Category: ARCA

The BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA will lead off Saturday’s double-header of racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2023) – A series that helps build future NASCAR stars will join forces with an organization that helps build future leaders in agriculture as the season-opening ARCA Menards Series race on Saturday, Feb. 18, will be entitled the BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA, Daytona International Speedway announced today.

The BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA will be the opening race of an exciting double-header for fans at Daytona, followed by the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

“BRANDT and the Florida FFA make for the perfect pairing with the ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway,” said track president Frank Kelleher. “The youth of our sport get their start in this series, and the youth in agriculture get their start with the FFA. Our future is bright!”

Florida FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students with leadership development, personal growth and career success through realistic, hands-on agricultural education. The experience is valuable to all students, regardless of whether they do or do not pursue agricultural careers.

“Florida FFA appreciates support from companies like BRANDT and Daytona International Speedway,” said Florida FFA Director of Development, Hilary Holley. “Support from business and industry fuel the advancement of opportunities for students enrolled in agricultural education and FFA in Florida. We are excited about this incredible partnership!”

BRANDT Professional Agriculture is a long-time NASCAR sponsor and is a fast-growing, family-owned company that is a leader in global agriculture. By taking care of its customers, near and far, BRANDT helps families, farms and communities ensure a safe, secure supply of fiber, fuel and food.

“We love the FFA. In fact, I have my Blue Jacket proudly displayed in my office,” said Rick Brandt, CEO and President of BRANDT. “Marry that passion with our passion for racing and the BRANDT 200 Supporting the FFA is a natural fit: It’s a full day of Daytona racing with ARCA and Xfinity, centered around agriculture. Throw in the fact that the driver of the #7 BRANDT Chevy, Justin Allgaier is a former ARCA champion, and this is a once in a lifetime event.”

The ARCA Menards Series has long been a launching point for some of NASCAR’s brightest stars. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch won the ARCA season-opener at Daytona in 2004, and 2021 ARCA Menards Series champion Ty Gibbs will be making his DAYTONA 500 debut this year to kick off his NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign.

In addition to the double-header of the BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA and the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300, fans will see plenty of additional action on track Saturday – all for one ticket. NASCAR Cup Series final practice will be the fans’ final opportunity to see the field before the 65th running of Sunday’s sold-out DAYTONA 500. And the field will be set for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300 with NASCAR Xfijnity Series qualifying.

Fans are encouraged to reserve their place in history during Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth by logging onto DAYTONA500.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Additionally, fans can buy or sell reserved seats for the DAYTONA 500 by visiting SeatGeek, the Official Ticket Marketplace of NASCAR.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway via daytonainternationalspeedway.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By Monster Energy, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts (Welcome to Rockville, Heroes Honor Festival, etc.), sporting events (DAYTONA Soccer Fest, CLASH DAYTONA, etc.) civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About Florida FFA

Florida FFA is a premier youth, leadership organization with more than 26,000 middle and high school student members – as part of over 350 local FFA chapters across the state. FFA members participate in nearly 50 leadership and career development events each year. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

The Florida FFA Foundation seeks to build partnerships with industry, education, government, and individuals to secure resources for the future of education, agriculture, student leader development and success. The Florida FFA Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

About BRANDT

A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the crop-input products and services that give growers the best opportunity for return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply.

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG), a new professional Motorsports team officially announced today its plans to compete in several grassroots racing series in 2023 beginning with the ARCA Menards Series East season-opener at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway next month.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based team’s purpose is to provide productive and fulfilling careers for all Pinnacle Racing Group team members while being a leader in on-track performance and driver development.

The team will run Chevrolets in its ARCA Menards Series and Late Model platforms and has selected No. 28 for its primary entries.

Veteran crew chief and former NASCAR driver Shane Huffman will serve as the team’s general manager and crew chief.

“The great thing about a new start-up team or business is you have a clean slate to build the foundation and set the principles for PRG to operate,” offered Pinnacle Racing Group spokesperson Mark Webb.

