. He was able to work his way up quickly and led 60 laps before the day’s 7th and final caution. In overtime, lap 103, the field went green and Fike was able to hold his lead all the way to the victory. That win put Fike and RFMS Racing in the record books alongside A.J. Foyt, Rodger Ward, Al Unser, Len Sutton and Roger McCluskey as one of only six drivers to win both races on the mile.
We look forward to seeing all of you that RSVP’d to the Race Day Tailgate on Saturday August 19th.
Keep up with A.J. Fike(Fikeaj@) and the RFMS race team(@rfmsracing) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more news and results.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
RFMS Racing brings home a top 5 from Winchester:
08/07/2017
It’s been almost a year since Travis Braden has been in an ARCA car. Though he hasn’t run many races in the ARCA Racing Series, he’s no stranger to Winchester or to winning. In 2015, Travis won his debut ARCA race at the Lucas Oil Raceway and in 2016; he won the CRA Winchester 400. The RFMS Racing team put in a lot of work over the weekend to get the car set up for Sunday’s Winchester ARCA 200.
“The RFMS Racing guys did a fantastic job with the little time that we had to adjust the car in practice Saturday. The majority of our competitors tested here prior to the race. By the end of the race I felt that we were one setup change from being able to contend with the leaders, but it was a change that we couldn't make during a pit stop”, Travis had to say.
Even with that little amount of time, Braden was able to move into 7th before the final restart of the day. That final restart was intense to say the least. Coming up on 20 laps to go, debris caused the caution flag to fly one last time. With the field about to go back to green, the #55 car of Zane Smith just didn’t go falling out of the race with transmission problems. Braden was able to take advantage and move into 4th place where he held his position and got the MatrixCare Consonus Healthcare Liberty Village Ford #27 a top 5 finish.
“Since I knew we didn't quite have a shot at the front runners, I tried to lay in the weeds for most of the day and save as much as possible for the finish. We were still able to work our way up to 7th before the final restart, at which point I was able to catch some luck and jump up to 4th and ride there for the final 20 laps to the finish. I actually thought we might have a shot at 3rd place but I couldn't quite get to the #52's bumper. Nonetheless, it was very exciting grinding it to the finish in the top 5!” said Travis.
A.J. Fike finished 12th in the Fast Track Toyota #10 on Sunday.
“We were a little too loose in the beginning of the race. When the first caution came out we were able to make some good adjustments, but we had already gone a couple laps down. Either way, it was still great to be working with Andy [Hillenburg] again”, A.J. had to say.
A.J. and the RFMS Racing Team are looking forward to racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds the weekend of August 19th and 20th. Fike had back-to-back wins in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 in 2012 and 2013. And in 2015, he won his first ARCA series race in the Allen Crowe Memorial 100.
Keep up with A.J. Fike(Fikeaj@) and the RFMS race team(@rfmsracing) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more news and results.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017
sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
Winchester ARCA 200 Suprise
08/03/2017
Although you will still see the MatrixCare Consonus Healthcare Liberty Villiage Ford #27 on the track, you may be surprised by who is behind the wheel. Instead of A.J. Fike, Travis Braden will be driving for RFMS Racing on Sunday at the Winchester Speedway. Andy Hillenburg and Fike have been in talks for weeks about Hillenburg needing a driver for his #10 FastTrack High Performance Driving Toyota this weekend.
"I started my ARCA career with Andy…we ran a full season together in 2004. He didn't have anyone to drive the car and we wanted to help him out. Travis had already tested the 27 at Lucas Oil and Winchester is one of his best tracks, so it made sense to put him in the 27 this weekend...at the same time, we had the opportunity to help Andy. He gave me my start here years ago,” said Fike.
He went on to say, "It's probably a one-off deal…I'm trying to help him out and at the same time, hopefully Travis can give the 27 a good run at Winchester. It's a really a situation where everyone's trying to help everyone out, to keep both programs going…hopefully it works out for all of us.
Both teams are looking forward to what this weekend will bring. You can catch the race on MAVTV Sunday at 2pm EST or follow live timing and scoring at arcaracing.com. Keep up with A.J. Fike(Fikeaj@) and the RFMS race team(@rfmsracing) on Facebook and Twitter for more news and results.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
AJ Fike finished 16th in the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus Healthcare-Liberty Village Ford at the Toledo Speedway during the Menards 200 on May 21.
05/22/2017
Brownsburg, IN – May 22, 2017 –
“There was no qualifying, due to weather, so we started 18th. We got up to 12th at one point, and we were running really good, but I got a flat right front tire on a restart about halfway through the race. We had to pit under green to get new tires, and that put us four laps down,” said driver, AJ Fike.
Although he will not be in the ARCA car again until June 3rd for the Shore Lunch 250 at Elko Speedway, Fike is looking forward to getting back into the #3 USAC Silver Crown car this Thursday, May 25th for the Hoosier 100. Thursday’s 100-mile race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds continues a tradition started in 1953, and is one of Fike’s three Silver Crown events this season.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
Fike Finishes 11th at Talladega
05/12/2017
Brownsburg, IN – May 12, 2017– AJ Fike finished 11th in the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus Healthcare-Liberty Village Chevrolet at the Talladega Superspeedway General Tire 200 on May 6th.
Practice was cancelled due to weather, so Fike started 8th based on owner points. “It took me a few laps to get comfortable, as I hadn’t been at Talladega for about 13 years. I was really hoping for a top 10 there, but I am happy with our finish. It is a fun track, and I am really looking forward to coming back next year and doing a bit better,” said driver, AJ Fike.
The RFMS Racing team is off this weekend, but will be at the Toledo Speedway for the Menards 200 on May 21 at 2:00 pm EDT. Practice will be May 20 starting at 12:30 pm EDT. The race will be aired on Fox Sports 1.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
Tire Trouble in Salem
05/03/2017
Brownsburg, IN – May 3, 2017– AJ Fike had tire trouble in the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus Healthcare-Liberty Village Ford and finished 15th in the ARCA Racing Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 this past Sunday.
“During that long green flag run, the car was very loose and just a battle to drive. I burned the right wheel right down to the chords. Then I got a drive through speeding penalty in the pits. The car was better after our pit stop, but because of the speeding penalty, we were just too many laps down. It just wasn’t our day, and really, I was happy to come away without wrecking the car,” said driver, AJ Fike.
AJ now turns his focus to Talladega Superspeedway – a track he hasn’t driven on for 13 years. “I like Talladega a lot, and I am excited to get back there,” said Fike.
The next race for the RFMS Racing team is Friday, May 5 at 5:00pm EDT at the Talladega Superspeedway General Tire 200. Practice will be that morning starting at 8:30am EDT. The race will be aired on Fox Sports 1.
RFMS Racing wants to give a big thank you to our fans and official 2017 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
Fike Races for the Win at Nashville
04/03/2017
Brownsburg, IN – April 3, 2017 – After seven weeks off, AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are back on the track Saturday April 8 at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville for the ARCA Racing Music City 200 presented by Azure Foundation. Fike finished 2nd last year at Nashville and is looking forward to getting back in the #27 MatrixCare-Consonus-Liberty Village Ford for the second ARCA race of the season.
“I feel pretty confident going into this race. Last year we qualified mid-pack and we worked our way to front as the race went on. I thought we had a shot at the win; we needed a yellow to see if we had anything on the winner,” said driver AJ Fike.
After the crash at Daytona the crew has been working hard to put together a fast car for Nashville.
“It’s a different car than we ran last year. I think it’s going to be even better. Dan Glauz (crew chief) and the guys had more time to fine-tune it. I know they will give me a good car and maybe with a little luck we can put it in victory lane,” said Fike.
So far there are 33 driver entries for the Music City 200 at the historic Nashville track.
“It’s a fun track. It’s one of the oldest tracks in the country and has a lot of history. A lot of drivers have come up through there and it would be great to get a win,” said Fike.
This is the second ARCA race of the season for the team and they are thrilled to be running the full schedule for 2017.
“I would just like to thank all the sponsors coming back this year: MatrixCare, Consonus, Office Specialists, RSM, RD McMillen, Liberty Village, Holt Supply, First Mid-IL Bank, and Alton Winnelson. We are really excited about doing the full ARCA schedule and we owe that to them. I feel really lucky to be able to do what I do,” said Fike.
The Music City 200 presented by Azure Foundation will air live on MAVTV.com Saturday at 8pm Central. General Tire Pole Qualifying begins at 4:15pm Saturday afternoon. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring and live chat of all on-track activity.
Father Fike full-ahead with ARCA in '17...Nashville next
03/14/2017
TOLEDO, Ohio (March 12, 2017) -- ARCAracing.com caught up with AJ Fike during his recent trip to Lake Tahoe where the Galesburg, Illinois racer was enjoying a skiing vacation, a family tradition that goes way back.
"As kids, my brother and I would come out with our mom and dad," said Fike. "Then I didn't ski for six or seven years and decided to pick it back up again."
There's something else that Fike decided to pick back up again - that would be another full-time run at the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
"We're planning on doing the whole schedule," said Fike. "We'll be at Nashville. I like that track."
We could tell. Fike started mid-pack in last year's race and worked his way into winning contention, ultimately finishing second behind Josh Williams.
"It would have been nice to get a yellow to see if we could have gotten to Josh. I'm looking forward to going back."
Fike, an open-wheel star from Galesburg, Illinois, is also looking forward to coming back to ARCA fulltime. The last time he raced in a full ARCA season was in 2004, finishing seventh in national championship points.
"Our focus is on ARCA. We're still going to run our Silver Crown car at Springfield and DuQuoin, maybe Indy but that's probably it. ARCA is the main goal this year. We like the composite bodies and the ARCA Ilmor engine allows us the chance to be competitive with the bigger teams."
Unfortunately, he got caught up in a multi-car wreck in the Daytona season-opener, finishing 34th.
"We had to buy a speedway car for Talladega...it's a back-up for the 23 car."
Fike's Dan Glauz led crew is also outfitting newer composite cars for the season ahead.
"We actually updated our dirt car with a new composite body. That's going to be our intermediate car this year. The car we ran at intermediate tracks last year became our dirt car...that's also a composite. Our dirt car needed updated anyway and we made our other composite car a little nicer too.
"Everything's pretty-much updated. We've got new bodies on everything. This is the best we've ever been going into the season. Don't know what we're doing for the road course yet."
Fike also says he's enjoying the chance to race on some of the tour's bigger tracks, something he hasn't done much over the last 13 seasons.
"It's been a long time since we've raced on these bigger tracks. I enjoy going back to Pocono, Michigan, Kentucky and Kansas and we should run better than we did last year. Running the short tracks...the Salems, Winchesters, Toledos, the dirt...it's all exciting. We like the whole schedule."
Fike will also have a healthy mix of sponsors on his No. 27 Ford, including MatrixCare, Consonus Healthcare, Office Specialist, RD McMillen Enterprises, Liberty Village, Holt Supply and RFMS.
In addition to his second-place finish at Nashville, Fike also finished second last year on the Springfield (Ill.) mile dirt. Fike won at Springfield in 2015, which proved popular with his strong Illinois fan base. Fike is also a two-time Tony Bettenhausen 100 winner at Springfield in the USAC Silver Crown Series.
When Fike isn't working in his father's Liberty Village family business, he's busy raising his daughter Kylie, who just turned 16. While racing cars is always associated with an element of danger, Fike says it's nothing as scary as seeing his daughter drive away for the first time.
"She just turned 16 and just started driving. That's scarier than anything I've ever done. She's a good driver but seeing your girl drive off for the first time is scary. I wanted to go with her but she has to learn. She's a good kid...I can't complain. She plays volleyball, does track and plays clarinet in the band. She's a really good kid."
Don Radebaugh
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com
Original Article: http://www.arcaracing.com/articles/2005530-fike-full-ahead-with-full-arca-schedule-in-17-nashville-next
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Fike Takes a Hard Hit at Daytona
02/23/2017
Brownsburg, IN – February 23, 2017 – It was an unfortunate start to the season for the RFMS Racing team. AJ Fike took a hard hit in the #27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Chevy Impala on lap 50 of the ARCA Racing Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Saturday February 18.
“We started in the back. We got screwed in qualifying because not all the cars went out. We did group qualifying and wound up in a two car group instead of six car group, which makes a big difference drafting,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike started 31st and made his way up to the 20th position.
“We were careful during the first half of the race and slowly moving up. Then the windshield got covered in oil and I couldn’t see anything but the yellow line so I had to pull in. We were fast all day and ran the 7th fastest race,” said Fike.
On lap 50, the #32 spun out in front and t-boned the #80 and Fike into the wall. There was nowhere to go for both cars. This caused Fike to lose his brakes and steering in addition to the rear-end catching on fire.
