Category: ARCA

Driver of Mobil 1 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing Equals Career-Best ARCA Finish

Date: Saturday, Feb. 18
Event: Brandt 200
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Length: 80 laps (200 miles)
Start/Finish: 1st / 2nd (Running, completed 80 of 80 laps)
Race Winner: Greg Van Alst of Greg Van Alst Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Overview:

Connor Mosack’s superspeedway debut in the ARCA Menards Series proved to be a memorable one. The 23-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, won the pole for the Brandt 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with a time of 49.396 seconds at 182.201 mph around the 2.5-mile oval. And when the green flag waved on the 80-lap race, Mosack kept his No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry from Joe Gibbs Racing out front by leading the first 25 laps. He pitted on lap 32 and returned to the track in seventh, running among the lead draft until a bump from behind sent Mosack spinning down the backstretch and into the infield grass. With a dirty but undamaged racecar, Mosack headed to pit road to remove the dirt and grass that had accumulated on the grille. Mired all the way back in 31st, Mosack restarted the race on lap 51. But with veteran spotter Tony Hirschman in his ear, Mosack was undaunted. He drove back into the top-10 by lap 66 and was in third place as he took the white flag for the final lap. Unfortunately, time ran out and Mosack couldn’t muster a run on eventual winner Greg Van Alst, who beat Mosack to the stripe by .107 of a second.

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

“Biggest thing was just listening to my spotter, Tony (Hirschman). He was guiding me through the whole thing and I was really just doing what he was telling me. Definitely was a little worried after we had that spin. It was pretty rough through the grass so I wasn’t sure if we had torn anything up underneath, but our Mobil 1 Toyota Camry was still really fast and we were able to slowly and methodically work our way back to the front. I wish we had one more lap to see if we could’ve made a move, but if we couldn’t win, P2 is about as good as it’s going to get. We got some good points for the owners’ championship going forward.”

Notes:

● Mosack’s second-place drive in the Brandt 200 equaled his previous best finish in the ARCA Menards Series, earned last year. His Daytona result was, however, Mosack’s best ARCA finish on an oval. Mosack finished second on June 4 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (road course) and third on June 11 at Iowa Speedway in Newton (oval).

● Mosack’s 25 laps led in the Brandt 200 were the most among all drivers.

● Mosack’s second-place finish marked his 10th top-10 in 14 career ARCA starts.

● This was the first 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’s next race comes Feb. 26 in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. He will drive in the TA2 division for TeamSLR during the series’ season-opening weekend at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. Mosack is a two-time TA2 race winner and a five-time pole winner. Mosack’s next ARCA start will be May 6 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. In between, Mosack will make four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning March 11 at Phoenix Raceway as part of his 20-race Xfinity Series schedule with Sam Hunt Racing.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: After months of preparation and a successful preseason test in the books, global television, film star and professional motorsports athlete Frankie Muniz’s highly anticipated ARCA Menards Series debut is finally on deck this weekend in Saturday afternoon’s BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA.

With support from HairClub and the devoted attention of his Rette Jones Racing team led by championship crew chief Mark Rette, Muniz is hoping for a successful weekend bookended with a strong finish that will propel him forward in his ARCA championship chase.

“I am really excited that Daytona is now here,” said Muniz. “There has been a lot of time, effort and focus put into this week’s activities and I’ll be glad to get behind the wheel of my No. 30 HairClub | Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang on Saturday afternoon and see what we can accomplish.”

Daytona is one of 20 events on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule and while every event offers its peaks and valleys, especially for a rookie driver, the former Malcolm in the Middle television actor knows how much Daytona means not only for himself but his all those who continue to support his racing endeavors.

“Ever since childhood, it’s been my dream to pursue racing in NASCAR, and it was important for me to partner with a team that aligned with my long-term objectives and vision while providing every opportunity imaginable to grow mentally and physically as a full-time race car driver.

“I look forward to not only demonstrating my ability on the track and just how serious how I am in progressing in my racing career, but also showing my son and family what it is to chase your dreams and re-invent yourself.”

For Rette, he is ready to attack the season at full speed beginning at Daytona – especially with the dedication of his rookie driver.

