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ARCA Menards Series News and Rumors

  • Bret Holmes crowned the CGS Four Crown champion after Salem: As tires began to wear, [Bret] Holmes slipped back to fourth but was able to maintain his position until the end of the event. With Holmes’ fourth-place finish, he was crowned the ARCA Menards Series CGS Four Crown champion. "I’m so thankful that we had a good run tonight at one of my favorite tracks" [said Holmes]. "We had a rough little stint there over the month of July and a race in August, but we persevered and kept our heads up. To come back in September and have a good finish at Salem (Speedway), felt great. We also won the CGS Four Crown championship. That is really cool for me, and an honor to join the names of people like Davey Allison who have won the award. We were able to win the series by being consistent all season long. That starts with this team building fast cars every week. I’m proud of them for this accomplishment. We only have two more races left in the season, but we’re chipping away at the point lead. Our goal is to finish the season strong with a win." (In part from Bret Holmes Racing PR) (09-16-19)
  • Ty Gibbs dominates Salem; scores second career win: Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota) scored a dominant victory in Saturday night's ARCA Menards Series Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic 200 at Salem Speedway. Gibbs thoroughly dominated the entire day as he led the day's practice session, set the fast time in General Tire Pole Qualifying, and led every green flag lap to score his second career series victory. "That's all due to my right foot, the guys who build these great racecars and the man upstairs," Gibbs said in victory lane. "It's great to come out here and get our second win of the season. We aren't racing for the championship so it's all about wins for us." Gibbs finished two seconds ahead of Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota), who moved to within five points of championship leader Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota), who suffered a mechanical problem and finished 14th. "It's great to have Salem behind us," Eckes said. "This isn't my favorite track and to come out of here with that big of a gain on Michael is huge for us. It sucks we couldn't get up there and race Ty for the win but we'll take second and head to Indianapolis and go race for the win there." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-15-19)
  • Carson Hocevar running special Bruce VanderLaan throwback car: Carson Hocevar will be racing a Bruce VanderLaan throwback car in Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Salem Speedway. The Zeeland-based KBR Development Super Late Model team, featuring the 16-year old driver from Portage, is racing part-time in ARCA. This weekend’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic 200 at Salem, Ind., is a throwback race, where teams are encouraged to rock a paint scheme from yesterday. The throwback choice became easy for KBR officials after learning of Mr. VanderLaan’s passing Monday. KBR owner Mike Bursley texted Tim Horvath of HDFive Monday night about putting together a wrap in honor of Mr. VanderLaan. Horvath, who prepares all wraps for KBR, got busy fast. "Bruce was a great guy and very well known, not only around the Berlin area but in the Midwest," Bursley said. “I was just a little kid, but I have a lot of fond memories of Bruce. "When I bought this race team, Brian Campbell was my driver and Bill McGowan was our crew chief for Brian back in the day, from 2009 to 2011. Bill McGowan was Bruce’s crew chief when Bruce was successful. In a way, we are honoring both of them with this scheme." (In part from mlive.com) (09-14-19)
  • Alex Clubb ends season early; preparing for 2020: 27 year-old Alex Clubb has ended his ARCA season early after having tentative plans of racing in six events this year. Clubb, who originally was supposed to compete this weekend at Salem, suffered motor issues at Toledo Speedway in May which prevented him from entering Madison, Springfield, and DuQuoin. Instead of continuing to work on his steel body car, Clubb has decided to forgo Salem and focus on a new composite body car that he recently purchased in Tennessee. Clubb is currently working on acquiring an Ilmor engine, which will make him more competitive next season with new tires and more knowledge of coil bind setups. (09-14-19)
  • Gavin Harlien paying tribute to Tony Venturini at Salem: Twenty-one-year-old rookie Gavin Harlien (No. 55 Autism Awareness Toyota) will make his third ARCA Menards Series start of the season with Venturini Motorsports in Saturday’s ARCA throwback race - the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic 200 at Salem Speedway. Making the transition from the world of off-road truck racing to stock cars and circle tracks, Harlien will feature the flamboyant colors of Chartreuse and Fuchsia on the reverse side of his Toyota Camry which was once sported by the late Tony Venturini during the 1950’s while racing at Chicago’s Soldier Field and other local tracks. "It’s really cool ARCA does this throwback race at Salem," says Harlien. "I feel lucky to be a part of it especially running with the Venturini's and all the success they’ve had over the years. With decades of family history in this sport It’s truly an honor to run those colors." (In part from Venturini Motorsports PR) (09-12-19)
  • Ed Pompa to run special Darrell Waltrip throwback at Salem: Ed Pompa will be using a 1997 Darrell Waltrip throwback scheme this weekend on his 'Milwaukee Crusher / Double H Ranch' Fast Track Racing Toyota #11 at Salem Speedway. Ed stated, "With Darrell retiring from the broadcast booth this year, I thought it would be cool to do a DW throwback, as a 'thank you'. We are running the #11, which Darrell ran at various times, but this particular scheme was from his #17. I have been working with Frontline Designs on this idea since January. Frontline had planned to do the car Sep 4th, which involved stripping last years’ wrap and installing the new one. Hurricane Dorian delayed the wrapping of the car by almost a week. Rick finished it up Monday night. Now the guys at the shop: Mike, Dick, Jay, Steve and Keith will be hustling to finish up the car. It will be interesting to see the reaction when we roll this car out of the hauler at Salem. There shouldn’t be any problems spotting THIS car on the track!" (In part from Fast Track Racing PR) (09-10-19)
