Kimmel, along with his brother and long-time crew chief Bill Kimmel, will compete in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series under the Kimmel Racing banner as co-owners of the new race team. A car number and primary sponsor for the new team have not been determined.

Car owner/Tri State Motorsports team owner Larry Clement (pictured next to Kimmel) is yet to announce his plans for the 2008 racing season.

"This was a challenging decision to make," said Kimmel. "Larry Clement and I have enjoyed a lot of success in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and he has given me a lot of great opportunities to achieve success. We are excited about this new endeavor of Kimmel Racing for 2008 and beyond -- we wish Larry and Tri-State Motorsports the best as they also move forward."

After spending more than a decade together, Kimmel and Tri-State Motorsports have earned a record nine ARCA RE/MAX Series championships, including the 2007 championship. Kimmel has also earned 71 wins, 209 top-five finishes and 259 top-10 finishes during his ARCA career spanning back to the 1990 season.

Kimmel and Clement will celebrate their final ARCA RE/MAX Series championship together on December 8 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky.