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Scroll down to view past ARCA Menards Series news and rumors.

February 2021

  • Corey Heim wins the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona: Venturini Motorsports last month pinned Corey Heim as its full-time driver in the ARCA Menards Series for 2021. His first task was to attempt to extend the team’s four-race winning streak at Daytona International Speedway with a victory in Saturday’s Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire. He did just that. The 18-year-old Heim held off his VMS teammate, pole-sitter Drew Dollar, on the last lap to win the ARCA Menards Series season-opener. "I gotta give it all to (crew chief) Shannon Rursch," said Heim of the final restart with one lap to go Saturday. "He made the perfect call, executed this race perfect. He dialed this JBL Camry in perfect. Can’t give enough thanks to Toyota Racing, Venturini Motorsports, JBL, all the guys who make it happen." A caution with four laps to go set up Saturday’s overtime finish. With Heim, the leader, taking the top lane and Dollar on the bottom, the latter let the former move to the inside so the duo could work together in the draft. Even with Dollar’s car damaged and lacking power steering, the plan worked to perfection, and VMS ended the race with a 1-2 finish. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (02-13-21)
  • Rich Bickle adds associate sponsorship for Daytona: Rich Bickle and the No. 45 Chevrolet team of Empire Racing Group, LLC have added four associate partners for Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway. FabForce Trade School, Lake Norman Patio & Game Rooms, Oktoberfest at LaCrosse Speedway and Pub Table Racers will be on the car for the 2021 series opener. "This is pretty funny how all these people I have known for decades are coming on board for this ARCA race," Bickle said. "Now it’s up to us and the Empire Racing Group to take them all to Victory Lane here at Daytona. I’m ready." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (02-12-21)
  • Chuck Buchanan Jr. withdraws from Daytona after New Smyrna crash: Chuck Buchanan Jr. was planning to run both the New Smyrna race and the Daytona race in the same car, the No. 87 Spring Drug Chevrolet he owns. However, a crash in qualifying at New Smyrna ended his night early and forced him to withdraw from the Daytona race without enough time to repair the car. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (02-11-21)
  • Tanner Gray & David Gilliland Racing sign Daytona sponsor: David Gilliland Racing announced today that Ripper Coffee Company will be a primary partner in the ARCA Menards Series on the No. 17 Ford driven by Tanner Gray. Ripper Coffee Company will adorn Gray’s Ford Fusion for the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire on Saturday, February 13. This is the lone scheduled ARCA start in 2021 for Gray as he focuses on his second full-time truck season. Ripper Coffee is part of the growing e-commerce coffee trend and the newly formed company is using motorsports as part of its marketing plan. “Racing has a large fanbase and this is an opportunity for me to gain exposure for my brand,” said Bryce Gray, co-owner of Ripper Coffee. "Tanner also happens to be one of my siblings and this is a cool way to support him in his career and it be beneficial to both of us." (In part from David Gilliland Racing PR) (02-10-21)
  • ARCA introduces Reese’s Sweet Move Of The Race: The Reese’s brand of candy will "sponsor" a special award in each ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West race in 2021: the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race. The Sweet Move of the Race will reward the team and/or driver who has performed a remarkable or extraordinary action during each event. The award sponsorship will be determined via fan vote on the ARCA Menards Series’ Twitter page following each race. Race fans should go to @ARCA_Racing on Twitter to vote for the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race the day after the race starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. ET. The Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race will be announced upon the conclusion of the voting period. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (02-07-21)
  • Brittney Zamora to drive for Rette Jones Racing at Daytona: Officials from Rette Jones Racing announced today that female standout Brittney Zamora has been tapped to drive the team’s No. 30 Ford in Saturday afternoon’s Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire ARCA Menards Series season opener from Daytona International Speedway. ARCA championship-winning crew chief and team co-owner Mark Rette will guide Zamora as she prepares to make her superspeedway ARCA debut on Feb. 13, 2021. Square1 Flex, VISA, Pit Road Pals and Davis Groupe Promotions will serve as Zamora’s marketing partners for the first ARCA Menards Series race of 2021. "I am really excited to be joining Rette Jones Racing for my first superspeedway race," said Zamora. "It is going to be a great experience and I am going to learn a lot. Daytona is a track I have always dreamed of racing at. I am confident in Mark (Rette), the RJR team and myself to be successful at Daytona. If luck stays on our side, I know we will have a strong chance to be in contention for a podium and possibly even a win." (In part from Rette Jones Racing PR) (02-06-21)
  • Toni Breidinger joins Young’s Motorsports for limited schedule; starts at Daytona: Young’s Motorsports announced today that female sensation Toni Breidinger has joined the organization to compete in a limited ARCA Menards Series schedule beginning with the 2021 ARCA season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13, 2021. Breidinger, a native of Hillsborough, Calif. will make her first ARCA Menards Series start since 2018 where she competed in three races, earning a career-best 10th place finish in her series’ debut at Madison International Speedway. "I’m very thankful for this opportunity to continue the next steps of my racing career with Young’s Motorsports," said Breidinger. “It’s going to be a busy year of competition in ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but I feel like the program that we have assembled at Young’s Motorsports will be influential in completing our goals and setting the path for the future.” A detailed schedule for Breidinger aboard the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet ARCA car will be announced at a later date. (In part from Young’s Motorsports PR) (02-04-21)
  • Thad Moffitt secures sponsorship from Clean Harbors & Aqua ChemPacs; competing in at least 11 events: David Gilliland Racing announced today that Clean Harbors and the CleanPacs brand by Aqua ChemPacs will be the primary partners of Thad Moffitt’s No. 46 Ford in the ARCA Menards Series in 2021. The pair will team-up for the season opener at the Daytona International Speedway on February 13 with Clean Harbors adorning the hood and CleanPacs on the quarter panels of the No. 46 Ford. Moffitt, the 20-year-old grandson of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, is scheduled to compete in at least 11 ARCA Menards Series races in his second season with DGR. He earned his best career ARCA finish of fourth-place at Memphis International Raceway in September of 2020 with CleanPacs as the primary partner. "Clean Harbors is a longtime partner of the Petty family, and I am excited to carry the banner as the driver of the No. 46 Ford Fusion in 2021," Moffitt said. "I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great organization, and have them represented at the Daytona International Speedway and future events." (In part from David Gilliland Racing PR) (02-03-21)