“I saw the #32 spin and I thought I missed it and the next thing I knew I got hit. It was a pretty scary hit,” said Fike.
AJ wasn’t injured in the wreck but is a little sore this week.
The team will be back on the track for the second race of the season in the ARCA Racing Music City 200 at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville on April 8.
Fike Races Live on Fox Sports 1 at Daytona Int’l Speedway
02/15/2017
Brownsburg, IN – February 15, 2017 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are back on the track Saturday February 18 at Daytona International Speedway for the first ARCA race of the 2017 season. Fike is eager to be back at Daytona; it has been 12 years since he last raced there in the NASCAR Busch car. He will be behind the wheel of the #27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford.
“It’s really great to be back at Daytona. It’s been 12 years since I raced there in the Busch car and 13 years in the ARCA car. I am excited to get out and practice tomorrow and see how the car feels. Dan Glauz and the guys have a put a lot of work into getting the car ready for this weekend,” said driver AJ Fike.
The Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 Driven by General Tire will feature 44 drivers fighting for 40 starting spots.
“Daytona is high banked…you pretty much run wide open all the way around. The average speed is around 185. It definitely is one of the fastest tracks and the biggest race on the ARCA schedule. All the good cars and drivers come out with their best equipment to try to win here,” said Fike.
Daytona is one of five new races added to the RFMS Racing schedule for 2017. The team will be racing the full ARCA schedule and is in the hunt for the championship. Last year, the team finished 9th in driver points and 9th in owner points while racing a partial ARCA schedule.
“I am excited and blessed to be able to run the whole ARCA schedule this year…… Looking forward to having a good year,” said Fike.
The 54th running of the Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 Driven by General Tire will air live on Fox Sports 1 Saturday at 4 pm Eastern. The first on-track activity will be practice Thursday afternoon from 4-6 pm, followed by final practice Friday morning from 9:30-10:30 am. Pole Qualifying, in group format, begins at 3:30 pm Friday afternoon. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring and live chat of all on-track activity Thursday through Saturday.
Fike and Neal Compete in the World’s Largest Midget Racing Event of the Year
01/06/2017
Brownsburg, IN – January 6, 2017 – The RFMS Racing team is back on the track next week for the world’s largest Midget racing event of the year. The Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire runs from January 10-14, 2017 inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, OK. Drivers AJ Fike #69 and Jake Neal #3 (R) will be representing the team in the weeklong event.
The list of entries stands at 358 spread across four nights of qualifying from January 10-13 with only 24 A-Feature spots open for the January 14 finale.
Jake Neal #3 (R) qualifies the first night of racing on Tuesday, January 10. Neal comes to the Chili Bowl as a newcomer; however the 26 year-old Omaha native has years of dirt track racing experience. He started racing from an early age of five and has been behind the wheel of go-karts, dirt bikes, modified and late model stock cars, and quads. In 2008, Neal won a United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) race and finished 10th in the national points. Since then, he has raced modified and late model stock cars and in 2016 he finished with 8 late model wins in 16 starts.
Veteran driver AJ Fike #69 qualifies the second night of racing on Wednesday, January 11. This is Fike’s 19th year of competing at the Chili Bowl Nationals and comes with years of open-wheel racing experience. AJ is a veteran of the ACRA, USAC Silver Crown, USAC Midget, NAMARS, and Badger Midget series; with career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch Series. His best career finish at the Chili Bowl was in 2002 when he qualified for the A-Feature event and finished 20th. He has also represented the State of Illinois by carrying the flag during open ceremonies.
The 31st Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals will air live on MAVTV.com and LucasOilRacing.TV on January 14. Please check your local listings for more information.
Fike Races Live on Fox Sports 1 Friday Night
10/13/2016
Brownsburg, IN – October 13, 2016 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are back on the track Friday at Kansas Speedway for the ARCA Racing Kansas 150. Coming off a sold top-ten finish at Kentucky a few weeks ago, Fike is excited to get behind the wheel of the #27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford for the last race of the season.
“I thought we had a good run at Kentucky and I am looking forward to carrying that momentum into the race tomorrow. It would be great to finish on a strong note,” said driver AJ Fike.
Kansas is one of the six additional races that were added to the RFMS Racing schedule this year. It will be Fike’s first ARCA race back on the track since 2004.
“It’s exciting to be back at Kansas again. I am grateful for the opportunity to race there. Again, it is all about the support of our sponsors,” said Fike.
Practice for the Kansas 150 is Friday, October 14 from 9:30 am to 10:25 am with final practice following from 10:35 am to 11:30 am. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is slotted in for 2:25 pm. The 16th Kansas 150 is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm, with live coverage on Fox Sports 1. All times are local, central time. ARCAracing.com will also feature Live Timing and Scoring and Live Chat of all on-track activities.
Solid Top Ten Finish at Kentucky for the Team
09/29/2016
Brownsburg, IN – September 29, 2016 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team finished 8th in the ARCA Racing Crosley 150 at Kentucky Speedway on September 23. Fike in the No. 27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford participated in open testing the Tuesday before the race and qualified 16th for the 150 lapper.
“I thought it was a good race. We kept working our way up as the race went on. It was really difficult to pass because the track was so narrow after being repaved,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike made his first top-ten finish on a 1.5-mile track this season.
“The car was really good the whole day. With 20 laps to go, we started on the high side and lost three or four spots. We ended up 8th but we really had a 5th place car,” said Fike.
The team will be back on the track for the last race of the season in the ARCA Racing Kansas 150 at Kansas Speedway on October 14. It will air on Fox Sports 1 at 7:30pm Central.
Fike Races Live on Fox Sports 2 Friday Night
09/22/2016
Brownsburg, IN – September 22, 2016 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are back on the track Friday at Kentucky Speedway for the ARCA Racing Crosley 150. To prepare for the upcoming race, Fike in the No. 27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford participated in open testing on Tuesday, September 20 at Kentucky Speedway with 20 other drivers.
“Testing went good. I think we learned a lot. The last time we were here was in 2004 and it has changed some since then. They recently repaved the track, so it’s fast and narrow. Turns one and two are pretty high banked and three and four are pretty flat. It will make it pretty challenging to get around there,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike is making his first debut at the track since 2004, when he competed in the full ARCA schedule. While it has been some time since he has raced here, he is excited for the opportunity.
“I am just excited that we were able to add six more races to the ARCA schedule this year, including this one, and I really owe that all to the extra support of our sponsors,” said Fike.
The Crosley 150 will air live on Fox Sports 2 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Friday night, September 23. The race will follow a busy day of on-track activities beginning with ARCA practice from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is scheduled at 4:40 p.m. ARCAracing.com will provide live timing and scoring and live chat for all on-track activities.
Fike Races Live on Fox Sports 1 Thursday Night
09/13/2016
Brownsburg, IN – September 13, 2016 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are back on the track Thursday at Chicagoland Speedway for the ARCA Racing Scott 150. Fike in the No. 27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford is making his first debut at the track since 2004, when he competed in the full ARCA schedule.
“I am excited for the race on Thursday. It is a fun track and it’s been over ten years since I have raced there…. back in 2004,” said driver AJ Fike.
This year’s SCOTT® 150 at Chicagoland will set the stage for an exciting weekend of NASCAR racing action including Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races. The weekend also kicks off NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, the playoff system used to crown the 2016 Sprint Cup champion.
“There will be a lot of good drivers and cars there. I am really looking forward to having a good run… I also want to thank MatrixCare for supporting us this season and making the trip down for this race,” said Fike.
The SCOTT® 150 is live on Fox Sports 1 at 7:00 p.m. Central Thursday night, September 15. The race will follow a busy day of on-track activities beginning with ARCA practice from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. local Central time. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is scheduled at 4:10 p.m. ARCAracing.com will provide live timing and scoring and live chat for all on-track activities.
Fike Competes in Historic 100th ARCA Race at Salem
09/09/2016
Brownsburg, IN – September 09, 2016 – Labor Day Weekend proved to be a tough weekend for the race team. In both races the car was fast but car problems halted the finish.
“We were fast all weekend. Saturday’s race we were in the top ten the whole race when I got a flat on the last lap going in to turn three,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike qualified 7th for the Ted Horn 100 and continued to get faster throughout the race, making it up to 4th with 15 laps to go. Sunday night, Fike started 9th in the General Tire GRABBER 100 and had to pull the car in after battling overheating problems.
“The car was really good in the beginning of the race…. But they watered the track right before the race. It made it muddy and everybody started having the same problem with overheating. We came in a few times to try to cool it down. But we decided once we were three or four laps down to park it. We had a car that was capable of winning and it was a disappointment that that happened,” said Fike.
Now AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are looking forward to getting back on the track this Saturday at Salem Speedway for the historic 100th ARCA race at the track. The No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus-RD McMillen machine will be driving into history in the Eddie Gilstrap Motors Fall Classic 200 presented by Meadow View/Salem Crossing.
“They are bringing a lot of people in for the race this weekend. Salem is always a tough track, it is physically and mentally demanding. Last year during the night race, we led some laps. Hopefully, we can bring some things we learned at that race to this weekend,” said Fike.
This Week’s Schedule: On track action will take place with first practice on September 10 from 12:30 - 1:15 p.m., with final practice between 1:45 and 2:30. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell follows at 4 p.m. The Eddie Gilstrap Motors Fall Classic 200 begins at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
Watch: The Eddie Gilstrap Motors Fall Classic 200 will be tape delayed on American Sports Network on September 28 at 7 p.m. Check AmericanSportsNet.com for your local listings.
Fike Does Double-Duty at DuQuoin
09/02/2016
Brownsburg, IN – September 02, 2016 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team are back on the track Labor Day Weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds for a double dose of dirt track racing. Saturday is the USAC Silver Crown Ted Horn 100 and Sunday is the ARCA Racing General Tire GRABBER 100.
Fike has had considerable success at the famed DuQuoin “Magic Mile” and considers it one of his favorite tracks. In the ARCA Series, Fike has won three Menards Poles presented by Ansell at DuQuoin in 2007, 2009, and 2010. His best ARCA finishes there include two 4th place finishes in 2007 and in 2009. Last year, Fike had solid weekend at DuQuoin with two top ten finishes both days.
Looking ahead to Saturday, there are 36 drivers entered for the Ted Horn 100 on Saturday night. Practice for the Silver Crown cars is slated for 5 p.m., with qualifying at 6:30p.m. and the 100-mile main event scheduled at 8p.m.
For Sunday’s ARCA race, it’s been almost 20 years since the ARCA Racing Series lined up at night on a dirt track, but that will soon change when the lights shine down on the 63rd running of the General Tire GRABBER 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
Practice for the September 4 General Tire Grabber 100 is scheduled from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 5:30. The 63rd General Tire Grabber 100 starts at 8:00. All times are local.
The race will be tape-delayed on the American Sports Network. The race will also feature live timing and scoring and live chat for all on-track activity at ARCAracing.com, as well as live flag-to-flag audio race coverage.
Second Place Finish at Home Track for Fike
08/26/2016
Brownsburg, IN - August 26, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 2nd in the ARCA SuperChevyStores.com 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Sunday. It was an especially exciting race day for the team since the Springfield Mile is considered Fike’s home track.
The field was lined up according to practice times after Menards Pole Qualifying was cancelled due to saturated infield conditions that backed up the schedule.
“We didn’t go out for qualifying and lined up based on practice times (started 10th). At the start we were really loose .We just hung on there till the first pit stop. We changed all four tires and made adjustments and the car got better during the race. The team did a great job,” said Fike.
“The track was a lot dustier than I have ever remembered. Not running the Silver Crown race the day before and the extra rain gave everyone for a loop. It wasn’t the normal Springfield track. There were a lot of times I couldn’t see,” said Fike.
Fike, in the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus-RD McMillen Ford, had eight restarts to choose from as caution after caution bunched up the field throughout the 100-lap/100-mile race, specifically over the back half.
“At the start of the race, I didn’t think we had a chance for a top-five. It was really a war of attrition and I think if we would have been tighter there at the end, we would have had a chance for the win. I just couldn’t get off turn four like we needed,” said Fike.
The next event for the RFMS Racing team is the USAC SC Series Ten Horn 100 at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on September 3, followed by the ARCA Racing General Tire GRABBER 100 on Sunday.
Double or nothing for AJ Fike at Springfield; corn dogs & concerts come later
08/12/2016
TOLEDO, Ohio (August 10, 2016) – And now there's just one. Unless there's an entry out of nowhere, AJ Fike stands alone as the only driver who will attempt the "double" this year at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Mile Dirt.
The Galesburg, Illinois local favorite will take a run at both Illinois State Fair championship auto races this year, racing in Saturday's 55th Bettenhausen 100 in the USAC Silver Crown Series and in Sunday's grand finale, the 54th SuperChevyStores.com (Allen Crowe) 100 in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
As it turns out, Fike is pretty good at both, winning the Bettenhausen 100 in 2012 and 2013 and the SuperChevyStores.com ARCA 100 last year. Fike joins A.J. Foyt, Rodger Ward, Al Unser, Len Sutton and Roger McCluskey as one of only six drivers to accomplish the feat. To give it more punch, Foyt, Unser and Ward combine for 10 Indy 500 wins. Only Unser, in 1972, has won both events on the same weekend.
"Now that we've won both, it'd be nice to win both on the same weekend," Fike said. "Now that we've finally won the ARCA race, I'm confident we can do it again."
Certainly no driver these days would understand how to win both more than Fike.
"Depending on track conditions, you run a similar line with the Silver Crown and ARCA cars, at least at Springfield. But the Silver Crown car is way more forgiving. In the ARCA car, you have to keep those straight, not overdrive it, take what the car gives you, take care of the car, take care of tires...be there at the end. Both are fun to drive."
Fike was more than "there at the end" last year. Fike had a seven second lead with 10 laps to go, then survived two late-race restarts, and still won by 10 lengths at the final stripe.
Fike considers Springfield his home track, being from Galesburg, less than a two hour drive away.
"I've always considered Springfield my home track. I don't know what it is, but I wanna win at Springfield more than any other track. It's added pressure for me because I want it that bad."
Fike enjoys the State Fair nearly as much as he does the racing.
"That's a big part of it...I really enjoy the fair. After the race, I take my daughter to the fair, get a lemon shake and a dog definitely. Usually always go to the concert after the race. Last year we saw the Brantley Gilbert concert...great way to celebrate the win. It's usually a corn dog, pork chop on a stick and a ribeye sandwich...I can eat all three after a race.
"There's just something really special about Springfield. I remember going to Springfield for the Silver Crown race every year since I've been eight...I think Chuck Gurney won that first one. Nothing compares to Springfield, not for me anyway."
Don Radebaugh
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com
Looking back on the championship Champ Car/Stock Car Double
By Jay Hardin - Since 1965, stock cars and championship dirt cars have shared the last weekend at the Illinois State Fair. In the last 51 years, just 14 drivers have managed to make the starting lineup for both the Bettenhausen 100 and the Allen Crowe 100 on the last weekend of the fair.
When stock cars joined the Illinois State Fair lineup on Friday, August 20, 1965, young Mario Andretti slid behind the wheel of a Ford for the third running of the Allen Crowe Memorial while his Dean Van Lines Kuzma championship dirt car waited for Saturday’s Tony Bettenhausen 100. Andretti finished 11th in the Zecol Ford, then ran third to A.J. Foyt on Saturday. Six years would pass before another driver would try the “double” and it was none other than Foyt himself. For the first time the stock cars ran Saturday and Foyt finished 14th, and on Sunday he won the Champ dirt car event.
Al Unser and Ralph Ligouri were the next to make both main events in 1972 with Unser becoming the first driver to win both races on the same weekend. Unser tried again in 1973 but was unable to take a checkered flag in either event. Larry Moore (’76), Ken Schrader (’81, ’82, ’83), Gary Bettenhausen (’85, ’87) and Tom Bigelow (’87, ’89) also made both races. In fact, Bigelow became the first to run three races in the same weekend making the feature for the Rex Easton midget race as well.AJ Fike win Springfield 2015
Sixteen years would pass before anyone would make both races again. Young Justin Allgaier put his name in the history books in 2005 and started a newer trend of open wheel racers crossing over into ARCA stock cars for the Sunday show. Fike, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Brian Tyler, Chris Windom and Shane Cockrum all followed Allgaier’s lead.
Fike is the driver with the most starts in both races in the last 51 years, with nine, the last seven consecutive.
A look at some of the Springfield Championship Stock Car Winners: Curtis Turner (’63), Don White (’66, ’67, ’72), Al Unser (’72), Jack Bowsher (’73), Roger McCluskey (’74), Ramo Stott (’76, ’77, ’80), AJ Foyt (’79), Joe Ruttman (’80), Dean Roper (’81, ’82, ’83, ’83, ’85, ’86), Bob Keselowski (’87, ’88, ’89, ’93), Bobby Bowsher (’91, ’92), Tim Steele (‘96, ’97), Ken Schrader (’98), Bill Baird (’99, ’04), Justin Allgaier (’06), Parker Kligerman (’09), Frank Kimmel (’00, ’01, ’02. ’03, ’05, ’07, ’08, ‘12), Kevin Swindell ('14) and AJ Fike ('15).
SuperChevyStores.com 100 Schedule
Practice for the SuperChevyStores.com 100 is scheduled from 9:00-10:00 a.m. with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 11:15. The 54th annual Central Illinois SuperChevyStores.com 100 starts at 1:30 p.m. All times are local.
Live on American Sports Network
The SuperChevyStores.com 100 will be live on the American Sports Network and will also stream live at AmericanSportsNet.com. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring and live chat of all on-track activity and a live chat box throughout the afternoon.
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Fike Hits Pavement at Berlin Raceway Saturday
08/04/2016
Brownsburg, IN – August 04, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 13th in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway on Friday, July 22.
“We started off 8th and think we got down a lap or two. We were really fast at times but couldn’t make up those laps the rest of the race,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike is looking forward to the upcoming ARCA race this Saturday, August 6. The RFMS Racing team will be running the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus-RD McMillen Ford in the Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI.
“I think we can have a good run at Berlin. I raced there a lot over the years in midgets, silver crown, and sprints. It’s a small paved track, a driver’s track for sure,” said Fike.
“It would be awesome if we could get a top five this weekend. I finished 2nd there in 2004. I just want to thank all the sponsors for being so supportive this year and sticking with us,” said Fike.
On-track activities for the Berlin ARCA 200 begin with two practice sessions starting at 2:30pm and final practice at 3:45pm. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 6:00pm with the Berlin ARCA 200 scheduled to start at 9:00pm. All times are Eastern.
The 29th running of the Berlin ARCA 200 is live on the American Sports Network at 9:00pm. AmericanSportsNet.com will stream the race live. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring and live chat of all ARCA Racing Series on-track activities. All times are local/Eastern.
Fike Races Live on Fox Sports 1 Friday Night
07/19/2016
Brownsburg, IN – July 19, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 12th in the ABC Supply 150 at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 9. It was a frustrating weekend for the No. 27 team.
“We qualified 15th and were just a little bit off the entire race. We didn’t have that many yellows and just couldn’t make it up,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike is looking forward to the upcoming ARCA race this Friday, July 22. The RFMS Racing team will be running the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus-RD McMillen Ford in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Jive at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.
“I am looking forward to IRP…. It’s a fun track and I’ve spent a lot of time there racing sprints, midgets, silver crowns. It’s a tough old half mile track; seems like you’re always in traffic or battling with someone there. Should be an exciting weekend with the NASCAR race in town at the Brickyard,” said Fike.
The RFMS Racing team spent some time testing at Lucas Oil Raceway last week in preparation for the ARCA race.
“We had a great test there last Thursday (July 14). That track seems to change from day to day, so we won’t know what we’ll get until race day,” said Fike.
Friday will consist of two practice sessions starting at 12:35PM CT, followed by a final practice at 2PM. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 4:30PM. Pre-race ceremonies and driver introductions begin at 7:30PM with the green flag waving at 8PM. Fans can follow along online at arcaracing.com for live practice and qualifying updates.
Fans will be able to watch the race live Friday evening on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8PM CT.
Former Iowa winner AJ Fike eyes another in Newton
07/06/2016
TOLEDO, Ohio (June 30, 2016) – Galesburg, Illinois’ AJ Fike, driver of the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus Healthcare-RD McMillen Ford Fusion, will be one of only a short handful of winners in the field who have already experienced the thrill of victory lane at Iowa Speedway when the 10th annual Iowa ARCA 150 presented by Casey’s General Stores rolls off Saturday night July 9 in Newton, Iowa.
Fike is actually in an exclusive category altogether, because his win at Iowa came aboard a USAC Silver Crown Series open wheel machine back in 2010. Despite the big difference between the Silver Crown car and the ARCA car, Fike says the line around Iowa is very similar, if not exactly same.
“You get a little more sensation in speed in the Crown car…you’re more wide open, but I’d say the line around Iowa is no different from the Crown car to the ARCA car.
“The grooves are changing at Iowa because it’s starting to wear out. There’s actually more lines to work with now that the track has got some bumps and wear and tear on it. Now you move around the track to make the car work where it wants to.
“What started out as one groove when it was new has become multiple grooves. The lines are getting wider…you’re definitely running a lot higher on the track than you used to.”
Fike finished 12th on the lead lap in the ARCA race at Iowa last year. But he’s coming back for a lot more this year. Fike, in fact, is on a bit of roll, winning the ARCA race on the Springfield (Ill.) dirt mile last year, and finishing second at Nashville this year. Fike will be campaigning the new ARCA composite body car at Iowa. Fike most recently finished seventh at Michigan Int’l Speedway in a composite car, eighth at Madison and seventh at Winchester.
“We’re definitely starting to figure them out. We’ve got two composite cars now, one for our short track program and one for the speedways. We still have our steel car for the dirt. We’ve been convinced that the composite cars are the way to go…it’s definitely the future of the series.”
The composite bodies, made by Five Star Race Car Bodies, are a lightweight, state-of-the-art laminate blend, less than 135 pounds. Designed without compromising rigidity, the 12 separate flame retardant panels are flange-fitted together for easy installation in the shop or at track.
“If you damage the fender, or whatever, you can just pop a new one on or fix the one you have. It’s a lot better than it used to be when you had to send the whole car to North Carolina to put a whole new body on it. We love the composite…it was the right move. That, and they look really sharp. I think the fans love ‘em too.”
Don Radebaugh
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com
No Repeat ARCA Winners at Iowa
In nine previous ARCA races at Iowa since the inaugural event in 2006, there have been no repeat winners. Steve Wallace won the first ARCA race at Iowa, and hometown hero Mason Mitchell won the most recent in 2015. Other ARCA winners at Iowa include Frank Kimmel (2007), Matt Hawkins (2008), Parker Kligerman (2009), Tom Hessert (2010), Ty Dillon (2011), Alex Bowman (2012), and Grant Enfinger (2013). Dillon is the only repeat Menards Pole winner at Iowa, having done it in 2010 and 2011.
ARCA Iowa Schedule/Media
Practice for the Iowa ARCA 150 is from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Saturday with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 3:15. The Iowa ARCA 150 is live on FS2 at 8 p.m. local Central time. Live Timing and Scoring and live Chat will also be available at arcaracing.com.
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Solid Top-Ten Finish at Michigan; Fike Hits Pavement at Madison International Sunday
06/16/2016
Brownsburg, IN - June 16, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 7th in the Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, June 10. It was a solid finish for the No. 27 team, who hasn’t run there in 12 years.
“Qualifying got cancelled due to time constraints and we started 9th based on practice times. I fell back in the start to get a feel for what the car felt like in the draft…back to 15th. Then we had a yellow around lap 30; we pitted for fuel only, restarted up front and stayed there the rest of the day,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike made it up to 5th on lap 50 and stuck in the top-ten the rest of the race.
“We did a green flag pit stop towards end of the race. It was the first time we have done one; this is the longest track we have raced on this year… We took two tires, but possibly could have taken four. Overall, I feel like we had a really solid run,” said Fike. Michigan is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped speedway.
Fike and the RFMS Racing team will be running the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus-RD McMillen Ford in Sunday’s ARCA Racing Montgomery Ward Father’s Day 200 at Madison International Speedway.
“We are going to be good at Madison. It’s a pavement half-mile track made of old worn out pavement,” said Fike. The last time the team raced at Madison was in 2014 and the car was wrecked.
The ARCA Racing Series composite body car will be making its Madison debut on Sunday, and the RFMS Racing No. 27 will be one of the composite bodies out on the track. The composite body cars debuted on short tracks in 2015; however, it’s been since 2014 that the ARCA tour has raced at Madison. The composite bodies, which greatly reduce the possibility of debris, are a lightweight, state-of-the-art laminate blend, less than 135 pounds. Designed without compromising rigidity, the 12 separate flame retardant panels are flange-fitted together for easy installation in the shop or at track.
Practice for the ARCA Racing Series at Madison is scheduled for Saturday, June 18 from 12:30-1:15 p.m., followed by final practice from 1:45-2:30. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 4:00.
Raceday Sunday gets started with an on-track autograph session from Noon – 1 p.m., followed by pre-race ceremonies and driver introductions at 1:30. The 200-lap Montgomery Ward Father’s Day 200 at Madison begins at 2:00 p.m. Central Sunday afternoon, June 19. The race will also feature live timing and scoring and live chat at ARCAracing.com.
