
ARCA Menards Series News and Rumors
- Steve Austin
no longer with CCM Racing; on parole after multiple felonies:
A spokesperson for CCM Racing has confirmed that Steve Austin, who
raced in two ARCA Menards Series East events this season, is no longer
a member of the team. CCM Racing states that it "[does] not anticipate
any further relationship or affiliation with [Austin]" in the future.
This follows a recent announcement that Austin will join Tom Crosby
Enterprises for the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East season. However,
Austin's eligibility to participate in ARCA competition is unclear
after his arrest history and parole status has surfaced.
Edward Brian
Hudson: Steve Austin, whose legal name is
Edward Brian Hudson, is a habitual felon that has been arrested and
convicted of crimes dating back to 1996. Crimes include obtaining
property with false coins/tokens, obtaining property by worthless
checks (over $2,000), obtaining property by false
pretenses/cheats/services, unauthorized use of a motor-propelled
conveyance (boats, airplanes, motor vehicles, etc.), extortion, and a
parole violation on April 27, 2021. Austin has remained on parole since
his most recent felony conviction in North Carolina. (In part from NC
DPS Offender Public Information and Mugshots.com)
(05-22-22)
- Rajah Caruth
to carry WSSU colors at Charlotte: Winston-Salem State
student and professional race car driver Rajah Caruth will have the
ride of a lifetime on May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Caruth will
pilot a WSSU themed race car in the ARCA Menard’s series
General Tire 150 next weekend. This is a proud moment for the
University with Caruth being a member of the motorsports management
degree program. WSSU is the first and only HBCU to have a motorsports
management program, which began in 2007. "I learned the importance of
HBCUs at an early age. My father went to an HBCU and is currently
serving as a professor at Howard University, so I’ve been
exposed
to a culture and support system that is like no other. Being in
WSSU’s Motorsports Management allows me to learn while doing
what I love," said Caruth. The No. 6 WSSU car has the WSSU Rams mascot
and school letters boldly painted across the hood as well as the rear
quarter panels. The school colors are interwoven across the car with
the door panels highlighted in red. (In part from HBCUGameday.com)
(05-22-22)
- Nick Sanchez
wins the Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas Speedway: [Nick] Sanchez
took advantage of a late-race accident between Corey Heim and Drew
Dollar to score his second win in the Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas and the
third of his career. Sanchez wanted an opportunity to battle both Heim
and Dollar for the victory, but he was content on inheriting the lead
and managing his equipment while teammate Rajah Caruth tried to chase
him down in the final laps. "Honestly, we were trying to maintain and
not burn any of our stuff up in case there was a caution," Sanchez
said. "We lucked out with what happened between [Heim and Dollar], and
we possibly could have beaten both of them at the end on speed, but we
ended up winning, so I’m happy." Caruth managed to chase down
Sanchez twice inside of ten laps remaining but ultimately could not get
the run he needed to overtake his teammate and had to settle for
second; his best run in the main ARCA division to date. Daniel Dye, who
was reinstated by ARCA on Friday afternoon following a brief
suspension, brought home a third-place finish. Rounding out the Top 5
were veteran Gus Dean and Connor Mosack. Full
Results (In part from ARCARacing.com)
(05-14-22)
- Daniel Dye
reinstated by ARCA; will race at Kansas: The ARCA Menards
Series has reinstated Daniel Dye after suspending him on
April 27th. Dye was arrested on a felony battery charge the previous
day.
ARCA
Statement: "Daniel Dye’s
indefinite suspension has been lifted. He has been approved to return
to all ARCA racing activities effective Friday, May 13, 2022." (ARCARacing.com)
(05-13-22)
GMS Racing
Statement: "Today, ARCA Menards Series
officials announced that GMS Racing Daniel Dye was reinstated for
competition. Dye and the No. 43 Chevrolet team will compete in
Saturday's event at Kansas Speedway." (GMS
Racing PR) (05-13-22)
Daniel Dye
Statement: "The past few weeks have been
emotionally difficult for me and my family to say the least. You might
have heard that I was recently arrested by local police and
subsequently suspended by ARCA. I have been overwhelmed by the support
of fellow classmates, teachers, and others who have reached out to me
following an incident with a fellow student at my high school. I am
happy to report that ARCA has dropped its suspension after my lawyer
provided the State’s Attorney with sworn statements from eye
witnesses. Following review of this information and its own
investigation including review of medical records the State reduced the
charge to a misdemeanor. Before I get back to racing, I think it is
important to explain what happened that led local police officers to
take me into custody. The facts are that me and my classmates have been
engaged in a silly and admittedly immature game commonly played at the
school between boys and involves hitting each other in the groin area.
This has been going on since we were in the 9th grade. The other
student “got me” and then I got him back. I want to
be very clear that nobody was trying to seriously injure anyone in the
game and I am relieved to know that the other student has recovered."
(In part from Daniel
Dye Racing) (05-13-22)
- Zachary
Tinkle racing at Kansas after Peterson prepares superspeeway car: Zachary
Tinkle will race at Kansas! Yes, that’s been the plan for
most of the season, so why’s it a big deal now? Well
let’s recap the last 72 hours for Wayne Peterson Racing.
During Saturday’s practice at the Nashville Fairgrounds
Speedway, Nate Moeller spun his No. 06 Ford out and took a pretty solid
hit. For a small team like Wayne Peterson’s, this did not
just mean they were done for the weekend. This incident affects their
near future in the season, as this exact car was scheduled to be driven
at Kansas Speedway this upcoming weekend by Tinkle. "That was the same
car I was supposed to run at Kansas and even had the Kansas setup on
it," Tinkle explained to TobyChristie.com in a Twitter DM.
"Unfortunately, the car is pretty tore up, Front & rear clip is
believed to be bent along with body damage, rear end got shoved over as
well and both the A-arms on the left front got damaged so it will need
a large amount of repair and it’s not going to make Kansas."
Fixing the Nashville car in time for Kansas would likely be impossible,
so that was out of the equation. Willie Mullins and his team had
reached out as well just in case, but it was unlikely that the car
would get approved in time. So how is the former CRA Late Model
Sportsman Champion getting on the track this weekend at Kansas? The
entire WPR team worked all through the night to convert their Daytona
& Talladega Chevy into a car capable of racing on the 1.5 track
and are ready to go. “The car is better than we anticipated,
team worked through the night to get it ready and we are ready to hit
the road!” Tinkle said. “Pretty pumped for it so
I’m glad we can get the car back on the track this
weekend.” (In part from TobyChristie.com)
(05-12-22)
- Amber Balcaen
adds new associate sponsor for Kansas: Kansas will also
be the site of a new partner aboard [Amber Balcaen's] No. 30 Rette
Jones Racing Ford. 1st Phorm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri is a
high-performance supplement and nutrition that has been a long-time
partner of Balcaen’s, however, this weekend, 1st Phorm will
increase its commitment and serve as an associate marketing partner for
the 100-lap race. "1st Phorm and I have been partnered for the last
eight years but this is the first time they will be on my race car in a
larger way. Their brand and core values really align with mine, so
it’s the perfect fit. I am a big advocate for fitness and
health, so I am excited to have them on the car this weekend." (In part
from Rette
Jones Racing PR) (05-12-22)
- Gus Dean adds
Kansas Speedway to ARCA schedule: Gus Dean has added
Saturday afternoon’s Dutch Boy 150 race to his Venturini
Motorsports 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Dean, a native of
Bluffton, S.C. returned to the ARCA Menards Series in 2022 after a
two-year hiatus and has delivered two top-five finishes aboard the No.
55 Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry at Daytona and the series’
most recent race at Talladega. Despite missing the series’
second race of the year at Phoenix Raceway, he is seventh in the
championship standings. Dean will pilot the No. 15 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry
with Kevin Reed Sr. serving as crew chief. “I’m
very thankful to add this race with Venturini Motorsports,”
said Dean. “Everyone at Venturini Motorsports has certainly
been great to work with and we’ve enjoyed some strong runs in
our two races together. Our goal at Kansas though is to win. Anything
less than a win would be a disappointment.” The 27-year-old
South Carolinian is amid a busy 2022 season combining of ARCA, Late
Models, Mud Truck Racing and a hopeful sporadic appearance or two in
one of NASCAR’s National Series. “With no
championship on the line for me this season, it’s about
having fun,” sounded Dean. “Whether
that’s competing with Venturini Motorsports in ARCA, DLP
Motorsports in Late Model competition, or the other racing endeavors we
have planned for this season. We’re working hard behind the
scenes to get back to a full-time status hopefully in 2023.”
(In part from Gus
Dean Racing PR) (05-09-22)
- Thomas
Praytor diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis: After suffering
through several days of flu like symptoms, Thomas Praytor lost the use
of his left arm and left leg on lap 5 of the General Tire 200 at
Talladega Superspeedway. Driving with his right hand only Praytor
continued to compete until a red flag allowed for a driver change with
Sean Corr with 10 laps to go. The medical team removed the ailing
Praytor from his AIDB Chevy and began treatment in the infield care
center. A heavy dose of IV Fluids and oxygen patched up the Moose
enough to send him back home. Back in Mobile the doctors began a
regimen of testing producing a diagnosis of rare Rhabdomyolysis or
commonly called “Rhabdo” (Less than 26,000 cases in
US). Rhabdo normally happens during extreme exertion with endurance
runners, firefighters working in hot environments and members of the
military involved in heavy duty exercises in a hot environment.
“I really appreciate my doctors in Talladega and Mobile
working hard on getting this deal figured out. I’ve raced
with concussions, broken bones, flu, kidney stones, you name it but
nothing like this. I’m glad we know what it is and what we
have to do to get me back 100%,” said Praytor.
“Since I stopped competing full time and I’m not
the Ironman of the Series anymore, my Dad and I have had a lot of
conversations about some things I maybe shouldn’t have done
to stay in the race car. I think Dale (Earnhardt) Jr talking about his
issues with concussions and other stuff have made that conversation
possible. In hind sight I pushed it too far at Talladega but at the end
of the day was able to get out of the car knowing I had made the right
decision.” While rare, Rhabdo is treatable and can be kept in
check which will allow Praytor to completely recover and compete again.
(In part from Max
Force Racing PR) (05-09-22)
- Will Kimmel
to race at Kansas in place of Scott Melton: Will Kimmel
announced in a recent Kimmel Racing Facebook video that he will race at
Kansas Speedway on May 14th in place of Scott Melton. Scott Melton was
injured in an accident during the General Tire 200 at Talladega
Superspeedway. Kimmel stated that Melton told him "just keep digging"
and "just switch" drivers. (In part from Kimmel
Racing Facebook) (05-06-22)
- Dead On Tools
to partner with Taylor Gray & David Gilliland Racing:
David Gilliland Racing has announced that Dead On Tools will partner
with drivers Tanner and Taylor Gray during the 2022 NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series seasons. In addition to
their sponsorship efforts with the eldest Gray, Dead On Tools will
serve as Taylor Gray’s primary partner for the
Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway with the ARCA
Menards Series. “It’s really neat to represent the
Dead On Tools brand as they expand their presence in our
sport,” [said] Taylor Gray. “I’m excited
to be the one who gets to drive the Dead On Tools Mustang in the ARCA
Menards Series and also have them on my truck the same day.”
(In part from David
Gilliland Racing PR) (05-05-22)
- Bobby Gerhart
Racing seeking funded drivers: Bobby Gerhart Racing has
posted the following classified on RacingJunk.com in search of funded
drivers for its driver development program: "Bobby Gerhart Racing is
offering funded driver development opportunities at a variety of
levels. From an 18 race entry level program in the Super Cup series; to
single or multiple races in the NASCAR ARCA Menards Series. Previous
customers include Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and
dozens of racers who have driven winning equipment. BGR has over 100
development starts with wins and many top five finishes and a very
strong super speedway program. Start your drivers road to victory lane
today." (In part from RacingJunk.com)
(05-05-22)
- Daniel Dye
arrested for felony battery UPDATES: 18 year-old GMS
Racing
driver Daniel Dye was arrested yesterday in Deland, FL for felony
battery. Dye was arrested at 1:50 PM and was released at 7:33 PM
after posting $2,500 in bond. GMS Racing announced in October 2021 that
Dye would race full time and would compete for the ARCA
Menards Series championship this season. Dye currently ranks second in
driver points following this past weekend's event at Talladega
Superspeedway. (In part from VolusiaMug.VCGov.org)
(04-27-22)
UPDATE: The
Volusia charging affidavit states that the victim came in and reported
a felony battery. The victim "stated that on April 25, 2022 at
approximately 1440 hours, he was attending class at Father Lopez
Catholic High School located at 3918 LPGA Blvd. [The victim] stated
that while he was sitting in his [redacted] class one of his
classmates, Daniel Dye came up to him on his left side and started
grinding and dancing with his groin (pelvic area) by [the victim's]
head and face. [The victim] stated that he pushed his left arm up
towards [Daniel Dye] in an attempt to push him away. [The victim]
stated that this did not work and [Daniel Dye] continued for another
minute until [Daniel Dye] stopped. [The victim] further stated that he
thought the incident was over and all of a sudden [Daniel Dye] came up
from behind him and punched him in the groin area." (In part from Volusia
Charging Affidavit) (04-27-22)
GMS
Racing Statement: "GMS Racing is aware of the current
situation surrounding Daniel Dye. Daniel and the Dye family are
cooperating with local law enforcement. No further comment will be made
on the subject until more information becomes available." (GMS
Racing PR) (04-27-22)
Suspended
indefinitely from ARCA: Daniel Dye has been suspended
indefinitely from ARCA competition for a violation of the 2022 ARCA
Rulebook Section 12-8.1.E.2, a behavioral penalty which references ARCA
Member Conduct Guidelines. Dye, 18, was arrested on a felony battery
charge Tuesday in Volusia County, Florida. Dye races full time in the
ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet for GMS Racing. After
three races in 2022, he ranks second in series standings. (In part from
ARCARacing.com)
(04-27-22)
- Jake Finch
joins Venturini Motorsports for Pocono: Venturini
Motorsports announced today the signing of 16-year-old driver, Jake
Finch to a two-race ARCA schedule in 2022. Finch, who comes to VMS
ready to learn and gain experience, will pilot the No. 25 Toyota Camry
at Dover Motor Speedway this Friday, April 29 for the ARCA East race.
