Category: ARCA

Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) news and information

  • Ankrum rallies from off-track excursion to win at Mid-Ohio

    Ankrum rallies from off-track excursion to win at Mid-Ohio

    LEXINGTON, Ohio — Tyler Ankrum led 20 of the 42 laps to score his maiden ARCA Menards Series victory at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    Now if you read that lede without watching the SmartCoat 150, Friday, you’d think he all but put on a clinic.

    Except he ran off-course.

    With 18 laps to go, Ankrum out-braked himself and veered off into the gravel trap in Turn 1. Which he thought would work, because he did the same thing on the first restart.

    Tyler Ankrum (02:46):

    “So I’m thinking, ‘OK, I got more grip because I’ll be on the bottom, I’ll be in the rubber,’” he said. “And the further you can get close to the curb, the less uncambered the pavement is.”

    Instinctively, he throttled up and escaped the kitty litter. If he didn’t, it was game over.

    “I was probably going to lose a lap or two and my race would be done.”

    He trailed the leader, however, by seven seconds. So barring a late caution, Ankrum needed the drive of a lifetime to win.

    “I mean, in order to do that, you have to be not only really good on brakes, but you also have to be turning really good and have drive off,” he said.

    Fortunately for Ankrum, he worked on doing just that over the “past couple of years,” and cut the deficit by seven seconds over the course of 12 laps.

    Then with five laps to go, he made his move on Dean Thompson in the keyhole.

    Ankrum drove away from the field and crossed the line to win.

    And with a car he thought didn’t have the speed to reel in the leaders.

    “It wasn’t until about a lap or two later, I passed one or two cars already and I could still see the leader when we’re coming out in Turn 2,” he said. “And I was thinking to myself, ‘I’ve got the car to do this. I can do this myself. At the least, I’ll make it back to the top-three.”

    Of course, as one-off, this probably won’t have major championship implications. Jessie Love leaves Mid-Ohio with a 43-point lead.

  • Weekend schedule for Atlanta and Mid-Ohio

    Weekend schedule for Atlanta and Mid-Ohio

    This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Atlanta Motor Speedway while the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series compete at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    Eleven Cup Series drivers have won races this season and earned a spot in the Playoffs – Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. That leaves five spots with only eight more races in the regular season.

    Drivers above the cutoff without wins are Kevin Harvick (+151 points above the cutoff), Chris Buescher (+104), Brad Keselowski (+91), Bubba Wallace (+15) and rookie Ty Gibbs (+6).

    There are also five spots remaining in the Xfinity Series playoff field. Justin Allgaier, Jeb Burton, Cole Custer, Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith and Sammy Smith and have already secured spots in the Playoffs via wins.

    Six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers have made their way into the 2023 Playoffs with only three races remaining in the regular season – Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes and Zane Smith.

    NASCAR Press Pass will be available throughout the weekend after qualifying and post-race.

    All times are Eastern

    Friday, July 7 – Mid-Ohio

    1:45 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice – No TV
    3 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Qualifying – No TV
    4 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – FS1
    4: 30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – FS1
    6 p.m.: ARCA Zinsser SmartCoat 150 – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM

    Saturday, July 8

    1:30 p.m.: Truck Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 (Mid-Ohio)
    Stages 20/40/67 Laps = 151.28 miles
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $671,050

    4:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Atlanta)
    Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
    USA

    5:35 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Atlanta)
    Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM

    8 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 250 (Atlanta)
    Stages 40/80/163 Laps = 251.02 Miles
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $1,654,863

    Sunday, July 9

    7 p.m.: Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart (Atlanta)
    Stages 60/160/260 Laps = 400.4 Miles
    USA/PRN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $7,449,067

  • Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Set for Berlin Raceway Showdown

    Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Set for Berlin Raceway Showdown

    MARNE, Mich: Through the first five ARCA Menards Series races, rookie Frankie Muniz has certainly exceeded expectations.

    Four top-10 finishes in five races, controlling the ARCA Menards Series points lead entering Kansas Speedway last month and boasting an average finish of eighth, Muniz and his Rette Jones Racing trek to Berlin (Mich.) Raceway ready to keep things pointed in the right direction in Saturday night’s Berlin ARCA 200.

    Short tracks have been scarce on the ARCA Menards Series season thus far, but with a slew of short ovals stacked on the schedule this summer and fall, Muniz is looking forward to the opportunity to continue to showcase his craft while looking to retake control of the ARCA Menards Series points lead and collect his first top-five finish of the season in the Great Lakes State.

    “It feels like forever since I’ve been in a race car, but I’m ready to get back down to business with my Rette Jones Racing team this weekend at Berlin,” said Muniz. “I’ve learned that Berlin is really a unique short track where you feel like you are constantly turning.

    “I’m just focused on keeping the same approach that we’ve had together since we unloaded at Daytona and loaded up at Charlotte. I’m going out there for every race determined to learn but be respectful and race our race and it has led to the worst finish of 11th. That’s not bad. But as a driver, you always want more.”