  • Colby Howard racing at Salem Speedway for Win-Tron: Colby Howard will make his return to the ARCA Menards Series at Salem Speedway [this Saturday]. In just three career ARCA starts, Howard has earned three top 10 finishes, with an average finish of 9.0 heading into the weekend. The high banked Indiana short track was the site of Howard’s ARCA Menards Series debut in 2018, where he started and finished in eighth. This time around, the 18-year-old plans on bettering his results with Win-Tron Racing in the No. 32 Project Hope/Yurpal, Inc. Chevrolet. Howard was quoted saying, “I am really looking forward to returning to Salem. We had a good run in the test on Tuesday, and should have had a Top 5 finish in last year’s race until I made a mistake on pit road. This time around, it should be better, because our car is really solid on old tires, which is critical on Salem’s worn out surface.” Earlier this season, Colby Howard debuted for team owner Kevin Cywinski and crew chief Jamie Jones at Iowa Speedway. The No. 32 team finished tenth at Iowa, and plan on bringing the same racecar to Salem. (In part from WinTronRacing.com) (09-10-19)
  • Venturini Motorsports unveils throwback Salem paint schemes: Following NASCAR’s fan favorite throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, the nostalgia will continue on the high banks of historic Salem Speedway when the ARCA Menards Series returns to action for the 106th all-time series event at Salem on Saturday, September 14. After earning back-to-back team victories on the dirt, VMS looks to continue their winning way with a special throwback tribute of their own. Celebrating the team’s patriarch and two-time ARCA Series Champion (‘87 & ‘91), the team unveiled a pair of Bill Venturini’s retro paint schemes for the upcoming race at Salem Speedway. Honoring Venturini’s first of two ARCA Series championship, Christian Eckes’ No.15 JBL Audio Toyota will carry the iconic 1987 white with blue striped paint scheme. “It’s a great honor to run Bill’s championship colors - especially at Salem,” says current championship contender Christian Eckes. “I’ve known Bill and his family since I broke into the series back in 2016. He’s done so much for me personally and so many others over the years. It’s just a really cool deal. Hopefully we’re able to put this JBL Audio Camry in victory lane for him!” Going further back in time, six time ARCA series winner Chandler Smith, driver of the No.20 Craftsman Toyota, will pay homage by featuring Venturini’s 1978 United States Auto Club (USAC) colors and wheel a black car featuring eye popping orange and blue stripes with gold numbers. (In part from Venturini Motorsports PR) (09-04-19)
  • Christian Eckes wins at DuQuoin; closes point deficit: Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) scored his third ARCA victory of the season with a dominant performance in the Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Eckes started outside General Tire Pole Award winner Ken Schrader (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota), and slipped past third-place starter Kelly Kovski (No. 16 Schluckebier Farms/RaceTires.com Chevrolet) on lap 10 to take the lead and led the rest of the way to take his second career ARCA win on dirt. "I don't know if you can call me a dirt track expert just yet," Eckes laughed in victory lane. "I tried to drive Springfield and DuQuoin like dirt tracks last year and burned everything off the car I could. We tried some new things here tonight and I drove the track more like a pavement track and it really paid off." Eckes finished in 0.443 seconds in front of his Venturini Motorsports teammate, and defending race winner, Logan Seavey (No. 20 Craftsman Toyota). Seavey started tenth and methodically worked his way towards the front of the field. He utilized lap traffic to work past his other Venturini Motorsports teammate Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) to take over second with 28 laps to go. From there Seavey was able to stay within sight of Eckes but he couldn't close in enough to seriously challenge. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-01-19)
  • Tyler Speer to drive for Fast Track at DuQuoin: Drag boat champion Tyler Speer will return to racing on dry land this weekend as he makes his first appearance of the season in the ARCA Menards Series in Saturday night's Southern Illinois 100 on the Magic Mile at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Speer will drive the No. 11 Phillip Smith Contracting/Wallace Electric Toyota for 1995 ARCA champ Andy Hillenburg's Fast Track High Performance Racing team. It will be a busy weekend for Speer and his family as they have to be in two different race tracks in two different states in a matter of hours on Saturday and Sunday. "We're going to drop our rig and get set up for the drag boat races in Livermore, Kentucky on Friday," Speer said. "Then we'll head up to DuQuoin for the ARCA race on Saturday and as soon as that's over head back to Livermore for boats on Sunday." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-31-19)
  • Ken Schrader returning at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds: Ken Schrader will strap in for the Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin on Saturday night. Schrader will pilot his familiar No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Ford in what will be his 83rd career ARCA Menards Series start. Schrader's most recent ARCA Menards Series appearance came at WWT Raceway at Gateway just outside of St. Louis in June 2018. He started and finished eleventh. In 14 career starts at DuQuoin, Schrader has three wins, eleven top-five and thirteen top-ten finishes. He also has three General Tire Pole Awards on his resume at the Magic Mile, tied for the all-time lead. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-31-19)
  • Michael Self wins at Springfield; scores first dirt win: Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) held off his Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) on a two-lap dash to the checkered to earn his fourth series victory of the season. Self, the current series championship leader, took the lead from another Venturini Motorsports teammate and General Tire Pole Award winner Logan Seavey (No. 20 Craftsman Toyota) shortly after halfway. From there, Self build a nearly four-second advantage over the field until an incident in turn four involving Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy/ORCA Coolers/Terrible Herbst/Advance Auto Parts Toyota) and Joe Graf, Jr. (No. 77 EAT SLEEP RACE Ford) with less than ten laps to go. The race would get restarted at the scheduled conclusion, lap 100, for a green-white-checkered dash to the checkered. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-24-19)
  • ogan Seavey Returns to Venturini for Springfield and DuQuoin: Logan Seavey is ready to make his return to the seat of Venturini Motorsports’ (VMS) No. 20 Turn One Steering / Craftsman Toyota in the ARCA Menards Series for back-to-back appearances on two of Illinois’ legendary dirt tracks - Springfield (August 18) and DuQuoin (August 31). A native of Sutter, California, Seavey made two ARCA starts in 2018 with VMS. During his ARCA debut at the Illinois Fairgrounds in Springfield, Seavey started fourth and finished third. In his second series race the 21-year old driver tapped into his new found stock car experience and drove to victory lane just weeks later at the DuQuoin State Fairground’s Magic Mile. “I’m super excited and thankful to get another chance to run the dirt races in the ARCA series with Venturini Motorsports,” said the 21-year old driver. “With the success of last year’s races and all of the knowledge I’ve gained since then I know we will have a really good shot at both races this year. I have more experience with pit road, restarts, and just driving stock cars in general so I feel like I have a better grasp to put together all the variables it takes to win a stock car race.” (In part from Venturini Motorsports PR) (07-30-19)
  • ARCA to race at ISM Raceway (Phoenix) in 2020: ISM Raceway has announced two regional series races in 2020 as part of the track’s continued support of grassroots racing. The first of the two events will be an ARCA Menards Series event during the FanShield 500 NASCAR weekend. The spring event, set for March 6, 2020, is a new addition to ISM Raceway’s schedule and will feature the best of the ARCA Menards Series as well as the top regional series stock car drivers from the East and West. The series is the top developmental ladder for drivers looking to make the next step to one of NASCAR’s three national series as well as a proving ground for some of the best short-track veterans. They are all battling it out for bragging rights, checkered flags and championship trophies. (In part from ISMRaceway.com) (07-28-19)
  • Christian Eckes wins at Pocono Raceway: Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) made a statement that he will be a threat for the ARCA Menards Series championship with a dominant victory in Friday’s FORTS USA 150 at Pocono Raceway. Eckes took control on lap 35 when the dominant driver in the early stages of the race, General Tire Pole Award winner Todd Gilliland (No. 18 Frontline Enterprises Toyota), was penalized for a blend line violation after his only pit stop of the afternoon. Eckes led the final 26 laps of the caution free race to score his second win of the season and fifth overall. Once Eckes was alerted by his crew that he would be the leader after Gilliland’s penalty, he kept his head in the game to minimize mistakes. "Once they told me what happened to the 18 it was all about keeping our heads down and not making any mistakes," Eckes said. "We knew there was a long way to go and we needed to be perfect to close it out." With his second win of the season, Eckes closes the gap on his Venturini Motorsports teammate and championship leader Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota), who finished third. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (07-27-19)
  • Willie Mullins set for Pocono Raceway debut: Willie Mullins and Mullins Racing are heading to the picturesque Pocono Mountains for their third start of the ARCA Menards Series campaign. Mullins, the owner/driver of the No. 3 Mullins Racing Ford, will be making his debut at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., during the FORTS USA 150. The race at the track known as the ‘Tricky Triangle’ will serve as a bit of a home game for several members of the Mullins Racing crew. "A lot of our crew live in the Pocono area, so it’s a homecoming for them to get to run their local track," Mullins explained. "Kevin Belmont, our spotter, is from up there. George Kerner and all of those guys, that is where their home is. It’s kind of a homecoming for them and I’m glad we can run their local track." The FORTS USA 150 will mark the third race for Mullins and company during the ARCA Menards Series season and they’ll be looking to turn their luck around after two difficult races at Daytona Int’l Speedway in February and Charlotte Motor Speedway in May that saw the team register finishes of 35th and 17th, respectively. "We want to come out of there and not tear up a race car," Mullins said. "We’ve raced two times this year and we’ve left the track with torn up cars two times this year. We’re expecting a top-15 finish, we just need to go out there and not tear up the car." Joining Mullins at Pocono Raceway will once again be veteran crew chief Tony Furr, who has worked with Mullins and Mullins Racing in both of the organization’s previous ARCA starts this season. (In part from Mullins Racing PR) (07-24-19)
  • 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)