Finch will also pilot the No. 55 Toyota Camry at Pocono Raceway on July
22 for the ARCA Menards event. “I’m really excited
and grateful for the opportunity to race in the ARCA Menards Series for
Venturini Motorsports,” said Finch. “Both Pocono
and Dover are unique and historic, fast racetracks, and it’ll
be a cool experience and challenge for me as I learn at some new
places.” Finch, son of former NASCAR Cup Series &
Xfinity Series team owner James Finch, has experienced stock-car racing
since he was seven years old. The Lynn Haven, Florida native just
recently made his debut in the ARCA East series at his home track of
Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL scoring a top-ten finish in the
Pensacola 200. In 2021, Finch also captured the Outlaw division track
Championship at Five Flags Speedway. (In part from Venturini
Motorsports PR) (04-25-22)
- Thomas
Praytor suffers from illness at Talladega; replaced by Sean Corr:
On the way to Talladega, Thomas Praytor [started] feeling bad, bad
moved to really bad and shivering under stacks of blankets, a flu bug
had gotten a hold of the Mobile, Alabama driver and it was ugly. The
former series Ironman, Praytor had competed under adversity before,
feeling like crap at the race track is nothing new, he soldiered
through inspection and practice. On race day the symptoms had not
subsided and in some ways were worse than the day before but when you
only race a time or two a year you keep digging. Even a fast race car
couldn’t hold off the sickness and Praytor reported he was
losing feeling and strength in his left arm and leg. If
you’ve never driven a race car at 180MPH your left arm is
important to turn the steering wheel to make left turns. After a couple
of cautions the Moose set a faster lap of the race and was rumbling to
the front. Under caution Praytor reported he had lost all use of his
left arm completely and asked spotter Tab Boyd to put him in the high
lane only because he could no longer hold the car on the bottom. Back
under green Praytor was now driving with one hand. The Moose proceeded
to put the AIDB Chevy in the top 10 turning a lap over 183 miles per
hour setting a new fastest time of the race for the third time and was
half a second faster than the leaders drafting his way to the front,
right handed. “Thomas was having a great day and
I’m use to him driving with all sorts of problems, kidney
stones, viruses, concussion, broken body parts, he just has no quit in
him. I was getting worried about losing the use of his left hand and if
he was admitting to that he was probably a whole lot worse,”
said Dad, Tommy Praytor. “I felt like he would only get out
of the car is if we had a replacement he would be happy with. I thought
about our friends in the Xfinity garage that would come down and
started looking down the list of ARCA drivers who were already out of
the race, Sean Corr. Thomas and Sean have drafted together for years
and he is one of the only people who has as much experience as Thomas
on restrictor plate tracks. I texted Grumpy (Corr’s crew
Chief) and ARCA telling them I needed Sean as a standby,”
Corr quickly made his way to the pit box. A red flag for a big wreck on
the front stretch gave the team the perfect opportunity to swap drivers
and Praytor was called to the garage for the swap. The medical staff
pulled Thomas out of the car taking him to the infield care center
while Corr strapped in. While Corr finished the race Praytor spent the
afternoon in the infield care center getting an IV and oxygen for
elevated carbon monoxide levels. “We are grateful for all the
work Mike and the guys at Venturini put in on our car. Can’t
thank Sean Corr enough for filling in, not too many other people Thomas
would have given his car too. Really appreciate the Doctors and Nurses
in infield care taking care of Thomas. He is on the mend but is still
stiff, sore and sick but he’ll get better. We had a good
effort this weekend and overcame a lot of adversity, we’ll
get our driver healed up and get ready to go again,” offered
Tommy Praytor. (In part from Max
Force Racing PR) (04-25-22)
- Scott Melton
suffers compound fracture in lower left leg: Scott Melton,
driving the No. 69 Melton McFadden Insurance Agency Ford, was involved
in a lap 49 crash that was triggered when Toni Breidinger spun into a
pack of cars. Scott Melton was extracted from his car and posted the
following message on his Facebook page:
SCOTT MELTON:
"Today didn’t go as planned. Currently
I’m in the hospital, after some nice gentleman offered me a
helicopter ride, in Birmingham, Alabama. I will have surgery first
thing in the morning to repair a compound fracture on my lower left
leg. Sounds like a fairly simple procedure. Hoping to fly
home tomorrow. Apparently we won’t be in the late model at
Salem tomorrow. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. We live to
fight another day. Really appreciate everyone at kimmel racing. They
delivered another great car. (In part from Scott Melton
Facebook) (04-24-22)
- Nick Sanchez
wins the General Tire 200 at Talladega: [Nick] Sanchez
made a daring, three-wide move to take the race lead moments before a
caution flag waved to end the race early, allowing him to claim his
second ARCA victory dating back to last year and first of the 2022
season. The race ended nine laps early so Saturday’s NASCAR
Xfinity Series race could start on time. Prior to a restart with 13
laps left, teams were informed that the next flag – checkered
or caution – would end the race. “They told me the
last caution was going to end it, so I was driving pretty aggressive
just trying to get to the front before someone wrecked,”
Sanchez said. While that was happening, Daniel Dye was at the front of
the field trying to pass race leader Heim. He first moved up to the top
to block a run by Bret Holmes before moving low to try and block Heim.
The move to block Heim came too late, and Dye spun off the nose of
Heim’s No. 20 Toyota. That’s when Sanchez saw his
opportunity. Sanchez moved low under Holmes and was able to go
three-wide to pass Heim for the lead seconds before the caution was
displayed
for Dye’s spin, allowing Sanchez to secure the first
superspeedway triumph for Rev Racing. Heim was scored third behind
Sanchez and Holmes and expressed displeasure with how the race ended.
“I think that’s just a joke,” Heim said.
“My spotter told me the race was going to end under caution
whenever the next flag was. That’s just a joke.”
Thad Moffitt made a late run through the field to finish fourth ahead
of Gus Dean in fifth. Rajah Caruth, Drew Dollar, Ryan Huff, Parker
Chase and Max Gutierrez unofficially completed the top-10. Full
Results (In part from ARCARacing.com)
(04-24-22)
- Lineup for
Talladega set by owner points: The starting lineup for
the General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway has been set by 2021
owner points. #18 Drew Dollar will start from pole position and #20
Corey Heim will start alongside. #15 Parker Chase, #2 Nick Sanchez, and
#25 Toni Breidinger complete the top five. Full
Starting Lineup (04-23-22)
- Ryan Huff
returning at Talladega; hoping to compete in additional races: On
the heels of earning a quiet top-10 finish in the 2022 ARCA Menards
Series season-opener at Daytona, Ryan Huff invades Talladega determined
to earn back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time in his young
ARCA career. “Daytona feels like forever ago, so
I’m just glad Talladega is finally here,” said
Huff. “After our solid start to our ARCA season at Daytona,
I’ve been eager to get to Talladega and see if we can get
keep the momentum on our side. It’s not easy being a small
family-owned team out here competing with some of the best of the best
in the series, but I think we’ve surprised a few people with
our effort and dedication and I believe as a team we are now more than
ready to turn our top-10 finishes into top-five efforts.” The
remainder of Huff’s 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule is
still being pieced together, but the Williamsburg, Va. native hopes to
have a larger presence in the series. “We’re still
ironing out the details, but we’re hoping to make Kansas our
next race following Talladega,” Huff explained. “If
everything goes good at Kansas, we’ll take on Charlotte,
Pocono and other races during the season. We are working hard to be at
the track as much as possible this summer and fall, but it’s
an expensive sport and we are doing the best we can with the support we
have.” H&H Excavation, a company owned by Huff will
serve as the primary partner this weekend at Talladega. In addition,
Southeastern Services, Outback Steakhouse and Hawkeye Graphics will
serve as associate marketing partners for Huff’s third ARCA
start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. (In part from Ryan
Huff Motorsports PR) (04-20-22)
- Toni
Breidinger partners with the Women’s Sports Foundation for
Talladega: Toni Breidinger is raising awareness of the
importance of gender equality in sports. Breidinger will race the No.
25 Women’s Sports Foundation Toyota at Talladega
Superspeedway on April 23rd. “Teaming up with WSF for a race
at a historic track like Talladega stands for everything that I believe
in when it comes to supporting women in sports,” said 22
year-old Breidinger. “As one of three females running a full
season at a National level in NASCAR, it’s important to me to
bring awareness to the sport and having WSF on my car for the race is a
step in the right direction." Breidinger will be working closely with
WSF to shine light on the importance of female empowerment in
motorsport. Motorsports is one of the only sports where men and women
compete professionally together. “The Women’s
Sports Foundation works to unlock the possibilities in every girl and
woman through the power of sport,” said Danette Leighton, WSF
CEO. “Seeing a female race car driver blazing around the
Talladega Superspeedway can encourage and inspire girls everywhere to
recognize their own power and potential. We are grateful to our WSF
Athlete Ambassador Toni Breidinger for including WSF signage on her
car, and we’ll be rooting her on for a great race and season
ahead!” (In part from Roman
Empire PR) (04-20-22)
- Max
Gutiérrez racing at Talladega: Max
Gutiérrez returns to the premier ARCA Menards Series tour
for Saturday afternoon’s General Tire 200 at Talladega
Superspeedway. The former NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series champion
returns to finish what his team started in the 2022 season-opener at
Daytona in February. Gutiérrez and his Rette Jones Racing
team in an alliance with AM Racing trekked 12 miles north where he
successfully qualified 19th aboard his No. 32 TOUGHBUILT | Rette Jones
Racing car at the “World Center of Racing.” While
running competitively in the draft and inching close to the top-10,
Gutiérrez’s race car developed an electrical issue
which thwarted their opportunity to contend for the win and instead
left the 19-year-old embracing laps around the superspeedway in the
draft to prepare him for this weekend’s battle at Talladega.
With the team confident that the electrical issue is fixed for
Talladega, Gutiérrez heads to the famed Alabama race track
ready to contend for a strong finish. “I am so thankful for
this opportunity at Talladega,” offered Gutiérrez.
“Daytona was certainly disappointing, but you will have days
like that in racing. Even though we were out of contention for the win,
I never stopped learning from the drop of the green flag to the
checkered flag. (In part from Rette
Jones Racing PR) (04-20-22)
- Jon Garrett
to make ARCA debut at Talladega with Fast Track: Jon
Garrett, the Athens, Texas resident, is set to make his ARCA Menards
Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday April 23rd.
“I just want to say a big Thank You to everyone that has
helped me make this life long dream come true, especially Michael
Harper and Bayley Currey for guiding me through the process,”
commented Jon Garrett. “There have been so many people that
have helped me along the way, really coming full circle from people
that I’ve supported through the years.” Partnering
together with Andy Hillenburg and Fast Track Racing, Garrett will be
piloting the No. 11 Ford. On board will be the familiar Fort Worth
Screen Printing colors, alongside several associate partners; Athens
Screen Printing, The Twitch iRacing Community, Dalton Kowden, Tuffskinz
Vented Outboard Covers, Freelancers eSports Team, Manufacturing News,
Venture Foods of Shattuck, OK and Head Kandy. “I hope to be
smart, learn a lot as the race goes and be there at the end, because
you never know what can happen at Talladega,” continued
Garrett. “Of course none of this would ever have been a
possibility if it wasn’t for Andy Hillenburg and the awesome
crew at Fast Track Racing.” (In part from Jon
Garrett PR) (04-19-22)
- Andy
Jankowiak secures Whelen sponsorship for five races:
Whelen Engineering Company, a global leader in the emergency warning
industry since 1952, have teamed with owner/driver Andy Jankowiak for
five ARCA Menards Series events this year beginning at Talladega
Superspeedway. Whelen designs and manufactures reliable and powerful
warning lights, white illumination lighting, sirens, controllers and
high-powered warning systems for Automotive, Aviation, and Mass
Notification industries worldwide. “We are still a very young
team, but we are trying to grow into a team that can compete at this
level,” said Jankowiak, a 34-year-old native of Tonawanda,
New York. “Our goal is to keep getting better each time we go
to a race and the only way to do that is to build a support system.