“From our earliest discussions, our key focus points were on excellence, integrity, performance and sustainability for the long term. Acquiring Shane (Huffman) was the first important piece of the building block we needed.

“Shane has a vast knowledge of racing at many levels and has done a tremendous job in a short amount of time putting together an excellent group that is highly talented, motivated and most importantly team-oriented.

Huffman, who most recently led the crew chief efforts at Bret Holmes Racing in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series respectively is excited about the next chapter in his Motorsports career and believes the foundation that PRG is constructing will not only lead to success but to Victory Lane.

“We have been quietly working on building PRG and I am thrilled to have the formation of the team finally announced,” Huffman said. “PRG has given me the green light to build a team from the ground up.

“We have not rushed anything. We want to make sure when we unload at Five Flags Speedway in March, PRG sets a tone on what our drivers and members of our team can expect on a weekly basis. We realize that there likely will be some initial growing pains, but we feel we can emerge from those quickly and start producing results with our talented driver lineup.”

Webb concurred with Huffman’s assessment of not rushing to the team’s first green flag.

“We purposefully delayed our opening race until March 25 at Five Flags to be certain we were prepared and had everything in place to be our best,” he said.

The team did offer a clue about its first-named driver.

“We are really excited about our new driver,” sounded Huffman. “Lorin Rainer, Josh Wise and Chevrolet have been instrumental in fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together and we believe the driver can really create some attention under the PRG banner.”

Webb added, “Lorin Ranier has been an excellent voice and sounding board in providing insight into our decision-making processes.

“We look forward to Shane’s leadership and the dedicated work of our PRG team members for a successful inaugural season.

PRG will officially unveil its full 2023 driver lineup in the coming weeks.

For more on Pinnacle Racing Group, please like them on Facebook (Pinnacle Racing Group) and follow on Instagram (@RacePRG) and Twitter (@RacePRG).

Toledo, Ohio (DATE) – Shore Lunch will return as an event entitlement sponsor of the ARCA Menards Series championship race at Toledo Speedway. The Shore Lunch 200 is slated for Saturday, October 7, and will mark the second consecutive season that the series championship will be determined at its home track.

“We had one of the most exciting championship finales in recent memory at Toledo Speedway in 2022,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “The battle for the driver’s championship was in doubt most of the day and the owner’s championship literally came down the last corner of the last lap. That is the type of exciting racing we have come to expect at Toledo Speedway.”

The Shore Lunch 200 will close the ARCA Menards Series’ 71st season.

“We’ve always had strong support from our hometown fans,” he said. “We had a great weekend of activities in 2022 and we’ve got another great weekend planned in 2023. We’re thrilled to have Shore Lunch back on board, they’ve been strong supporters of the ARCA Menards Series over the years and we’re looking ahead to a great championship weekend with them in October.”

Shore Lunch soups, breading, and batters first partnered with ARCA series sponsor Menards in 2016. The business-to-business relationship between Menards, the country’s third-largest home improvement retailer, and Summit Hill Foods, a leading food company with brands such as Better Than Bouillon, The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce, and Southeastern Mills Gravy and Baking Mixes, along with Shore Lunch, brings opportunities to showcase the entire line of the company’s brands to the Toledo area’s Menards customer base and racing community.

“The 2022 Shore Lunch 200 was one of the most exciting races of the season,” said Steve Goodyear, President and CEO for Summit Hill Foods. “The fans saw a great race that came down to the very last lap. We hope to see all of them back for another great race this October. Summit Hill Foods is proud to be continuing our sponsorship under our Shore Lunch brand for this race.”

Advance discount ticket sales at Menards will be released at a later date. The race will be televised live on FS2 starting at 4 pm ET.

For more information, please visit ToledoSpeedway.com; for information on the ARCA Menards Series please visit ARCARacing.com. For up-to-the-minute updates please follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter.

