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ARCA Menards Series News and Rumors

  • Chandler Smith scores fourth win at Iowa Speedway: Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman Toyota) put a period on a clean sweep of the ARCA Menards Series Fans with Benefits 150 with a dominant victory Friday night at Iowa Speedway. Smith led the first 106 laps before losing the lead on pit road during the penultimate caution flag of the night. Once back under green, it took him just 10 laps to knife his way through the field to retake the lead from Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota) to lead the final 35 laps. The win is Smith's fourth of the season, and his fourth consecutive ARCA Menards Series short track victory. Smith wasn't hampered at all by traffic or the dreaded aero push as he sliced his way through the field. "The only time I ever felt the car respond to aero all night was when I passed a lap car on the outside," Smith said. "Other than that it was perfect. I can't thank Billy and the rest of the Venturini Motorsports team for giving me such a great car here. To have four wins on the season is a dream come true." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (07-22-19)
  • Colby Howard joins Win-Tron Racing for Iowa Speedway: Thirteen months ago, teenager Colby Howard made his most recent start in the ARCA Menards Series with a top ten result at Madison International Speedway. This weekend, he returns to the national touring series with Win-Tron Racing and the Project HOPE Foundation at Iowa Speedway for the third start of his career. A year ago, Howard was a relatively unknown driver who performed well with a pair of top ten finishes in two ARCA starts after graduating from late model stock cars in South Carolina and surrounding areas. This year, he brings a much beefier stat sheet, having won multiple pro late model races with Anthony Campi Racing including a handful of statement wins over short track veterans like Bubba Pollard and Augie Grill at tracks like Five Flags Speedway and Montgomery Motor Speedway. "I'm really excited to be back in the ARCA Menards Series and making my first start with Win-Tron this weekend," said Howard. "With our pro late model success, I was really wanting to try my hand at a bigger car again. I feel like I've grown as a driver and my management team at PMG hooked me up with Kevin Cywinski and Win-Tron to give me the opportunity to showcase my talents at this level once more. I've always enjoyed tracks where there are multiple grooves, and that's one reason I'm looking forward to Iowa this weekend. It's the biggest and fastest track I've ever been on, too." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (07-18-19)
  • Chandler Smith wins at Elko Speedway: Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman Toyota) recovered from a mid-race spin to win the Menards 250 at Elko Speedway on Saturday night. Smith, who started seventh, was dominant throughout the race, able to drive way to a full straightaway lead on several occasions on his way to his third series victory of the season. Although he had the dominant car, Smith did have to work for it. He slid in oil laid down in turn one by another competitor and spun on lap 146 and dropped to the tail of the lead lap. By virtue of a fast car and numerous mid-race cautions that continued to jumble the running order, Smith was able to knife his way back to the lead by lap 209. From there, he was able to drive away to nearly a full straightaway lead crossing the stripe 4.147 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota). Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (07-18-19)
  • Howie DiSavino III to make debut at Elko with Win-Tron Racing: Howie DiSavino III announced he will make his ARCA Menards Series debut at Elko Speedway on July 13. DiSavino will be racing a car prepared by WinTron Racing in the 250-lap event. "It’s insane how quickly all this has happened, but I’m stoked to be making my ARCA debut at Elko Speedway next weekend," DiSavino said. "I think Elko will fit my style well, as I’ve grown up on bullrings like Southside Speedway in Virginia, and Elko is one of those kinds of places. I can’t thank Kevin Cywinski enough for putting faith in me to drive one of his cars and to PMG for making it all come together so fast." Prior to making his ARCA debut, DiSavino has competed exclusively on short tracks near his home outside Richmond, Va. Appropriately, Brad Gramm and Mass Mutual Greater Richmond is assisting in DiSavino’s jump to the ARCA Menards Series as the primary sponsor for next weekend’s event. (In part from SpeedSport.com) (07-10-19)
  • Venturini crew chief Kevin Reed penalized after Chicagoland: Based on activities during the ARCA Menards Series Bounty 150 at Chicagoland Speedway Thursday June 27, Venturini Motorsports crew chief Kevin Reed has been penalized for 2019 ARCA Rulebook violations. The violations include page 12, Section 4, #5 which references professional conduct and page 64, #4 H iv. which references presenting ECU to Ilmor for data download. Reed has been fined $250 and placed on probation for an indefinite period of time. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (07-03-19)
  • FORTS USA to sponsor July Pocono Race: Pocono Raceway welcomes FORTS USA, an industry leader in fold-out shelters, as the presenting partners for the FORTS USA 150 ARCA Menards Series at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ on Friday, July 26, 2019. “We are excited about our new partnership with FORTS USA,” said Pocono Raceway CEO, Nick Igdalsky. “While visiting their manufacturing facility in Florida earlier this year, I saw firsthand how easy these fold-out shelters were to put up and how much technology went into making them durable. Their innovative products will be on display during our upcoming July NASCAR and ARCA race weekend.” FORTS USA, whose acronym stands for fold-out rigid temporary shelters, provides fold-out shelters for first responders, military and hospitality organizations. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-29-19)
  • Ty Majeski wins the Bounty 150 at Chicagoland: Ty Majeski (No. 22 Crestliner Boats Ford) scored his third ARCA Menards Series win of the season with a dominant performance in the Bounty 150 on Thursday night at Chicagoland Speedway. Majeski led 72 of the race’s 100 laps and at times opened up a 12-second advantage on the field. Several late-race cautions allowed the field to close the gap, but Majeski would reopen the advantage repeatedly, eventually winning by 9.179 seconds over second-place finisher Harrison Burton (No. 20 Ruud Toyota). “We’ve won all three races in a different way,” Majeski said. “We didn’t have the best car at Charlotte and beat them on a couple of late race restarts, we got them in the pits at Pocono, we almost got them on fuel mileage at Michigan and we wore them out with the best car here tonight.” Majeski’s biggest challenge throughout was to stay focused on hitting his marks and not abusing his tires. “The last thing I wanted to do was to build up a fifteen second lead and blow the right front out from driving it too hard and abusing it,” Majeski said. “I just wanted to hit my marks and keep the car out of trouble and bring it home. This is as much about showcasing Chad Bryant Racing and the stuff they build as it is showing the world what I can do and it would make me look horrible to throw away a car that dominant.” Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-29-19)
  • Bret Holmes secures Chicagoland sponsorship from Techworks Trailer Sales: Bret Holmes Racing announced today a new partnership with Techworks Trailer Sales. The Elkhart, Ind., -based company will be the primary sponsor of Bret Holmes and the No. 23 Chevrolet team for this week’s ARCA Menards Series event at Chicagoland Speedway. "We’re pleased to have Techworks Trailer Sales come onboard for the Chicagoland Speedway race," said Nic Moncher, General Manager at BHR. "Their company values go hand-in-hand with how we operate at BHR. I believe this is going to be a great relationship moving forward. All of us at BHR welcome Techworks Trailer Sales and look forward to hopefully taking them to victory lane this week at Chicagoland Speedway." A company that is committed to customer service, Techworks Trailer Sales began in Elkhart, Ind., in 1989. Walt Barnes started the trailer business with his wife and has been dedicated to selling trailers ever since. “Techworks Trailer Sales is excited to partner with Bret Holmes and the entire No. 23 team this week in the ARCA Menards Series race,” said Walt Barnes, Owner of Techwork Trailer Sales. “We’re a family-owned business and it makes sense to sponsor another family-owned operation. We can’t wait to get to Chicagoland Speedway and see that blue and white Chevrolet on track.” (In part from Bret Holmes Racing PR) (06-24-19)
  • Ty Gibbs scores first career ARCA victory at World Wide Technology Raceway: Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota) scored his first career ARCA Menards Series win with a last-lap pass of Sam Mayer (No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet) in Saturday’s Day to Day Coffee 150 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Gibbs had the dominant car over the last third of race, but came down pit road under the final caution flag of the night with ten laps to go. When the race restarted with six laps to go, Gibbs was eighth but he knifed his way through the field to second within three laps. He stalked Mayer the final three laps, and the two made contact in the final corners and Mayer drifted up the track and Gibbs went on to the victory. "I had a pretty big gap coming to the white flag and I gained on him in turns one and two," Gibbs said. "He overdrove it into three and four and gave me that shot and we’re at a short track so you might as well take it. It’s for the win and that’s pretty big. It’s a hard deal, but it’s been a long day. We had a motor issue and we fought back and won. It just shows how hard my guys work." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-24-19)
  • Drew Dollar to make ARCA debut at Gateway for DGR-Crosley: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East regular Drew Dollar is set to make his ARCA Menards Series debut this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The 19-year-old driver will pilot the No. 4 Lynx Capital Funds Toyota Camry in Saturday’s Day to Day Coffee 150. Along with it being Dollar’s first time competing in the ARCA Menards Series, the 120-lap race will be his first start at Gateway’s 1.25-mile track as well. Dollar was able to get some test laps under his belt before heading to Gateway for the race. “Really looking forward to making my first visit to Gateway! This will also be my first time in the ARCA car, but I’m confident that this DGR-Crosley will bring a fast car and help me get up to speed quickly. Excited to get out there and see what we can do” [said Dollar]. (In part from DGR-Crosley PR) (06-18-19)
  • Gavin Harlien running Autism Awareness paint scheme at Gateway: Nineteen year-old Gavin Harlien from Phoenix, Arizona will make his highly anticipated ARCA Menards Series debut behind the wheel of Venturini Motorsports’ No. 55 Autism Awareness #4Presley Toyota on Saturday, June 22 in the Day to Day Coffee 150 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The first of three scheduled ARCA starts, Harlien is excited and will use his series debut to pay tribute to his sister and help bring Autism Awareness to the forefront of Saturday night’s national audience. "Making my first ARCA start is obviously really an exciting opportunity for me and one I’ve been looking forward to since our deal came together," said Harlien. "But I’m probably most excited about sharing this moment with my sister, Presley, and running the Autism Awareness paint scheme on my Toyota Camry." (In part from Venturini Motorsports PR) (06-18-19)
  • Chandler Smith wins the Shore Lunch 200 at Madison: After dominating the first three quarters of the Shore Lunch 200 at Madison International Speedway, Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman Toyota) had to utilize pit strategy and some hard racing to earn his second straight series victory. Smith won the last time he raced at Toledo Speedway in May. Smith, who started from the General Tire Pole after setting a track record in qualifying, stretched out nearly a half-lap lead as the field raced the first 112 laps caution-free. Smith was ecstatic with his win, even if he had to knock fenders to do it. “We’re in victory lane and that’s what matters,” he said. “If those guys are upset, I am sorry but it was rough out there tonight. I had people run into me all night long. That’s just how it was.” Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-17-19)
  • Michael Self; Venturini Motorsports penalized after Michigan win: Based on ARCA Menards Series post-race technical inspection at the VizCom 200 at Michigan International Speedway Friday June 7, [Venturini Motorsports has] been penalized for 2019 ARCA Rulebook violations. Shannon Rursch, crew chief of the #25 Venturini Motorsports team, was fined $3,000 for violation of 2019 ARCA Rulebook page 31, #3, Body, Composite, which references unapproved modification/alteration of stock body part dimension, contour and appearance. In addition, driver Michael Self and team owner Cathy Venturini were each penalized with the loss of 50 championship points and applicable team special award points. This was the team’s second post-race technical inspection violation of the season. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-17-19)
  • Tanner Gray and DGR-Crosley penalized after Michigan: Based on ARCA Menards Series post-race technical inspection at the VizCom 200 at Michigan International Speedway Friday June 7, [DGR-Crosley has] been penalized for 2019 ARCA Rulebook violations.Seth Smith, crew chief of the #54 DGR-Crosley team, was fined $1,500 for violation of 2019 ARCA Rulebook page 31, #3, Body, Composite, item i, which references minimum and maximum roof height. In addition, driver Tanner Gray and team owner David Gilliland were each penalized with the loss of 25 championship points and applicable team special award points. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-17-19)
  • Michael Self wins the VizCom 200 at Michigan: Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) dominated the first 90 laps of the VizCom 200 at Michigan, but needed a last lap pass to score his third series win of the season. Self snuck past Ty Majeski (No. 22 Crestliner Boats Ford), who was attempting to run the final 50 laps of the race on one tank of fuel, in turn three of the final lap. Self led at will over the first 90 laps of the race, at times building a nine-second advantage over the field. He made his final pit stop of the night on lap 90, giving the lead to Majeski. With wins at Charlotte and Pocono, Majeski was looking for his third consecutive series victory and it looked like he had a chance to pull it off. But as he entered the final set of corners on the final lap his fuel tank ran dry and Self blew by to take the lead and the win. "Any time you’re up against a driver like Ty and his team you know it’s going to be tough," Self said. "When my spotter told me the 22 was going to try to stretch it, I knew they had a good chance of making it because they’re that good. They came on the radio and said he sputtered a little when he came across the stripe to take the white, but he was still under power off of turn two and it made my heart sink a little bit. But then we got to three and he had run out of fuel and I knew we had him. He did what he needed to do and tried to block me but there’s just too much room here and we were able to get by." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-08-19)