Having Whelen on our team gives us a lot of confidence that we can
continue to keep growing.” Jankowiak and his team caught the
eye of Whelen Engineering’s Ted Marsh in 2021 after Marsh
supplied the team with a car for the road course event at Watkins Glen
International last August. “I was very impressed with the
dedication and knowledge of Andy’s volunteer team
members,” said Marsh, who also owns Marsh Racing, a team that
has fielded cars with his trademark No. 31 in multiple motorsports
divisions through the years. “Ted is held in very high regard
by all of us in racing and having his support was one more step towards
our team being an organization that could represent a company like
Whelen,” said Jankowiak. Whelen Engineering Company will be
featured during five events on Jankowiak’s No. 73 car during
the ARCA Menards Series season starting with the event at Talladega on
Saturday, April 23. Whelen will also be represented on the
team’s car for the events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Pocono
Raceway, Watkins Glen International and Kansas Speedway.
“Whelen Engineering takes pride in our long-standing
involvement in motorsports,” said Peter Tiezzi, III, General
Manager of Motorsports for Whelen Engineering Company. “We
are very excited to partner with Andy Jankowiak in the ARCA Menards
Series.” (In part from ARCARacing.com)
(04-19-22)
- Thomas
Praytor and Max Force Racing returning at Talladega: The
former ARCA Menards Series “Iron Man” Thomas
“Moose” Praytor has filed an entry for the General
Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway. “Really looking forward
to being back at Talladega,” said Praytor. “My
brother-in-law, Mike Abram and the guys at Venturini have been working
on our car all winter and I’m excited about the piece we are
bringing back to Alabama.” Talladega will be
Praytor’s 113th ARCA Series start, ranking him second in
career starts amongst active drivers and his 10th at Talladega
Superspeedway. The Moose has competed in 17 restrictor plate races
logging over 3,000 miles in plate competition. Only two active drivers
have more restrictor miles than the Moose. (In part from Max
Force Racing PR) (04-11-22)
- Venturini
Motorsports; Jesse Love sign Yahoo sponsorship for five races:
Yahoo
and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) are pleased to announce a
multi-year agreement. Yahoo has been named an Official Partner of TRD
and will receive several assets as part of the agreement, including
primary schemes with Toyota-backed teams. “At Yahoo, we
connect people to their passions with the content and experiences that
fuel their day,” said Iván Markman, Chief Business
Officer at Yahoo. “We’re excited to work with TRD
this year, and look forward to seeing the Yahoo brand at high
speed.” Yahoo will support the Toyota Driver Development
(TD2) program and Jesse Love. 17-year-old Love will run the Yahoo
livery in five ARCA events for Venturini Motorsports. (In part from YahooInc.com)
(04-05-22)
- Daniel Dye
secures sponsorship from Champion Container Corporation for three
races: GMS Racing’s Daniel Dye is pleased to
welcome Champion
Container Corporation as a primary partner on the No. 43 Chevrolet for
three events in 2022. The Edison, New Jersey based company, will ride
along with Daniel at Pocono Raceway, Watkins Glen, and Bristol Motor
Speedway. "It is a tremendous honor to have Champion Container onboard
with us later this season at three prominent and internationally known
racetracks in Pocono, Watkins Glen, and Bristol," commented driver
Daniel Dye. "We showed really good speed at Bristol last year, and I
was able to test well at Pocono and feel like we should be upfront and
represent Champion Container very well at each of those three races as
we chase the ARCA title." Dye, an 18-year-old high school senior from
Daytona Beach, Florida, finished third at Daytona and second in Phoenix
to open the ARCA Menards Series national season and now sits first in
the championship point standings. GMS Racing fields the No. 43
Chevrolet SS for Dye. (In part from GMSRacing.net)
(03-22-22)
- David
Gilliland Racing acts quickly to race at Phoenix: On the
morning of
Tuesday, March 8, David Gilliland took a phone call no race team owner
or human being ever wants to receive. Three days later, he and his
organization found themselves in Victory Lane at Phoenix Raceway after
what Gilliland called “the most special win (he’s)
ever been a part of” in his motorsports career. This is the
result of an astonishingly concerted and heavy-hearted effort on the
part of David Gilliland Racing in the wake of a traffic accident that
took the life of team hauler driver Steven Stotts early that Tuesday
morning. Stotts was transporting Taylor Gray’s No. 17 Ford
and DGR’s ARCA Menards Series equipment to Phoenix for the
General Tire 150. Two more team members, John Zaverl and Michael
Mizzelle, were injured in the accident. Just a few hours after
Gilliland received that phone call Tuesday morning, another DGR hauler
was on its way to Phoenix loaded with equipment and another No. 17
Ford. Full
Story (In part from ARCARacing.com)
(03-15-22)
- Matt Wilson
joins CCM Racing with Laravel sponsorship: Laravel will
be partnering with CCM Racing driver Matt Wilson, also an Arkansas
native, in a select number of races in the ARCA Racing Series this
season, with the official schedule to be released at a later date.