    Earning a top-five finish on Saturday night would certainly take the next steps for the rookie and Rette Jones Racing developmental driver to prepare for the busy summer stretch.

    “I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot. Top-10 finishes are important for our game plan, but we need to start progressing forward and aim at turning those top-10s into top-fives and hopefully a win or two before the end of the year.

    “Those types of finishes are what are going to keep us in the hunt for the championship. “Jesse (Love) is certainly on his game right now, but we are not out of the hunt yet and I know our Rette Jones Racing team will continue to bring fast Ford Mustangs to the track and it will be my responsibility to try and make the most of that speed.

    “I am looking forward to Berlin and this busy but fun summer stretch.”

    ReSkills is an award-winning global certified accreditation OnLive Learning Platform making education and learning affordable and accessible to anyone, anywhere.

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    “I am looking forward to carrying the ReSkills colors this weekend at Berlin,” added Muniz. “It is amazing what ReSkills can offer to so many and I hope we are able to give them some time in the spotlight on Saturday night.”

    Former ARCA championship-winning crew chief and co-owner Mark Rette was extremely impressed with Muniz’s performance in the first five races and looks forward to seeing his attentiveness continue at Berlin.

    “Berlin isn’t like most short tracks, but I feel it is a track that should easily fit into Frankie’s wheelhouse,” said Rette. “Without a doubt, I feel like this weekend presents the opportunity for Frankie to earn his first top-five finish of the season and give us a boost of momentum heading to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next month.

    “At the end of the night, we just want to have another successful race with a satisfying finish and feel better prepared for this upcoming summer stretch of ARCA Racing.”

    For the 2023 ARCA season, Rette Jones Racing will continue its longtime partnership with Ford Performance but has upgraded its fleet to include the Ford Mustang continuing this weekend in Charlotte.

    Entering Berlin, Muniz sits second in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 13 markers behind championship leader Jesse Love with 15 races remaining.

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

    Since 2023, Muniz has five ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of sixth at Phoenix Raceway in March 2023 and four top-10s overall. He also maintains an average finishing position of 8.0 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 Berlin ARCA 200 (200 laps | 150 miles) is the sixth of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Saturday, June 17 from 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying begins at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and FloRacing. 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.

  • AM Racing | Christian Rose Berlin Raceway ARCA Preview

    AM Racing | Christian Rose Berlin Raceway ARCA Preview

    AM Racing | ARCA Menards Series
    Berlin (Mich.) Raceway | Berlin ARCA 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. 232

    Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

    Driver Championship Point Standings: Fifth

    Team Championship Point Standings: Sixth

    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 Saturday night’s Berlin ARCA 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 Berlin, Rose and the AM Racing team will showcase a vibrant Department of West Virginia Tourism summer paint scheme.

    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 sixth 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.

    In 2022, STS provided on-site drug and alcohol testing in 42 states and two international countries, through its broad partnerships with most major TPA’s (Third Party Administrators).

    Happy Birthday: Earlier this week on June 14, Rose celebrated his 28th birthday. He spent the day with his AM Racing team reviewing Berlin Raceway film and preparing for upcoming ARCA Menards Series races while enjoying a relaxing and celebratory evening with his wife Brooke and six-month-old son River.

    Incoming Truck Series Debut: AM Racing recently announced that Christian Rose will make his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series debut in July’s race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

    Rose will be supported by Secure Testing Services LLC. and new partner Labworks USA.

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

    AM Minute: Last weekend was a busy but successful weekend for AM Racing.

    Brett Moffitt in the No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang earned a strong 12th-place finish in the inaugural DoorDash 250 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway after starting 14th.

    Austin Wayne Self captured another win in 2023 by winning his fourth race of the season for AM Racing’s Dirt Division at Lake View Motor Speedway.

    Self’s triumph was emotional occurring on his daughter Zepplyn’s first birthday.

    To The Point(s): Entering Berlin, Rose is fifth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 40 markers in the arrears to championship leader Jesse Love with 15 races remaining.

    Just six points separate Rose from fourth in the championship standings currently occupied by Andres Perez De Lara.

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

    Thanks For Your Support: With 25 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 Berlin Raceway Stats: Saturday night’s Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway will mark Rose’s first ARCA Menards Series start at the 7/16-mile paved oval located just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    While Rose will make his inaugural ARCA start in Marne, Mich., AM Racing is no stranger to success at the iconic Great Lakes short track. In 2011, AM Racing went to Victory Lane with Matt Merrell at the helm after starting third.

    Christian Rose ARCA National Series Stats: In 13 career ARCA National Series starts, Rose has earned three top-10 finishes (seventh at Kansas Speedway | October 2022, eighth at Charlotte Motor Speedway | May 2023, ninth at Kansas Speedway | May 2023), while also showcasing six top-20 finishes overall.

    Charlotte Motor Speedway | General Tire 150 Race Recap: In the most recent ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Rose and the AM Racing team embraced another solid weekend.

