Category: ARCA

ARCA Menards Series 
The Race: General Tire 100 at The Glen 
The Place: Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY 
The Date: Friday, August 18, 2023 
The Time: 6 PM ET 
TV: Live, FS1, 6 PM ET 
Distance: 41 Laps/100.450 Miles 

• The General Tire 100 at The Glen is the 13th round of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season. It will be the fourth time the ARCA Menards Series has raced at Watkins Glen International. 
• Jesse Love enters the Henry Ford Health System 200 with a 98-point lead over Frankie Muniz in the battle for the ARCA Menards Series championship. Muniz holds a one-point advantage over Andres Perez for the second position. 
• Love won last Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for his third consecutive series victory, his seventh win in 12 starts in 2023. It’s the second time he’s won three consecutive races this season. He won consecutive races at Talladega Superspeedway, Kansas Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway, then a single win at Elko Speedway, and then reeled off consecutive wins at Pocono Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, and IRP.  
• The ARCA Menards Series has previously raced at Watkins Glen International in 2001, won by John Finger, 2021, won by Corey Heim, and in 2022, won by Brandon Jones. 
• Finger’s win at Watkins Glen in 2001 came in his first, and to date only, ARCA Menards Series start. 
• NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie, a three-time ARCA Menards Series winner in 2013, will make his first series appearance since that year’s finale at Kansas Speedway. LaJoie’s wins have come at Chicagoland Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Kentucky Speedway. 
• Brent Crews will make his ARCA Menards Series debut driving the No. 15 entry for Venturini Motorsports. 
• Seventeen-time series winner Bob Schacht will make what is scheduled to be his final career ARCA Menards Series start in his own No. 75 Chevrolet. Schacht has one previous ARCA Menards Series win on a road course, that coming at St. Louis International Raceway in 1986. 
• The General Tire 100 at The Glen will be the 29th ARCA Menards Series race on a road course in series history. Previous road course winners include Fred Lorenzen and Nelson Stacy at Meadowdale International Raceway in 1958 and 1960, respectively, Curtis Turner at Virginia International Raceway in 1962, Elmer Musgrave at Meadowdale in 1964, Jack Bowsher at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1965, Bob Schacht at St. Louis International Raceway in 1986, Ken Schrader and Darrell Waltrip at Heartland Park Topeka in 1991 and 1992, respectively, Scott Lagasse on the streets of Des Moines in 1994, John Finger at Watkins Glen in 2001, Justin Allgaier and Patrick Long at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2008 and 2009, respectively, Justin Marks at Palm Beach International Raceway in 2010, Casey Roderick at NJMP in 2010, Andrew Ranger at NJMP in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, Chris Buescher and Austin Theriault at Road America in 2013 and 2017, respectively, Michael Self on the road course at Daytona International Speedway in 2020, Ty Gibbs at Mid-Ohio in 2021, Corey Heim at Watkins Glen in 2021, Taylor Gray at Mid-Ohio in 2022, Brandon Jones at Watkins Glen in 2022, and Tyler Ankrum at Mid-Ohio in 2023. 
• Andrew Ranger is the only driver to win more than one road course race in ARCA Menards Series history. 
• Ty Gibbs holds the ARCA Menards Series track qualifying record at Watkins Glen International, set in 2021, at 73.771 seconds/119.754 miles per hour. 
• Corey Heim holds the ARCA Menards Series race record at Watkins Glen International, also set in 2021, at 1 hour, 5 minutes, 32 seconds/91.968 miles per hour. 
• The record for the most lead changes in an ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen International is nine, set in 2001. The fewest was two, in 2021. 
• The record for the most cautions in an ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen is five, for a record 16 laps, set in 2022. The fewest was one for three laps in 2021. 
• Should the race need to be extended into overtime, there will be one attempt at a one-lap “green and white together” finish.

Driver of Mobil 1 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing was Leading Before Late-Race Caution

Date: Friday, Aug. 4
Event: Henry Ford Health 200
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Length: 100 laps (200 miles)
Start/Finish: 3rd / 3rd (Running, completed 105 of 105 laps)
Race Winner: Jesse Love of Venturini Motorsports (Toyota)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 100-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Overview:

With less than two laps remaining in the Henry Ford Health 200 ARCA Menards Series race Friday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Connor Mosack was on the cusp of his first career ARCA victory. But a caution that sent the race into overtime derailed a gritty drive and left the 24-year-old racer with a bittersweet third-place finish. Despite the disappointment, Mosack put on a performance at the 2-mile oval. After qualifying third, Mosack was forced to start at the back of the 23-car field when his racecar failed post-qualifying technical inspection. Yet three laps after the green flag waved, Mosack had already cracked the top-10. By lap nine, his No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing was in the top-five. Staying up front, however, was no easy task, as Mosack’s car became progressively loose as the run wore on. Even as he passed Andrea Perez de Lara for second on lap 24, Mosack needed a tighter-handling racecar. He got that opportunity when a caution on lap 27 sent the field to pit road. But even with four fresh tires and a chassis adjustment, his car was a handful. He dropped to sixth one lap after the restart when he got loose and chased his car through turns one and two. “Wrecking-free everywhere,” said Mosack on the radio. Another caution on lap 36 bunched the field back up and allowed Mosack to reset. He went from sixth to fourth on the lap-41 restart and took third from Kris Wright on lap 44. Another caution on lap 58 allowed for a second trip to pit road and further chassis adjustments. Mosack restarted fifth as some other cars stayed out, but quickly made up the lost track position when racing resumed, rising to third on lap 64. Nonetheless, Mosack’s racecar was still on edge. “Real loose, even in clean air,” he said on lap 70 as the yellow caution flag flew again. That provided the context for a frantic series of laps, which began on a lap-76 restart. Mosack made contact with Gus Dean in turns one and two, but climbed back to third on lap 80 and then grabbed second from Andy Jankowiak on lap 83. With Perez de Lara just .15 of a second ahead, Mosack set his sights on taking the lead, doing just that on lap 90. The No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry was out front by a wide margin until the fateful caution that sent the race into overtime. On the restart, Mosack was hit from behind by the No. 55 car of Wright, lifting up the back tires and sending Mosack out of the groove. Mosack regained control, but the lost track position was significant. Nonetheless, he clawed his way back to third as Love took the victory by .115 of a second over Dean.

Connor Mosack driver of the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“Pretty heartbreaking finish there at the end. I felt like we had a pretty dominant car. We struggled in dirty air, but I felt like we were getting better as the race went on. We got our rear tires picked up there on that last restart. I tried to go later in the box and should’ve done something different, obviously. Definitely going to learn from that one. Definitely hurts. I hate it for all my guys. They brought a really fast Mobil 1 Toyota Camry here.”

Notes:

● This was Mosack’s eighth career top-five in the ARCA Menards Series and his second straight top-three. He finished second in his prior ARCA start July 21 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

● Mosack led once for nine laps – his first laps led at Michigan.

● This was Mosack’s sixth straight top-10 in ARCA, a streak that dates back to last September at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

● This was Mosack’s 14th top-10 in 18 career ARCA starts.

● This was Mosack’s second ARCA start at Michigan. He made his first ARCA start at the track in 2021, but he was foiled by a fuel-pressure issue and only made 33 laps.

● Mosack qualified third for the Henry Ford Health 200 with a lap of 39.129 seconds at 184.007 mph around the 2-mile oval.

● This was the fifth of six ARCA races where Mosack will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. Joe Gibbs Racing won the ARCA owners’ title in 2021 with Ty Gibbs and again last year with Drew Dollar and Sammy Smith splitting driving duties. Mosack returns to the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry Sept. 8 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Next Up:

Mosack is back in a racecar Saturday at Michigan. He will drive the No. 24 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing in the Cabo Wabo 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which goes live at 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

BROOKLYN, Mich: Looking to bounce back from an electrical gremlin in the most recent ARCA Menards Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, rookie driver Frankie Muniz and his Rette Jones Racing team invade Michigan International Speedway set for a rebound in Friday afternoon’s Henry Ford Health 200.

While Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle” proved to be a tricky race for the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, the Mark Rette-led team has reset and heads to the Irish Hills of Michigan looking to deliver Muniz his eighth top-10 finish of the season.

“I’m ready to get back after it,” said Muniz. “Pocono was tough. I really was getting comfortable with the track when we ran into our issue.

“I’m thankful for the hard work of my Rette Jones Racing team as they were able to quickly diagnose and repair the issue, I’m just bummed that it eliminated us from contending for a strong run.”

Muniz realizes that there will be forks in the road during his inaugural ARCA Menards Series season, but he said minimizing the issues like his team did in the Pocono Mountains is super important.

“We were able to pick up five or six spots after returning to the race and those points are super important,” added Muniz. “Yes, I hate that we dropped to third in the championship standings, but the points are so tight – especially between second and fourth, but there is time to recover and I have the utmost faith in my Rette Jones Racing team.”

With the halfway point of the season set to begin just outside the Motor City, Muniz is proud of what he has been able to accomplish during the first 10 races of the season.

“I think the first half of our season has gone better than expected,” offered Muniz. “Outside of Elko and Pocono, I think we have been extremely competitive and I have learned so much being behind the wheel of the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang.

“The second half of the season is going to present some more challenges, but also more opportunities and I’m diving in completely focused and ready to keep our name in the championship hunt and hopefully contending for a win or two before the season ends in October at Toledo Speedway.”

For the second time this season, Muniz and Rette Jones Racing will display the Ford colors for the 11th ARCA Menards Series race of the season.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say there wasn’t a little bit of pressure to perform in Ford’s backyard,” admitted Muniz. “Ford has been an instrumental player to my rookie ARCA Menards Series season and I continue to be appreciative of everything they do for our team.

“I am honored to carry their logo on our car at their hometown race track at Michigan International Speedway on Friday afternoon.”

Former ARCA championship-winning crew chief and co-owner Mark Rette has been extremely impressed with Muniz’s performances in the first 10 races of the year and looks forward to seeing him strengthen his craft in his Michigan International Speedway debut on Friday night.

“It’s another big track for Frankie and I think he is going to adapt well,” offered Rette. “We were all pretty bummed about what happened in Pocono, but collectively we know what caused the issue and we feel like we have taken preventive measures to ensure that it does not happen again.

“As for Michigan, it’s a fast track with a lot of room to race and although it will probably take Frankie a couple of laps to find his comfort zone, I think he will acclimate quickly and contend for a strong finish for our Rette Jones Racing team and Ford on Friday afternoon.”

Entering Michigan, Muniz sits third in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 74 markers behind championship leader Jesse Love with 10 races remaining.

Rette Jones Racing stands a respectable fifth in the ARCA Menards Series championship owner standings.

Since 2023, Muniz has 10 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of sixth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July 2023, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway in June 2023, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May 2023 and Phoenix Raceway in March 2023 and seven top-10s overall. He also maintains an average finishing position of 8.6 in his inaugural year of stock car competition.

For more on Frankie Muniz, please visit munizracing.com, like him on Facebook (FrankieMuniz4) and follow him on Instagram (@frankiemuniz4) and Twitter (@frankiemuniz).

For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and Twitter (@RetteJones30).

The Henry Ford Health 200 (100 laps | 200 miles) is the 11th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, August 4 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will start a short time later at 2:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

About Rette Jones Racing:

Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.

Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plans to field a full-time entry in 2023 in the ARCA Menards Series, while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series East respectively.

The winning ARCA team also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.

Jason Kitzmiller; A.L.L. Construction Racing Ready to Race in the Irish Hills

BROOKLYN, Mich: On the heels of his season-best finish of 11th at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway last month, ARCA Menards Series veteran Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team trek to Michigan International Speedway (MIS), site of Friday afternoon’s Henry Ford Health 200 riding the momentum.

Kitzmiller was super competitive at Pocono – contending for his fifth top-10 of his ARCA career.

The Todd Myers-led team ran in the top-10 for a majority of the Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150, but late-race contact stumbled Kitzmiller’s pace leaving the team with a frustrating but competitive 11th-place finish.

With a fast race car in the hauler and all eyes focused on the Irish Hills of Michigan, Kitzmiller returns to the 2.0-mile oval hungry for a top-10 finish in his fifth ARCA start of 2023.

“I’m pretty proud of our A.L.L. Construction Racing team,” offered Kitzmiller. “Pocono was a disappointment as far as our finish, but we were definitely encouraged by our overall performance.

“We had a fast No. 97 A.L.L. Construction Chevrolet and I believe we learned some things that we can apply and hopefully make Michigan our best race yet of the season.”

The Petersburg, W.V. native heads to the Great Lakes State eyeing his fourth track-start and looking to best his eighth-place finish in the 2020 VizCom 200.

Overall, Kitzmiller hasn’t finished worse than 12th at MIS and maintains an average finishing position of 10.7.

“Michigan is one of those tracks that I really seem to adapt well at,” Kitzmiller. “Michigan is a fun track to race, but it’s important to have a good balance on your race car that gives you the speed to be competitive.

“Finishing 12th in my last two races there is definitely solid, but I’m aiming for a top-10 or better on Friday afternoon. Anything below that would be a disappointment.”

In addition to the ARCA Menards Series this season, A.L.L. Construction Racing has been and will also participate in select Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour Series events.

“While we may not have had the results we wanted at this point in the year, we are still having a lot of fun,” sounded Kitzmiller. “I am hoping as we dive into the rest of the year, we can even have more fun and keep our race car near the front in both the CARS Tour and the ARCA Menards Series.

“I want to thank my team for their endless efforts of making sure we go to the track with a competitive race car and having a positive outlook. The fan vibe at Michigan is always incredible, so I cannot wait to get there and not only have a good race but hang out with the race fans as well.”

Michigan is the last planned ARCA Menards Series race on Kitzmiller’s schedule this season, although the successful entrepreneur hasn’t ruled out adding a race or two before the season concludes in October at Toledo Speedway.

“Right now, we don’t have anything solidified on our 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule, that could change though,” added Kitzmiller. “Having a good run at Michigan this weekend could certainly boost the opportunity to compete at Kansas or Bristol next month, but we will see.

“Things are pretty busy and we’re already starting to prepare for 2024, so we will see how things unfold in Michigan and let everyone know our remaining plans in the coming weeks.”

Since 2020, Kitzmiller has 21 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with four top-10 finishes overall, including a career-best eighth-place finish twice at Talladega Superspeedway (April 2020) and Michigan International Speedway (August 2020) respectively.

The Henry Ford Health 200 (100 laps | 200 miles) is the 11th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, August 4 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will start a short time later at 2:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

BROOKLYN, Mich: Returning to the ARCA Menards Series scene for the first time since Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May, ARCA veteran Gus Dean invades Michigan International Speedway as a man on a mission for Friday night’s Henry Ford Health 200.

In his second season as a part-time driver for the potent Venturini Motorsports (VMS), Dean returns to the driving duties of the No. 25 Dean Custom Air | Folds of Honor Toyota Camry looking to produce his second top-five finish of the season but chase his third career ARCA Menards Series victory.

In his last outing at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Dean raced inside the top-five with a brand new No. 25 Mobil 1 | Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry, but a flat tire late in the race regulated the Bluffton, S.C. native to a frustrating 15th place finish at the checkered flag.

Having some time to get over the disappointment of racing in the team’s backyard, the popular South Carolinian driver returns to the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway – a track that overall has been one of Dean’s best.

“I am stoked about going back to Michigan International Speedway this weekend,” offered Dean. “It took a few days to get over Charlotte – because I felt like we had a car capable of contending if not battling for the win, but I am refreshed and refocused on going to Michigan and putting this Venturini Motorsports No. 25 team in Victory Lane.”

Dean has raced at the 2.0-mile Michigan International Speedway three times during his ARCA tenure and he has produced top-five finishes in all three races dating back to the 2017 season. In the 2022 event, Dean finished fifth after starting sixth in what was then his final race of the season for the Concord, N.C.-based team.

Returning to one of the fastest tracks on the ARCA circuit a year later, Dean believes he is in a much better place with his Venturini Motorsports team than he was last August.

“We had a good car last year, but just missed the setup a little bit that kept us from contending for a better finish,” recalled Dean. “I want to go to Michigan this weekend and compete for the win.

“I feel this is my time to shine and I believe that I can step up to the plate and put our No. 25 Dean Custom Air Toyota in Victory Lane.

“Michigan is about having that perfect balance and getting your car to maneuver through the bumps and being able to position yourself to make moves at any point in time. I have learned a lot about Michigan over the years and I plan to apply all of that knowledge on Friday afternoon.”

In addition to Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte and Michigan, Dean will return to ARCA competition with Venturini Motorsports at The Milwaukee Mile later this month.

Additional ARCA races with Venturini Motorsports could be added as the second half of the season officially kicks off.

Dean, a fan favorite is poised to have a busy 2023 season between ARCA, Late Models, Mud Truck Racing and a hopeful sporadic appearance or two in NASCAR.

“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. Of course, the urge to still compete full-time is there, but it takes marketing partners and a lot of financial commitment to make it happen.

“Until we can hopefully put ourselves back into that position again, we’ll take the path that has been laid out before me and make the most of it.”

For the second time this season, Dean will carry the Dean Custom Air colors as the primary partner on Venturini Motorsports’ flagship No. 25 entry. In addition to Dean Custom Air, IMPACT Race Products and Folds of Honor will serve as associate marketing partners for Dean’s 63rd career ARCA race.

Since 2016, Dean has 62 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with two wins at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in 2016 and Elko (Minn.) Speedway in 2018 respectively. Overall, he has earned two poles, two wins, 19 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes.

For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Instagram and Twitter (@GusDean).

The Henry Ford Health 200 (100 laps | 200 miles) is the 11th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, August 4 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will start a short time later at 2:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

AM Racing | ARCA Menards Series
Michigan International Speedway | Henry Ford Health 200

Fast Facts
No. 32 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Christian Rose
Primary Partner(s): Department of West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Ryan “Pickle” London
Spotter: Mark Soronen
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. A-231
Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies
Driver Championship Point Standings: Fourth
Team Championship Point Standings: Seventh

Notes of Interest:

Settling In: AM Racing returned to the ARCA Menards Series full-time in 2023 with Automobile Racing of America (ARCA) Rookie of the Year candidate Christian Rose behind the wheel of the team’s No. 32 Ford Mustang.

