By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SPARTA, Ky. - In a single crash, the Channel 5-205 became anybody's race at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night.

Pole sitter Frank Kimmel drives his damaged car after sliding into the wall in turn 3 early in the race. (Patrick Reddy photo)

When pole-sitter Frank Kimmel, a name synonymous with ARCA RE/MAX dominance, crashed on his 23rd lap, the race opened up to more than a dozen drivers running near the front.

Ryan Hemphill took full advantage in front of 23,160 at Kentucky Speedway. The 22-year-old Chip Ganassi Racing developmental driver won his first career ARCA RE/MAX race by leading the final 115 laps, a race record surpassing the 106-lap mark by Kimmel.

"It was misfortune for Frank Kimmel, but good fortune for us," Hemphill said.

Low on fuel, Hemphill held off second-place finisher Billy Venturini on a two-lap shootout after a late-race caution. Hemphill ran his last 77 laps without a pit stop and won in just his third ARCA race.

"I couldn't figure it out," Venturini said. "With five (laps) to go, I figured he was going to run out of gas, and I was sure we would beat him."

Ryan Hemphill celebrates his victory in the ARCA RE/MAX Channel 5-205 at Kentucky Speedway. (Patrick Reddy photo)

Hemphill thought he would run out of gas as well, but his crew told him to stay out on the track. The cautions enabled him to preserve just enough to finish, despite the fact he was about 17 laps over what his team estimated was its fuel capacity.

"If it wasn't for the cautions, we would have had to pit again," Hemphill said. "I kept asking (the crew chief) if he needs me to come in. I'm glad I didn't listen to him."

Hemphill finished in the top five for the second time this season. He appeared to be a lock to win April 9 at Nashville when he led by as many as 25 car-lengths late in the race, but lap traffic slowed him down and Blake Feese went on to the win while Hemphill faded to 15th.

Hemphill, who qualified second at Kentucky behind Kimmel, took the lead after Kimmel's crash on the 23rd lap. It was the only lead change of the race because no car was able to challenge Hemphill, who held on during several restarts.

Like Feese, who won at Nashville, Hemphill is of the young breed of ARCA drivers who are being groomed by NASCAR teams that are looking for future insurance. Driving for Ganassi, Hemphill finished fifth in his first career ARCA race, Feb. 7 at Daytona.

A multitude of caution laps allowed the rest of the field to keep pace with Hemphill's No. 64 car Saturday. Hemphill extended his lead after each restart, only to be reeled in by another caution. In all, 57 of the 137 laps were completed under caution, an ARCA record at Kentucky Speedway.

Venturini had the fuel advantage as the race approached the last 20 laps, and the main question centered on whether Hemphill would have enough fuel to finish.

By then, Hemphill needed cautions to preserve fuel. Venturini, running in second place, 1.5 seconds behind Hemphill, had more than enough fuel to finish.

Hemphill got the cautions he needed in the final 15 laps, when two incidents slowed down speed decreased speeds and set up a restart with two laps to go. Hemphill pulled away from the field and crossed the line .706 seconds ahead of Venturini.

Channel 5-205

Finish-Started;Driver;Laps;Make (Car number in parenthesis)

1-2 (64) Ryan Hemphill 137 Dodge
2-11 (25) Billy Venturini 137 Chevrolet
3-15 (59) Mark Gibson 137 Chevrolet
4-3 (75) Ken Weaver 137 Chevrolet
5-6 (91) Christi Passmore 137 Ford
6-20 (19) Keith Murt 137 Chevrolet
7-8 (21) Todd Bowsher 137 Ford
8-33 (5) Blake Feese 137 Chevrolet
9-12 (29) Brian Keselowski 137 Dodge
10-14 (67) Jason Jarrett 137 Chevrolet
11-22 (23) Ron Cox 135 Chevrolet
12-7 (44) Brent Sherman 134 Ford
13-25 (28) Mike Buckley 133 Chevrolet
14-28 (34) Darrell Basham 133 Chevrolet
15-34 (7) Jeff Caudell 133 Chevrolet
16-35 (26) Brad Smith 132 Ford
17-17 (11) A.J. Fike 129 Pontiac
18-32 (48) Carl McCormick 126 Ford
19-30 (38) Mark Schulz 121 Pontiac
20-1 (46) Frank Kimmel 109 Ford
21-26 (54) Frank Kapfhammer 107 Chevrolet
22-24 (08) T.J. Bell 105 Chevrolet
23-21 (60) Jeff Kendall 94 Pontiac
24-27 (84) Norm Benning 91 Chevrolet
25-31 (79) Tim Turner 86 Pontiac
26-10 (35) Wayne Anderson 85 Chevrolet
27-23 (30) Howard Bixman 85 Ford
28-5 (41) Josh Clemons 81 Ford
29-4 (3) Jeremy Clements 42 Chevrolet
30-41 (0) Tim Mitchell 29 Chevrolet
31-9 (9) Matt Hagans 20 Dodge
32-19 (56) Brad Keselowski 15 Dodge
33-38 (8) Todd Antrican 15 Chevrolet
34-29 (05) Mike Burg 13 Chevrolet
35-40 (4) Andy Belmont 5 Ford
36-36 (06) Wayne Peterson 4 Chevrolet
37-13 (95) Dave Ragan 0 Ford
38-18 (1) Brandon Knupp 0 Ford
39-16 (65) Vern Slagh 0 Dodge
40-37 (2) Aaron Call 0 Chevrolet
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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com