Mansfield Officially Crowned ARCA Truck Champion
Mansfield Officially Crowned ARCA Truck Champion
(TOLEDO, Ohio) - After the closest championship points battle in series history, Levi Mansfield was crowned the 2012 ARCA Truck Series champion during an entertaining and colorful evening at the Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Toledo, Ohio Saturday night.
The Oakwood, Ohio resident, who had been absent from the series since 2008, drove for long-time ARCA Truck Series owner Ken Kirsch Sr., who also accepted honors as the 2012 Truck Owner champion.
It came down to the final race at Lake County Speedway in Painesville, Ohio where Mansfield edged Danny Jackson for the crown by just five points. Jackson won five races to Mansfield's four, but Mansfield was one tick more consistent throughout the season.
"I've still got to get used to being called an ARCA champion," Mansfield said. "It hasn't sunk in yet. What a great honor. We definitely want to repeat this success next season in the ARCA Truck Series."
Mansfield also took the Most Popular Driver Award and the CGS Imaging Race To The Wrap honors while Jackson earned the ACME Speed Shop Lap Leader and Gunr4sR.com-iRacing Awards.
The Ford Challenge Award went to Marcus Jones, and Cody Quarrick received the DJ Safety Rookie of the Year honors.
Mansfield also accepted contributions from Safety Kleen, as did fifth in points Shawn Szep and 10th in points Jones.
The Race Gear X Best Appearing Crew went to Brandon Huff as did the Lincoln Welders Most improved Driver award, and with the honor, and a new Mig welder.
The Phoenix Management Group of Ohio LLC, which operates the day to day functions of the ARCA Truck Series, awarded the Spirit Award to Todd Gearhart and their highest honor, the Phoenix Award, to former series champion and current series Operations Manager Robbin Slaughter.
The ARCA Truck Series will take their first green flag in 2013 at the Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock, Michigan on Saturday May 11.
The ARCA Truck Series completed its third full season presented by the Phoenix Management Group of Ohio, LLC, (or PMG) of Millersport, Ohio in 2012, under a licensing agreement with the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The ARCA Truck Series (ATS) ran exhibition races late in 1998 with the first full season in 1999. Today, the series has grown into one of the most versatile series in short track racing, having taken popular four cylinder, V-6 & Ford V-8 crate powered trucks to asphalt tracks of many sizes under one mile, road courses, and numerous dirt tracks in its history.