09-06-2007 | TruckSeries.com Report
The entry list continues to grow for the September 8th Chicagoland ARCA 200. To-date, more than 50 drivers from across the United States have filed entries for the 200-mile event, which is scheduled to roll off on Saturday, September 8th at 2 p.m. Eastern LIVE on SPEED. Among those entered are three very talented female drivers, including Phoenix, Arizona's Gabi DiCarlo, Wilbraham, Massachusetts's Erin Crocker and Bristol, Connecticut's Michelle Theriault. Should one of these three competitors win Chicagoland ARCA 200, it will mark the first win by a female in the 55-year history of the ARCA RE/MAX Series. It will also mark the first win by a female in Chicagoland Speedway history. Erin Crocker, No. 98 Mac Tools-Mac Card Dodge Michelle Theriault, No. 37 Glock Chevrolet Theriault proved to be a natural. Seven years competing in Quarter Midgets delivered her more than 200 wins in 13 states. Five times she was a runner up in the Quarter Midgets of America National Championship. The NASCAR Grand National Division, West and USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series veteran has five career ARCA RE/MAX Series starts. She made her debut at USA Int'l Speedway in Lakeland, Florida on March 24 and most recently competed at Gateway Int'l Raceway on August 31st, finishing a career-best 15th after starting 19th. Gabi DiCarlo, No. 90 Great Clips Racing Chevrolet Most Career ARCA RE/MAX Series Starts by a Female
Starts Years Wins Top-5 Top-10 Laps Led Races Led Poles 66 2003-2006 0 5 21 18 3 0 39 1986-1995 0 2 4 12 1 0 27 1999-2003 0 5 14 86 2 1 23 2005-2007 0 11 15 124 8 5 18 2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 2000-2002 0 0 1 0 0 0 10 2002-2007 0 0 3 0 0 0 8 1993-1994 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1988-1990 0 0 1 44 3 4 6 2002-2007 0 0 3 0 0 0 5 2001-2002 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2003 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2002 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1996 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 Best female superspeedway finish: Best female superspeedway qualifying run: Chicagoland ARCA 200 Set For September 8th SOURCE: ARCA Communications
Erin Crocker made her ARCA RE/MAX Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway in 2005, earning the pole award in her No. 98 Dodge Charger and posting a 12th place finish. Since then, the Evernham Motorsports driver has become a seasoned veteran in ARCA competition, earning 11 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes in 23 career starts. She finished second in an ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Kentucky Speedway in 2005 and 2007 and at Kansas Speedway in 2006, joining Shawna Robinson as the highest-finishing females in series' history. Crocker and her car owner, Ray Evernham, currently lead the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge standings, which is a separate point fund within the 23-race ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule designed to measure success on tracks greater than one mile in length. Crocker is a 2003 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, with a bachelor's degree in Industrial and Management Engineering.
Michelle Theriault, at just 20 years old, is following her dream and is determined to make her mark on the world of stock car racing. As a young girl, Theriault and her father, David, watched friends race Quarter Midgets at local race tracks in Connecticut. When she was five, she saw a racecar for sale and asked to sit in it. The moment she hopped in, the racecar driver from within emerged. She turned to her Dad and said, "I want this."
It's no wonder that Gabi DiCarlo's favorite movie is Top Gun. After all, this is one young lady that has a definite need for speed. The 22-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native began racing Go-Karts at the age of 11 and has been in love with all things racing ever since. She came to the ARCA RE/MAX Series after successful tenures in the Star Mazda Western Series, the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and the ASA Speed Truck Challenge. DiCarlo is running for Rookie of the Year honors this season in her No. 90 Great Clips Chevrolet and is currently 12th in the series' national championship point standings.
Driver
Passmore, Christi
Simko, Patty
Robinson, Shawna
Crocker, Erin
DiCarlo, Gabi
Lampe, Karla
Renshaw, Deborah
Lane, Laura
Moise, Patty
Cobb, Jennifer Jo
Gordon, Tina
Theriault, Michelle
Crosby, Kim
Parlett, Ashley
Hobbs, Sunny
Gogel, Amanda
Cope, Angela
Minter, Shari
Koch, Amber
Cope, Amber
Russell, Shirley
Young, Barbara Ann
Shawna Robinson, 2nd, Daytona, 2001
Erin Crocker, 2nd, Kentucky, 2005
Erin Crocker, 2nd, Kansas, 2006
Erin Crocker, 2nd, Kentucky, 2007
Pole, Erin Crocker (5); Patty Moise (4); Shawna Robinson (1)
Fastest female qualifying run:
Patty Simko, 199.610, Talladega, 1987
Highest female points finish:
Shawna Robinson, 6th, 2000
The Saturday, September 8th Chicagoland ARCA 200 rolls off at 2 p.m. Eastern LIVE on SPEED. The race marks the 20th of 23 events on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. In addition to Crocker, DiCarlo and Theriault, drivers entered for the 200-mile thriller include Chicago native Billy Venturni, defending series champion Frank Kimmel and Rookie of the Year contenders Michael McDowell, Phillip McGilton and Bryan Silas. The ARCA RE/MAX Series will be joined at the 1.5-mile speed plant by both the IndyCar and Indy Pro Series.