“Laravel is thrilled to partner with CCM Racing and we
can’t wait to see what Matt and the team accomplish on the
track this year,” said [Taylor] Otwell, founder and CEO of
Laravel. Wilson participated in the pre-season ARCA Racing Series test
at Daytona International Speedway in January and currently competes in
the COMMA Racing Series at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Jennings,
Oklahoma. “It’s very cool having Laravel on board
this season,” said Wilson. “Taylor and I have been
friends since we were kids. We went to the same high school and even
played on the drumline together. I have watched him build a company
around his passion and enjoy tremendous success. So I
couldn’t be more proud to represent Laravel at this level of
motorsports.” (In part from CCM
Racing PR) (03-13-22)
- Taylor Gray
scores emotional victory at Phoenix: Racing with a heavy
heart after
the loss of David Gilliland Racing hauler driver Steven Stotts in
traffic accident on Tuesday, Taylor Gray earned his first ARCA Menards
Series victory Friday night during the General Tire 150 at Phoenix
Raceway. The 16-year-old Gray had to withstand multiple challenges
throughout Friday’s race. He first battled with defending
ARCA Menards Series East champion Sammy Smith and later battled his way
past GMS Racing’s Daniel Dye during a restart on lap 138 to
take the lead for the final time. Gray retained the lead during two
more restarts, including a green-white-checkered restart, in the final
portion of the race to claim the victory at the one-mile tri-oval.
“It felt like they didn’t want me to win
tonight,” said Gray, who led a race-high 76 laps.
“All those guys are really tough to beat. We just had a
really good race car tonight.” Dye finished second after
taking the lead during the second half of the race and, at one point,
leading by more than four seconds. He blamed the decision to restart in
the top lane on lap 138 for costing him a shot at the victory. Smith,
driving the No. 18 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, finished third
after leading most of the first half of the race. Rajah Caruth finished
fourth after running as high as second in the final laps. Jake Drew was
the highest finishing ARCA Menards Series West regular in the field in
fifth. Jesse Love, Nick Sanchez, Josh Berry, Derek Kraus and Connor
Mosack completed the top-10. Full
Results (In part from ARCARacing.com)
(03-12-22)
- David
Gilliland Racing transporter involved in accident
UPDATE: David Gilliland Racing (DGR) has learned that our
No. 17 ARCA
team transporter was involved in an accident early this morning near
Longview, Texas. The transporter was en route to Arizona for Friday
evening’s ARCA Menards Series event at Phoenix Raceway. DGR
and driver Taylor Gray’s participation in Friday’s
event will be determined at a later time. (David
Gilliland Racing PR)
(03-08-22)
UPDATE: We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of
Steven Stotts,
co-driver for our No. 17 ARCA team transporter, that was involved in an
accident early this morning near Longview, Texas. Our deepest
sympathies go out to Steven’s family and friends. John Zaverl
and Michael Mizzelle, who were passengers in the transporter, have been
treated and released from a local hospital. Our continued thoughts are
with the driver of the second vehicle involved in the accident. (David
Gilliland Racing PR) (03-08-22)
- Krista
Kelley, Mike Massaro join MAVTV’s ARCA coverage:
Veteran motorsports announcer Krista Kelley will anchor MAVTV
Motorsports Network’s live broadcasts of the ARCA Menards
Series in 2022. Kelley replaces lap-by-lap race caller Bob Dillner, who
had been part of the ARCA broadcasts on MAVTV since 2017. Dillner has
stepped out of the booth to take an expanded role in the development of
the motorsports network but will continue to work with the production
team on the broadcasts. Long-time ARCA analyst Jim Tretow will join
Kelley in the booth, while Mike Massaro will join the team to handle
pit road duties. (In part from ARCARacing.com)
(03-01-22)