The 2023 ARCA Menards Series will mark the first time that AM Racing has competed full-time in the NASCAR-owned development series since Gus Dean drove for the organization during the 2018 season.

Meet Christian Rose: Rose, a former Division 1 baseball player for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore has traded the glove and bat in for a steering wheel and helmet and has set achievable goals for his first full season of stock car competition aboard the team’s flagship No. 32 Ford Mustang.

Rose joins the Statesville, N.C.-based team on the heels of a limited ARCA schedule in 2022 competing in a series of races on ARCA’s platform with Cook Racing Technologies which was highlighted by a career-best seventh-place finish at Kansas Speedway last October.

Additionally, Rose earned two additional top-10 finishes at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway and Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway respectively.

Glad To Have You: To help steer Christian Rose and the AM Racing team towards a championship in 2023, the organization has recruited Ryan “Pickle” London to serve as crew chief of the No. 32 Ford Mustang this season.

London, a long-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series crew chief returns to AM Racing after spending the 2020 season with the team’s Truck Series program as the truck chief.

London has plenty of experience as a leader in the ARCA Menards Series, including guiding drivers Tom Hessert and Frank Kimmel to poles and leading Grant Enfinger to victories at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds in 2014.

In addition to the two wins as crew chief, the winning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series crew chief has numerous ARCA top-fives and top-10 efforts to his credit.

Partner Support: The Department of West Virginia Tourism will serve as the primary marketing partner on Rose’s No. 32 Ford Mustang in Friday afternoon’s Henry Ford Health 200.

The West Virginia Department of Tourism promotes West Virginia as a leading four-season travel destination and a top state to live, work and retire.

Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the United States and home to thousands of acres of parks and public lands, including America’s newest national park and 45 state parks and forests.

In addition to its majestic mountains and rolling hills, West Virginia is full of rich historic sites, enchanting art galleries, charming towns and an immense sense of belonging found only in its heaven-like landscapes.

This weekend at Pocono, Rose and the AM Racing team will continue to showcase their breathtaking Department of West Virginia Tourism summer paint scheme beaming the adventures that await with a tour of West Virginia.

On June 20, 2023, the state of West Virginia celebrated its 160th birthday!

Secured Partnership: In addition to the Department of West Virginia Tourism, Secure Testing Services (STS) will serve as a major associate marketing partner for the 11th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series tour.

Secure Testing Services LLC. is a nationwide leader in on-site drug testing located in Richmond, Virginia.

Quite simply, STS provides customized assistance to your organization’s Human Resources and Safety teams in achieving their compliance goals.

Truck Series Debut Success: During the ARCA Menards Series off-weekend on July 29, 2023, Christian Rose officially made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series debut at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

Rose was able to make significant gains from practice to qualifying and the race. Rose finished the race without a scratch on his No. 22 Secure Testing Services LLC. | Labworks USA Ford F-150 and was granted clearance to compete in additional Truck Series races moving forward.

Richmond was the first of a limited Truck Series schedule for the Martinsburg, West Virginia native this season.

Cue The Fun!: Planning ahead, the West Virginia State Fair is quickly approaching. From August 10 – 19, 2023, the yearly State Fair will showcase concerts, rides, animals, food, entertainment and more!

Christian Rose and his No. 32 Department of West Virginia Tourism Ford Mustang are scheduled to make an appearance on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 – before traveling to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International for his second and final road course start of the season.

Stay tuned on the driver’s and team’s social media channels where they will offer opportunities to win concert and fair tickets!

AM Minute: Last weekend was another busy summer weekend for AM Racing.

In addition to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series team being in action at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, AM Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series team was roaring in action at Road America (Wisc.) with Brett Moffitt.

Aboard his No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang, Moffitt was contending for another top-10 finish before a mechanical issue ended the race early for the Statesville, N.C. team.

On the flip side, AM Racing’s Dirt Division returned to Victory Lane on Saturday night with Austin Wayne Self at East Lincoln Speedway. It was Self’s eighth victory of the 2023 season and the organization’s ninth overall.

To The Point(s): Entering Michigan, Rose is fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 87 markers in the arrears to championship leader Jesse Love with 10 races remaining.

Just 13 points separate Rose from third in the championship standings currently occupied by Frankie Muniz.

Rose sits 18 points behind second place in the championship standings currently occupied by Andres Perez De Lara.

Rose is the series leader in most laps completed in 2023 at 1,204 of 1,227 at 98.1 percent overall.

AM Racing stands a respectable seventh in the ARCA Menards Series championship owner standings.

Thanks For Your Support: With 50 percent of the season complete, AM Racing and Christian Rose would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, Black Draft Farm & Distillery, Disability Opportunity Fund, Extreme Family Fitness, Flying Circle, Lopez Team, Mountaineer Rub, Mobil 1, Whitetail Smokeless and Warwood Tool.

Christian Rose ARCA Michigan International Speedway Stats: Friday afternoon’s Henry Ford Health 200 will mark Rose’s inaugural tango in the “Irish Hills” of Brooklyn, Michigan.

Christian Rose ARCA National Series Stats: In 18 career ARCA National Series starts, Rose has earned seven top-10 finishes (seventh at Iowa Speedway | July 2023, seventh at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway | June 2023, seventh at Kansas Speedway | October 2022, eighth at Charlotte Motor Speedway | May 2023, ninth at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway | July 2023, ninth at Kansas Speedway | May 2023 and 10 at Elko Speedway | June 2023), while also showcasing 11 top-20 finishes overall.

Pocono (Pa.) Raceway | Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 Race Recap: In the most recent ARCA Menards Series race at Pocono Raceway, Rose and the AM Racing team chased their sixth top-10 finish of the season together.

In his return to the “Tricky Triangle”, Rose encountered a mechanical issue in practice which forced the team to forgo qualifying and start the 10th race of the season from the rear of the field.

Methodically, Rose was able to maneuver through the field and spent most of the second half of the race, inside the top-10.

While battling for sixth with less than 15 laps to go, Rose’s No. 32 West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang broke loose which cause the ARCA Menards Series rookie to lose several positions before rebounding to finish ninth and collecting his sixth top-10 finish in the last seven races.

Rose also posted his seventh top-11 finish since Kansas Speedway in May 2023 for the Statesville, N.C.-based team.

Show Your Support: AM Racing and Christian Rose are proud to announce that official team 2023 apparel is available by visiting Christian Rose’s website.

You can show your support for Christian Rose and the No. 32 AM Racing team by purchasing an official West Virginia Tourism tee-shirt, as well as a team cap representing West Virginia Tourism, Secure Testing Services and Disability Opportunity Fund.

Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

For more on Christian Rose, please like him on Facebook (Christian Rose Racing), or follow him on Instagram (@christianroseracing) and Twitter (@CRoseRacing).

Christian Rose Quoteboard:

On Michigan International Speedway: “I am very optimistic about Michigan International Speedway this weekend. I know my AM Racing team is going to bring me another fast No. 32 West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang, I just need to do my job behind the wheel and adapt to the track and keep making gains.

“Our goal is a top-five finish on Friday afternoon, but if we can’t be in a position for a top-five, we’ll take another top-10 to our 2023 tally and move on to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.”

On 2023 Season Outlook: “We have reached the halfway point of the season and we’ve made some great gains. We still have more work to do though and half the season to accomplish the rest of our goals.

“I am focused on doing my part to make sure we are leaving the track every weekend with the best finish possible. Every race isn’t going to be perfect, but limiting mistakes and capitalizing on the opportunity will hopefully propel us forward as we inch closer to the second half of the season.

“We have shown speed, finesse, led laps and put ourselves in contention to win a race. I’m hopeful by October, we are able to achieve everything we set out to do.”

Race Information:

The Henry Ford Health 200 (100 laps | 200 miles) is the 11th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, August 4 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will start a short time later at 2:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its seventh year of competition.

The team has named Brett Moffitt, Christian Rose and Austin Wayne Self as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity, ARCA Menards Series and Dirt Modified seasons respectively.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 1, 2023) – Since scoring his second runner-up result in just his fourth ARCA Menards Series start of the season two weeks ago at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Connor Mosack has been eyeing his next opportunity to improve that finishing position by one.

The Henry Ford Health 200 Friday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn is that opportunity, with Mosack piloting the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. It will be his second ARCA start at Michigan, with his first effort coming two years ago.

“Michigan was really the first big oval I’d been to, but despite being there for the first time, I felt like we had natural speed right off the truck,” Mosack said. “I remember going down the backstretch at around 190 mph – that was the first time I had been anywhere near that speed. But once I got a few more laps and kind of settled in, the car felt good. Unfortunately, we had a problem with the fuel pressure in the race, so we really didn’t get to race.

“I feel like that’s going to hurt me a little bit with the lack of experience racing there, but I know we’re going to have speed in our Mobil 1 Toyota. So, qualifying up front in clean air should allow us to stay up front and have a good race, and it all starts with qualifying.”

Mosack has qualified fifth or better in his last six ARCA starts, a streak that dates back to last August at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International when he qualified third. The Henry Ford Health 200 will be Mosack’s 18th career ARCA start, but just his fifth of 2023.

The 24-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, is making the most of his limited ARCA schedule. Mosack opened the year with a strong second-place drive in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and has gone on to score finishes of fourth, ninth and second.

“I feel like we’ve done everything in ARCA but win, and I’ve got another really good opportunity this weekend at Michigan with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Mosack said. “Just going to the shop and seeing all the resources they have – the technology, the engineering, the people – it makes a huge difference when you get to the racetrack. Matt Ross is a great crew chief and I really enjoy working with him, and then all of the sim time we get with Toyota is incredibly helpful.”

With the backing of Joe Gibbs Racing and the strength of a second-place finish in his last ARCA outing, Mosack brings momentum to a track that rewards momentum.

“Momentum is everything at Michigan, and it’s the kind of track where you have to slow down to go faster,” said Mosack about the sweeping, two-mile oval. “If you try to drive the car way off into the corner, eventually when the tires wear out, you’re going to have to get out of the gas and then the car’s going to slide way up the track because you’re going too fast for the grip you have. Then it takes you a long time to get back to the gas and you have no momentum going down the straightaway.

“You’re better off lifting early on corner entry to get the car settled down. Then you can be back to wide open before the center of the corner. That’ll allow you to get wound up so much faster and you’ll be able carry all that speed down the straightaway.”

With his limited experience at Michigan, Mosack is leaning on his time at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. While a half-mile shorter than Michigan, it has a similar D-shaped layout, and it’s one of the few tracks in ARCA where Mosack has multiple starts.

“At Kansas, you kind of start at the bottom of the racetrack and work your way up to the fence,” Mosack said. “But at Michigan, you probably won’t get all the way up to the wall, but hopefully you’ll move up to at least the second or third lane.

“They’re both high-momentum tracks, so just being able to move around and work for clean air on the car, and being able to keep your speed up in the corner, makes them similar.”

The biggest difference between two tracks is speed. That extra half-mile that Michigan has over Kansas is worth 10 mph, with qualifying speeds at Michigan edging up to 185 mph compared to Kansas’ 175 mph.

“There wasn’t any fear or worry about going fast,” said Mosack about the speed he first encountered when he made his Michigan debut in 2021. “You’re definitely excited and your adrenaline’s going, so it’s just getting used to that.

“You know the car’s driving good, it’s in the track, you’re not going to spin out, you’re not out of control or anything like that. Once you get a few laps and settle in and know what it’s going to feel like, then everything gets a little more comfortable.”

Mosack’s Friday begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT with a 45-minute ARCA practice session followed by ARCA qualifying at 2:30 p.m. The Henry Ford Health 200 gets underway at 6 p.m. with live coverage on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Driver of No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing Equals Career-Best ARCA Finish

Date: Saturday, July 22
Event: Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Length: 60 laps (150 miles)
Start/Finish: 5th / 2nd (Running, completed 60 of 60 laps)
Race Winner: Jesse Love of Venturini Motorsports (Toyota)

Overview:

In just his fourth ARCA Menards Series start of 2023, Connor Mosack equaled his best result of the season, finishing second to race winner Jesse Love. Mosack started the 60-lap race around the 2.5-mile triangle in fifth place and exercised patience from the drop of the green flag. Driving the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, Mosack steadily picked up positions, noting early in the race that his car was handling on the loose side. A trip to pit road on lap 22 allowed the team to change four tires, add fuel and make a slight adjustment. Mosack noted that the car “felt way better” by the time the competition caution waved on lap 30. He quickly learned that the loose-handling issue developed the longer a run continued. The No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry was scored in third place during a restart on lap 45. Mosack quickly assumed the second position despite slight contact on the restart. A series of late restarts prevented the loose-handling condition that developed during long runs to rear its head. Mosack tried to track down Love as the race wound to a close, but to no avail as Love drove to his series-leading fifth win of the season.

Connor Mosack driver of the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“We had really good short-run speed today and I think all of our restarts were really good. I was able to pick up a spot or maintain on all of them. The restarts were really where we could make up ground because the car would just get way too loose as a run went on. The guys made a really good adjustment when we came to pit road and I felt like we were a lot better after – like we were the best car on restarts. And then we would fall off to a second- or third-place car. I’m proud of our guys. They worked hard. I just wish we would’ve been side by side with the 20 car (Love) there going into (turn) one on that last restart. Thanks to Mobil 1. We had a really good car today.”

Notes:

● Mosack’s second-place finish in the Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 equaled his previous best finish in the ARCA Menards Series, earned twice beforehand. Mosack finished second in the 2023 ARCA season-opener on Feb. 18 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and he finished second on June 4, 2022 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway in an ARCA Menards Series West race.

● Mosack’s second-place finish marked his 13th top-10 in 17 career ARCA starts.

● This was Mosack’s fifth straight top-10 in ARCA, a streak that dates back to last September at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

● This was Mosack’s second ARCA start at Pocono. He started seventh and finished sixth in last year’s race, leading twice for five laps.

● This was the fourth of six ARCA races where Mosack will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. Joe Gibbs Racing won the ARCA owners’ title in 2021 with Ty Gibbs and again last year with Drew Dollar and Sammy Smith splitting driving duties. Mosack returns to the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry Aug. 4 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Sept. 8 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Next Up:

Mosack is back in a racecar late Saturday afternoon at Pocono, driving the No. 19 IRWIN® TRADE STRONG™ Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which goes live at 5:30 p.m. EDT on USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. It marks the beginning of a six-race slate of Xfinity Series races for Mosack. Pocono and next Saturday’s Henry 180 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, will serve as Mosack’s second and third Xfinity Series starts of 2023 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He will return to Sam Hunt Racing for the remainder of his Xfinity Series schedule.

LONG POND, Pa.: Back on the ARCA Menards Series scene for the first time since Kansas Speedway in early May, veteran driver Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team invade Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for Friday afternoon’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 hoping for a reset on their 2023 season.

Running a limited schedule in the ARCA Menards Series division has certainly presented the opportunity for Kitzmiller and his Todd Myers-led team, but with two DNFS (did not finish) at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway, the North Carolina team is looking for a little luck at the “Tricky Triangle.”

“It is going to be nice to get back to the track this weekend at Pocono, I just hope we have a little luck to go with it,” said Kitzmiller.

“It’s unfortunate that we have had really fast race cars in our three races this season but have nothing to show for it.

“I understand that is the way it goes sometimes – but I really want to give our A.L.L. Construction Racing a complete race start to finish and have a strong finish so we can build on it for the rest of the season.”

Pocono Raceway’s unique 2.5-mile triangle may just be what the doctor ordered for the successful entrepreneur.

In three previous Pocono starts, Kitzmiller has one top-10 last summer and an average finish of 13.3. Anticipating to build off his ninth-place run last July, Kitzmiller is eager to deliver his first top-10 finish of the season and build on his prior experience in Long Pond.

“Pocono is a fun race track,” explained Kitzmiller. “There is not another track like it on the schedule. It has a short track, road course and superspeedway all blended together. It presents its challenges, but it also provides a sense of fulfillment as a race car driver with the opportunity to go fast and be competitive.

“I have learned a lot about Pocono since 2020 and I hope to be in contention to earn another top-10 finish on Friday afternoon.”

With a stacked ARCA Menards Series field on deck for the 10th race on the schedule, Kitzmiller hopes to showcase what he has learned in his 21st career ARCA start.

“The initial start and restarts are crucial at Pocono as well as balancing the tunnel turn,” added Kitzmiller. “Thankfully, I feel like I have one of the best spotters in the business in Tim Fedewa who spots for Kevin Harvick on Sundays in my corner.

“Timmy will keep me in check during the race, but he will also be my biggest asset in doing everything I can to better our most recent performances. I’m just ready to get back in the saddle and get to work on Friday.”

In addition to the ARCA Menards Series this season, A.L.L. Construction Racing will also participate in select Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour Series events.

“While we may not have had the results we wanted at this point in the year, we are still having a lot of fun,” sounded Kitzmiller. “I am hoping as we dive into the rest of the year, we can even have more fun and keep our race car near the front in both the CARS Tour and the ARCA Menards Series.

“I want to thank my team for their endless efforts of making sure we go to the track with a competitive race car and having a positive outlook. The atmosphere is always positively contagious at Pocono, so I cannot wait to get there and mingle with the fans this weekend.”

Following Pocono, Kitzmiller and his team anticipate returning to the ARCA competition at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, August 4, 2023.

Since 2020, Kitzmiller has 20 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with four top-10 finishes overall, including a career-best eighth-place finish twice at Talladega Superspeedway (April 2020) and Michigan International Speedway (August 2020) respectively.

The Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 (60 laps | 150 miles) is the 10th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, July 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will start a short time later at 12:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.