archives

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

September 2022

  • Landon Huffman joining Jeff McClure Racing for Salem: Landon Huffman is enjoying a career resurgence. The 26-year-old driver from Claremont, North Carolina, recently secured his first Hickory Motor Speedway Late Model Stock Car track championship, [and] is set to return to the ARCA Menards Series thanks to a partnership with team owner Jeff McClure. “I’ve been friends with Jeff McClure a good while. He’s also been friends with my uncle, so he’s been a family friend for a long time,” Huffman said. “Jeff actually crew chiefed for me when I drove for Venturini back in 2016. I actually spotted for Jeff for most of that year. So I had a good working relationship with him, too, both inside the car and on the spotter stand. This past year Jeff went out and has done his own deal. He’s had some other drivers in [the car], and I’ve been in contact with him back and forth, and that if the opportunity were to come up that I was able to get into the seat we would try to make it happen.” (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-29-22)
  • Sammy Smith wins at Bristol and captures Sioux Chief Showdown title: Sammy Smith experienced a perfect evening at Bristol Motor Speedway Thursday night. Not only did Smith win the Bush’s Beans 200, but he also claimed his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East championship, the East Series owner’s title for Kyle Busch Motorsports, as well as the Sioux Chief Showdown crown. While thrilled with the accomplishments, Smith was primarily focused on closing out the East Series season with a win, which was nearly disrupted by his teammate Brandon Jones during a green-white-checkered restart. “That was tough,” Smith said about the last restart. “All of these guys brought a really fast car, and I wouldn’t be able to do this without them. That was a tough restart there, but I’m glad we pulled it off.” Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-15-22)
  • Mason Diaz to race at Bristol with Mullins Racing: If it weren’t for Mike Diaz, Willie Mullins likely wouldn’t have competed in many ARCA Menards Series events this year. Thursday at Bristol, Mullins will pay Diaz back by fielding a car for his son, Mason Diaz, during the Bush’s Beans 200. “I’m very excited,” said Mason Diaz, who will make his second start on the ARCA platform this season at Bristol after spending most of the year racing Late Models in the Southeast. “Bristol is a great track, I have great, solid finishes there. Bristol is just a fun place to go to in general. Everyone over there at Mullins Racing, Willie and Dinah (Mullins) are great people. My dad has become pretty good friends with them throughout the years with the ARCA racing and short-track racing, all of the above.” The arrangement all began thanks to a conversation last fall between Mullins and Mike Diaz at Southern National Motorsports Park, the race track the elder Diaz promotes in Kenly, North Carolina. Mike Diaz was considering exiting the ARCA Menards Series completely, but Mullins convinced him to stick around. As part of the arrangement, Mullins took possession of Diaz’s chassis and added his parts to it. The result was a competitive race car that Mullins has driven to a top-five finish this year at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, as well as top-10 runs at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and Minnesota’s Elko Speedway. That car is the same car Mason Diaz will drive Thursday night at Bristol. “We put it all together in our shop,” said Willie Mullins, who has been racing in the ARCA Menards Series as an owner and driver since 2008. “We’ve got a good, competitive car. I finished fifth with it at Pensacola this year. It’s a really good car, and we’re excited to put a good driver in it like Mason.” Originally the plan was for Mason Diaz to join Mullins Racing for a two-car assault at Elko Speedway, but things didn’t go as planned. Instead, all parties are now focused on racing this Thursday at Bristol. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-13-22)
  • Michael Lira racing at Bristol with Josh Williams Motorsports: Michael Lira, who has 30 career ARCA Menards Series starts, recently announced on Twitter that he will drive for Josh Williams Motorsports in the upcoming Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Lira finished 21st for the team in the season opening race at Daytona this year and later scored a seventh place finish in ARCA Menards East Series competition at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. (In part from Twitter.com) (09-12-22)
  • Trey Burke to make ARCA debut at Toledo with Young's Motorsports: 17 year-old Trey Burke will make his ARCA Menards Series debut at Toledo Speedway on Saturday, October 8th. Burke made a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start for this team earlier this season at Mid-Ohio where a dropped out early and finished 35th. The Texas native has considerable experience in the U.S. F2000 National Championship where he competes for Joe Dooling Autosports. (In part from Twitter.com) (09-12-22)
  • Corey Heim dominates at Kansas Speedway: When the ARCA Menards Series visited Kansas Speedway earlier this year, Corey Heim had the car to beat until he crashed out of the race while racing Drew Dollar for the lead. On Sunday morning, Heim made sure he got his redemption. The 20-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, dominated the Kansas Lottery 150 to earn his second ARCA Menards Series victory of the season for Venturini Motorsports. “First of all, thank you so much to Venturini Motorsports, Billy Venutrini, the whole Venturini family, I wouldn’t be here without them,” Heim said, who earned his first ARCA victory in 2020 at Kansas Speedway. “It was definitely a great performance for us from what we had in the spring. Going through that adversity, I feel like we should have had a really similar performance back there in the spring. To come back here and put on a show like that, it’s pretty special.” Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-11-22)
  • Kansas Lottery 150 postponed: Inclement weather has forced the postponement of the ARCA Menards Series Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway. The race is now set for Sunday morning at 9 am CT (10 am ET), prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by Barstool Sportsbook. MAVTV will broadcast the race live flag-to-flag and it will be streamed live on FloRacing. Please visit KansasSpeedway.com for ticket information. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-10-22)
  • Ryan Unzicker wins at DuQuoin in Hendren's final race: Ryan Unzicker made clear early in Monday evening’s Rust-Oleum Automotive Finishes 100 he had the speed to win at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. After starting 20th based on car owner points with General Tire Pole Qualifying canceled ahead of the race, the 41-year-old dirt track ringer somehow made his way to third place by the time the event’s first yellow flag flew on Lap 4. That was a sign of things to come, as Unzicker dominated the remainder of Monday’s race on the one-mile dirt oval for his second career ARCA Menards Series victory. The race, which had been delayed one day from its originally scheduled date, was shortened to 78 laps because of rain. The win was a special one for Unzicker, who picked up a checkered flag as a going away present for car owner Bill Hendren, who’s retiring from racing operations at the end of the year. “It [means] a lot. We’ve been doing it for a long time,” Unzicker said when asked about winning during Hendren’s last season as a car owner. “I hate to say it would be my last [ARCA race], but [Hendren] has given me every confidence in the world to come out here and allow me to drive his car. Just means the world to me to be able to end on a good note.” Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-05-22)
  • Jesse Love racing for $50,000 bonus at DuQuoin: When Jesse Love won last month’s Atlas 100 on the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, he earned more than just a trophy. The victory earned Love the opportunity to race for a $50,000 bonus courtesy of Performance Seed and the new Performance Seed Dirt Double this weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. The new program, which was announced in June, features a $50,000 prize to any driver who can sweep the two dirt miles on the ARCA Menards Series schedule. Love crossed off the first leg of the Performance Seed Dirt Double by dominating the Atlas 100, leading every lap from the pole in the No. 20 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. Now Love heads to DuQuoin for the Rust-Oleum Automotive Finishes 100, where he’ll attempt to sweep the dirt miles and lay claim to the bonus. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-02-22)