    After qualifying 13th on race day, Rose aboard his No. 32 Secure Testing Services | Department of West Virginia Tourism Ford Mustang quickly pedaled forward and raced his way into the top-10.

    The team led by crew chief Ryan London made a gamble at the end of the race, hunting the team’s first win of the season and electing to stay out during a caution at the end of the race – leaving Rose in the lead.

    Despite his best attempt, Rose would be overtaken by cars on fresh tires on the green-white-checkered finish with Rose securing his second top-10 finish of the season with a strong eighth.

    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.

    AMerican Heroes: NASCAR and its fans have always put Patriotism and American Pride at the forefront of every race weekend. That same passion runs just as deep at AM Racing, a team whose family lineage is deeply rooted in the Armed Forces and First Responders workforce.

    We’re a team whose blood bleeds Red, White and Blue every day, which is why we are proud to launch, AMerican Heroes.

    At AM Racing, it is our mission to recognize and highlight the men and women who continue to put their lives on the line every day, as well as honoring and paying respect to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

    We are a nation that is united by one flag, which represents all the liberties and freedoms that we would not be able to enjoy without the sacrifices of those willing to answer the call.

    Starting last month at Charlotte Motor Speedway, AM Racing will carry the AMerican Heroes livery, which will continue for the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series seasons respectively.

    The team will work to salute all the men and women, past and present, who truly deserve the title of Hero, every weekend.

    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 Berlin Raceway: “I am looking forward to getting back to some short track racing with my AM Racing team. I’ve never been to Berlin Raceway, but members of my team have and I’m looking forward to inhaling their knowledge and advice at what I’ve heard as one of the most unique tracks on the circuit.

    “I know this race track is important to my team owner Kevin (Cywinski). He has won at Berlin Raceway before and I know he is hungry to win again, so hopefully we can put ourselves in contention with our No. 32 Department of West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang.

    “The vibe is really good at AM Racing right now and we’ve had back-to-back successful races, so it’s my hope and intention to have another strong race for all of our partners on Saturday night.”

    On 2023 Season Outlook: “There’s a lot of hype and the AM Racing team has been extremely focused to make sure we are putting ourselves in a position to not only be competitive but also challenge for race wins and hopefully the championship too.

    “In the first five races 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 accomplish all of our goals.”

    Race Information:

    The Berlin ARCA 200 (200 laps | 150 miles) is the sixth of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Saturday, June 17 from 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying begins at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and FloRacing. 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.

  • SEBASTIAN ARIAS RETURNS TO SONOMA RACEWAY

    SEBASTIAN ARIAS RETURNS TO SONOMA RACEWAY

    June 7, 2023 (Concord, NC) Sebastian Arias is heading back to wine country this week to compete in the General Tire 200, at the Sonoma Raceway, in his #2 Rev Racing Chevrolet, sponsored by BradyIFS, one of the nation’s premier distributors of food service and janitorial products, as well as Betco and Rubbermaid Commercial Products.

    Sebastian is excited to partner with Rev Racing, as the 2022 ARCA Menards Championship winning team has proven they have what it takes to run up front consistently and that is where Sebastian wants to be. Sebastian said, “I have been working hard on the simulator and was out at Sonoma Raceway testing in some other cars a few months ago to prepare for this race and I feel great.”

    Sebastian will be competing against a stacked field this time around, with no less than six competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series scheduled to compete. Driver’s Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Sammy Smith, Riley Herbst, Kyle Sieg and Parker Retzlaff will all be in the hunt for a win. Cole Custer finished second last week in the ARCA Menards Series West race at the Portland International Raceway and the next day he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the same track, proving that the ARCA Menards Series West is not only a proving ground for future stars of NASCAR, but where its current stars look for quality experience to prepare for their upcoming races in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.

    Sebastian is thankful to BradyIFS for providing this opportunity for him and would also like to thank Betco, Rubbermaid, BeyondEnergy, Wiley X, SPARCO, Next Level Racing, Thrustmaster, InterPhase Entertainment and Masgrafx for their continued support.

    Sebastian is a first-generation race car driver from Bogota, Colombia. At twenty-four years old, he is the next Colombian driver coming up the ranks of NASCAR since Juan Pablo Montoya.

    Owned by NASCAR, the ARCA Menards Series is a proving ground and rung in the ladder to reach the pinnacle of their sport, the NASCAR Cup Series. Sebastian is working his way to the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series and knows his sponsors are more than a blessing in his journey.

    Follow Sebastian at @sebastianariasracing and watch his progression as he climbs the ladder of NASCAR.

    With headquarters in Bell, CA and Las Vegas NV, BradyIFS is one of the largest foodservice and JanSan platforms in North America. The company sources, manages and distributes a broad range of products, including paper, equipment, cleaning chemicals, foodservice disposables, and packaging and dry goods to over 30,000 customers. These customers operate in the restaurant, healthcare, building service, hospitality, education, wholesale, government, and food processor end markets. Founded in 1947, Brady Industries is universally regarded as one of the JanSan industry’s premier enterprises. Operating since 1926, Individual Foodservice is one of the leading broad line distributors of foodservice, JanSan, packaging, dry goods and smallwares in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bradyindustries.com, and www.individualfoodservice.com.