  • 18 cars entered for Michigan: Eighteen cars are entered for today's VizCom 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Entries include #06 Tim Richmond, #09 C.J. McLaughlin, #11 Morgen Baird, #20 Myatt Snider, #28 Brandon McReynolds, #46 Thad Moffitt, #54 Tanner Gray, and #69 Scott Melton. Full Entry List (In part from ARCARacing.com) (06-07-19)
  • Former Owner / Driver Roger Carter Sentenced to Prison: A man involved in a RV fraud incident in Chippewa County has been sentenced to prison. Roger Lee Carter, a North Carolina parole absconder, pleaded guilty to Larceny by Conversion $20,000 or more and habitual offender, second offense. Carter and his wife, Dana Upright Royal, were arrested after they fled to Chippewa County after the Hamburg Township Police Department were investigating the theft of a 2012 motor home valued at $60,000. It was also reported to Hamburg Township Police that Roger and Dana were using a fake business front of RVNow.com. Last July, Chippewa County detectives learned of the suspect’s current location. The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office then contacted the Michigan State Police Tri-City Post who were able to locate and arrest both suspects. Carter was sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison. His wife, Dana Upright Royal was sentenced already in Bay County, Michigan to a year of probation for check, non-sufficient funds. She was ordered to go to substance abuse counseling. (In part from UpperMichigansSource.com) (06-05-19)
  • Myatt Snider joins Venturini Motorsports for Michigan: Myatt Snider will make his first series start in nearly two years when he joins Venturini Motorsports in Friday's VizCom 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Snider, 24, will inherit the seat of VMS' series leading (Owner Points) No.20 Cometic Toyota when he makes his second career start at Michigan. In his only other track appearance in 2016 he started from the pole position. Snider becomes the fourth driver to pilot VMS' No.20 in 2019 joining Chandler Smith, Harrison Burton and Brandon Lynn. "Glad we could put this deal late in the game so I could make a return to the 2-mile superspeedway," said Snider. "Michigan is one of the toughest tracks on the ARCA circuit. But that's what makes it so fun. Really excited for the weekend." The son of NASCAR on NBC pit reporter Marty Snider, Snider (Myatt) has made 10 career ARCA starts earning three top-5 and six top-10 finishes.  Snider's solo series win came at Toledo Speedway in 2016. (In part from Venturini Motorsports PR) (06-04-19)
  • Morgen Baird to drive at Michigan with Fast Track Racing: Morgen Baird has announced on Facebook that he will compete in the VizCom 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
    Baird: "I am pleased to announce that I have partnered with Founders Brewing Company for the NASCAR ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway on June 7th. We will be promoting Founders Solid Gold in our campaign. I am excited and honored to represent one of the top brewing companies in America this weekend at my home track. I will be driving the #11 Founders Brewing Toyota Camry for Fast Track Racing and team owner Andy Hillenburg. The race will be broadcasted live on FS1 at 6pm Friday, June 7th! Be sure to tune in and grab a case of Founders Solid Gold this week!" (In part from Facebook.com) (06-04-19)
  • VizCom Media to sponsor Michigan race: Michigan International Speedway is excited to announce VizCom Media as its entitlement sponsor for the ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 on June 7. “VizCom is thrilled to be the title sponsor for the VizCom 200,” VizCom President Scott Benton said. “The team at Michigan International Speedway has been fantastic to work with – very organized and cooperative while giving VizCom the opportunity to feel truly involved in the production of putting on a professional race. We hope this is just the beginning of a great partnership for years to come.” VizCom Media and Michigan International Speedway have created a partnership that goes beyond the track. The Grand Rapids-based company is the track’s printer and has already begun hanging signage around NASCAR’s Most Entertaining Track. Guests can enjoy the company’s work as they experience all of the entertainment at MIS. “We are excited to welcome VizCom as the entitlement partner for our June ARCA Menards Series race,” MIS President Rick Brenner said. “We take pride in creating business-to-business opportunities for our partners and it is great to work with a company that shares the same philosophy.” (In part from MISpeedway.com) (06-01-19)
  • Ty Majeski wins at Pocono Raceway: Ty Majeski (No. 22 Crestliner Ford) scored his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series victory in come-from-behind fashion in Friday’s General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 at Pocono Raceway. Majeski trailed race leader Riley Herbst (No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota) by nearly twenty seconds prior to the only caution of the afternoon but was able to stay in contact with him after the race went back green. Majeski was able to get off pit road quicker than Herbst with 12 laps remaining and was able to lead the rest of the way for the win. "It’s all about being with the right people," Majeski said. "Being with Chad Bryant and Paul Andrews has been incredible. They have put together a great team and the guys all work hard to make days like today happen." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (05-31-19)
  • Venturini Motorsports; No. 20 team fined after Charlotte: Based on post-race technical inspection at the General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway May 23, Venturini Motorsports #20 crew chief Billy Venturini has been fined $500 for violation of 2019 ARCA Rulebook page 88, #11 vi. which references ballast weight properly identified and painted white. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (05-30-19)
  • Hailie Deegan making superspeedway debut with iK9 sponsorship: Hailie Deegan will make her superspeedway debut with Venturini Motorsports in Friday night’s General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 at Pocono Raceway. Taking on Pocono’s daunting 2.5-mile triangular surface, Deegan, 17, will unveil a new car design when she takes the wheel of VMS’ No. 55 iK9 Toyota Camry. Coming up through the ranks on short tracks, the Temecula, CA native had her first big track experience on Wednesday during ARCA’s open test session. “I had a lot of fun getting acclimated with the car and track today,” said Deegan. “Honestly my first lap was a little scary. I’ve never gone that fast ever before. Being on that big of a track is hard. When you’re going down the backstretch you just feel the air on the nose of the car just twitching. That’s something I have to get use to and it’s going to take time. But I think where we’re at right now is a good start. I think we progressively keep getting better and we’ll be in a good place for the race.” (In part from Venturini Motorsports PR) (05-30-19)
  • Bret Holmes switches to Toyota for Pocono: Bret Holmes will pilot chassis No. 113 in the General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 150 at Pocono Raceway. This Bret Holmes Racing-prepared Toyota Camry was credited with the win at the track last season. (In part from Bret Holmes Racing PR) (05-30-19)
  • Raphael Lessard to drive for KBR Development at Pocono: Raphael Lessard will race in the "General Tire #Anywhere is possible 200" on May 31st at the Pocono Raceway. This is his second race of the 2019 season for Raphael Lessard in the ARCA Menards Series with the KBR Development team, which will field only one car for this race. In Pensacola (FL) on March 9th, Raphael Lessard impressed by leading 83 of the 200 laps in the race. Thanks to the support of the company Les cuisines Thermo-Bois, the young Beauce driver is looking to get back on the podium at the wheel of car #28. "I look forward to getting back at the wheel with the KBR team in Pocono. We want to maintain our highest performance level all the way to the checkered flag this time around," Raphael Lessard said with determination. As the only KBR driver for this event, Raphael Lessard will work with team owner Mike Bursley and Jeff Stankiewicz as crew chief. (In part from Raphael Lessard Racing PR) (05-26-19)
  • Mullins Racing repairs car before Charlotte race with help: Willie Mullins finished 17th in his Charlotte Motor Speedway ARCA debut on Thursday evening, but that isn’t what the driver from Virginia will remember most about the General Tire 150. For Mullins, what he’ll remember most is how his race team and the ARCA Menards Series garage rallied around him to make sure he made it out on track after an unfortunate incident during qualifying earlier in the day. “For me, it made us feel appreciated by everybody in ARCA, including the competitors,” Mullins said. “Bill Kimmel came over to us and told us what a hell of a job we did to put the thing back together and go out and turn laps. Dick Dohney came over while I was on the grid and couldn’t believe how good the car looked after we put it back together. “I just want to thank everybody that had a part in it,” Mullins said. “Johnny Davis, over in the Xfinity Series garage, was a huge part in getting the car back together because he runs the same radiators as we do. Josh Williams let us use the nose off of his superspeedway car that was sitting over at Greg Purkey’s shop.” (In part from Mullins Racing PR) (05-26-19)
  • Ty Majeski scores first ARCA victory at Charlotte: Ty Majeski (No. 22 Crestliner Ford) scored a surprise victory in Thursday night’s ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, taking the lead on a late restart and holding off Sheldon Creed (No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet) and Gus Dean (No. 32 Icebox Helmet Coolers Chevrolet) in a two-lap dash to the checkered. Majeski benefitted when the race’s dominant driver Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) tapped the outside wall on lap 85. ARCA officials displayed the caution, but Self stayed out as the rest of the lead lap cars came to pit road for tires. Self restarted as the leader but drifted back through the field as Bret Holmes (No. 23 Holmes II Excavation Chevrolet) took over the lead. Holmes led through lap 95 when Majeski took the lead. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (05-24-19)
  • Cole Glasson and Win-Tron competing at Pocono instead of Charlotte: There has been a change of plans for Cole Glasson and Win-Tron Racing. Glasson was scheduled to take part in the ARCA open test last Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but things didn’t go as planned. Following a storm at the 1.5-mile track, a driver shaking down the car for Glasson hit the wall, damaging the No. 32 Chevrolet that Glasson was scheduled to drive. After lengthy repairs by the Win-Tron crew, Glasson still managed to turn the 11th fastest lap of the test. However, after the team got the car back to the Win-Tron Racing shop it was discovered that the test car was more damaged than they thought. Instead of thrashing to repair the car, collectively it was decided to move Glasson’s 2019 ARCA debut to the following week at Pocono Raceway. "The test at Charlotte was certainly frustrating, but that happens in racing," said Glasson. "We talked it over with Kevin Cywinski at Win-Tron and decided rather than rush and try to get the car fixed for Charlotte, it would be better for us to focus on another race so we can do things right." (In part from McCallister Precision Marketing) (05-15-19)
  • Christian Eckes wins at Nashville: Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) rebounded from two disastrous weeks to win Sunday’s rain-delayed General Tire Music City 200 at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. Eckes took the lead on a restart at lap 81 and led the final 120 laps to earn his first series victory of the season and the fourth of his career. "It’s been a really rough couple of weeks," Eckes said. "That was about the longest 80 laps of my life. We pitted early and I figured there would be a caution and there would be one guy with four tires in the pits. But that never happened. We still need to be a little better but we took some strides in the right direction for when we go to Toledo for our next short track race." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (05-06-19)
  • Todd Gilliland wins the General Tire 200 at Talladega: Todd Gilliland  (No. 4 Frontline Enterprises Toyota) earned his second career ARCA Menards Series victory in Friday’s General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway. Gilliland, who is a full-time driver in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports, took the lead after the first caution period of the race on lap 43 and led to the checkered. "It’s been a long time coming," Gilliland said. "We won in our first start at Toledo in 2015 and it seems like we’ve been so close every time we’ve raced in ARCA since then but something would jump up and keep us out of victory lane. We were finally able to get the weight off our shoulders here today. It’s a huge relief and I think it’s exactly what I needed to get my confidence up over on the Truck side too." Gilliland held off a last lap charge from second-place finisher Riley Herbst (No. 18 Monster Energy/ORCA Coolers/Terrible Herbst/Advance Auto Parts Toyota) and third-place finisher Brandon Lynn (No. 20 Carolina Excavation & Grading Toyota). Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (04-27-19)
  • Cole Glasson competing at Charlotte for Win-Tron Racing: After sitting out the first portion of the season to focus on his education, Cole Glasson is ready to get back in a race car. The 18-year-old, who has maintained a 4.0 GPA at Liberty University, will make his second ARCA Menards Series start on May 23 at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving for Win-Tron Racing. His race car will carry support from Sparrow Ranch on the Island and AM Technical Solutions. "I’ve been busy focusing on my education, but I’m excited to get back in a race car to compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May," said Glasson. "With summer coming up I knew I wanted to get back to racing, so I can’t thank Kevin Cywinski and Win-Tron Racing enough for having me back for another race." Between now and his second ARCA start Glasson is going to remain busy. He still has a few weeks left of school before summer vacation starts. Once he’s out of school for the summer he’ll rejoin Lee Faulk Racing and Development, the same team that he has raced Late Models for in years past, for a test before he competes at Hickory Motor Speedway on May 11. (In part from McCallister Precision Marketing) (04-24-19)