“We are ready to get the season underway,” offered Rette. “I believe that Frankie is ready for this challenge. “Over the years, we’ve prided ourselves on working with new drivers who have quickly adapted to the diversity of the ARCA Menards Series and, without a doubt, we believe Frankie can do the same.”

“It is not going to be easy, and there will be a learning curve – but with his passion, focus and commitment along with the capabilities of our team, we believe we are going to put him in a position to contend for multiple wins in 2023. He did a great job at the test. He was incredibly attentive, learned a lot and I think has gained some confidence heading into one of the biggest weekend’s of his life.

“Furthermore, we’re excited that, because of Frankie’s profile, new audiences and fans will be introduced to the sport and Rette Jones Racing.”

Jones, a former competitor in the ARCA Menards Series shares the same enthusiasm as Rette about Muniz’s outlook for 2023.

“2023 is set up to be one of the most memorable seasons for Rette Jones Racing since our inception in 2016,” he said. “Without a doubt, we believe in Frankie’s ability and commitment and with Mark’s leadership we believe that he will quickly adapt on track and contend for a championship in his rookie season.”

On Thursday afternoon, Muniz whipped his No. 30 HairClub Ford Mustang to the fastest lap during final practice for the ARCA Menards Series setting off a positive tone for the driver’s inaugural ARCA weekend.

“I am incredibly blessed,” offered Muniz. “My No. 30 HairClub and Rette Jones Racing team have worked incredibly hard to bring me a fast race car and to set the fastest lap in practice is truly awesome.

“Hopefully, our strong practice session will lead to a good qualifying session Friday afternoon and then the race on Saturday.”

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 beginning this weekend at Daytona.

For more information, or to request an interview with Muniz, contact Athelo Group at adelara@athelogroup.com.

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 BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Group qualifying is set for Fri., Feb. 17 at 1:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 71st consecutive ARCA season is set the following afternoon on Feb. 18 to take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. 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.

AM Racing | ARCA Menards Series
Daytona International Speedway | BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA

Fast Facts
No. 32 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Christian Rose
Primary Partner(s): West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Ryan “Pickle” London
Spotter: Tony Raines
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. A613
Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies
Final Practice Result: 13th

Notes of Interest:

Welcome Aboard: AM Racing will return 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 afternoon’s BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA.

The West Virginia Department of Tourism promotes West Virginia as a leading four-season travel destination and 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.

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 first 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.

Thanks For Your Support: With the start of the 2023 on deck, AM Racing and Christian Rose would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, Big Draft Brewing, Black Draft Farm & Distillery, Disability Opportunity Fund, Extreme Family Fitness, Flying Circle, Lopez Team, Mountaineer Rub, Mobil 1 and Whitetail Smokeless.

Testing, Testing 1.2.3.: In January, Rose and AM Racing had the opportunity to work together during the annual ARCA Menards Series preseason test at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The two spent an entire day focusing on comfort and maneuverability along with speed.

The team was pleased with the results of their single-day test and opted out of partaking in the second day of ARCA Menards Series testing at the “World Center of Racing.”

Christian Rose ARCA Daytona International Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s BRANDT 200 will mark Rose’s second start at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

In his previous effort, the Martinsburg, WV native finished 31st after suffering a late-race mechanical issue.

Christian Rose ARCA National Series Stats: In eight career ARCA National Series starts, Rose has earned one top-10 finish (seventh at Kansas Speedway | October 2022), while also showcasing four top-20 finishes overall.

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 Daytona International Speedway: “I am looking forward to a strong weekend with my AM Racing team. Our No. 32 West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang was fast during the test and I expect it to be even faster throughout the weekend.

“We have a planned strategy for the weekend and while we hope for it to maintain course, we will adjust accordingly if we need too. We know it’s important to come out of Daytona ahead then behind, so we just want to earn ourselves a strong finish and tackle the rest of the season.”

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

“I want to win a race this season. That’s a huge goal for me and I know with the great support of our partners, my team and myself – we are going to accomplish that goal.”

Race Information:

The BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Group qualifying is set for Fri., Feb. 17 at 1:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 71st consecutive ARCA season is set the following afternoon on Feb. 18 to take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. 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 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series in its seventh year of competition.