About ARCA

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly racing all across the country, the organization is scheduled to administer more than 100 events in multiple racing series in 2022, including the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, the ASA regional and national super late model tours, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing).

About Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro! 

Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

About Summit Hill Foods

Summit Hill Foods is headquartered in Rome, Georgia. The company’s core strength is the development and manufacture of ingredient systems used to deliver superior flavor. Key customers include global and regional food manufacturers, restaurants, and foodservice distributors. The company also markets nationally distributed retail brands including Better Than Bouillon, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Southeastern Mills, Shore Lunch, and Better Than Gravy. Summit Hill Foods operates manufacturing facilities located in Rome, Georgia, Salt Lake City, Utah and New Iberia, Louisiana. www.shfoods.com

It was fast cars and Hollywood stars in the annual ARCA Menards Series pre-season pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway which concluded on Saturday. The two days of on-track activity saw 61 drivers and 37 different cars on the racetrack.

The Venturini Motorsports team led the way, sweeping the top four positions on the leaderboard with female drivers Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen the fastest, with their teammates Jesse Love and Gus Dean in third and fourth respectively. Venturini Motorsports has won six consecutive races at Daytona, five on the 2.5-mile tri-oval and one on the road course with drivers Michael Self, Harrison Burton, and Corey Heim. It’s the third time VMS has led the pre-race practice results with a female driver; the team previously showed the way with drivers Natalie Decker and Leilani Munter, but it’s the first time in history the top two positions were held by women.

Breidinger’s fastest lap was 49.119 seconds/183.228 miles per hour, just 0.007 seconds quicker than Balcaen.

Love, a two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion, led the full-time drivers in third place, timing in at 49.129 seconds/183.191 miles per hour. Love, who turned 18 on Friday, announced his intention to compete for the series championship in 2023 driving the No. 20 Toyota.

Emmy nominated actor Frankie Muniz announced earlier in the week his intention to compete in the full 2023 ARCA Menards Series and backed up that announcement with a solid performance on the track over the course of the two days. Driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing, Muniz quickly acclimated to the draft, turning in the tenth-fastest lap of the weekend at 49.403 seconds/182.175 miles per hour.

Rev Racing’s new lineup of drivers – Lavar Scott and Mexico’s Andres Perez de Lara – was supplemented by defending series champion Nick Sanchez, who helped guide the two young drivers as they made their first laps at Daytona. Perez de Lara, who timed in 18th fastest at 49.891 seconds/180.393 miles per hour – will be competing for the series championship in 2023, while Scott will be competing in a limited ARCA Menards Series schedule while he competes for the championship in the ARCA Menards Series East.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s lineup, Connor Mosack and William Sawalich, were both fast over the course of the two days. Sawalich, who will run 20 races on short tracks and road courses spread across the ARCA Menards Series platform, was fifth overall while Mosack, who will run a limited schedule on superspeedways, was 14th overall.

Other drivers who have announced their plans to compete for the ARCA Menards Series championship at the pre-race practice included Greg Van Alst, who was 15th overall, and Christian Rose, who has made the move to AM Racing, who was 30th overall.

The ARCA Menards Series season starts Saturday, February 18 with the 60th running of the Daytona ARCA 200, which will be televised live on FS1 starting at 1:30 pm ET. For complete series information, please visit ARCARacing.com and for up-to-the-minute updates follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 11, 2023): Global television, film star and professional motorsports athlete, Frankie Muniz, today announced that he will race the No. 30 Ford Mustang for Rette Jones Racing and compete for the ARCA Menards Series championship beginning at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 18, 2023.

“It’s with the utmost excitement, optimism and gratitude that I’m joining Rette Jones Racing for the full ARCA Menards Series schedule this year,” said Muniz.

“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.”

The much-celebrated actor of “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Agent Cody Banks” and “Dancing with the Stars” fame, among other notable projects in the entertainment world, was engaged in months of discussions with various stakeholders across the NASCAR world in advance of signing with the team co-owned by Motorsports veteran Terry Jones and former ARCA championship crew chief Mark Rette.