  • Ed Pompa back at Talladega; carrying Clemson colors: Ed Pompa will be returning to competition at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26. He will (again) be piloting a Clemson Tigers tribute car, in honor of the 2018 National Football Champions. Flashback to 2017, when Ed raced a Clemson Tigers tribute car at both Daytona and Talladega, after Clemson won the 2016 National Football Championship. “My son is a 2012 Clemson graduate, so I decided to do a tribute car. In 2017, the Clemson car received amazing response from the fans. Alabama fans at Talladega weren’t quite as supportive, as would be expected, but we definitely got their attention! This January, when Clemson defeated Alabama to win the National Football Championship, I knew I had to do this again. No doubt about it. I texted Andy (Hillenburg) the day after the game and let him know my plan. Andy already had 3 drivers lined up for Daytona this year, so I decided to wait until Talladega to debut the ‘Clemson car’, and have tried to keep it under wraps until now, working out all the details. Frontline Designs has done a phenomenal job with the design. When I contacted Rick from Frontline about doing a Clemson tribute car, he jumped at the opportunity. He’s a Clemson fan also. Rick’s first design was absolutely incredible. IMGCL, which handles collegiate licensing rights for Clemson, said due to licensing and copyright rules we couldn’t use it, so Rick went back to work and came up with the current design. IMGCL has granted me a licensing agreement to use the design, and Lionel has already contacted me about the possibility of doing die-casts.” (In part from Fast Track Racing PR) (04-24-19)
  • Thomas Praytor making ARCA season debut at Talladega: After making 105 consecutive ARCA starts over 6 seasons Thomas “Moose” Praytor is just days away from returning to competition at Talladega Superspeedway after a year-long sabbatical. “The word got out a few weeks ago we were coming back at Talladega and the response has been incredible,” said Praytor. “Supporters have been calling, texting and messaging me about Talladega, it’s a great feeling.” Sponsors already signed on for Talladega- Golden Flake, Wade Distributors, Rettigs Auto Body, APS-Automotive Painters Supply, Dueitt’s Battery Supply, Airgas, Judy’s Place, Ainsworth Racing, Greer’s Food Market and American Legion Post 88. As has become a tradition for Praytor at Talladega, the Alabama Institute of the Deaf and Blind (AIDB) will be on the hood for the General Tire 200 with the Mobile, Alabama Team hosting students on race day. “We really look forward to having the kids from AIDB at the track, their enthusiasm and energy is incredible. AIDB is an incredible place and we are really proud to be a part of their team.” (In part from Max Force Racing PR) (04-24-19)
  • DGR-Crosley fielding two cars at Talladega: DGR-Crosley will field two entries in the upcoming General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26th. The team will welcome back Natalie Decker, who will be behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota. Additionally, Todd Gilliland will return driving the No. 4 Toyota. Decker and Gilliland both competed in the season opening Daytona race for the team, where they finished 6th and 2nd respectively. (04-17-19)
  • Christian Eckes not competing at Salem due to illness; Burton in STATEMENT: After falling ill driver Christian Eckes will be sidelined for today’s ARCA Racing event at Salem Speedway. Harrison Burton will race in relief driving the No. 15 JBLaudio Camry. Further details regarding Eckes’ condition will be provided at a later time. (In part from Venturini Motorsports Twitter) (04-14-19)
    TEAM STATEMENT: Christian Eckes, eighteen-year old driver for Venturini Motorsports, remains hospitalized after being forced to withdrawal from yesterday's ARCA Menards Series event at Salem Speedway because of a small esophageal tear in his trachea as a result of complications due to food poisoning. Eckes became ill following Saturday's on-track activities and was admitted to the hospital where he continues to receive treatment for a bacterial infection. Expected to make a full recovery, Eckes in in good spirits and will resume full time racing duties as soon as being released from doctors' care later in the week. (Venturini Motorsports Twitter) (04-15-19)