The team has named Brett Moffitt and Christian Rose as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series seasons.

The 2022 ARCA Menards Series Bounty Rookie Challenge winner Daniel Dye will receive his award on Friday, February 17 in the lead-up to that evening’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Dye will be joined by NASCAR Cup Series driver Chris Buescher, who won the ARCA rookie of the year award in 2011, the year before he earned the series championship.

Dye joins a distinguished list of former rookies of the year, dating back to Bill Granger in 1957. Since then, sixty-four others have earned the top rookie award including notables Charlie Glotzbach, former NASCAR Cup Series champion and Daytona 500 winner Benny Parsons, three-time series champion Dave Dayton, former series champions Lee Raymond and Bill Venturini, NASCAR Hall of Famer Davey Allison, ten-time series champion and all-time leading series winner Frank Kimmel, 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, NASCAR Cup Series stars Buescher and Alex Bowman, current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series contender Hailey Deegan, and reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs.

“First off, earning a Rookie of the Year honor in any level of sports is impressive, and to do it in this series where there’s so much young talent coming up through the ranks is a great accomplishment,” Buescher said. “If I think back to my time in the ARCA series, it was a fight to earn this trophy and ultimately the series title a year later. The things I learned very early on in my career have been invaluable in where I am today, and my congratulations goes out to Daniel on his success; I’m excited to see where the ARCA Series is headed in 2023.”

“The list of drivers who have been the rookie of the year in the ARCA Menards Series includes some of the most recognizable names in American stock car history,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “We are proud of our long, rich history and the accomplishments of those who have made the ARCA Menards Series their racing home, and the drivers who have gone on to success in the NASCAR national touring series.

“Daniel Dye joins that exclusive club of drivers who have won the ARCA Menards Series Bounty Rookie of Year, and he did so in a season that saw him challenge for race wins and the overall series championship. His GMS Racing team, led by veteran crew chief Chad Bryant – who has guided Parker Kligerman, Dakoda Armstrong, Kyle Weatherman, and Dalton Sargeant to rookie of the year honors as well – was solid all year. We look forward to watching Daniel’s career flourish and grow in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and beyond in the coming years.”

The battle for the 2023 ARCA Menards Series Bounty Rookie Challenge kicks off on Saturday, February 18 in the 60th Annual Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway. The race will be televised live on FS1 starting at 1:30 pm ET, and it will be broadcast on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network. For latest series news and information, including live timing & scoring, please visit ARCARacing.com. For up-to-the-minute news and updates, please follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter.

All professional athletes started as a youngster with a dream. Every hall of fame-worthy career, whether it’s a baseball player, golfer, or racecar driver, started with that intangible desire to compete and succeed, and dreams of glory. For many, they have the ability to chase that dream from an early age, and for some, their talent and drive to succeed is evident at an early age.

But everyone isn’t able to pursue those dreams, at least while they’re a youngster.

The season-opening Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway, the 60th ARCA Menards Series race at the famed World Center of Racing set for Saturday, February 18, will feature two drivers who both had that dream. One was able to pursue it from childhood and one’s experiences and success in other fields has allowed him to finally chase the dream of becoming a winning race driver.

Menlo Park, California’s Jesse Love is the prototypical young racer. Starting in quarter midgets at the age of five, Love continuously progressed up the ladder earning numerous championships along the way before moving to full-size racecars. He earned wins in the USAC midget division in California and was named the INEX Legends car rookie of the year, all before the age of 15.

In 2020, once he did turn 15, he earned a ride with the highly successful Bill McAnally Racing team in the ARCA Menards Series West. Love finished second in his first series start at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then earned his first win on the demanding road course at Utah Motorsports Campus.

Love’s rookie season was one for the record books. He ended the year with three wins in eleven starts and the series championship.

He followed with his second West championship in 2021, but he also ventured into the ARCA Menards Series national tour for the first time, winning at the legendary Salem Speedway in his tenth series start.

Now 18, Love will pursue the ARCA Menards Series championship for the first time in 2023, paired with the powerhouse Venturini Motorsports team. The team, owned by two-time ARCA Menards Series champion Bill Venturini, his wife Cathy, and their son Billy, won the 2019 series championship with Christian Eckes at the wheel and has won the last five ARCA Menards Series races at Daytona, including the last two with Corey Heim.