“We are very excited to welcome Frankie Muniz to the Rette Jones Racing family for the full 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule,” offered Rette. “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.

“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.”

For the 2023 ARCA season, Rette Jones Racing will continue its longtime partnership with Ford Performance but upgrade its fleet to include the Ford Mustang beginning at Daytona.

“Ford is pleased to welcome Frankie Muniz to our performance family. Frankie is not only a successful actor but also a skilled and enthusiastic racer,” commented Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.

“He is dedicated to continue growing as a professional stock car racer, and we believe he will make a valuable contribution to the ARCA program at Rette Jones Racing.”

Teams of the ARCA Menards Series are gearing up for the yearly preseason test at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Muniz will address the media on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, from noon to 1:00 p.m. Eastern via video teleconference.

For more information, or to request an interview with the athlete, contact Athlelo 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).

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.

STATESVILLE, N.C.: Officials from AM Racing confirmed today that Martinsburg, West Virginia native Christian Rose has joined the organization and will compete for the 2023 ARCA Menards Series championship title beginning with next month’s season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Sat., Feb. 18, 2023.

The duo will launch their new partnership during this weekend’s preseason testing at the 2.5-mile superspeedway on Fri., Jan. 13 and Sat., Jan. 14.

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.

Despite less than five years of experience as a driver, Rose has captivated an audience with his ability to quickly dial in his race car and backup his intuition with his race craft on the track which included producing two top-10 finishes in his only two starts in the ARCA Menards Series West division during the 2021 season at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway Bullring and All American (Calif.) Speedway.

This year with the AM Racing team leadership and the support of Ford Performance, Rose is hoping for explosive results.

“I am incredibly humbled by this opportunity to compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for AM Racing,” said Rose. “I have learned so much over the past two seasons of a part-time ARCA schedule that I am excited to elevate my schedule this year which includes visiting new tracks of new disciplines with the goal of being in contention to win races and compete for the championship.”

AM Racing, which combined forces with Win-Tron Racing at the start of the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season will return to the series full-time for the first time since 2018 when Bluffton, S.C. native and two-time ARCA winner Gus Dean was at the helm.

“We are excited to return to the ARCA Menards Series full-time in 2023,” said AM Racing team principal Kevin Cywinski. “We have a lot of positivity surrounding our team with the launch of our Xfinity program with Brett (Moffitt) and now returning to ARCA with Christian (Rose).

“I strongly believe that the two programs will complement each other and work together to achieve the goal of bringing checkered flags back to the shop throughout the season.

“Christian is a very passionate and dedicated driver who won us over with his positive outlook and contagious work ethic. We look forward to helping him strengthen his racing resume immensely this season.”

The team’s sponsorship lineup along with a crew chief will be announced in the weeks leading up to the series’ 71st anniversary season in 2023 and its 60th race at the “World Center of Racing” on Feb. 18.

In addition to ARCA, Rose and AM Racing also plan to compete in a limited number of NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races which will be announced at a later date.

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).

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.

From Mike Beam, President, GMS Racing –

“In an effort to shift the team’s primary focus and resources towards competing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, GMS Racing will not field an ARCA Menards Series entry in 2023.

Everyone at GMS Racing is grateful for its time spent over eight seasons competing in the ARCA Menards Series. The series has been near and dear to our hearts, as ARCA was where our roots as a stock car racing team truly began. We have been fortunate for our organization to have had success throughout the years, namely winning the 2015 national championship with Grant Enfinger, as well as the 2019 and 2020 ARCA Menards Series East championships with Sam Mayer.