  • Michael Self wins rain-shortened Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200: Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) scored his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series victory in Sunday’s rain-shortened Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway. Self started fourth, took the lead at lap 27 and from there he dominated until Mother Nature intervened at lap 98. "I owe all of this to my Venturini Motorsports guys," Self said in a makeshift victory celebration. "We knew yesterday we were going to have a good racecar. We didn’t have a lot of qualifying speed but we knew once the race started, especially if it was cool and cloudy, that we’d be good." Self led handily over the rest of the field and with a long green flag run to open the race, he had lapped up to the third position. The first caution of the day waved at lap 89 when Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy/Terrible Herbst/ORCA Coolers/Advance Auto Parts Toyota) spun in turn two. With potential weather off in the distance, there was a decision to be made whether or not to hit pit road. "There was no way we weren’t coming at that point," Self said. "We had lapped up to third so we knew even if no one else came we would be third at worst. Tires make such a big deal here that even if we had just a few laps under green we knew we’d get back to the front pretty quickly." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (04-14-19)
  • Carson Hocevar wins Salem Speedway pole: Carson Hocevar (No. 28 Chevrolet) sped to the General Tire Pole for Sunday’s ARCA Menards Series Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway. Hocevar turned a fast lap of 17.073 seconds around the high-banked 0.555 mile oval located in the hills of southern Indiana, about half an hour north of Louisville. Hocevar, from Portage, Michigan, was recently signed to the Driver’s Edge Development program, spearheaded by Lorin Ranier for GMS Racing and JR Motorsports. He also earned the General Tire Pole Award last season at his home track, Berlin Raceway, in Marne, Michigan. "It’s great to finally get to qualify and get a pole," he said. "Last year we got the pole at Berlin but that race was rained out and we set the fast lap in practice so we got the pole. It’s awesome to get the pole in qualifying. My KBR Development guys gave me a great car. There’s a big difference in two laps and 200." Full Lineup (In part from ARCARacing.com) (04-13-19)
  • Our Motorsports expanding; to compete at Talladega: If you’ve kept up with the journey of Our Motorsports, Chris Our, and Andy Seuss you’ve seen the growth. You’ve seen the success. You’ve seen the sacrifice, but most importantly, you’ve seen the hard work. Though the 2019 race season has begun, it is far from over. Our Motorsports has big plans for the rest of the year, as well as leading up to 2020. "It’s exciting that Chris is expanding and investing in the team. To have his trust and faith to grow, adding cars and equipment is something that gives me confidence we are going on the right direction" says Seuss. This February we saw the expansion in the ARCA [Menards] Series, with the team fielding two cars at Daytona International Speedway, where both the 02 and 09 teams topped speed charts throughout Speedweeks. Seuss added “every time we race we get better, so to have two teams out there to help grow and share information shows Chris’s commitment to get better. I know it already helped Our Motorsports and me as a driver to have someone to share experiences and information with. We hope to add more races to the Our Motorsports schedule, which would be a great opportunity for any racer looking to prove their skill to the world and climb the racing ladder.” With the addition of more equipment, comes available seats, and available races. The team is looking to add drivers to compete in the 2019 season. Next up for Our Motorsports will be two car effort to take on Talladega Superspeedway. (In part from Our Motorsports PR) (04-09-19)
  • Madison International Speedway secures race sponsorship: Southeastern Mills, Madison International Speedway and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) announced that Shore Lunch will sponsor the ARCA Menards Series annual stop at Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile Oval – Madison International Speedway early this summer. The ARCA Menards Series Shore Lunch 200 is scheduled for Friday night, June 14 at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT. "When we first learned that ARCA and Menards were going to bring Shore Lunch to Madison International Speedway to be the ARCA race event sponsor, we were quite excited,” commented Gregg McKarns, who along with his wife Angie own and promote the high-banked paper-clip shaped oval in Oregon, Wisconsin, just south of the state’s capitol city of Madison. “A lot of our fans are outdoors people and sportsman. People who go fishing. And trust me, they know what Shore Lunch is!” (In part from ARCARacing.com) (04-09-19)
  • Kaden Honeycutt to run four more ARCA races; NASCAR truck race: Kaden Honeycutt, the 15 year-old protege of NASCAR Cup series driver Chris Buescher, will compete in four more ARCA races this season for his family owned team. Honeycutt will enter events at Nashville, Toledo, Gateway, and Iowa. The Willow Park, Texas driver last raced at Pensacola in March, finishing 9th after leading several laps late in the race. Pending NASCAR approval, Honeycutt also plans to make his debut in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with the intention of running more truck events in 2020. (04-04-19)