“This is something all of us dream about our whole lives,” Love said. “I’ve thought about it since I started racing, what would it be like to be on the sport’s biggest stage? But now that it’s here, I have to tell myself it’s just one race out of twenty. You don’t want to let yourself get distracted by it all.”

Love isn’t feeling the pressure of making his Daytona debut, thanks to the success of the organization he’s driving for.

“You could easily add all of that pressure on to your shoulders and it could be a huge negative,” Love said. “But I respond well to that pressure. And when you look at the record Venturini Motorsports has at Daytona, it actually replaces that pressure with confidence. Now all I have to do is go out and do what I expect to do, and that’s run up front and compete for the win.”

For Frankie Muniz, the dream to be a racer existed as long as he can remember. Even while he was nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes as the titular character in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, Muniz dreamed about racing.

It was a visit to the 2001 Daytona 500 when those dreams went into overdrive. Muniz spent time in the garage area, getting autographs from many of the biggest stars in the sport’s history, including Ken Schrader, Sterling Marlin, and even Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who would ultimately lose his life in a last-lap crash later that afternoon.

Muniz, now 37 and a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife Paige and son Mauz, rode in the pace car prior to the race, leading the field off pit road. Just behind him, in the silver No. 40, was Marlin. Twenty-two years later, Muniz suited up and made laps at Daytona in the same racecar, now owned by team owners Terry Jones and Mark Rette and reskinned as a Ford Fusion, during a pre-season practice session at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

When he climbs aboard the team’s new Ford Mustang for the race on February 18, it will be the culmination of years’ worth of effort, but not the culmination of the dream itself.

“I have wanted to race my entire adult life,” Muniz said. “I raced in the Celebrity Pro-Am at Long Beach and did really well. I won the celebrity division and was competitive against the professional drivers. I have had some opportunities in the past and even came close to landing an Indycar ride but a bad crash put that old hold.”

From there, Muniz did something others may dream about: he went on a world tour as a drummer with the band Kingsfoil. He has done more television over the years too, and was the runner-up on Dancing with the Stars in 2017.

But everything he did, every experience he had that others could only dream about, led him back to racing.

“I fully recognize I have been able to do things most people only dream about doing,” Muniz said. “I have been really fortunate throughout my life and it’s put me in a position to be able to finally chase my dream of being a racecar driver.”

Muniz, registered to compete for ARCA’s Bounty Rookie Challenge, is now one of the new kids on the block. It’s perhaps the ultimate “flip the script” moment from his days portraying a gifted teenager on Malcolm: he now is the adult asking talented teenagers, including Jesse Love, for advice.

“It’s strange because I am old enough to be their dad and here I am asking them questions and looking for advice while driving 200 miles an hour,” he said with a laugh.

Love, Muniz, and 38 other drivers will square off in the Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 18. The race will be televised live flag-to-flag on FS1 starting at 1:30 pm ET; the race will also be broadcast on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide. For complete event information, including live timing & scoring, please visit ARCARacing.com for up-to-the minute news and updates, please follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Inching his way towards veteran status in the ARCA Menards Series, Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team launch their fourth season of competition beginning with Saturday afternoon’s BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA.

His fourth season of a part-time ARCA Menards Series schedule also yields his fourth trip to the “World Center of Racing” where Kitzmiller has been able to showcase speed but two of his previous three efforts have left pure frustration in the results column.

Approaching the 2.5-mile superspeedway with the same mindset he always had since his debut at the iconic track in 2020, Kitzmiller hopes Saturday’s race delivers him the finish he knows his team is capable of.

“Honestly, this year is the best I feel about probably going to Daytona in all of my previous starts,” said Kitzmiller who has an ARCA career-best 11th-place finish in Daytona in 2021.

“Our No. 97 A.L.L. Construction Chevrolet was very quick in pre-season testing and we loaded up feeling confident that we can be a key player in the race and put ourselves in a position to not only surprise a lot of people – but maybe even put ourselves in a spot to challenge for the win.

“That’s what you come to Daytona to do. Win. Any racer that tackles the high banks of Daytona – that is all that they ever think about is winning at a place like Daytona. I’m excited to get back in the ARCA groove and hopefully we can have a productive week leading up to the race and hope for the best when the green flag drops on Saturday afternoon.”

