Tim George Jr. Is The Leader

Things Tim George Jr. likely knew after finishing third at Michigan - his fourth top-five in the last five races - were numerous: that he'd improved from eighth to seventh in ARCA Racing Series points; that he had extended the best stretch of his stock car career; that he'd travel that night to Aspen, Colo. for the Saturday wedding of his best friend Jimmy Marcus; and that he'd be featured by writer Dave Caldwell in The New York Times Sunday.

What George might not have known is that his third-place finish vaulted him into a position as the leading driver in the pursuit of the Bill France Four Crown, an award that represents the series' versatility and gives points on four very different tracks over the course of the ARCA schedule.

George's fourth-place finish at New Jersey and his third-place Michigan effort make him the leading driver through two of four races with 375 points, just ahead of teammate Ty Dillon's 365. Chad McCumbee is third, at 355. Chad Hackenbracht (345) and Frank Kimmel (335) round out the top five.

Filling out the Four Crown schedule will be the August 21 dirt mile race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield and the September 17 short track showdown at Salem Speedway in Indiana.

George spoke in the Michigan International Speedway media center about another strong finish after the passing of a good friend two weeks ago. Asked to describe how he bounced back, he initially offered a single word - "resilient" - and then expounded on that statement.

"Having the ability to bounce back from a difficult situation is the key to any good champion or great character that you look at in movies or real life," said George. "People really watch you, how you carry yourself, if you hold your head high or low, and what your body language is that following week, especially in a sport like this, or basketball or tennis, anything. I just came back with that same mindset, with a smile on my face. I just kept working hard and that resulted in a win for us at Pocono and another top-five today."


(paddocktalk.com)