Inaugural Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200 set for June 20 at Mansfield

Tim Richmond in Victory Lane – 1981 ARCA 200

MANSFIELD, Ohio – Mansfield Motorsports Park officials announced today that the June 20 ARCA RE/MAX Series race will be named in honor of the on-track accomplishments of the late Tim Richmond, a notable racecar driver and Ashland, Ohio, native who died of AIDS in 1989. The Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200, race No. nine of the 22-race ARCA RE/MAX Series, will roll off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.

"2009 marks the 20th anniversary of Tim's death and I believe it is time to share his memory with new fans and give his still-existent fan base an opportunity to remember many of his great and precious moments," said Richmond's sister, Sandy Welsh. "This celebration will also provide us the opportunity to draw attention to AIDS, the disease that cut Tim's life short, and assist those that are suffering from this cruel disease. We want to do what we can to motivate the discovery of a cure for AIDS and give Tim's life even more meaning."

Richmond's racing career, which included open wheel and stock car competition, began in 1976 when he turned some laps in a Sprint Car at Lakeville Speedway in Lakeville, Ohio. He went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors in the 1980 INDY 500 and later became one of the first drivers to successfully make the switch from open wheel racing to stock car competition. He posted 13 wins, 42 top-5s, 78 top-10s and 14 pole awards in just 185 career starts in NASCAR's premier division, the Sprint Cup Series, before his untimely death in 1989.

Like many aspiring stock car racers, Richmond's racing resume included a stint in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, where he won the ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway in February of 1981 in only his career first Series start.

The June 20 Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200 at Mansfield Motorsports Park marks the Toledo, Ohio-based national stock car tour's first appearance to the .5-mile short track. ARCA's regionally-touring ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series made appearances to Mansfield in 2003 and 2005.

"Tim Richmond won the 1981 ARCA 200 at Daytona, and he won in super modifieds at our Toledo Speedway track," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "We're proud to have played a role in the development of Tim's amazing racing career, and we look forward to helping make the inaugural Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200 at Mansfield a success."

For more information about the ARCA RE/MAX Series, visit www.arcaracing.com. For more information about the Inaugural Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200, visit www.mansfieldmotorsportsonline.com.