Kitzmiller, a native of Petersburg, West Virginia is also eyeing his fifth career top-10 finish in the series in 2023. Last season, he competed in four races and delivered his fourth top-10 effort at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in July.

With a stack of top-10 finishes to his credit, Kitzmiller says he would like to see his Todd Myers-led team in a spot to earn their first top-five finish during their limited schedule this season.

“We have the speed, we just need the luck,” admitted Kitzmiller. “We’ve found ourselves in a position to be better than our best and something develops that takes us out of contention. Hopefully, we have paid our dues over the years and the dots can connect as we aim to have a strong season with our A.L.L. Construction Racing team.”

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

“I am really looking forward to our 2023 season,” sounded Kitzmiller. “Between the ARCA Menards Series and the CARS Tour, I think we can not only have some fun but find ourselves in a position to win some races.”

The BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Thurs., Feb. 16 with a fifty-minute session from 4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m. Group qualifying is set for Fri., Feb. 17 at 1:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 71st consecutive ARCA season is set the following afternoon on Feb. 18 to take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. 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.

Entries are in for the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, with 41 teams on the entry list for the 60th Annual Daytona ARCA 200. The 41 entries represent the most for the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona since 2017 when there were 42 teams entered.

“It’s gratifying to see a large entry list of drivers and teams entered to compete in our season opener,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “We have seen a lot of positive momentum in the last two years, the direct result of really hard work by everyone in our company. The ARCA platform has been a home for racers who have decided this is where they want to make their living, and a developmental platform where young emerging talent can gain valuable experience as they pursue a career in the NASCAR national series. Our Daytona entry list is a great mix of both, the career ARCA racers and those still developing their skill.”

The entry list is headlined by championship contenders Jesse Love, a two-time ARCA Menards West champion who will be driving for Venturini Motorsports, Indiana’s Greg Van Alst, and West Virginia’s Christian Rose. Love will be joined at Venturini Motorsports by former Talladega winner Gus Dean, and two fast females, Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen, who finished 1-2 in the series’ annual pre-season pre-race practice at Daytona in January.

Connor Mosack will make his first Daytona start driving the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, the team that won the ARCA Menards Series owner’s championship in 2021 and 2022, first with Ty Gibbs at the wheel and last year with a combination of Drew Dollar and two-time ARCA Menards East champion Sammy Smith driving. Mosack will run six races for the team while William Sawalich, who isn’t eligible to compete on superspeedways until he turns 18, will run the rest as the team looks to score its third straight owner’s title.

Hollywood A-lister Frankie Muniz is also entered, driving a Ford Mustang for Rette Jones Racing. Muniz, the star of beloved sitcom Malcolm in the Middle and a former runner-up on Dancing with the Stars will be making his series debut driving for the team that has finished in the top three at Daytona twice in recent years, second in 2017 with team co-owner Terry Jones at the wheel and third in 2019 with Canadian Grant Quinlan driving.

New York’s Andy Jankowiak is entered fresh off a preliminary night win his three-quarter midget at the Gambler’s Classic, held indoors in the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Jankowiak finished sixth last year, recovering from a mid-race spin and crash to score his best career series finish.

Other notables on the entry list include former Daytona runner-up Willie Mullins and Brayton Laster for Mullins Motorsports, Sean Corr in his family-owned No. 8 Chevrolet, Jack Wood and Lavar Scott in a pair of potent Chevrolets for Rev Racing, Illinois veteran Tim Richmond, who nearly pulled off an upset top-five finish last year before running out of fuel with just a couple of laps remaining, and the four-car Fast Track High Performance Racing entry for 1995 series champion Andy Hillenburg, with drivers Ed Pompa, Bryce Haugeberg, Zach Herrin, and Jon Garrett.

The 60th Annual Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway is set for Saturday, February 18. The race will be televised live flag-to-flag on FS1 starting at 1:30 pm ET; the race will also be broadcast on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide. For complete event information, including live timing & scoring, please visit ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the minute news and updates, please follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter.

DAYTONA 200 ENTRY LIST

Car No.	Driver	Hometown	Sponsor	OEM	Car owner	Crew chief
2	Lavar Scott	Carney’s Point, NJ	Max Siegel Inc	Chevrolet	Max Siegel	Jamie Jones
3	Willie Mullins	Fredericksburg, VA	Corvetteparts.net-Crow Wing Recycling	Chevrolet	Willie Mullins	Austin Simmons
4	Dale Quarterley	Westfield, MA	Van Dyk Recycling Solutions-Motul-Walker Furn.	Chevrolet	Alex Quarterley	Alex Quarterley
6	Jack Wood	Loomis, CA	WB-Velocity Racing-Max Siegel Inc	Chevrolet	Max Siegel	Matt Bucher
7	Eric Caudell	Piedmont, OK	Coble Enterprises-Red Tide Canopies	Toyota	Eric Caudell	Jeremy Petty
8	Sean Corr	Goshen, NY	The Trans Group	Chevrolet	John Corr	Mike Cheek
10	Ed Pompa	Ballston Spa, NY	HYTORC of New York-Double H Ranch	Chevrolet	Andy Hillenburg	David Ifft
11	Bryce Haugeberg	West Fargo, ND	Magnum Contracting-Haugeberg Farms-UTI	Toyota	Andy Hillenburg	Dick Doheny
12	Zach Herrin	Glendale, CA	Lambda Legal	Toyota	Michelle Hillenburg	Todd Parrott
15	Amber Balcaen	Winnipeg, Manitoba	ICON Direct	Toyota	Bill Venturini	Dave Leiner
18	Connor Mosack	Charlotte, NC	Mobil 1	Toyota	Joe Gibbs	Matt Ross
20	Jesse Love	Redwood City, CA	Yahoo	Toyota	Billy Venturini	Shannon Rursch
25	Gus Dean	Bluffton, SC	JBL-Dean Custom Air	Toyota	Cathy Venturini	Kevin Reed Jr
27	Tim Richmond	Ottawa, IL	Latino Immigration and Legal Center	Toyota	David Richmond	David Richmond
30	Frankie Muniz	Ridgewood, NJ	Rette Jones Racing	Ford	Mark Rette	Mark Rette
32	Christian Rose	Martinsburg, WV	West Virginia Tourism #AlmostHeaven	Ford	Kevin Cywinski	Ryan London
35	Greg Van Alst	Anderson, IN	Vern’s Concrete-CB Fab-Sam Pierce Chevrolet	Chevrolet	Greg Van Alst	Jim Long
36	Ryan Huff	Williamsburg, VA	Southeastern Services	Ford	James Huff	Rich Burgess
42	Robby Lyons	Seminole, FL	Sunwest Construction-MMI	Chevrolet	Bruce Cook	Sean Samuels
44	Jason White	Sun Peaks, B.C.	Powder Ventures Excavating	Chevrolet	Jeff McClure	Jeff McClure
45	Tony Cosentino	Mansfield, OH	Tamayo Sports Florida	Chevrolet	Enrique Tamayo	Caleb Allen
48	Brad Smith	Shelby Township, MI	Copraya.com	Chevrolet	Brad Smith	Terry Strange
53	Natalie Decker	Eagle River, WI	Splat	Ford	Patrick Emerling	Jan Leaty
55	Toni Breidinger	Hillsborough, CA	FP Movement	Toyota	Billy Venturini	Cayden Lapcevich
57	Hunter Deshautelle	Alexandria, LA	Brother In Law Motorsports	Chevrolet	Bryan Dauzat	Todd Cooper
62	Steve Lewis Jr	Ransomville, NY	Telco Construction-Jeffery Machine	Chevrolet	Steve Lewis Jr	Steve Lewis Sr
63	Logan Misuraca	Sanford, FL	Wixon-Spraker Racing	Chevrolet	Paris Wixon	Jeff Spraker
66	Jon Garrett	Athens, TX	The Camping Crew	Chevrolet	Dustin Hillenburg	Mike Sroufe
68	Gage Rodgers	Coldwater, MI	SEKISUI Voltek	Ford	Bill Kimmel	Tony Heavrin
69	Scott Melton	Rockford, MI	Melton McFadden Insurance-Donna’s Donuts	Ford	Bill Kimmel	Bill Kimmel
73	Andy Jankowiak	Tonawanda, NY	Whelen	Ford	Kevin Lapierre	Mike Dayton
74	Mandy Chick	DeSoto, KS	Rose Hulman Institute of Technology	Chevrolet	Steve Chick	Steve Chick
75	Bryan Dauzat	Alexandria, LA	Brother In Law Motorsports	Chevrolet	Bryan Dauzat	Bob Rahilly
82	Kevin Campbell	St. Louis, MO	Mizzou Tigers	Chevrolet	Kevin Campbell	Mason Campbell
87	Charles Buchanan	Meadows of Dan, VA	Spring Drug Pharmacy	Chevrolet	Charles Buchanan	Craig Wood
93	Caleb Costner	Dallas, NC	Innovative Tiny Houses-Lickety Lew’s	Chevrolet	Caleb Costner	Darrell Phillips
97	Jason Kitzmiller	Maysville, WV	A.L.L. Construction	Chevrolet	Codie Rohrbaugh	Todd Myers
01	Andres Perez De Lara	Mexico City, Mexico	FastTrackRacing.com	Chevrolet	Michelle Hillenburg	Dylan Roberts
02	Miguel Gomes	Lisbon, Portugal	Simthunder	Chevrolet	Tyler Young	Andrew Abbott
03	Brayton Laster	Greenwood, IN	Indy Auto Recyclers-autorepairvinstickers.com	Ford	Alex Clubb	Robert Bruce
06	A.J. Moyer	Tampa, FL	River’s Edge Cottages & RV Park	Chevrolet	Wayne Peterson	Michael Peterson

Jack Wood and Lavar Scott to make Rev Racing debut in AMS-opener at Daytona

February 9, 2023

Concord, NC — Rev Racing prepares for the ARCA Menards Series (AMS) season opener at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), fielding two entries who will compete on the 2.5-mile tri-oval in the Daytona 200. Rev Racing will field Lavar Scott, ARCA Menards Series East full-time driver and Jack Wood, part-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) driver at Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). The team capped off their 2022 season as the AMS Driver Champions with Nick Sanchez, driver of the No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet.

Rev Racing collectively garnered 3 wins, 17 top 5’s and 30 top 10’s throughout the 2022 AMS season. Rev Racing looks to carry the momentum into 2023 as contenders of the 2023 AMS title.

Wood, who is a newcomer to Rev Racing, is looking forward to the added seat time to support his part-time NCTS commitments with KBM for 2023. Due to the technical alliance between Rev Racing and KBM, announced last year during championship weekend in Phoenix, the pairing seemed like a natural fit. Wood will run the No. 6 WB/Velocity Racing Chevrolet in Daytona. He is scheduled to run 7 races with the team throughout the AMS season, and potentially more. Wood will also be competing in the NextEra Energy 250 in conjunction with his AMS commitments.

The California native made his NCTS debut at Circuit of the Americas in May of 2021. Wood has tallied 35 starts, including a full season (23 races) in 2022. He will continue to compete in multiple series in 2023 and anchor the No. 51 Chevrolet. He competed in one AMS racing event in 2022 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“I’m super excited to return to the ARCA Menards Series this year running a part-time schedule with Rev Racing.” said Jack Wood. “Getting more seat time will be a great platform for me to continue to learn and grow my skill set. Some weekends I’ll be running both ARCA and Trucks and I’ll be able to apply what I learn in the ARCA race to the truck race. Rev is coming off of a really strong season and I’m looking forward to getting onto the track with them and showing what we got!”

Lavar Scottt, who is slated to run a full-time AMS East car for Rev Racing is eager for this experience as he enters his rookie season in 2023. Scott will be returning for his fourth season with Rev Racing as a part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. In 2022, Scott earned multiple top 5s and 10s in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

“I am very excited for Daytona and blessed to have the opportunity with Rev Racing and NASCAR Drive for Diversity,” said Lavar Scott. “This series is very different from anything I have competed in, but I trust myself, as well as the team who is always ready for a good showing.”

Andres Perez de Lara, who will compete full-time in the AMS with Rev Racing in 2023, will not meet the age requirements of the Series until the Phoenix race in March.

Wood and Scott will return to AMS action beginning with a practice session on February 16th. General Tire Pole Qualifying will take place on the 17th with the Daytona 200 80-lapper on the 18th. The AMS season-opener will broadcast live on ​​FS1 and the Fox Sports App.

About Rev Racing: Rev Racing seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and a youth racing initiative.

CONCORD, N.C.: Two-time ARCA Menards Series winner Gus Dean is returning to the potent Venturini Motorsports for a limited schedule this season beginning with the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on February 18, 2023.

Dean, 28, returns to Concord, N.C.-based team after a four-race schedule which resulted in four top-five finishes highlighted with a track-best fifth-place finish at Daytona and a season-high fourth-place effort at Michigan International Speedway.

From February to August, the Bluffton, S.C. native had an average finish of 4.8.

A competitor in the ARCA Menards Series since 2016, the veteran racer returns to the “World Center of Racing” for a seventh time focused on delivering Venturini Motorsports their sixth consecutive ARCA triumph at the 2.5-mile superspeedway aboard the team’s flagship No. 25 Toyota Camry.

Dean scored his first career ARCA Menards Series victory in just his second start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in 2016 but had been cursed at Daytona over a period of five previous races until he returned to the track on the ARCA scene in 2022 where he qualified second and recovered from being collected in a mid-race incident to collect his then 14th career ARCA top-five finish.

“I am pumped up about returning to Venturini Motorsports in 2023,” said Dean. “I am looking forward to building on the success we achieved last season and I strongly believe this season we can turn our success into checkered flags and get ourselves a win or two throughout the year.”

Last month, Dean said he wheeled the best superspeedway car of his career during the annual preseason ARCA testing at the iconic race track which saw the No. 25 Toyota Camry run one of the fastest laps of the weekend and give the Kevin Reed Jr.-led team momentum leaning into the first of 20 races on the 2023 schedule.

“I can’t begin to describe how fast our Toyota Camry was during the test last month,” added Dean. “It was really fast every single run. We just made it better and better throughout the two-day test and I left the track knowing it was the best superspeedway car I have ever had. I hope we are able to build on the success and our notes during the event weekend and I can keep the Venturini Motorsports’ streak alive at Daytona and capture my third but biggest win of my ARCA career.”

Venturini Motorsports’ Billy Venturini says having a veteran like Dean back in the team’s lineup this season is important.

“I feel really positive about Gus at Daytona,” said Venturini. “He is the most experienced of all the drivers on our roster. I feel like he can bring a veteran calmness to the team. Without a doubt, he should be able

to contend for the win and improve the team as a whole with his leadership.

“Looking past Daytona, it’s just great to have him back. He will contend to win races beyond Daytona with us in 2023 and we look forward at that opportunity with him in our No. 25 Toyota Camry.”

Added Dean, “the Venturini Motorsports team really welcomed me with open arms last season and they continued to make me feel like I was a member of their family. That is important to me. Billy, Mr. Bill and Mrs. Cathy (Venturini) and the entire Venturini Motorsports team believe in me and my abilities and as a race car driver there is no better feeling than that.

“I am ready for Daytona and cannot wait to get there.”

In addition to Daytona, Dean will return to ARCA competition with Venturini Motorsports at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April, 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 one of NASCAR’s National Series.

“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. Venturini Motorsports is going for an unprecedented sixth straight ARCA victory at Daytona and I want to be that driver that gets it done for them!”

Before Dean buckles in at Daytona, he will have a busy week leading up to the 2023 ARCA season opener, as he’ll also be competing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in the highly contested World Series of Asphalt driving a Pro Late Model for DLP Motorsports.

“It means everything to us to have Gus represent DLP Motorsports,” said David “Buggy” Pletcher, owner of DLP Motorsports. “Not only is Gus a great person but he is a talented driver. It’s good to have a driver of his caliber with all the experience he has for the other younger drivers to bounce ideas and such off each other.

“We can definitely win with him down there. He has come a long way and is considered a veteran now. He will be an asset to us as a driver but also as a teammate for our other DLP Motorsports driver Gavan (Boschele). Hopefully, we have the right combination that will allow him to continue to show his abilities.”

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