The Montgomery Ward Father’s Day 200 will be broadcast live on the American Sports Network (ASN). Race fans can also see the live broadcast at AmericanSportsNet.com. Coverage on ASN at Madison begins at 2:00 p.m. local Central time.
Brake Failure Halts Fike in Hoosier Hundred; Fike Races Live on Fox Sports 1 in Corrigan Oil 200
06/08/2016
Brownsburg, IN - June 8, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 27th in the “Hoosier Hundred” USAC Silver Crown race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Thursday May, 26. It was a tough night for Fike who had to pull off early in the race due to brake failure.
“We had a top three car. We qualified 10th and within the first ten laps of the race I lost my brakes and had to pull in. Luckily, I was able to keep the car in one piece,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike and the RFMS Racing team will be running the No. 27 MatrixCare- RSM-Office Specialists Ford in Friday night’s ARCA Racing Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
“I think we are going to have a good car this weekend. We had a great test there a few weeks ago and learned a lot about the setup and have been able to take that back to the shop and make some positive changes,” said Fike.
This is the first time the team has been back to Michigan International Speedway since 2004. “The track has changed a lot since I last raced there 12 years ago. It has been repaved and has a lot of grip now,” said Fike.
Two practice sessions get things going for this year’s Corrigan Oil 200 Thursday afternoon, June 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:55 p.m., followed by final practice from 2:05 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying is scheduled for Friday morning at 1:40 p.m. Fans will be able to watch the Corrigan Oil 200 live on Fox Sports 1 Friday at approximately 5:45 p.m.
Broken Rear-end Pump Forces Fike to Pull in for Menards 200; Fike Starts Tonight in Historic Hoosier Hundred
05/26/2016
Brownsburg, IN - May 26, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 21st in the ARCA Racing Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care this past Sunday due to mechanical problems.
“Overall we have good car; we started 15
th and were running between 6
th and 8
th for most of the race. Then we started oiling around lap 130 and had to pull the car in around lap 145 because we had a broken rear-end pump. We had a top-ten car,” said driver AJ Fike.
Fike and the RFMS Racing team will be running the No. 3 Office Specialists- RSM Beast/Foxco in tonight’s “Hoosier Hundred” USAC Silver Crown race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The 100-mile race at the Fairgrounds has tradition dating back to 1953, and it is considered one of the richest and most prestigious open wheel races in the United States. Seven winners of the Hoosier Hundred have also won the Indianapolis 500, including A.J. Foyt, who has won it six times. The event takes place at the one-mile dirt oval at the fairgrounds complex, known as the "Track of Champions”.
“I am excited for tonight’s race. There is a lot of history here going back to the 50’s. Last year we led over half of the race and ended up fourth. Should be a fun night, if the weather holds up,” said Fike.
The pit gates will open at noon today, grandstands at 3:00, with hot laps set to begin at 5:00. Racing begins with the UMP Modifieds at 7:00 with the Hoosier 100 scheduled for an 8:00 green flag.
Fike Hits Pavement at Toledo after Week of Testing
05/20/2016
AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team hit the pavement at Toledo Speedway this weekend in the No. 27 MatrixCare-Consonus-RD McMillen Ford for the ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care, after testing there earlier this week.
“We tested at Toledo all day on Monday and had a good test. The new car felt great. We tried a couple things on the setup and I think we got a good car for this weekend,” said driver AJ Fike.
“We had a solid finish there last year with fourth and are looking to move up a few spots on Sunday,” said car owner Don Fike.
“I am looking forward to the race on Sunday. I love this track and I have a lot of experience there. I raced a number of different types of cars there over the years,” said AJ Fike.
ARCA Racing Series on-track activities begin Saturday, May 21 with two practice sessions from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell follows at 3:30pm. Raceday Sunday gets underway with an on-track driver autograph session from 12 noon to 1:00pm. Pre-race ceremonies and driver introductions follow. The Menards 200 is scheduled to start at 2:00pm Eastern.
The race will be televised live on American Sports Network. Fans seeking to find local ASN affiliates can do so by visiting AmericanSportsNet.com and clicking on the schedule button at the top of the home page. Click on the ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 in the schedule, insert your zip code under “Find your station,” and submit. Visitors receiving a message stating that the program is not available in their area can watch the stream live on ASN’s website.
Big thanks to our fans and official 2016 sponsors for your continued support!
Fike Struggled to Make Up Ground after Broken Alternator Belt at Salem
04/29/2016
Brownsburg, IN - April 29, 2016 – AJ Fike in the No. 27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford finished 14th in the ARCA Racing Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 this past Sunday. It was a tough day for the team. Fike broke an alternator belt during Menards Pole Qualifying, which put him at the end of the field for the start of the race.
“We had to go to the tale because we broke the alternator belt. We never seemed to make up ground. The car was tight all day. It just wasn’t our day,” said driver, AJ Fike.
“Early in the race we got caught up with another car, and got a hole in the front nose piece. Had we not got tangled, we might have had a top ten finish, but we did the best that we could considering the circumstances. All we can do now is look forward to our next race at Toledo,” said car owner, Don Fike.
“We really appreciate the support of our 2016 season sponsors,” said AJ Fike.
The next race for the RFMS Racing team is Sunday, May 22. Fike will suit up for the ARCA Racing Menards 200 Presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway.
Fike Hits Pavement at Salem Speedway this Weekend
04/20/2016
Brownsburg, IN - April 20, 2016 – AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team hit the pavement at Salem Speedway this weekend in the No. 27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford in the ARCA Racing Series Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200. It should prove to be another great race for the team.
“I am looking forward to Salem this weekend. We led laps and finished seventh there last year, and we are using the same car as Nashville. I think we have a top three car a and a good chance to get a win,” said AJ Fike.
The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 will spread out over two days, Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24. Practice for the race will include two sessions Saturday afternoon from 12:00 noon to 12:45 and final practice from 1:15 to 2:00, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at 3:30. Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 raceday festivities get underway with an on-track driver autograph session from 11:30 to 12:30 followed by the Great American Stock feature event at 1:00. Pre-race ceremonies, ARCA driver introductions and the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 follow. The race will be recorded and broadcast at a later date on American Sports Network.
Big thanks to our fans and official 2016 sponsors for your continued support!
Liberty Village
MatrixCare
Consonus Healthcare
RSM
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Alton Winnelson
Hot Start to the Season with 2nd Place Finish at Nashville
04/12/2016
Brownsburg, IN - April 12, 2016 – AJ Fike finished 2nd in his first ARCA Race Series start of the 2016 season at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville in the Music City 200, proving to be a hot start to the season for the team.
“We didn’t qualify like we wanted (14th) but we knew the car had good long run speed,” AJ Fike said.
“We got bottled up in the start and fell back to 17th. We had our work cut out for us. We came in for the only pit stop of the night and changed all four tires and battled back one car at a time,” said car owner, Don Fike.
Fike, in the No. 27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford, gambled on pit strategy, taking four fresh tires under caution on lap 84 when several of the front-runners took only two. Those that opted for the two tire stop were hoping for a late-race caution…a caution that never came.
“We took all four tires, which was an excellent call by Crew Chief, Dan Glauz. We made our way up to second, and with so much lap traffic, I just wanted to ride it out, take care of the car and make it to the finish,” said AJ Fike.
“Besides the start, we never got passed all night. It was a great way to start the season on a high note,” said car owner, Don Fike.
The Music City 200 will broadcast on June 2, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. EST on American Sports Network.
The next event for the RFMS Racing team is the ARCA Racing Series Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway on April 24.
Fike Gears Up for First Race of the Season at Nashville
04/07/2016
The RFMS Racing season starts with a bang this Saturday April 9 at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN. Driver, AJ Fike, will be behind the wheel of the #27 MatrixCare-RSM-Office Specialists Ford in the ARCA Racing Series Music City 200.
“I am excited to start the season off at Nashville. We are going to have a great car and a great crew. The car we are using led laps at Salem last year and finished 7th. I think we have a good chance of finishing with a top five at Nashville,” said AJ Fike.
“We wouldn’t be here, racing 15 ARCA races this season, without the support of our sponsors. I would like to thank MartixCare, Consonus, Office Specialists, RSM, RD McMillen, First Mid-IL Bank, Holt Supply, and Alton Winnelson,” said car owner, Don Fike.
The Nashville race will be televised on the American Sports Network. ARCA officials announced March 29th that they entered into a multi-year agreement with American Sports Network (ASN) to broadcast the ARCA Racing Series, beginning in 2016. ASN’s coverage of the ARCA Racing Series will kick off with the April 9 race from Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. In all, ASN will broadcast nine ARCA events in 2016, including five live broadcasts.
Catching up with AJ, expanding ARCA schedule for '16, starts at Nashville
03/05/2016
TOLEDO, Ohio (March 5, 2016) – It won’t be long before AJ Fike will be climbing back into his ARCA car for his 2016 show opener at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, coming April 8-9.
In the meantime, Fike’s doing all those things he should be doing.
“Most of my weekends, I’m taking my daughter Kylie to her next volleyball game,” Fike said.
“She’s a freshman in high school and she plays in a traveling volleyball tournament…been doing that for the last two months, but we’re about to wrap that up for the year.”
When he’s not doing that, Fike works for his father through the week and getting prepared for his race season ahead, which is going to include a lot more ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards racing in 2016.
“Right now, if we don’t tear up a bunch of equipment, we’re planning to run everything except Talladega, the road course and both Poconos. But everything else is on the schedule.”
Fike’s 2016 campaign will also include some USAC Silver Crown Series racing. We’ll probably run Toledo, IRP (Lucas Oil Raceway) and the dirt miles, and that may be all on the Silver Crown side. We’re going to focus more on the ARCA schedule this year. Dan Glauz will be the crew chief on the ARCA side. We only have three full-time guys for both ARCA and Silver Crown, so it’s a lot to manage.”
Fike, a two-time winner of the USAC Tony Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, added his career-first ARCA win last year at Springfield, a very popular victory for the Galesburg, Illinois driver.
But for now, it’s back to the other fairgrounds to start the season.
“Yep, we’ll be at Nashville…looking forward to it.”
Fike got caught up in a skirmish last year at Nashville that resulted in a wall-banger that put him out of competition with just 67 laps complete.
“Nashville is its own animal. It took me a while to figure it out…all the bumps. There isn’t a lot of grip…it’s definitely a driver’s track. Last year we struggled early on, but we changed our line and got going pretty good. I think we have a good chance for a top-five this year. If we don’t come out with at least a top-10, I’ll be disappointed.”
Fike works with a variety of spotters on the ARCA side throughout the year, basically whoever he can get based on where he’s racing.
“(Andy) Hillenburg spotted for me last year…he does a great job. Dan (Glauz) spotted a few times, but it’s kind of hard to spot and be the crew chief at the same time.”
Liberty Village and McGladrey Ford will be returning as sponsors on Fike’s ARCA car in ’16, along with MatrixCare, which debuted on Fike’s No. 27 Ford Fusion in ‘15.
“We had MatrixCare in a suite at Iowa Speedway last year. They loved it, and are very excited about coming back this year, and we’re certainly looking forward to having them back.”
Original Article Written by Don Radebaugh,
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Fike's Springfield win highlights his 2015 season
12/18/2015
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Fike Ends ARCA Season on a High Note; Leading 22 Laps at Salem
09/22/2015
Brownsburg, IN - September 22, 2015 – A.J. Fike finished 7th in the Federated Car Care Fall Classic ARCA race at Salem Speedway this past Saturday. While 7th was a solid finish, it doesn’t reflect how impressive the RFMS Racing team’s performance was. Owner, Don Fike, stated, “It was a tremendous run for AJ on a high bank track. The entire team was pumped.”
Fike qualified 12th for the 200-lap race set at the historic track in southern Indiana. The team had limited practice on the track going into the race; it had been 11 years since Fike and the team had raced at Salem.
The first 97 laps Fike ran in the top-ten and stayed on the lead lap. A yellow came out on lap 97, and Crew Chief, Dan Glauz, brought Fike in to the pits for a four tire pit stop and he came out in 12th.
When the race went green on lap 101, Fike marched his way to the front and took the lead at lap 144. He led the race from lap 144 to 165, for a total of 22 laps. Up until lap 190, Fike was holding a solid 2nd position, but his tires were used up for the last 10 laps and he fell back to 7th position.
Normally teams get 10 tires per car, 4 tires to start the race and 6 tires for pit stops. However, on Saturday, there was a shortage of tires and each team received 8 tires instead. “We looked really good out there. If we wouldn’t have used up all our tires, AJ was fast enough to win,” said Don Fike.
“We finished 7th, but the car was better than that. We learned a lot at Salem. It had been 11 years since we ran there. I think it was a great way to end our ARCA season and I am really looking forward to an even better season next year,” said driver, AJ Fike.
A.J. will be driving the RFMS Racing Liberty Village-McGladrey #3 car this Saturday at Eldora Speedway for the second to last USAC Silver Crown race of the season. He currently is third in points.
AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team is back on the track tomorrow at Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana
09/18/2015
AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team is back on the track tomorrow at Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana for the Federated Car Care ARCA Classic 200. The race will not be televised but will be available live online for pay-per-viewing at $9.98 on arcaracing.com. The broadcast will start at 6:30PM Eastern with the pre-race show and the race with go-green at 7:15PM.
The team is coming off a solid weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, where Fike finished 7th in the Silver Crown race and 6th in the ARCA race. We would like to thank all of our fans in southern Illinois for making it out to the races and supporting our team!
Currently, Fike is 3rd in USAC Silver Crown points going into the last two SC races of the season.
AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team is back on the track Labor Day Weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
09/04/2015
AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team is back on the track Labor Day Weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds for a double dose of dirt track racing. Sunday is the USAC Silver Crown Ted Horn 100 and Monday is the ARCA Racing Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care. The 100-lap USAC race will take place at 8:00PM on Sunday night and the 100-lap ARCA race will be Monday afternoon at 1:30PM.
The team is coming off a big ARCA win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds a few weekends ago. We would like to thank all the supporters who came out to the track on Saturday and Sunday. We would especially like to thank Office Specialists for cohosting a wonderful event on Saturday. Attached are some pictures from the weekend.
A.J. Fike won his first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race Sunday
08/23/2015
A.J. Fike won his first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race Sunday, becoming the 10th driver of the season to pick up their first victory. And, the Galesburg, Ill. native did it in his home state.
“I’m kind of at a loss for words right now,” Fike said in victory lane, surrounded by a throng of supporters.
Fike actually dominated the SuperChevyStores.com 100 at the mile dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. He led 60 of the 104 laps and had a lead of nearly seven seconds with 10 laps to go. He survived a late restart to win over Kyle Weatherman by 0.759-seconds. Fike’s previous career best was second at Berlin Raceway in 2004.
“The car was perfect off the trailer,” Fike said. “I can’t say enough about everyone on the team, my pit crew, my dad. This is a great win for us. It’s very exciting.”
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AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team is back on the track this Saturday
08/06/2015
AJ Fike and the RFMS Racing team is back on the track this Saturday in the ARCA Racing Federated Auto Parts 200 at Berlin Raceway. The 200-lap race will take place at 8:50pm Eastern in Marne, MI. This race will not be televised, but the next ARCA race on Sunday August 23rd at the Illinois State Fairgrounds will be televised on CBS Sports at 1:30pm Central.
The team is coming off a weekend in Belleville, KS, where Fike finished 11th in the “Hustle on the High Banks” USAC Silver Crown race. Fike currently is 4th in USAC Silver Crown Series points.
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Schedule of events for the Federated Auto Parts 200 at Berlin Raceway
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Sat, August 8
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2:30-3:15 PM
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ARCA Racing Series Practice
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3:45-4:30 PM
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ARCA Racing Series Final Practice
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5:45 PM
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Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell (all positions / 2 laps)
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8:00 PM
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ARCA Racing Series On-Track Autograph Session
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8:30 PM
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ARCA Racing Series Pre-Race Ceremonies Begin
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8:50 PM
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Start of the Federated Auto Parts 200 (200 laps / 88 miles)
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May 17th, 2015 – Toledo Speedway
AJ Fike and the RFMS team were testing at Toledo Speedway yesterday, in preparation for the “Menards 200” presented by Federated Car Care on Sunday May 17th at 2pm. Practice will take place tomorrow at 11:45am and 1:00pm, with Menards Pole Qualifying Presented by Ansell at 3:30pm. Hopefully, the rain will stay away!
Race Details:
Track: Toledo Speedway
Series: ARCA Racing Series
Date: Sunday May 17th
200 Lap Race starts @ 2:00pm
Fike Captures a Top 3 Finish in SC Season Opener
05/02/2015
The RFMS team started off the night at Toledo with a tough qualifying session. Fike spun out in qualifying, putting him in last for the start of the 100 lap race.
However, Fike made up for qualifying early in the race as he quickly made his way up in the field. By lap 20, Fike was up to 10th place and 22 laps later, he was sitting in 6th place and looking to move up.
At lap 48, Tanner Swanson caught a wheel in the front stretch and went airborne into the catch fence in turn one, bringing out the red flag for 30 minutes.
The second half of the race, Fike was able to pass for 3rd, but didn’t have the tires to take a 2nd or 1st place finish. It was great run for the first SC race of the season!
"I really felt like we were just as fast as the leaders before the red, but I just screwed up qualifying to put us in a hole. We didn't need the red; our tire sealed up and we weren't as good after that. Starting last row, I had to use my stuff up a little bit to get to where we got. I can't complain, though - my group did a great job tonight," Fike said.
17th to 3rd tonight a good start to the silver crown season
05/01/2015
A.J. Fike finished 3rd tonight at Toledo in the SC season opener! Fike started at the back of the pack in 17th and worked his way up to a top three. What a great way to start the 2015 SC season!
Silver Crown SEASON OPENER TOMORROW:
04/30/2015
AJ Fike and the RFMS team will be racing at Toledo Speedway tomorrow tonight in the Rollie Beale Classic 100 USAC Silver Crown season opener! The team was at Toledo this past Sunday practicing for the event.
RACE RESULTS: Wreck Finishes Fike Early in the Race
04/11/2015
April 11th, 2015- Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville
Fike went out for practice on Saturday afternoon, coming in 13th fast our of 31 cars in the first practice and 15th quick in the second practice. For qualifying, Fike drew fourth and came in 19th quick, putting him in the middle of the pack for the start of the ARCA Racing Troop Aid 200 at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. For the first 50 laps of the race, Fike continued to feel more comfortable on the track and was moving up in the pack. Around lap 60, Fike was passing for twelfth, when he was pushed up into the wall, leaving him nowhere to go. Car owner, Don Fike, said that he thought the team had a top-ten car. Unfortunately, the ARCA car won’t be ready for the next ARCA race scheduled for Salem on April 26th, but the team will be back on the track on May 1st for the first Silver Crown race at Toledo Speedway.
THIS WEEKEND: Fike Competes in Team’s 2015 Season Opener at Nashville
04/09/2015
April 11th, 2015 – Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville
The RFMS Racing team is back on the track this weekend, with AJ Fike driving the #27 Liberty Village-McGladrey Ford machine in the ARCA Racing Series Troop Aid 200 at the Fairgrounds Speedway. It's the first appearance for ARCA at the Fairgrounds since 1992, and will be Fike’s first time at the banked 0.596 mile paved oval. There has been considerable interest in the race, with an entry list of 31 drivers and growing. The track is located at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and is the second oldest continually operating track in the United States. There is a lot of rich history there, with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing there from 1958 to 1984.
For Saturday’s race, practice and qualifying will take place in the afternoon, with the first practice at 12:15pm, the final practice at 1:45pm, and qualifying at 4:15pm. The 200-lap race will be available to watch live online at www.arcaracing.com for $29.95. For more information about the race, please visit:
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Big thanks to our fans and official 2015 sponsors for your continued support!
04/09/2015
Liberty Village
McGladrey
Office Specialists
R. D. McMillen Enterprises
Consonus Healthcare
MatrixCare
First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust
Holt Supply
Fike Finishes Silver Crown Season with a Strong 2nd in New York
10/12/2014
October 10-11th - New York State Fairgrounds
A.J. Fike qualified 3rd for the 78-lap USAC Silver Crown race this past Saturday at the New York Fairgrounds. For the first half of the race, Fike stayed glued to second place Kody Swanson. Around lap 50, Fike and Swanson began to gain ground on race leader Bobby East. Swanson passed East for lead.
Fike was the pursuer over the final ten laps, moving past East for second and coming after Swanson for the top spot. He had a shot at the win in the final two laps, but a move to the outside while negotiating a slower car sent him out of the groove through turns one and two, allowing Swanson to slip away.
Fike finished his strong day in 2nd aboard the RFMS Racing – H.E. Mitchell Construction #3 Beast/Foxco and finished the 2014 USAC Silver Crown season 6th in driver points.
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THIS WEEKEND: Windom is Back in the Dirt Midget at Eldora Speedway
09/19/2014
September 20th - Eldora Speedway
After one month off, Chris Windom is back in the USAC Dirt Midget for the 33rd Annual 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway. The 4-Crown Nationals features UMP Dirt Modifieds and the World of Outlaws on Friday night. And on Saturday night, the USAC Midgets, USAC Silver Crown, and USAC Sprint all race on one night! Windom is currently 6th in the Honda National Midget points going into this weekend.
Just a little background on Eldora Speedway, also known as The Big E, it is located near New Weston, Ohio. Eldora is a half-mile clay oval with an estimated seating capacity of nearly 18,000. The track was built in 1954 by Earl Baltes, however, it was purchased by 3-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in late 2004. In 2011, Stewart hired former Charlotte Motor Speedway V.P. of Events Roger Slack to direct the day-to-day operations as General Manager and Promoter of Eldora Speedway. The historic racing oval now features state of the art luxury suites atop the turn 3 area while fans also enjoy live coverage and replays of the on-track action via the large Coca-Cola video board in turn 2. Additional catchfencing, attenuators, a widened pit road, helipad and infield care center were added to increase safety during competition.
Fike Finishes 4th in “Tony Bettenhausen 100”
09/08/2014
September 7th – Illinois State Fairgrounds
AJ Fike went out for qualifying early on Sunday and was quick time; however, the track continued to get faster throughout qualifying and AJ ended up 6th fast. Early in the 100 lap race, Fike passed Jacob Wilson and Brady Bacon for the fourth place position. But for most of the 100 laps, it was difficult for drivers to make passes because the track was a one lane track. Therefore, Fike finished 4th behind Bobby East, Tracy Hines, and Kody Swanson. It wasn’t the win he was looking for, but he drove hard.
THIS WEEKEND: Fike Goes for a “3 Peat” at Springfield on Sunday
09/03/2014
September 7th - Illinois State Fairgrounds
AJ Fike and the team are back at Springfield this coming Sunday to compete in the “Tony Bettenhausen 100”. Tickets and pit passes from the original date of August 16th will be honored on September 7th. A complete new program will face competitors, with practice at 10 am, qualifying and the 100-mile race on tap at 1:30 pm. Come out to the race and cheer on AJ as he goes for his third win at the Springfield Dirt Mile!
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September 1st – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
09/01/2014
Monday morning, Fike went out for ARCA Racing Series practice and was 9th fast out of a 30 car field. Fike looked fast in qualifying and had a great run with the 2nd fastest time, just missing the pole by 0.003 seconds! It would have been his fourth Menard’s Pole at DuQuoin. Fike started in the front row of the 100 lap race, but was shuffled back between 5th-8th throughout the race. On the last restart Fike took the high line, couldn’t get down, and lost some positions but drove the car hard for an 11th place finish. DuQuoin was last ARCA race for the RFMS Racing team in the 2014 season, as the team has decided not compete at Salem in two weeks.
RESULTS: Fike Grabs a Top Five at DuQuoin (In-Car Video Included*)
08/31/2014
August 31st – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
AJ Fike went out for a good qualifying run Sunday evening in the USAC Silver Car and was 8th quick out of a 24 car field. The cushion was wicked throughout the 100 lap race, and two drivers had pretty bad flips. Fike did a good job of dodging the numerous wrecks during the race, and came out with a strong 5th place finish!
(In-Car Video*) To see just how rough the track was, check out the following video where AJ Fike takes you for a ride around The Magic Mile in DuQuoin IL
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Big Labor Day Race Weekend in Southern Illinois
08/29/2014
August 31st/ September 1st – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
AJ Fike is doing double duty this weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. He will compete in the USAC Silver Crown “Ted Horn 100” on Sunday night and the ARCA Series “Southern 100” on Monday afternoon. Fike has had considerable success at the DuQuoin Dirt Mile, and he considers it one of his favorite tracks. In the ARCA Series, Fike has won three Menards Poles presented by Ansell at DuQuoin in 2007, 2009, and 2010. His best ARCA finishes there include two 4th place finishes in 2007 and in 2009. Last year, Fike had good weekend at DuQuoin with a 3rd place Silver Crown finish and a top ten finish in the ARCA car.
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Break Problem Ends Run at Madison International
08/24/2014
Madison International Speedway
The RFMS team had another rough weekend this past Sunday at Madison International. Qualifying was rained out and cars were lined up based on points. AJ Fike started at the back in 26th and made his way up to 14th; however, around lap 30, AJ lost his brakes in turn three and hit the wall. He is a little sore and has a headache, but it doing alright.
“TONY BETTENHAUSEN 100” RESCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 7"
08/18/2014
DuQUOIN’s “TED HORN 100” AUGUST 31
Track Enterprises and USAC officials have announced rescheduling of the “Tony Bettenhausen 100,” which was interrupted by rain Saturday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, for Sunday afternoon, September 7.
Rains began to fall as the cars were approaching the “one-to-go” signal is preparation for the 100-mile race on the one-mile dirt oval. Tracy Hines posted the fastest qualifying time to win the pole position, while Kody Swanson, the series point leader who has won all three dirt-track outings this season, had lined up on the outside of the front row in the 24-car starting field.
A complete new program will face competitors at Springfield September 7, with practice at 10 am, qualifying and the 100-mile race on tap at 1:30 pm. Grandstand spectator gates open at 9 am. Tickets and pit passes from August 16 will be honored on September 7. Race fans wishing to secure tickets for the September 7 race can contact Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200 or at trackenterprises.com.
“The Silver Crown Series is going in a positive direction,” says series coordinator Andy Hillenburg. “With race organizer Bob Sargent’s support we are delighted to be able to retain this marquee event for our fans and participants as we continue to strive for the prominence this series deserves.”
The “Ted Horn 100,” round eight of the 2014 USAC Silver Crown Championship series, is slated August 31 at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. The race continues a tradition dating back to 1948.
Kody Swanson will take a 42-point lead over Tracy Hines into the DuQuoin event. Defending series champion Bobby East trails Hines by just 12 points in third.
THIS WEEKEND: Fike Competes in ARCA Federated Auto Parts 200 and Kody Swanson Gets in the USAC Pavement Midget at Grundy County
08/08/2014
August 9th Berlin Raceway
AJ Fike is racing in the ARCA Federated Auto Parts 200 tomorrow at Berlin Raceway located in Marne, MI. This is his first time back at Berlin Raceway since 2004, when he finished a career best 2nd in the ARCA car. Fike is looking forward to good a run. “ In the last race, the car was getting better with each lap. I think we could have a really good run here. I really like this track” said Fike.
Berlin Raceway is a 0.4375 mile long paved oval race track located near Grand Rapids. It opened in 1950 and the track is notable for the lack of an outside wall on the back straightaway, a unique feature for a national series such as the ARCA Racing Series. In addition, the short straights make it feel almost circular. Berlin Raceway takes its name from the city of Marne's original name "Berlin," which was changed due to Anti-German sentiment following World War I.
August 9th Grundy County Speedway
Kody Swanson jumps back in the USAC Pavement Midget on Saturday night at Grundy County Speedway located in Morris, IL. Swanson is sure to be force reckoned with as he has had a great USAC Silver Crown season, with three wins at Terre Haute, Indiana State Fairgrounds, and recently at Belleville.
Grundy County Speedway is a 1/3 mile pavement track built in 1971. Famous drivers that have circled this modern short track are Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Paul Newman, Joe Shear, Johnny Benson, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and the list goes on.
Solid Week in Kansas for Windom
08/02/2014
RESULTS: Solid Week in Kansas for Windom
July 29th Solomon Valley Raceway July 31st Belleville High Banks August 1st Belleville High Banks
Windom 6th Windom 5th Windom 5th
Pickens 10th Pickens 6th Pickens 9th
Windom was looking for the Belleville Midget Nationals win on Friday August 1st. Both Windom and Pickens finished 1st and 2nd in the B-Dash, putting them in 7th and 8th positions for the feature race. Only a few laps into the race, Windom had to pull off for a new tire. He started at the back and made it all the way back up to 5th for the checkered flag! The next USAC Dirt Midget race will be at Sun Prairie on August 17th.
THIS WEEK: Pickens and Windom Compete in the 37th Annual Belleville Midget Nationals
07/29/2014
July 29th Solomon Valley Raceway & July 31st/August 1st Belleville High Banks
After having three weeks off, Pickens and Windom are back in the Dirt Midgets at two tracks in Kansas. Tonight, the team will be at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kansas for the 5th Annual Chad McDaniel Memorial Race. Thursday, the team will travel one hour north/east to Belleville, Kansas for the 37th Annual Belleville Midget Nationals that takes place on Thursday (prelim night) and Saturday (championship night).
Just a little history on the track, Belleville High Banks is considered the fastest half-mile dirt track in the world. The track’s mainstay has been the Belleville Midget Nationals, which have been held every year since 1978. The Belleville Midget Nationals is an exciting race that brings the best equipment, owners and drivers to the nation’s richest midget race in the country, transforming the town of Belleville from a small rural community of 2,500 to a racing Mecca of more than 20,000 people! The race track is BAD FAST, allowing those who can hold on an opportunity to run “wide open” the entire track. Some of the nation's greatest drivers have tested their nerves at Belleville, including Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, Stan Fox, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley and Jeff Gordon.
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RESULTS: Unfortunate Luck at Lucas Oil Raceway July 24th/25th
07/26/2014
July 24th Silver Crown at Lucas Oil Raceway
It was an unfortunate night Thursday July 24th, when AJ Fike and the two cars in front of him wreaked after slipping on oil in turn one and two, just a few laps into the 100-lap USAC J.D. Byrider Racing Classic. The next Silver Crown race will be at the historic Illinois State Fairgrounds, where AJ has won the past two years in a row. Stay tuned for more information on this event.
July 25th ARCA at Lucas Oil Raceway
The RFMS Racing team was behind the eight ball on Friday July 25th, as the team went out for the first practice session of the day and the motor wouldn’t start; therefore, leaving Fike with less practice time than many of the other teams. Fike was able to go out for the second practice session and for qualifying, where he was 21st quick out of 32 cars. Even though he started towards the back of the pack for the 200-lap race, Fike’s car was getting faster and faster throughout the first 100 laps, eventually getting him up to 15th place. However, he had to pull off around lap 120 due to a transmission problem. The team is looking forward to getting back in the ARCA pavement car at Berlin in two weeks.
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Big Week for the RFMS Team at Lucas Oil Raceway
07/14/2014
July 24th/25th Lucas Oil Raceway
The RFMS team has this weekend off and will race on Thursday July 24th and Friday July 25th at Lucas Oil Raceway, where Kody Swanson will be driving the Pavement Midget race and AJ Fike will be driving the Silver Crown race on Thursday night. Then the next day, Fike will jump into the ARCA car for his first ARCA race this season! More to come next week on race day details.
Windom Gets Two Top-Five’s at Pepsi Nationals
07/07/2014
July 5th/6th Angell Park Speedway
The RFMS team had a strong weekend at the 33rd Pepsi Nationals July 5th/6th. Both nights, Chris Windom finished with solid 4th place finishes, putting him 6th overall in USAC National Midget Points! Michael Pickens led the first 19 laps of Night 2’s feature and ran hard, but couldn’t keep off the Kunz cars after the second restart. Pickens finished 6th on Night 1 and 8th on Night 2. Pickens is currently 9th in USAC National Midget Points, despite not finishing a number of races this season due to mechanical problems/wrecks. Stay tuned for the next Dirt Midget race on Tuesday July 29th at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, KS.
THIS WEEKEND: Pickens and Windom Compete in 33rd Annual Pepsi Nationals
07/03/2014
July 5th/6th Angell Park Speedway
After having three weeks off, Pickens and Windom are back on the track at Angell Park Speedway this Saturday and Sunday for the 33rd Annual Pepsi Nationals. A full field of tough competitors is expected to compete, as the race is co-sanctioned by POWRi, USAC, and Badger. A complete program of racing is scheduled each night, with a 30-lap feature taking place on both nights. Additionally, fireworks will be launched at Angell Park Speedway on Saturday night following the feature event.
Angell Park Speedway is considered Greg Nelson’s, RFMS Crew Chief, home track. Nelson has numerous feature wins at Angell Park, including two Pepsi Nationals wins (1997, 1998) and 11 wins with the RFMS team. The track is nationally known for its midget car races, which began racing in 1936. As of the 2008 season, it is the only track in the United States to host weekly midget car races .Notable drivers that have raced at Angell Park Speedway include Indianapolis 500 competitors Tom Bigelow, Billy Englehart, Stan Fox; and NASCAR greats Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne. For more information about this weekend’s event, check out:
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RESULTS: Stenhouse Sizzling 100 Rained Out
06/29/2014
June 29thth Memphis International Raceway
Torrential rain and continuing storms Sunday morning forced the postponement of the "Stenhouse Sizzling 100" USAC Silver Crown race scheduled at Memphis International Raceway. Track officials and USAC are investigating possible rescheduling dates later in the 2014 calendar for the race, which would be the first appearance of the series at MIR in 10 years.
THIS WEEK: Indiana Midget Week Starts Today & AJ Fike Competes in Silver Crown Opener for NASCAR Truck Series
06/11/2014
June 11th- June 15th 2014 Indiana Midget Week was supposed to kick off tonight at Gas City I-69 Speedway; however, it was cancelled due to rain. Indiana Midget Week will now start tomorrow night at Lincoln Park Speedway and will continue for four consecutive nights at tracks throughout Indiana. Night two will be at Bloomington Speedway, night three at Lawrenceburg Speedway, and the final night will be at Kokomo Speedway. Michael Pickens and Chris Windom will be driving both RFMS/Liberty Village cars and are looking to clinch the Indiana Midget Week Championship. The RFMS team won the title two years ago in 2012 with Darren Hagen driving. Stay tuned to our Twitter feed for race day updates @RFMSRacing.
AJ Fike jumps back in the USAC Silver Crown car this Saturday June 14th
06/11/2014
June 14th 2014 AJ Fike jumps back in the USAC Silver Crown car this Saturday June 14th, for the “Gateway 100” at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, IL. The Silver Crown race starts at noon on Saturday, and opens for the NASCAR Camping World Trucks race later that day. Gateway is considered one of the fastest tracks in Silver Crown series history. Fike is currently 5th in points.
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RFMS Visits Victory Lane with Tanner Thorson Behind the Wheel!
06/10/2014
June 6th 2014 It was bittersweet for the RFMS Racing Team at Lincoln Speedway on Friday. Michael Pickens started the feature 13th, got tangled in a wreck on lap one, resulting in a hole in his oil tank, and pulled off for the night. Tanner Thorson started 7th, took the lead around lap nine, and won it! It was quite a show for our Racing for Others guests! Thank you to all of our sponsors, and great job Tanner and crew! Also, sorry for the confusion last week about our second driver. Chris Windom was driving out East in the USAC Sprint series and Tanner Thorson hopped in his car for two races at Quincy and Lincoln.
June 5th 2014 The first night of IL Speed Week was exciting as both of our drivers were looking for the win at Quincy Raceways on Thursday. Pickens started 5th in his heat race, won it, and started on the Pole for the feature race! Thorson started 3rd in his heat race, finished 2nd, and started 12th in the feature race. In the feature, with only a few laps to go, Pickens and Thorson were running 2nd and 3rd, when another car bumped Pickens on the restart, causing a wreck and taking him out of the race. Thorson went on to finish 2nd, in only his first time running our car!
June 7th 2014 Race at Macon Speedway was Rained Out.
June 8th 2014 RFMS team decided to not compete Sunday at Belle-Clair Speedway, in order to focus on Indiana Midget Week.
RFMS Racing sponsored two events called Racing for Others, where adults with developmental disabilities from group homes in the local communities were invited to come out and enjoy a night of racing! Almost 60 individuals attended the race at Quincy and 100 individuals were at Friday night’s race at Lincoln! It was a really fun time, as the team brought over Pickens’ car for everyone to check out, our drivers took tons of pictures with people, they signed hundreds of shirts, and did some mingling! It was so much fun that two drivers from other teams joined in, Spencer Bayston and Brittany Goldesberry. Big thanks to the drivers, Quincy Raceways, Lincoln Speedway, Lisa Winnett, and Cyndi Lewis for successful events! Please visit the RFMS Racing Facebook page for more photos.
THIS WEEKEND: Pickens Competes in POWRi Ford Eco-Boost Challenge in Indiana
05/29/2014
Two races have been added to the schedule for this weekend at Bloomington Speedway on Friday May 30th and at Brownstown Speedway on Saturday May 31st. Michael Pickens will be driving the RFMS Dirt Midget for the team at both POWRi sanctioned races, and it should be a fun weekend in Indiana! Michael wrote on Facebook earlier this week, “After a weekend of no racing, I'm looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the RFMS Midget this weekend at Bloomington and Brownstown IN. Following this will be POWRi Speed Week then USAC Midget Week, totaling 11 shows in two and a half weeks! I've had a pretty bad run lately, but I'm moving forward with a positive attitude and will try my best to do my supporters proud with some results.” Stay tuned, because Pickens could have a breakout race this weekend!
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RACE RESULTS: Mechanical Issues Halt Swanson’s Performance in “Night Before The 500”
05/24/2014
It looked like a great start to the evening for the RFMS team this past Saturday, as Kody Swanson was 2nd quick in practice and started in the front row for the "Night Before the 500" USAC Pavement Midget opener. However, around lap 32, Kody was in the 3rd position and had to pull in due to brake problems and a flat tire. Swanson ended up 7th for the night. You can see Kody Swanson in the RFMS/Liberty Village car at the next USAC Pavement Midget race on July 24th at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Big thanks to our fans and official 2014 sponsors for your continued support!
THIS WEEKEND: Kody Swanson Competes in Legendary “Night Before the 500”
05/23/2014
Kody Swanson has had a dominating season in the Silver Crown series, with two feature wins in the last three races, including a big win last night at the "Hoosier Hundred". The RFMS team is excited to have him behind the wheel for Saturday night's Pavement Midget opening race the "Night Before the 500" at Lucas Oil Raceway. The RFMS team holds the USAC Midget Pavement Championship for the last four years in a row, with wins in 2011 and 2013 at the "Night Before the 500".
Just a little background on the event, the"Night Before the 500" has long been a focal point of the open wheel community dating back to the early 1960's when racing legends such as A. J. Foyt would take part in the midget race prior to racing in the Indianapolis 500 the following day. In fact, Foyt was the first winner on the O'Reilly Raceway Park oval in 1961 and then went on to secure his first Indianapolis 500 win a few days later. Other past winners include Johnny Parsons, Mel Kenyon, Jeff Gordon, and Kasey Kahne.
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RACE RESULTS: Fike Finishes 9th in the “Hoosier Hundred”
05/22/2014
In the first round of practice AJ was 4th quick out of 26 cars, with 35.5 lap time. However, as practice progressed the track continued to slow and in practice number two AJ was 12th quick with a lap time of 36.603. For qualifying, Fike was 9th fast, putting him in a top ten position for the 100 mile "Hoosier Hundred". Just laps into the race, it became a one groove track with little passing happening. AJ started and finished 9th, and is still 5th in USAC Silver Crown series points with 108 points, just 12 points behind Chris Windom. The next Silver Crown race is set for Saturday June 14th at Gateway Motorsports Park right outside of St. Louis.
THIS WEEKEND: Fike Competes in Historic “Hoosier Hundred” Silver Crown 100-Lapper at Indiana State Fairgrounds
05/20/2014
A.J. Fike and the RFMS team will compete in the historic "Hoosier Hundred" at the Indiana State Fairgrounds this Thursday May 22. The race was first held in 1953, and it is considered one of the richest and most prestigious open wheel races in the United States. Seven winners of the Hoosier Hundred have also won the Indianapolis 500, including A.J. Foyt, who has won it six times. The event takes place at the historic one-mile dirt oval at the fairgrounds complex, known as the "Track of Champions". Fike finished 5th last year at the event, and will be looking for his first win there on Thursday.
RACE RESULTS: Fike Grabs a Top-Ten at “Hall of Fame Classic”
05/17/2014
A.J. Fike had a top-10 finish at the “Hall of Fame Classic” 100-lap Silver Crown race this past Saturday, putting him 5th in USAC Silver Crown points just two races into the 2014 season. He qualified 11th early on in the night, and moved up one spot during the race for a 10th place finish. The team is looking for a top-five finish this Thursday!
THIS WEEKEND: Fike Competes in “Hall of Fame Classic” Silver Crown 100-Lapper at Lucas Oil Raceway
05/16/2014
The RFMS Racing team has been preparing all week for the “Hall of Fame Classic” at Lucas Oil Raceway on Saturday May 17th. Early in the week on Monday, driver A.J. Fike and the team tested the Silver Crown car at the track and had planned on taking the car out again on Thursday or Friday. However, rain delayed their plans and they are hoping to get back on the track sometime this afternoon. For the race tomorrow, there is only a 20 percent chance of rain, so hopefully the event will stay on schedule. Twelve drivers will be inducted into the USAC Hall of Fame at 8pm and the 100-lap feature race will begin at 9pm.
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Heartbreaking Night for Team at Belle-Clair Speedway
05/10/2014
What looked like an exciting evening of racing for the RFMS team, ended up being a disappointing one this past Saturday at Belle-Clair Speedway. Pickens qualified 6th and Windom 8th out of a total of 47 cars, looking like a great start to the evening! Both drivers transferred to the feature in their heat races. Then Windom started 1st and Pickens 3rd in the feature! Windom lead the race for the first five laps and both cars stayed in the top five throughout the race, until Pickens left the race around lap 13 due to mechanical issues and Windom ‘s engine broke sometime in the second half of the race. It was a heartbreaking night for the team, but hoping for a better night this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Windom held on for fourth in the RFMS Racing
04/11/2014
Kokomo, Indiana. Rico Abreu kicked off the Honda National Midget season in style, with a daring drive around the high side of Kokomo Speedway in Friday Kokomo Grand Prix kickoff. The St. Helena, California driver ripped around the outside of the first corner to take the lead after starting fourth and never looked back to win aboard the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports – Toyota TRD #97 Bullet/Speedway Toyota.
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SWANSON STOMPS "SUMAR CLASSIC" SILVER CROWN FIELD AT TERRE HAUTE
04/07/2014
Terre Haute, Indiana…….After racing in pavement races last year for DePalma Motorsports, Kody Swanson took advantage of his first dirt start with the team in the Silver Crown Series presented by Traxxas by winning Sunday’s “Sumar Classic” at the Terre Haute Action Track. The Kingsburg, California driver took the lead on lap 38 and and was untouchable over a long green-flag run to win in the Radio Hospital #63 Maxim/Hampshire.
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HAGEN CAPTURES NATIONAL PAVEMENT MIDGET TITLE WITH COLUMBUS VICTORY
10/13/2013
Columbus, Ohio.…..Darren Hagen finished off his 2013 Honda National Pavement Midget Series championship with a convincing win in Saturday’s 40-lap Feature at Columbus Motor Speedway. Hagen came into the night tied with Tracy Hines atop the standings, but after both won their respective Scramble Races, they shared the front row and Hagen clinched the championship with his 22nd career National Midget win.
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FIKE FLIES TO SECOND-STRAIGHT “TONY BETTENHAUSEN 100”
08/17/2013
Springfield, Illinois…….Galesburg native A.J. Fike made his home state proud as he backed up his “Tony Bettenhausen 100” win from 2012 by going back-to-back in Saturday’s 100-miler for the Traxxas Silver Crown Series at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.Fike, who set Fast Time earlier in the day, led the field early in the race before a quick yellow for Kenny Gentry. On the restart, Fike’s original attempt was called back for picking up the pace too early. On the next attempt, Chris Windom timed it just right to jump alongside Fike into turn-one and take the lead.
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Hagen blisters Angell Park field to win Fredenberg Memorial
08/04/2013
Sun Prairie, Wis., Aug. 4---Darren Hagen won the 36th annual Al Fredenberg Memorial 50-lap feature Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. It mark Hagen's third victory of the season at the track in the event sanctioned by the Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series. Hagen jumped into the lead at the start of the event. At the completion of Lap 5 Hagen held a two second advantage over Jake Blackhurst and fast qualifier Terry Baab. Three laps later Hagen began lapping the tail of the field. Hagen increased his lead over Balckhurst to slightly over four seconds on Lap 10, Blackhurst open up a large advantage over a tightly packed group of who were battling for positions three-seven.
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Hagen headliners at Angell Park
07/14/2013
Sun Prairie, Wis., July 14---California's Darren Hagen captured the "77th Anniversary Night" 30-lap feature Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned by the Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series and POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series. The race capped off a doubleheader weekend celebrating Badger's 77-years of sanctioning midget auto racing.
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Hagen tops Bell in Belleville Bash Night One
07/07/2013
Belleville, Ill. July 5---Darren Hagen held off a strong challenge by Chris Bell in the closing laps to win the 30-lap "Belleville Bash" feature Friday Night at Belle-Clair Speedway. The event was tri-sanctioned by the USAC Honda National Midget, POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget and Stark Automotive Group-Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series.
Hagen led all but the opening lap. A caution with seven laps bunched up the field, giving Bell a chance at the lead. Bell made several attempts after the restart but could never complete the pass for the lead.
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HAGEN HOLDS OFF BELL TO WIN "BELLEVILLE BASH" OPENING NIGHT DUEL
07/06/2013
Belleville, Illinois.…..Defending Honda National Midget champion Darren Hagen of Riverside, California picked up his first National Dirt Midget win of the season after coming out on top of a spirited showdown with current National point leader Chris Bell. The 30-lapper kicked off “Belleville Bash” weekend at Belle-Clair Speedway, with both programs co-sanctioned by both POWRi and BMARA series.
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Hagen sets track record winning at Angell Park
05/19/2013
Sun Prairie, Wis., May 20---Darren Hagen won the 30-lap Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series feature, Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. Hagen completed the event in 7 minutes and 57 seconds, besting the track record set by Brad Kuhn on June 26, 2011, by over seven seconds.
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FIKE 1ST ILLINOIS “TONY BETTENHAUSEN” WINNER IN 29 YEARS!
08/19/2012
Springfield, IL……..A.J. Fike of Galesburg, Ill. became the first Illinois driver in 29 years to capture the “Tony Bettenhausen 100” USAC Traxxas Silver Crown race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, leading the final 65 laps of the 100-mile race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Beast/Foxco. Gary Bettenhausen was the last Illinois driver to win the race, in 1983. Defending race winner Brian Tyler finished second in Saturday’s race, ahead of Tanner Swanson, Levi Jones and Bryan Clauson. Kody Swanson led the first 19 laps but encountered mechanical problems and failed to finish. Jones then led 16 laps before Fike went to the front on a restart.
FIKE 1ST ILLINOIS “TONY BETTENHAUSEN” WINNER IN 29 YEARS!
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HAGEN HOLDS OFF HAMILTON FOR "PHOTO-FINISH" PLYMOUTH WIN
07/11/2012
Plymouth, Indiana.…..Darren Hagen of Riverside, California narrowly edged out Kyle Hamilton in a photo-finish Friday night to secure the Mopar National Midget Series victory at Plymouth Speedway after a heated duel between the two for much of the 50-lap affair. It was Hagen’s fourth win of the season and 19th of his career, timing him for 31st on the all-time win list with greats Stan Fox, Jason Leffler & Jerry Coons, Jr.
This one did not come easily for Hagen, as he was dogged high and low by Hamilton, who set fast time for the third race in a row on the National Midget circuit. Coming off his first-career series victory last Saturday at Grundy County Speedway, Hamilton nearly had the pass for the lead completed multiple times. A multitude of cautions through the race’s mid-point slowed the pace and provided restarts where Hagen would get some breathing room.
The final fourteen laps went green, and Hamilton went at Hagen from every angle. A diamond move in turns three and four took Hamilton to the inside of Hagen on lap 38, and the two made contact in turn-one and skated up the track, narrowly avoiding disaster.
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HAGEN LEADS MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET POINTS:
06/22/2012
NEW MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET POINTS: 1-Hagen-706; 2-Hines-545; 3-C.Armstrong-463; 4-Larson-458; 5-Clauson-457; 6-Windom/East-442; 8-Kuhn-437; 9-Clouser-417; 10-Jones-357.
HAGEN LOCKS UP "MIDGET WEEK" TITLE
06/17/2012
Darren Hagen finished sixth and easily wrapped up the “Indiana Midget Week” championship, as the Kokomo event produced his only finish of the week outside the top-four in the RFMS Racing – Liberty Village #3 DRC/Esslinger.
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HAGEN STEALS LAWRENCEBURG "MIDGET WEEK" WIN
06/16/2012
Lawrenceburg, Indiana.……Darren Hagen is simply unstoppable right now. The Riverside, California used three late cautions to his advantage, taking the lead off turn-two on lap 29 to find victory again, this time at Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday in “Indiana Midget Week” action.
A 26-lap green flag run saw Collegeville, Pennsylvania driver Alex Bright build a comfortable lead in pursuit of his first Mopar National Midget Series victory. A caution for a spinning car slowed the pace and gave both Hagen and second-place runner Chris Windom a shot at the leader.
On the restart, Bright held the advantage, but Hagen used the top of turn-one to fly by Windom. Just two laps later, the caution reappeared for a car spun on the backstretch, giving Hagen his shot at the win.
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HAGEN OPENS "INDIANA MIDGET WEEK" WITH GAS CITY WIN
06/13/2012
Gas City, Indiana.……Darren Hagen of Riverside, California picked up right where he left off last season at Gas City I-69 Speedway, winning Wednesday night’s 30-lap Mopar National Midget Series Main Event to kick off “Indiana Midget Week.” Hagen led the final 28 laps en route to victory about the RFMS Racing – Liberty Village #3 DRC/Esslinger.
“The car was pretty much spot on from the beginning. It was a little tight at the beginning, but it just kept getting better. I waited for Davey (Ray) to make a mistake, and he pushed up a little there in one and two. I squirted on by down the backstretch. On the red, they told me to just keep hitting the bottom and make them go around me. Jerry (Coons, Jr.) pressured me, but we were able to hold him back. Good start to Midget Week for us,” Hagen said.
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HAGEN HANDLES FINALE OF “THE REAL DEAL” AT ACE SPEEDWAY
04/04/2012
Altamahaw, NC…….Darren Hagen led throughout in Saturday’s 30-lap USAC Mopar National Midget Main Event as Ace Speedway concluded their Salute to Shane Hmiel with “The Real Deal.” Hagen’s biggest threat came in the form of a lengthy red flag on lap 11 to clean up fluid from a puncture in the oil tank of Nick Drake, who was running fifth at the time, but the Riverside, Calif. driver inched away over the final few laps in his RFMS Racing – Liberty Village Beast/Esslinger #3. “Tanner (Swanson, his teammate) found something in the heat – we tried something with him and that helped. It’s cool to win this one named after “The Real Deal” Shane Hmiel. It’s a testament to the work these guys put in,” Hagen said of his dominating performance. Mario Clouser, off his career-best finish of third on Friday, stayed with Hagen through the middle portion of the race, but the Auburn, Ill. driver could not keep up with Hagen’s pace. He held on for second in the RW Motorsports – Fontana Automotive Beast/Fontana #27. “I can’t complain. I’d have liked to see it go green the whole way, and we might have been able to challenge him, but they were able to adjust under the red, and we didn’t really want to change anything. It’s an awesome way to start the season, with two of the best nights of my career,” Clouser said. A battle between cousins developed for the third spot as Caleb Armstrong locked down the third spot in the C&A Motorsports – Syngenta Seed Beast/Toyota #7c. Dalton Armstrong was right behind him in the C&A Motorsports – EverFi Beast/Toyota #7A. Friday night’s winner and Saturday night’s fast qualifier Bobby East rounded out the top-five in his Klatt Motorsports – East Enterprises Beast/Chevy #4.
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THE “HAWK” STILL #1 AT TRI-CITY; HAGEN WINS GOLD CROWN OPENER
10/13/2011
Pontoon Beach, Ill……..Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. continued his mastery of the Tri-City Speedway Thursday night as he won the opening night 25-lap feature event at the 3rd Annual Gold Crown Midget Nationals in his RFMS Racing Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford. Last year, Hagen swept all three nights of the USAC Mopar National Midget event at the three-eights mile dirt oval! Hagen was trailing Bryan Clauson late in the race and grabbed the lead on the white-flag lap to lead the final two laps. Clauson took second at the checkered flag ahead of Zach Daum, Brad Sweet and Tracy Hines. The top-four drivers from Thursday’s 25-lapper earned automatic starting berths in Saturday night’s $10,000-to-win 50-lap main event. A complete second night of prelims, capped by another 25-lap feature, is slated Friday.
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Fike Doing Double Duty at Springfield
08/17/2011
Galesburg, Illinois driver AJ Fike is the only driver doing double duty at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The former ARCA Menards Pole winner is entered for the USAC Silver Crown Series Tony Bettenhausen 100 Saturday afternoon as well as the ARCA Racing Series Allen Crowe 100 Sunday. Fike finished fourth in the Silver Crown and ARCA Series race in 2009. He finished fifth in the Allen Crowe 100 last year (the 2010 Silver Crown race was canceled for rain). Al Unser was the last driver to sweep both the events at Springfield in 1972. Fike also finished fourth in the ARCA race in 2009 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile-dirt where he also earned the Menards Pole Award. Fike was also the ARCA pole winner at Springfield in 2004.
HAGEN’S “BIG” YEAR CONTINUES WITH TOLEDO MIDGET WIN
07/02/2011
Toledo, OH……..Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. extended his streak of Mopar USAC National Midget success in 2011 with Friday night’s 50-lap “Jerry Nemire Appreciation Night” feature victory at the Toledo Speedway. He trailed Bobby East for five laps, then took the lead in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Beast/Esslinger Ford as East slowed, then led the remaining 45 laps for the win over Kyle Larson, Bryan Clauson, Tanner Swanson and Mario Clouser. The Mopar National Midgets now head for Saturday night’s “Freedom 50” with the STARS circuit at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill.
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HAGEN’S 25TH BIRTHDAY PRESENT – A SPECTACULAR GRUNDY VICTORY!
07/02/2011
Morris, IL……..Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. gave himself an unbelievable 25th birthday present Saturday night at Grundy County Speedway, an improbable victory in the “Freedom 50” Mopar USAC National Midget race co-sanctioned by STARS. Hagen was running third early nin the race when he accidentally hit the kill switch and stalled the car. Re-starting on the tail, he methodically picked off car after car and caught Tracy Hines exiting turn two on the final lap to post the 50-lap win in his Liberty Vilalge/McGladrey & Pullen Beast/Esslinger Ford. Hines finished second after leading 26 laps, while Kyle Larson, Tanner Swanson and Caleb Armstrong rounded out the “top-five.” Mario Clouser was the fastest qualifier and Jerry Coons Jr. led the first 23 laps before yielding to Hines.
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HAGEN CONTINUES 2011 SUCCESS WITH MILWAUKEE MIDGET VICTORY
06/18/2011
Milwaukee, WI……..Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. claimed another major USAC Mopar National Midget feature victory Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Hagen trailed Caleb Armstrong for the first 21 laps, then took over and led the final four circuits in his Liberty Cillage/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford. Armstrong finished second ahead of Khyle Hamilton, Bobby Santos III and Adam Kramer. Series point leader Bryan Clauson finished 16th and pole starter Dillon Welch was sixth.
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POINT LEADER HAGEN SNARES IMW OPENER AT GAS CITY
06/08/2011
Gas City, IN……..USAC Mopar National Midget Series point leader Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. caught early race leader Zach Daum on lap 13 and led the final 18 laps to win Wednesday night’s 30-lap “Indiana Midget Week” opener at Gas City I-69 Speedway. Trailing Hagen and his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford at the checkered flag were Daum, who led the first 12 laps, Tracy Hines, Bobby East and Hunter Schuerenberg. Hagen leads East by 11 points in the National standings entering Thursday night’s IMW race at Lincoln Park Speedway at Putnamville, Ind. Bryan Clauson was the fastest Gas City qualifier.
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HAGEN CLAIMS $20,000 WINNER’S SHARE AT “NIGHT BEFORE THE 500”
05/28/2011
Indianapolis, IN……..Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. earned a check for $20,000 for his winning drive in Saturday night’s 66th “Night Before the 500” USAC Mopar National Midget classic at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Sidelined for several months by a back injury suffered in a late-2010 Sprint race, Hagen passed early leader Bryan Clauson on lap 16 and led the rest of the way in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford. The $20,000 paycheck included a $15,000 contribution from the estate of the late Midget Racing historian Crocky Wright. Hagen was trailed at the checkered flag by Alex Bowman, Levi Roberts, Tracy Hines and Kyle Larson. Larson was the night’s fastest qualifier.
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RFMS Racing has hired Tanner Swanson
01/13/2011
RFMS Racing has hired Tanner Swanson to drive in the USAC Mopar National Midget series in 2011. Tanner, 19, hails from Kingsburg, California, and will run the entire pavement schedule, beginning in April at Dodge City, Kansas.
Tanner’s accomplishments in racing are many: He was voted the 2010 USAC Most Improved Driver and he won the prestigious “Night Before the 500,” adding his name to a long list of open-wheel greats who have won this event. He has also won in all three National USAC Divisions.
“I am thrilled to join RFMS Racing and I fell that I can win races and further my career” said Tanner recently. “Team ownership and racing crew members make RFMS one of the most attractive rides in the country and I can’t wait for the 2011 season to start!”
Don Fike, RFMS team owner, added, “The entire race team is pleased to add Tanner to our list of drivers, which includes A.J. Fike and Darren Hagen.” “He is a great addition.”
RFMS Racing is based in Brownsburg, Indiana.
THE HAWK HAS LANDED! HAGEN SWEEPS "GOLD CROWN MIDGET NATIONALS" & $18,000
10/02/2010
Pontoon Beach, IL……..The Hawk - Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. – walked off with $18,000 in prize money after his spectacular victory in Saturday night’s 50-lap USAC Mopar National and POWRi “Gold Crown Midget Nationals” at the Tri-City Speedway. Hagen earned $15.000 for Saturday’s win and $1,500 each for victories Thursday and Friday in his RFMS Racing Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford. Saturday night’s victory was absolutely sensational as he trailed the leaders for 48 laps, then got by Brad Kuhn on lap 49 and led the last two laps for the classic win. In a race where the lead changed hands more times than the fans could count, Hagen, Kuhn, Bryan Clauson and Steve Buckwalter all took turns leading. Kuhn led the first 14 laps but Buckwalter went to the front for the next 12. Unfortunately Buckwalter’s engine expired on lap 27 while he was leading. That put Kuhn back in front for 13 more laps before Clauson powered in front for laps 40 and 41. Kuhn regained the lead on lap 42 but fell victim to Hagen’s winning move on the white-flag lap! Kuhn finished second ahead of Clauson, Jerry Coons Jr. and Bobby East in what will go into the record books as one of the most competitive Midget races in history!
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THE HAWK FLYING HIGH AT TRI-CITY; HAGEN FROM 14TH TO 1ST FRIDAY!
10/01/2010
Pontoon Beach, IL………Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. took step #2 toward a $15,000 payday at Tri-City Speedway Friday night, coming from 14th starting position to win the 25-lap “Gold Crown Midget Nationals” preliminary feature. Hagen, who also won Thursday night’s 25-lapper, ended up as the top point scorer for Saturday night’s program, where the 50-lap feature winner receives $15,000! Hagen piloted the RFMS Racing Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford to the win over Jerry Coons Jr., who led the first 14 laps. Bryan Clauson took third ahead of Davey Ray and Steve Buckwalter.
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HAGEN TAKES NIGHT 1 OF "GOLD CROWN MIDGET NATIONALS"
09/30/2010
Pontoon Beach, IL……..Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. took step one toward a $15,000 Gold Crown Midget Nationals payday with his 25-lap preliminary feature win Thursday night at Tri-City Speedway. Leading all 25 laps of the USAC Mopar National and POWRi Midget race in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford, Hagen took an early point lead in the three-night event, which offers $15,000 to Saturday night’s 50-lap feature winner. Bryan Clauson finished second ahead of Bobby East, Jerry Coons Jr. and Chris Windom. Another 25-lap feature caps Friday night’s prelim which will finalize the seedings for Saturday night’s program.
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Fike Earns Menards Pole On DuQuoin Mile Dirt
09/06/2010
(DuQUOIN, Ill. - September 6, 2010) - Galesburg, Illinois driver AJ Fike, in his own No. 10 RFMS-Liberty Village Ford, earned the Menards Pole presented by Ansell Monday afternoon at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois. Fike edged veteran Ken Schrader for the pole in the final moments of qualifying, circling the historic one-mile dirt track in 33.130 seconds for an average speed of 108.663 mph. "Everyone on the RFMS-Liberty Village Ford has been working hard all day," said Fike, who won the pole at DuQuoin in '07 and '09. "We've been pretty good all day here in practice. We made a few adjustments for qualifying and they worked. That's two poles in a row for us in here in DuQuoin. We've been really good here in the past. We've just come up a little short every time. Hopefully today will be our day."
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FIKE GETS 1ST SILVER CROWN WIN AT IOWA SPEEDWAY
05/22/2010
Newton, Iowa…….A.J. Fike of Galesburg, Ill. scored his first career USAC Silver Crown victory Saturday at Iowa Speedway, winning the 100-lap Casey’s General Stores USAC Triple Crown Pride of Iowa race on the 7/8-mile paved oval. Fike passed Shane Hmiel on lap 16 and led the rest of the way in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Beast/Foxco. Kody Swanson outduelled new series point leader Bud Kaeding to finish second. Hmiel took fourth ahead of Jerry Coons Jr. Bobby East was the fastest qualifier but failed to finish the 100-lapper after leading the first two laps. Kaeding, hoping to become USAC’s first four-time Silver Crown champion, leads Fike by nine points in the new standings going into next Friday’s “Hoosier Hundred” in Indianapolis, Ind.
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