In total, our team was able to accomplish 23 wins across the ARCA slate, but above all of that has been the countless memories we have made both on and off the track. The ARCA team of series officials, drivers, and fans have been world class to work with, and we are thankful for everyone that has helped along the way. To our loyal partners and fans who have supported our efforts within the series, we offer our greatest respect and gratitude, and look forward to what’s ahead for our organization as a whole moving forward.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA Menards Series East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for Petty GMS, a two car full-time NASCAR Cup Series team formed in 2021.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Reigning Hickory Motor Speedway champion to test with Mullins Racing at Daytona

Landon Huffman is making the leap from the Birthplace of NASCAR Stars to the World Center of Racing later this month.

Huffman, 26, from Claremont, North Carolina, will turn his first laps around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway on January 13-14 when the ARCA Menards Series returns to the famed superspeedway for its annual pre-race practice.

He heads to Daytona with Mullins Racing months removed from his first NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I track championship at Hickory Motor Speedway.

“I never thought I was ever going to get to run laps at Daytona, so this is pretty incredible,” Huffman said. “It’s every short track racer’s dream to run laps at Daytona. My dad had a quote, I use it in my podcast as part of my intro, after his first race at Daytona, he said, ‘it doesn’t matter if you’re racing a go-kart, slot car, or foot race, you won at Daytona.’”

Huffman picked up his first championship at Hickory Motor Speedway in September. His father, Robert Huffman, won two championships at Hickory in the late 1980s before going on to win five championships in the NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series.

“I’ve wanted a championship at Hickory since I began my driving career back in 2010,” Huffman said. “Dad won two of them and went on to do bigger things. Putting my name on the wall out front beside his name is an accomplishment I’m most proud of. I grew up racing at Hickory, watched my dad run many races there, and he watched my grandpa race there many times as well. It’s a family tradition and I’m proud to continue moving it forward.”

The husband-and-wife co-owners of Mullins Racing, Willie and Dinah Mullins, came to Hickory Motor Speedway last summer to watch Huffman race. They became fast friends and soon the two parties reached an agreement for Huffman to pilot one of the Mullins Racing cars at Daytona in ARCA’s pre-race practice.

“I have been internet friends with Dinah and Willie,” Huffman recalled. “They came down and watched me race at Hickory, came down to the pits, and we really hit it off. I really respect how they race, we can relate on a lot of levels, based on the money we spend versus our competitors, they’re a family team and do a lot of it themselves, a lot of mutual respect. They’ve done a great job building their program. Anytime I can work with people like that, it’s a good opportunity.”

Huffman hopes to compete in a handful of ARCA Menards Series races for Mullins Racing at some point this season.

“You never know what may play out,” Huffman stated. “There’s opportunity out there for us to nail down a race or two but it comes down to funding. If we stay on the track we’re on, there may be some opportunities that come along, but we’ll just take it one step at a time right now.”

In addition to being a race car driver, Huffman also has a significant social media presence. That includes a popular YouTube channel where he chronicles his life as a weekly racer.

“I haven’t done a podcast for a couple years, and just started one called Huffman Racing Radio and it’s been going really well,” Huffman explained. “My YouTube channel helps get sponsors and I correlate all my content related efforts together. This past season was my first full year vlogging and I grew from over 2,000 subscribers to over 15,000 now and over 1.5 million views in 2022. We’re leading the charge on the short track front when it comes to YouTube content. I’ve sold a lot of merchandise and brought in some new partners.”

Huffman is one of five drivers who will drive for Mullins Racing during the ARCA pre-race practice at Daytona in January, and Willie Mullins, who finished second at Daytona in 2018, is excited about to have Huffman as part of the team.

In addition to Huffman, Willie Mullins, Kayla Surles and Brayton Laster will join Mullins Racing for the Daytona pre-race practice, with a fifth driver yet to be confirmed.

“We are extremely excited to bring Landon into the fold,” Mullins said. “The group of drivers we have put together are not only great on track, but great off track too. We embrace big personalities, and this group does not lack in that department. Each driver we have has created their own incredible online presence.”

The ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for January 13-14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST each day.