  • Several Cup and Xfinity drivers performing double duty roles at Sonoma

    Several Cup and Xfinity drivers performing double duty roles at Sonoma

    For a second consecutive season, Sonoma Raceway is in for a delightful treat as NASCAR makes its annual return to the 12-turn circuit in Sonoma, California, on June 9-11, 2023.

    In a similar approach from last year, two of NASCAR’s top three national touring series will run on the same weekend in conjunction with the ARCA Menards Series West at Sonoma. Compared to a year ago, where the Craftsman Truck Series competition made its return to the circuit for the first time in 24 years, the NASCAR Xfinity Series competition will experience its first taste of the twists and turns in Wine Country this upcoming Saturday, June 10, with DoorDash returning as a title sponsor of the 250-mile event.

    With the return of the highly anticipated racing weekend in Northern California, a host of NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series stars will be attempting to pull double duty efforts within all three series.

    The driver who headlines the double duty role for this weekend’s Xfinity-Cup doubleheader feature is Kyle Larson. The 2021 Cup Series champion and 21-race Cup winner from Elk Grove, California, is scheduled to make his first of two starts this season in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports. His Xfinity start will occur a day prior to climbing aboard his iconic No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Cup division.

    Aside from being a hometown hero, Larson is no stranger to achieving success at Sonoma. He notched a Cup victory at the circuit in 2021 after leading a race-high 57 of 92 laps and has started on pole position in the last five consecutive Cup events at Sonoma. He has also achieved his share of success on road course venues after winning the last two Cup events at Watkins Glen International, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course venue in October 2021 and his first Xfinity road course victory at The Glen last August.

    While this weekend is set to mark his first Xfinity start of this season in HMS’ No. 17 entry, Larson has already made one start in the series in May. There, he piloted Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro entry to a thrilling last lap victory over John Hunter Nemechek at Darlington Raceway. With the Darlington victory being the first for him ever in NASCAR, Larson aims to achieve another accomplishment by adding a Xfinity victory at Sonoma to his racing resume.

    Speaking of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing entry, AJ Allmendinger returns to pilot the entry for a second time this season. The 41-year-old veteran from Los Gatos, California, will be receiving sponsorship support from Gabriel Glas for this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup rides, where he currently drives the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for Kaulig in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Of his 16 career victories in the Xfinity circuit, 11 of them have occurred on road course venues, which makes Allmendinger the winningest competitor on road courses in the series. Despite winning on seven different road courses between the Xfinity and Cup levels, including his two Cup victories at Watkins Glen International and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course venue, Allmendinger has yet to achieve a win at Sonoma. In 11 previous starts at Sonoma in the Cup Series, he has led a total of 65 laps, but has only managed to finish in the top 10 twice, with his best result being seventh in 2009. He has managed to start on the front row three times between 2014-16, including on pole position in 2015. With his most recent victory in the series occurring this past March at Circuit of the Americas, Allmendinger strives to extend his road course dominance by checking off another road course venue off his bucket list.

    Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Joining the list of double duty competitors between the Xfinity-Cup action is Ross Chastain, who drives the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series. The 30-year-old Chastain from Alva, Florida, is scheduled to drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro for DGM Racing sponsored by Skip Barber Racing School, with the event set to mark his third series start of this season after competing at Auto Club Speedway in February and at Darlington in May.

    In three career starts at Sonoma in the Cup Series, Chastain has notched two consecutive seventh-place results, including this past season. He was one of five Cup competitors who competed in last year’s Truck Series event at Sonoma, where he led 19 of 75 laps before finishing fourth while driving for Niece Motorsports. Chastain also has one road course victory stored in his resume, which occurred at Circuit of the Americas in March 2022 on a day where he also notched the first Cup career win for himself and Trackhouse Racing. On the Xfinity side, his best series’ result on a road course venue was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course circuit, where he finished fourth.

    Ironically, a year after making his 100th Truck career start overall at Sonoma, Chastain is also primed to achieve another milestone start in Northern California. By qualifying and taking the green flag in this Saturday’s event, he will make his 200th career start in the Xfinity circuit. Through 199 previous Xfinity starts, the Floridian has achieved two career victories, one pole, 23 top-five results, 49 top-10 results, 961 laps led and an average-finishing result of 16.7. His best points result in the series is seventh place, which occurred in 2020. During that season, he notched career-high stats in top-fives (15), top-10s (27), laps led (553), overall average-starting result (7.7) and overall average-finishing result (8.2) despite going winless and while driving for Kaulig Racing.

    Veteran Aric Almirola from Tampa, Florida, is also scheduled to pull double duty efforts as he will be piloting the No. 28 Michael Roberts Construction Ford Mustang for RSS Racing on Saturday before driving the No. 10 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing on Sunday. The Xfinity event is set to mark Almirola’s 104th career start in the series and second of the season after he competed at Circuit of the Americas this past March, where he finished 24th while competing for SS-Green Light Racing.

    Through 10 Cup career starts at Sonoma, Almirola has achieved two top-10 results, with his best result being eighth in June 2018. While this weekend is set to mark his first Xfinity start at Sonoma, it will mark his third different series where he has competed at the circuit. In June 2018, Almirola competed in the ARCA Menards Series West event at Sonoma for Stewart-Haas Racing, where he finished second after leading 23 of 64 laps. With his last Xfinity victory occurring at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2017 and his best road course result in the Xfinity circuit being a fifth-place run at Watkins Glen in August 2018, a first road course victory is still something Almirola continues to pursue.

    Photo by Bruce Nuttleman for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Another competitor attempting to participate in double duty efforts is Ty Dillon, who will be piloting the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports. The 31-year-old Dillon and grandson of championship-winning owner Richard Childress from Welcome, North Carolina, is coming off his recent series start at Darlington in May, where he finished 19th while driving the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro.

    Dillon has made a total of four Cup starts at Sonoma, with his best result being 23rd a year ago while driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Like Almirola, he has yet to achieve a road course victory to his resume. The closest Dillon came to winning on a road course circuit was during the inaugural Truck Series event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September 2013, where he was leading on the final lap until he got wrecked by Chase Elliott entering the final corner. His best Xfinity result on a road course venue is third, which was achieved at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2015. With his latest Xfinity victory spanning back to July 2014 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Dillon, who currently competes full time in the Cup Series and in the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports, aims for a momentous boost to his racing career as he fights his way back to championship-caliber form.

    In a youthful career highlighted with an abundance of success and a rapid ascend to the Cup Series level, Ty Gibbs is set to experience another first to his career as he prepares to tackle Sonoma Raceway for the first time ever and twice in one weekend. The 20-year-old reigning Xfinity Series champion and grandson of championship-winning owner Joe Gibbs from Charlotte, North Carolina, will return as the driver of the No. 19 Toyota Supra sponsored by The He Get Us campaign for his third series start of this season.

    While racing on Sonoma’s surface will be new for Gibbs, racing on road courses is something he is familiar with, with some of his success occurring on road course venues. He achieved his first Xfinity career victory in his series debut at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February 2021. He then proceeded to win at Watkins Glen in August 2021 before winning at Road America last July following a last lap battle against Kyle Larson. With 11 Xfinity victories achieved, three on road courses, in 53 series career starts, Gibbs, who earned top-five results in two Xfinity starts this season at Circuit of the Americas in March and at Charlotte in May, aims to extend his top-five streak to three and potentially, emerge victorious while continuing his pursuit of claiming this year’s Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title behind the wheel of JGR’s No. 54 Toyota TRD Camry in the Cup circuit.

    Lastly on the Xfinity side, Daniel Suarez becomes the seventh Cup participant for the inaugural Xfinity event at Sonoma as he will be piloting the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for SS-Green Light Racing. The 2016 Xfinity Series champion from Monterrey, Mexico, enters the Sonoma weekend with high momentum after notching his first Cup Series career victory at the circuit a year ago and becoming the first Mexican-born competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series.

    While this season marks his third as a full-time Cup Series competitor in the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, this Saturday’s Xfinity event is set to mark Suarez’s first start in the Xfinity circuit since racing at Chicagoland Speedway in June 2018. Suarez, though, made his name made within the Xfinity circuit with 84 career starts in the series, a Rookie-of-the-Year title from 2015 and three career victories, including the 2016 championship as he became the first Latin American competitor to win a title across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. His highest Xfinity result on road courses stands at fourth place, which he achieved twice at Watkins Glen and at Road America in August 2016.

    For Sonoma, Suarez returns to the circuit with vast experience. In conjunction with his five total Cup Series start, he competed in two consecutive ARCA Menards Series West events at Sonoma, where he finished 11th and fourth, respectively, in 2017 and 2018. Suarez also competed as a relief competitor for the injured Carson Hocevar and Niece Motorsports during the Truck Series’ Sonoma event a year ago, where he rallied from two laps down after relieving Hocevar early in the event to finish sixth. Given his strength of the circuit, Suarez aims for a repeat victory while pursuing his first Cup victory of the 2023 campaign.

    Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    A day prior to the Xfinity Series’ inaugural event at Sonoma, the ARCA Menards Series West division will make its return to the circuit for the 44th time overall as General Tire retains its right of sponsoring the 200-mile event. The lone Cup Series competitor who is entered for the event is Ryan Preece, who drives the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. The 32-year-old Preece from Berlin, Connecticut, will be piloting the No. 9 Ford for SHR in the ARCA West region, which will mark his second career start in the series. His lone start in the series occurred at Sonoma in June 2019, where he led a race-high 33 of 57 laps and was in position of winning until he was penalized for a late restart violation and demoted to the last competitor running on the lead lap in 20th place. A former winner across the Truck and Xfinity circuits, Preece has also made two previous starts at Sonoma in the Cup Series in 2019 and 2021, with his best result being 21st from the 2021 season. His best results on road courses within NASCAR’s top three national touring series are a pair of fourth-place runs at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in 2018.

    For Friday’s ARCA West event at Sonoma, Preece will be competing alongside a host of Xfinity Series regulars that include Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Parker Retzlaff, Kyle Sieg and Sammy Smith, all of whom will receive a head start to their weekend prior to their series’ debut at the Northern California circuit.

    Custer, a former Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year recipient from Ladera Ranch, California, will retain driving responsibilities of the No. 55 Ford for High Point Racing for a second consecutive week after competing in last weekend’s event at Portland International Raceway. Custer is also coming off a dramatic weekend at Portland, where he notched his first Xfinity victory of the season during an overtime shootout. Herbst, Custer’s Xfinity teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing from Las Vegas, Nevada, will also be returning to the series for a second consecutive week as he will be driving the No. 5 Jerry Pitts Racing Ford.

    Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Retzlaff, a Xfinity rookie competitor from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, who currently competes for Jordan Anderson Racing, will be piloting the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet for a second consecutive week while Kyle Sieg, a full-time Xfinity competitor for RSS Racing from Tucker, Georgia, will be assuming the No. 46 Ford for Lowden Jackson Motorsports.

    Lastly, Sammy Smith, a Xfinity rookie from Johnston, Iowa, who currently competes for Joe Gibbs Racing, will be joining Hattori Racing Enterprises for a one-race effort in the No. 81 Toyota. Smith, who notched his first Xfinity career victory at Phoenix Raceway in March, has not yet competed at Sonoma throughout his youthful racing career, but he has achieved an abundance of success within the ARCA divisions, with six victories in the ARCA Menards Series, two consecutive ARCA East titles and a single ARCA West victory that occurred at Phoenix last November.

    With Sonoma Raceway serving as the next scheduled event on the 2023 NASCAR schedule and with the drivers’ roster for this weekend’s events set, the weekend commences with the ARCA Menards Series West running the General Tire 200 on Friday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET as the event will air live on FloRacing. The Xfinity Series’ inaugural DoorDash 250 at Sonoma will occur the following day on Saturday, June 10, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The Cup Series’ Toyota Save/Mart 350 will cap off the weekend as the series’ top premier competitors compete on Sunday, June 11, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Connor Mosack Scores Top-10 at Charlotte

    Connor Mosack Scores Top-10 at Charlotte

    Driver of Mobil 1 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing Finishes Ninth in General Tire 150

    Date: Friday, May 26
    Event: General Tire 150
    Series: ARCA Menards Series
    Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
    Length: 100 laps (150 miles)
    Start/Finish: 5th / 9th (Running, completed 103 of 103 laps)
    Race Winner: Jesse Love of Venturini Motorsports (Toyota)

    Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 100-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

    Overview:

    Connor Mosack endured an up-and-down day in the General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race Friday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The Charlotte native wheeled his No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing from his fifth-place starting spot to second on the opening lap. He then took the lead from Jesse Love on lap 20 and paced the field for the next 17 laps. A restart on lap 37 saw Mosack drop to fourth after he spun his tires, so when the caution came out again on lap 40, Mosack took the opportunity to pit for new tires. This put the 24-year-old racer seventh for the restart, and it quickly triggered another caution as those with new tires had to navigate slower racecars on older tires. Greg Van Alst, winner of the ARCA season opener in February at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, was on older tires and slightly sideways as Mosack came upon him in turns three and four. Slight contact was made, sending Van Alst into the wall and out of the race. More restarts negated the benefit of Mosack’s fresh tires. He struggled for traction on restarts and throughout the remainder of the race. Mosack wasn’t alone, as many in the 27-car field were slip-sliding around the 1.5-mile oval. One final spin by another competitor brought out a green-white-checkered finish, with Mosack restarting in ninth and holding that position through the final laps.

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

    “I felt like we still had the most speed of anybody, even when we were in dirty air. I felt like we could run with guys, but we were pretty loose all day even when we were out front – the dirty air would make that worse. Everything was still pretty manageable. I was OK when the caution came out and thought we were going to be in good shape. It seemed like the bottom had restarted better to where you could get a good launch – I felt like I cleaned my tires off good, but I don’t know if they were still too hot or what, but I just couldn’t go, even with a good push. The 20 (Jesse Love) cleared us and then I restarted really, really loose that run. Thankfully, that was a short run because I think we were going to go backward. We came down and pitted and thought we were going to be pretty good again. We tightened the car up, but it still felt loose. I felt like we were kind of back to the way we were at the beginning of the race and that I could drive our way back to the lead. Some guys stayed out, though, and one of them kind of slid right across our nose and almost put is in the fence in the middle of (turns) three and four and we lost all of our track position. We were, basically, out of contention at that point. Just a frustrating day with what I felt like was the fastest car. My contact with Greg Van Alst was unintentional. I never meant to get into him. He was going a lot slower than I expected and, honestly, I was a little rushed trying to get back to where we had been. It’s so hard when you fall way back on these restarts and then be able to drive back to ’em, so you’ve really got to go. I just wasn’t expecting him to slow down that much going into the corner, and I was actually braking but it was too late and I ended up just clipping him enough to get him out of shape and he, unfortunately, ended up crashing. I hate it for those guys and it definitely wasn’t anything intentional.”

    Notes:

    ● Mosack’s ninth-place finish marked his 12th top-10 in 16 career ARCA Menards Series starts.

    ● This was Mosack’s second ARCA start at Charlotte. He finished fourth in last year’s General Tire 150.

    ● Mosack led once for 17 laps, bringing his ARCA laps-led total at Charlotte to 23.

    ● This was the third 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.

    Next Up:

    Mosack is back in a racecar Saturday at Charlotte, driving the No. 24 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing in the Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race. It marks the beginning of a four-race slate of Xfinity Series races for Mosack, including July 1 at the inaugural Chicago Street Race where he will make his first Xfinity Series start of 2023 with Joe Gibbs Racing. Mosack returns to the ARCA Menards Series July 21 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

  • Love Finds A Way In General Tire 150

    Love Finds A Way In General Tire 150

    CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2023) – Jesse Love’s top performances continued as Charlotte Motor Speedway’s massive Coca-Cola 600 weekend began with a thrilling ending.

    Love, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports, survived a green-white-checkered finish, won his third consecutive ARCA Menards Series race, and gave his team its first Charlotte victory in the General Tire 150 on Friday.

    “It’s really cool to get [the team’s] first win here,” Love said. “We did a lot of simulator work and we unloaded ok earlier.

    “I lost for about two years. No matter how good you are you start to question yourself at that point. I’m on a hot streak now.”

    Love, the 18-year-old ARCA points leader from Menlo Park, Calif., started from the pole position but was second for the race’s final restart which was triggered when Stephanie Moyer spun.

    Leader Christian Rose was on the inside, but hadn’t pitted in more than 50 laps, allowing Love to power past on the outside and hold off Dean Thompson at the checkered flag.

    “Luckily for us one car stayed out, which gave us the front row on our own [among teams that pitted],” said Love, who has also won at Talladega and Kansas this season. “I wasn’t too worried about the caution. I’m strapped to a bottle rocket right now.”

    Thompson finished second for the second consecutive race, followed by Taylor Gray in third, Grant Enfinger in fourth and Andy Jankowiak in fifth.

    “One lap short part two right,” said Thompson. “I’m lucky to be able to do this. I’ve worked my whole life to be here. To finish second, I have to be gracious.”

    Among other notable finishers, Frankie Muniz placed sixth, Rose ended up eighth, Connor Mosack was ninth and Tony Cosentino drove the final car on the lead lap home in 11th.

    Racing continues this weekend with the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race tonight at 8:30 (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at noon (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at 6 p.m. (Fox, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

    TICKETS:
    Tickets for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 are sold out. Fans can purchase tickets for other Charlotte Motor Speedway events at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Admission to the Circle K Speed Street concert by Jake Owen (Saturday) is free with any race ticket. Sunday’s pre-race concert by The Doobie Brothers is free with a Coca-Cola 600 race ticket.

    KEEP TRACK:
    Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

  • Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Head to Charlotte Ready to Retake ARCA Points Lead

    Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Head to Charlotte Ready to Retake ARCA Points Lead

    Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Head to Charlotte Ready to Retake ARCA Points Lead

    CONCORD, N.C.: Make no mistake about it, Frankie Muniz has even surprised himself as a rookie in the ARCA Menards Series this season.

    The driver of the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang has busted out three top-10 finishes in the first four races of the season – consistency that propelled him into the ARCA Menards Series points lead following the race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April.

    Earlier this month, Muniz, despite posting an eighth-place finish at Kansas Speedway, lost the points lead to championship rival Jesse Love – but only by two points.

    Set to make his Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway debut on Friday night, Muniz and his Rette Jones Racing team are focused on taking back control o the championship lead following the General Tire 150.

    “I am ready to get back in the saddle,” said Muniz. “I am proud of our Rette Jones Racing team for overcoming the struggles that we had at Kansas. While I was bummed that we didn’t keep the points lead leaving Kansas, we are sure are determined to get it back at Charlotte on Friday night.

    “I know this is an important race for Rette Jones Racing and even our manufacturer Ford to run well in the heart of NASCAR country – so I am looking forward to having a productive day on Friday and being a strong contender during the race on Friday night.”

    To prepare himself for his first go-around with Charlotte’s 1.5-mile surface, the former Malcom in the Middle actor has recently spent some time in the Ford simulator – making laps around the Concord, N.C.-based track to speed up his learning curve ahead of practice on Friday morning.

    “Charlotte is not the same as Kansas,” Muniz said with a smile. “It seems like a very abrasive track where handling will be crucial and tire wear conservation will be equally critical. Nothing beats actual track time, but I am thankful for the sim time and hope I can apply what I learned on Friday.”

    For the third time this season, HairClub will return at Charlotte and serve as the primary partner on the team’s No. 30 Ford Mustang.

    Founded in 1976, HairClub is North America’s number-one provider of hair regrowth, replacement, and restoration solutions.

    For over 40 years, HairClub has helped 600,000+ people regrow, replace, or restore hair that they love.

    HairClub has over 120 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Aderans Co. Ltd., the world’s leading provider of total hair loss solutions.

    “It’s great to be representing the HairClub brand again,” said Muniz. “They were very instrumental in helping make my ARCA Menards Series debut successful both on and off the track. I am very blessed and thankful to have the opportunity to work with them again and try to put them in Victory Lane!”

    Former ARCA championship-winning crew chief and co-owner Mark Rette was extremely impressed with Muniz’s performance in the first four races and look forward to seeing his attentiveness continue at Charlotte.

    “Charlotte will be another learning curve for Frankie, but it’s a curve that I feel he can conquer pretty quick,” said Rette. “He has been putting in the work to prepare himself for the race this weekend – nothing different than he has done all year long.

    “I think we were all a little bummed to lose the points lead – but it is still easily within our grasp and it is very early in the season. Still, Frankie is incredibly focused and he knows that if he just focuses on his craft behind the wheel, the points will follow.

    “At the end of the day, we just want to have another successful race with a satisfying finish and prepare for this upcoming summer stretch.”

    For the 2023 ARCA season, Rette Jones Racing will continue its longtime partnership with Ford Performance but has upgraded its fleet to include the Ford Mustang continuing this weekend in Charlotte.

    Entering Charlotte, Muniz sits second in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, two markers behind championship leader Jesse Love with 16 races remaining.

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

    Since 2023, Muniz has four ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of sixth at Phoenix Raceway in March 2023 and three top-10s overall. He also maintains an average finishing position of 8.5 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 General Tire 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fifth of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, May 26 from 11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 12:40 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.

  • Gus Dean Upbeat for Charlotte Motor Speedway ARCA Return

    Gus Dean Upbeat for Charlotte Motor Speedway ARCA Return

    CONCORD, N.C.: Five weeks since earning a runner-up finish with Venturini Motorsports at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, veteran ARCA Menards Series racer Gus Dean returns to the series for Friday night’s General Tire 150 hunting his third career victory at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

    After a sour finish in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway because of a mechanical failure, Dean and the Kevin Reed Jr.-led Venturini Motorsports team returned to the 2.66-mile superspeedway hungry as ever.

    Dean showcased his superspeedway skills and while he attempted to steal the limelight from his Venturini Motorsports teammate Jesse Love on the last lap in the General Tire 200, the Bluffton, S.C.-native just didn’t have enough momentum to propel him past Love and settled for second – recording his best Talladega ARCA finish since winning in his second career start in 2016.

    Fast forward to this week, Dean is excited about returning to Charlotte Motor Speedway with his potent team in his corner looking to finish one position higher in one of the most watched ARCA races of the season on May 26.

    “I am really glad to be back with Venturini Motorsports this weekend at Charlotte,” said Dean. “I cannot thank everyone on the Venturini Motorsports team enough for continuing to give me opportunities to drive their race cars.

    “Even though we came up a little short of a victory at Talladega, I am still proud to be able to assist in propelling the team to another superspeedway win. We definitely needed a good run at Talladega and we were able to achieve that.

    Sniffing Victory Lane though just made our No. 25 team hungrier to go to Charlotte and do everything in our power to put ourselves in Victory Lane. We definitely deserve it. Hopefully, we can execute the race perfectly and do some celebrating on Friday night.”

    Dean has two prior ARCA Menards Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, most recently in 2019 during his full-time campaign in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

    Paired with AM Racing, Dean started 11th and raced to a third-place podium. In his track debut in 2018, also for AM Racing, he qualified on the outside pole and finished a respectable 14th.

    “Charlotte is a fun race track,” explained Dean. “It is a very fast track with a lot of characters. I am intrigued to see how the cooler temperatures this week affect the handling conditions of our race cars.

    “I know our No. 25 Mobil 1 | Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry will be fast, but it will be crucial for us to make sure we stay ahead of the handling and have a mistake-free race to challenge our contenders for the race win.”

    In addition to Daytona, Talladega and Charlotte, Dean will return to ARCA competition with Venturini Motorsports at Michigan International Speedway in August and Salem (Ind.) Speedway in September.

    Additional ARCA races with Venturini Motorsports could be added as the season progresses.

    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 in his ARCA career, Dean will carry the Mobil 1 colors as the primary partner on Venturini Motorsports’ flagship No. 25 entry. In addition to Mobil 1, Dean Custom Air, IMPACT Race Products and Folds of Honor will serve as associate marketing partners for Dean’s 62nd career ARCA race.

    Since 2016, Dean has 61 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 General Tire 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fifth of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, May 26 from 11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 12:40 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.