Surles is one of four competitors who will drive for Mullins Racing in ARCA Pre-Season Practice at Daytona

Kayla Surles is paving her own path into the ARCA Menards Series and she hopes that will begin when she takes part in the ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway in January with Mullins Racing.

The 21-year-old from Fredericksburg, Virginia, has become one of the dominant drivers on the Modified racing scene in the Commonwealth. She picked up six wins at Dominion Raceway, finishing runner-up in division standings at the four-tenths-mile track.

However, it’s not just her on track success that’s earned her the opportunity to go to Daytona, it’s also her off-track work ethic. She is also the shop manager at Bugsy’s Repair, the commercial automotive repair shop owned by husband-and-wife Willie and Dinah Mullins, who also own the Mullins Racing ARCA team.

“I’ll go anywhere from helping to sand the trucks and helping the painters get those ready to paint, to mechanics and welding and all that,” Surles said. “Last year, they had talked about driving their ARCA car before the test because of all the help during the pandemic, and I told them, ‘I don’t want you to put me in the car because you think that’s what I want for all the help, I want you to put me in the car because you think I might do well in it.’ They said ‘alright, show us what you got’ and it was kind of a breakout year for me. I had one win last year, and this year everything kind of came together.”

Willie Mullins, who finished second in the 2018 ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona and is a veteran of 25 ARCA Menards Series starts, views Surles as an irreplaceable member of his team.

“At 21 years old, the amount of forethought that she already has is incredible,” Willie Mullins said. “Her ability to look at our workload and see what needs to be done next is what you expect from a much older employee. Because she works with us, I work on the cars after work, and she started coming around and helping. She mentioned wanting to run for us and needed to prove herself. She got six wins at Dominion and became one of the dominant drivers in Modified racing in Virginia.

“She came in and showed performance through the entire year and proven who she is. She’s learned from her mistakes and became a better driver. She’s proven her work ethic at our business, her team and our team, she’s 100 percent dedicated to whatever is in front of her.”

Surles’ dream of racing began as a child in Flagler Beach, Florida, a short drive away from the Daytona International Speedway. Growing up, she attended races at The World Center of Speed, and her passion for racing led her to begin chasing down a dream of one day competing on the sport’s biggest stage.

From there, she would pursue a racing career, competing in Kart racing and eventually moving up to the IMCA-style Modifieds raced at Dominion Raceway.

“I actually had a friend that started go-kart racing and my dad took me to one of the races,” Surles recalled. “I was super competitive as a kid and I wanted to race with them and see if I could do better, and it kind of spiraled into what it is now. I started off in go karts and it was an odd year, I was either winning or being wrecked and there was no in between. It was one of those years where you think, ‘Do I still want to do this? Do I want to continue to get wrecked and spend money for a handful of wins or do I want to see if another sport will pique my interest?’

“Then, one of my dad’s buddies hit him up and said, ‘hey I just bought this Modified and I want to see what Kayla can do,’ so we went straight from dirt karts to Modifieds.”

Surles has scored seven wins in the Modifieds and comes into Daytona with momentum after a runner-up finish in the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina.

“It’s super cool to get to practice an ARCA car at Daytona,” Surles commented. “It’s something, when I was growing up in Florida 20 minutes north of Daytona, I wanted to go to the track, I want to be inside the pits. I was always involved with cars with my dad. I wanted to see what was going on. When I moved up here, it all came true. I’m super excited. A bunch of my family that lives in Florida is going to get to see me drive a car. I’m so excited.”

Surles’ plans for 2023 involve more than just practice at Daytona. She plans to continue racing Modifieds and make a few starts in a Limited Late Model at Dominion Raceway. She also hopes to make her ARCA Menards Series race debut later in the season.

“Dinah and Willie are starting a driver development program in the Limited Late Model, and they might put me in a few races in that,” Surles explained. “We are trying to figure some financials out to be able to run in a short track ARCA race or two, we just need more sponsors to do that.”

The ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway takes place on Friday, January 13, 2023, and Saturday, January 14, 2023, from 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST each day.

For more information about Mullins Racing, visit MullinsRacing.net, or follow Mullins Racing on Facebook, Twitter (@Mullins_Racing), and Instagram (@MullinsRacing).

2023 Coverage includes all 20 races live on FS1 and FS2 with select simulcasts on FloRacing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 9, 2021) – ARCA and FOX Sports announced today an extension of their broadcast rights agreement through 2024 that will also expand the number of events covered. ARCA also released its 2023 broadcast schedule for the ARCA Menards Series.

For the first time in series history, FOX Sports will carry all 20 ARCA Menards Series races live on FS1 or FS2, an increase of 11 races from 2022 and 12 races from 2018-2021. All races will also be available live on the FOX Sports App to authenticated subscribers.

The new agreement extends a 26-year relationship between ARCA and FOX Sports that started in 1997.

“ARCA has a well-documented history of building long-term relationships with partners that add value to all stakeholders involved with the series. This is evidenced by our network television relationship with FOX Sports spanning more than 25 years,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “Together, we deliver high quality motorsports content that reaches millions of homes, directly benefitting our fans, partners, race teams and tracks.”

“It’s amazing that 2023 will be FOX Sports’ 27th season with the ARCA Menards Series and Ron Drager and his team,” said Frank Wilson, VP, Event and Studio, FOX Sports. “The ARCA season opener in Daytona has always been a tentpole in our SpeedWeeks coverage, and now that we will carry the entire ARCA season, we look forward to continuing to deliver even more high-quality stock car racing all season long.”

FS1 will carry 14 ARCA Menards Series races in 2023 which is an increase of five from last year and six from 2021. All other races will air on FS2, including the series championship at Toledo Speedway.

Ten ARCA Menards Series races airing live on FS1 and FS2 will stream simultaneously on FloRacing – the OTT home of all NASCAR Roots series.

Once again, MRN will broadcast all ARCA Menards Series races that are companion with NASCAR national series events. Races will air on select MRN affiliates, MRN.com, ARCARacing.com and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

The ARCA Menards Series celebrates its 71st anniversary season in 2023 and kicks it off with its 60th race at DAYTONA International Speedway. Click here for more highlights of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule.

2023 ARCA Menards Series on FOX Sports and FloRacing

DATE	RACE	NETWORK	START (ET)
Sat, Feb. 18	Daytona	FS1	1:30 PM
Fri, March 10	Phoenix	FS2	8:00 PM
Sat, April 22	Talladega	FS1	12:30 PM
Sat, May 6	Kansas	FS1	2:00 PM
Fri, May 26	Charlotte	FS1	6:00 PM
Sat, June 17	Berlin	FS1 / FloRacing	8:00 PM
Sat, June 24	Elko	FS2 / FloRacing	9:00 PM
Fri, July 7	Mid-Ohio	FS1 / FloRacing	6:00 PM
Sat, Jul 15	Iowa	FS2 / FloRacing	8:00 PM
Fri, July 21	Pocono	FS1 / FloRacing	6:00 PM
Fri, Aug. 4	Michigan	FS1 / FloRacing	6:00 PM
Fri, Aug. 11	Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park	FS1	6:00 PM
Fri, Aug. 18	Watkins Glen	FS1	6:00 PM
Sun, Aug. 20	Illinois State Fairgrounds	FS1 / FloRacing	2:00 PM
Sun, Aug. 27	Milwaukee	FS1	1:00 PM
Sun, Sept. 3	DuQuion	FS2 / FloRacing	9:00 PM
Fri, Sept. 8	Kansas 2	FS1	6:00 PM
Thurs, Sept. 14	Bristol	FS1	6:00 PM
Sat, Sept. 30	Salem	FS2 / FloRacing	4:00 PM
Sat, Oct. 7	Toledo	FS2 / FloRacing	4:00 PM

About ARCA

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly racing all across the country, the organization administers more than 100 events annually, including the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing).