Category: ARCA

After racing with Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing team half of the 2022 ARCA Menards series races and accomplishing 9th place in the championship overall as a result, Zachary Tinkle and Fast Track Racing are pleased to announce that Tinkle will be competing for the ARCA Menards Series East Championship in 2023.

Zachary Tinkle commented, “Racing with Andy Hillenburg and the Fast Track Racing team was a tremendous opportunity in the 2022 season. If it weren’t for Andy, I would not have ended up ninth in the ARCA Menards championship standings. This gave me the chance to get to know him and the team. I have full confidence in them and I think we’ve put together a great program for 2023 and I can’t wait to get back to the race track.”

Tinkle will be in the team’s number 11 car. “I’m very honored that Andy trusts me to run Fast Track’s flagship number. I take great pride and responsibility to living up to the history,” Tinkle added.

When asked about Zachary Tinkle coming on board, Hillenburg reflected, “There are a lot of great up and coming drivers, but once in a while, one gets a little closer to your heart. I’ve watched Zachary since early on in his career and he has done very well while having to do it the hard way – much like myself earlier in my career. I really want to see what Zachary can do with a solid and planned effort. This is going to be a fun year!”

The ARCA Menards East series will consist of eight short track races at various tracks in multiple states. Four of the East races will be standalone while four of the races will be combo races with the ARCA Menards Series. One of those combo races will be at Tinkle’s ARCA home track: Lucas Oil IRP. Races will be streamed live on FloRacing with delayed replays on the USA Network.

Marketing partnership opportunities are still available for the 2023 season.

2023 ARCA Menards East Schedule
Five Flags March 25
Dover April 28
Nashville May 13
Flat Rock May 20
Lucas Oil IRP July 15
Milwaukee August 11
Iowa August 27
Bristol September 14

About Zachary Tinkle
Zachary Tinkle is a full-time driver in the ARCA Menards East Series racing in the #11 car for Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing. In 2022, Tinkle placed ninth overall in the ARCA Menards Series driver championship. Prior to ARCA, Tinkle won multiple late model championships. Through the Zachary Tinkle Foundation, he supports many worthy causes – currently focused on pet rescue efforts.

About Fast Track Racing
Owned and operated by Andy Hillenburg, one of the industry’s most revered figures, Fast Track Racing is one of the longest running active ARCA Menards Series teams. As pioneers in driver and crew development, Fast Track has helped establish the careers of Champions across NASCAR’s top three divisions international racing. Highlights within the ARCA platform include: the 1995 Driver’s championship, 2019 Rookie of the year, and, most recently, a record-breaking 4th place points finish by a female driver in the 2022 ARCA Menards Series East. Fast Track Racing has a proven record of success in spite of being a smaller budget team.

For Zachary Tinkle press inquiries, contact Laurren Darr at LaurrenDarr@ZacharyTinkle.com.

TOLEDO, Ohio – (Nov. 21, 2022) – The 2023 schedules for the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West have been finalized, with eight races slated for the East and 12 set for the West.

The West schedule will kick off at Phoenix Raceway on March 10, a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series while the East slate will commence with the series’ sixth visit to the historic Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. on March 25.

The highlights:

• The East schedule will be comprised of four stand-alone races and four combination races with the ARCA Menards Series.
• East stand-alone races will be at Five Flags Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, and, for the first time, Flat Rock Speedway.
• Downriver Detroit’s Flat Rock Speedway hosted 56 ARCA Menards Series races from 1953 through 2000 and at just a quarter mile will be the shortest track on the East schedule.
• The East season will conclude with four consecutive combination events with the ARCA Menards Series at Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, The Milwaukee Mile, and Bristol Motor Speedway.
• The East race at Dover will be part of a conjunction weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, while the races at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, The Milwaukee Mile, and Bristol Motor Speedway will all be same-day doubleheaders with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
• Irwindale Speedway in suburban Los Angeles will again host a pair of West races on April 1 and July 1.
• Madera Speedway, just northwest of Fresno, returns to the schedule for the first time since 2009 and Shasta Speedway, located two hours north of Sacramento, returns to the West calendar for the first time since 2015.
• Traditional West events at Kern County Raceway Park, Sonoma Raceway, Evergreen Speedway, All-American Speedway, and The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway all return.
• As it has since 2019, Phoenix Raceway will host the West season finale on Nov. 3, part of NASCAR Championship Weekend at the one-mile desert oval.
• West races at Phoenix, Sonoma, and The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be in conjunction with NASCAR National Series races.

The complete 2023 ARCA Menards Series East schedule: 

March 25    Five Flags Speedway              Pensacola, Fla. 

April 28      Dover Motor Speedway           Dover, Del. 

May 13      Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway    Nashville, Tenn. 

May 20      Flat Rock Speedway              Flat Rock, Mich. 

July 15      Iowa Speedway                  Newton, Iowa 

Aug. 11     Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park  Brownsburg, Ind. 

Aug. 27     The Milwaukee Mile              West Allis, Wisc. 

Sept. 14    Bristol Motor Speedway           Bristol, Tenn. 

The complete 2023 ARCA Menards Series West schedule: 

March 10    Phoenix Raceway                Avondale, Ariz. 

April 1     Irwindale Speedway               Irwindale, Calif. 

April 22    Kern County Raceway Park          Bakersfield, Calif. 

June 2      Portland International Raceway      Portland, Ore. 

June 9      Sonoma Raceway                Sonoma, Calif. 

July 1      Irwindale Speedway               Irwindale, Calif. 

July 29     Shasta Speedway                 Anderson, Calif. 

Aug. 19     Evergreen Speedway             Evergreen, Wash. 

Sept. 30    All-American Speedway            Roseville, Calif. 

Oct. 13     The Bullring at LVMS              Las Vegas, Nev. 

Oct. 21     Madera Speedway                Madera, Calif. 

Nov. 3      Phoenix Raceway                 Avondale, Ariz. 

All dates are tentative and subject to change.

Each ARCA Menards Series East and West stand-alone race will be streamed live on FloRacing and televised on a delayed basis on USA Network. Race start times, as well as broadcast details for combination races with the ARCA Menards Series will be announced at a later date.

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 and regional 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, regional touring late model series, 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).

Toledo, OH (11-18-2022) – For the first time since June 2000, the ARCA Menards Series platform will race at the tight, banked quarter-mile Flat Rock Speedway when the ARCA Menards Series East takes to the track on May 20, 2023.

The ARCA Menards Series raced at the track, affectionately known as The Level Pebble, 56 times from 1953 through 2000. The track’s first races were a pair of 250-lap events, run on the same day, both won by Julian Petty, his only two series victories. Other winners at Flat Rock Speedway over the years include Bob Hunter, Bill Lutz, Les Snow, Iggy Katona, Bobby Watson, Andy Hampton, Ramo Stott, Ron Hutcherson, A. Arnold, Moose Myers, Bill Green, Bill Kimmel, Jim Cushman, Marvin Smith, Bob Dotter, Lee Raymond, Bobby Jacks, Bill Venturini, Ed Hage, Bob Keselowski, Tracy Leslie, Dave Weltmeyer, Grant Adcox, Bobby Bowsher, Harold Fair, Jeremy Mayfield, Gary Bradberry, Andy Hillenburg, Joe Ruttman, Tim Steele, Frank Kimmel, and Bill Baird. Kimmel won the final race in 2000.

The race will mark the second time the series, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and rebranded under the ARCA sanction prior to the 2020 season, has raced in the state of Michigan. The series raced at Berlin Raceway in 2017 with former ARCA Menards Series West champion Todd Gilliland, and former ARCA Menards Series winner at nearby Toledo Speedway, taking the victory.

The race is scheduled for 150 laps to be run straight through with no break or competition cautions. Teams will be permitted to pit for adjustments and emergency service on the infield intersection used for the weekly Figure-8 division at the track.

Flat Rock Speedway’s weekly ARCA-sanctioned DTS Drivetrain Specialists Street Stock and the famed “Motor City Mad Men” of the Figure-8 division will also be in action.

The eight race ARCA Menards Series East calendar will start on March 25 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida and conclude on September 14 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The entire ARCA Menards Series East schedule, as well as the schedule for the ARCA Menards Series West, will be released in the coming days.

The ARCA Menards Series will again race 20 times at 19 tracks in 2023, kicking off its 70^th Anniversary Season with its 60^th race at Daytona International Speedway and concluding, for the second consecutive year, with its championship event at its home track Toledo Speedway. 

The series will compete on one of the most diverse lineup of racetracks in motorsports, including superspeedways, intermediate speedways, paved short tracks, a pair of road courses, and a pair of one-mile dirt tracks. 

The highlights: 

• The season opener will mark the 60^th visit for the ARCA Menards Series to Daytona International Speedway dating back to 1964. The race will once again be held on the same day as the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the day before the Daytona 500. 
• A pair of short track races at Berlin Raceway and Elko Speedway highlight the month of June. 
• In addition to the return of the wildly-successful same-day doubleheader with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on August 11, the series will add another same-day twin-bill with the Trucks at The Milwaukee Mile on August 27. 
• The series will race in conjunction with the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, which is the only track to host two series races in 2023, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Michigan International Speedway in addition to conjunction races at Daytona International Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, Watkins Glen International, and Bristol Motor Speedway. 
• The series will make its fourth visit to both Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Watkins Glen International for its two road course races. 
• For the second straight year, the series will conclude its season with three consecutive short track races at Bristol Motor Speedway, the series-leading 109^th visit to Salem Speedway, and Toledo Speedway. 

The series will also hold one combination race with the ARCA Menards Series West, at Phoenix Raceway in March, while events at Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, The Milwaukee Mile, and Bristol Motor Speedway will be combination races with the ARCA Menards Series East. 

The complete 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule: 

Feb. 18	Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach, FL
March 10	Phoenix Raceway	Avondale, AZ
April 22	Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega, AL
May 6	Kansas Speedway	Kansas City, KS
May 26	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Concord, NC
June 17	Berlin Raceway	Marne, MI
June 24	Elko Speedway	Elko, MN
July 7	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Lexington, OH
July 15	Iowa Speedway	Newton, IA
July 21	Pocono Raceway	Long Pond, PA
Aug. 4	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, MI
Aug. 11	Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park	Brownsburg, IN
Aug. 18	Watkins Glen International	Watkins Glen, NY
Aug. 20	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, IL
Aug. 27	The Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, WI
Sept. 3	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	DuQuoin, IL
Sept. 8	Kansas Speedway	Kansas City, KS
Sept. 14	Bristol Motor Speedway	Bristol, TN
Sept. 30	Salem Speedway	Salem, IN
Oct. 7	Toledo Speedway	Toledo, OH

All dates are tentative and subject to change.   

Schedules for the ARCA Menards Series East and West along with the complete ARCA Menards Series platform broadcast schedule, including event start times, will be released at a later date. 

For further information please visit ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the-minute updates 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 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). 

15-Year-Old Racer from Michigan Will Compete in ARCA Menards Series West Season Finale Friday at Phoenix Raceway

Phoenix’s 1-Mile Oval is a New Test for Hettinger after Winning Late Model Races at Southeastern Short Tracks

DRYDEN, Mich. (Nov. 3, 2022) – At just 15 years old, Katie Hettinger’s racing resume is already filled with some trail-blazing accomplishments:

● Won the 2020 Champion Racing Association (CRA) Junior Late Model Series title to become the first and only female champion in the CRA’s 25-year history.

● In the span of two weeks in September 2021, Hettinger became the youngest female race winner at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway when she won the 50-lap Limited Late Model feature Sept. 4 as part of the Bobby Isaac Memorial event. She then became Hickory’s youngest female Late Model race winner on Sept. 18 when she won the track’s 75-lap feature, further burnishing Hickory’s moniker as the Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.

● Hettinger has won four more Late Model races at Hickory in 2022 to become the winningest female racer in the track’s 72-year history.

With those accomplishments firmly in hand, despite a Michigan driver’s license remaining out of reach until the Dryden native turns 16, Hettinger is preparing for her next step on the racing ladder. This Friday at Phoenix Raceway, Hettinger will compete on the biggest track of her burgeoning career when she drives the No. 02 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series West season finale.

“Phoenix is the biggest track I’ll have ever been on, so that’s going to be a challenge. It’s a lot more technical,” said Hettinger prior to the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100.

“I’ve done some simulator sessions to get ready for this race, and that will certainly help, just learning the proper lines to run and braking points and getting a general understanding of the layout. It’s no replacement for the real thing, but it’s still a big help, and it’s definitely going to make the learning curve a little less steep.”

Hettinger’s No. 02 Chevrolet is fielded by Young’s Motorsports with support from Wheeler Trucking, a leader in automotive transportation services, and bradCM Incorporated, a privately owned and operated general contracting firm.

“Anytime I get in a racecar, my goal is to win, but ARCA is a step up with strong teams and talented drivers, so the more realistic expectation is to finish Phoenix among the top-10,” Hettinger said.

Phoenix is a fast and flat, 1-mile oval that also hosts the championship finales for NASCAR’s top-three series – Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck.

“Every time I get into a new car, I just drive it like I normally would,” said Hettinger, who has made over a hundred starts in Late Model and Limited Late Model competition. “I don’t usually struggle with switching classes or cars or anything like that.”

Nonetheless, Hettinger is aware that ARCA represents a new style of racing, and she is already putting in the time to adapt to the 3,400-pound ARCA car.

“The main thing that I’ve found to be different with the ARCA car is you have to back up your entry into the corners. With the Late Model, you can drive it deep into the corner, which is what I like. With the ARCA car, you have to be a little more patient. You have to wait a little bit longer to get back to the gas.”

Hettinger is a third-generation racer who attended her first race at only four weeks old. Her grandfather, Jim Hettinger, raced open-wheel Midgets and Sprint Cars and won two Midget championships in 1984 and 1990, accolades that earned him a spot in the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. Her father, Chris Hettinger, was also a winning open-wheel racer, primarily in Midgets. It wasn’t long before Katie’s name began appearing on entry lists and at the top of race results.

By age five, she was racing Quarter Midgets. At first, it was only locally, but soon Hettinger was racing regionally and then nationally, collecting more than 40 wins.

At nine, she moved up to Junior Sprints and 600cc Micro Sprints, competing on dirt from 2016 through 2018. But pavement beckoned. An 11-year-old Hettinger transitioned to full-bodied stock cars in the CRA Junior Late Model Series and she proved to be a quick study.

After finishing fourth in the 2019 championship and earning the Sportsman of the Year award, Hettinger upped her game in 2020. She took two wins and earned three fast-time awards, one of which set a new track record at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, and ended the season as the 2020 CRA Junior Late Model Series champion.

Since turning 14 in June 2021 and getting her NASCAR license, Hettinger scrapped the “Junior” tag from her Late Model. She regularly competes at the highest level of local stock car racing, commuting from Michigan to race in the southeastern hotbed of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, with the .363-mile Hickory oval being one of Hettinger’s more frequented tracks.

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish at Hickory, but I didn’t go there to become the winningest female racer. I went there to win races, just like all the other guys there,” Hettinger said.

With four wins in her eight visits to Hickory this year, Hettinger has accomplished her goal. Making those triumphs even more impressive is that Hettinger has done it while juggling school. Three of her wins this year came while she was a freshman– April 30, May 7 and May 21. Her most recent victory on July 23 was the only one to come while she was out of school on summer break.

“I juggle everything I do with school and it can be hard sometimes, but I’m able to stay on top of it,” said Hettinger, an avid outdoorswoman who also enjoys hunting and fishing. “I still get mostly A’s and some B’s, and I’ve been able to manage it.”

Beyond the pit crew that helps her at the track, Hettinger has the full support of her family as she chases her NASCAR dream. This includes her 12-year-old sister Grace and 4-year-old brother Keith.

“My mom and dad are very supportive and understanding, and my sister is a competitive dancer and plays volleyball. My little brother loves racing and he always wants to go see Katie’s racecar. They’re all in this dream as much as I am.”

AVONDALE, Ariz: Parker Chase isn’t done trying for his first ARCA victory in 2022.

While his partial schedule in the premier ARCA Menards Series is complete, Chase will return with the potent Venturini Motorsports this week to kick off Championship 4 weekend at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in Friday morning’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100.

The ARCA Menards Series West finale presents an opportunity for Chase to collect his seventh top-10 overall this season, but also an opportunity to rebound at the Avondale, Ariz. race track after a less-than-ideal 20th place finish in the General Tire 150 in March.

“I’m looking forward to getting to Phoenix this weekend,” said Chase.

We had such a fast Venturini Motorsports Toyota earlier this season but we didn’t get the finish I felt we deserved. I’m glad that I have the chance to return and finish what we started on Friday morning.

“Phoenix is a fun place to race. It certainly is a momentum-type race track, but there is also plenty of space to race but it can be treacherous too. It’s not an easy place to negotiate but that is what makes it so much fun.”

The 100-lap race on November 4 is expected to be an ARCA Menards Series West race that will be full of intensity. In a relatively short race with a stacked field and a championship to be decided, Chase believes that action will start from the drop of the green flag.

“I’m expecting Friday’s race to be a lot like last year’s ARCA West finale,” recalled Chase. “There were over 30 cars entered and the battle was hot and heavy right from the start. With a lot more experience on my side this season, I believe as a driver I’m better prepared and I hope we can showcase that with our No. 15 Ontivity | Vertical Bridge Toyota Camry.”

Looking for his third ARCA top-five finish of the year and first since finishing second at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July, Chase believes that opportunities will present him and his Venturini Motorsports to contend for his first career ARCA victory.

“I’ve had an absolute blast with Venturini Motorsports this season,” added Chase. “We have done a lot together this year. We have qualified inside the top-10 in all but one race – led at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and have two second-place finishes to boot.

“I want to win though. That’s what we are going to Phoenix to do. It’s achievable, especially with Venturini Motorsports. Yes, the competition will be tough and yes, the drama will likely come into the picture, but we will be ready and hopefully when that checkered flag waves on Friday, we will be the ones hoisting the trophy in Victory Lane.”

Since 2020, Chase has 14 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of second twice at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 2022) and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (July 2022).

Overall, he has earned three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes and holds an average series finish of 8.9.

For more on Parker Chase, please visit ParkerChase.com, like him on Facebook (Parker Chase), Instagram (@parkerchase) and follow him on Twitter (@parker_chase19).

The Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 11th of 11 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series West schedule. A combined practice and qualifying session begins on Thursday, November 3, 2022, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning at 11:30 a.m. MT (2:30 p.m. ET) on Friday, November 4, 2022. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire festivities. All times are local (MT).

Friday, November 4th
Track: Phoenix Raceway, one-mile paved tri-oval
Race: 11 of 11
Event: Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 (100 laps, 100 miles)

Schedule

Thursday, November 3rd
Practice/Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. ET

Friday, November 4th
Race: 11:30 a.m. ET (FloRacing)

Taylor Gray, No. 71 Ford Mustang

• Following a breakout year in the ARCA Menards and ARCA East seasons, Taylor Gray will conclude his portion of the ARCA West schedule Friday afternoon.
• Gray is coming off a dominant ARCA West performance at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he earned the pole and led 157 laps en route to his second ARCA West win in as many chances in 2022.
• The 17-year-old pilot now holds five wins in ARCA West competition, having scored a win in every season he has been old enough to compete.
• With Gray’s usual number being claimed on the West circuit already, he will utilize the No. 71 for the final event of the 2022 season before transitioning to the NASCAR Truck Series full-time in 2023.

Andrés Pérez de Lara, No. 51 Empereon Constar Latam Mustang

• Andrés Pérez de Lara will make his final start in the No. 51 at Phoenix Raceway for David Gilliland Racing in 2022.
• The Mexico City native has enjoyed a smooth transition to ARCA competition, finishing seventh in his debut at Bristol Motor Speedway while claiming a runner-up finish at the Las Vegas Bullring two weeks ago.
• Pérez de Lara is a part of the 2022 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class and will participate at the Drive for Diversity Combine in 2023.
• Crew Chief Derek Smith will call the shots for the Empereon Constar Mustang. Smith, a former winner at Phoenix Raceway with driver David Gilliland in 2020, is a veteran of the ARCA Menards Series — collecting over 30 races to his credit between all three ARCA divisions.

WINCHESTER, Ind: The 51st annual Winchester 400 presented by Vore’s Welding & Steel is on deck this weekend at the historic Winchester (Ind.) Speedway and Logan Bearden return to the ARCA | CRA Super Series powered by JEGS scene looking to return to top-five form in Sunday afternoon’s race.

Bearden, a part-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver hasn’t visited the ARCA | CRA Super Series tour since their trip to Winchester last month. In the World Stock Car Festival race, Bearden started second but finished sixth.

Despite a solid finish at one of the most demanding race tracks on the circuit, Bearden left the track disappointed and vowed to return to the track more than two months later better than they were on Labor Day weekend.

To prepare for the Oct. 16 race, the team opted to skip Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway two weeks later with a spirited focus on working on their No. 66 Bearden Automotive | Parker Electric Ford Mustang to be more competitive.

Happy with the results during an open test at the famed half-mile short track last week,

Bearden and his family-owned team return to the famed race track looking for big results in one of the most anticipated short track races of the year.

“The test we had went well,” Bearden said. “It was nice to be able to try things without the stress of a normal race weekend. We made so good gains that seem to have produced speed, so we hope to return to the track this weekend and pick up where we left off.”

Sunday’s race will be one of the longest races of the season with 400 laps or 1,600 turns around the legendary facility, but Bearden is up for the challenge and feels that his Bearden Motorsports team can showcase in a grueling and griding race like the Winchester 400.

“I feel good about this weekend,” added Bearden. “I enjoy these longer races where quite a bit of strategy takes place. The most important battle for us is making sure we keep up with the handling of our No. 66 Bearden Automotive | Parker Electric Ford Mustang – while staying on the lead lap.

“If we can keep up with the pace of the race, I feel the longevity of the race will play into our hands and we should have an opportunity to contend for the win.”

Looking for his first win of the season in the ARCA | CRA Super Series powered by JEGS tour this season, Bearden is obviously hunting for the opportunity to hoist the trophy on Sunday afternoon, but if a win isn’t in the cards – Bearden said a podium finish would be a great rebound for his team.

“We are coming to Winchester this weekend with the thoughts of winning the race,” Bearden explained.

“This is also an opportunity for our team to rebound. We weren’t satisfied with our efforts the last time we were at Winchester – and skipped the next race at Toledo to make sure we were in a better place this

time around.

“Tons of arduous work by everyone on this team I think will pay off on Sunday. I’m grateful to everyone for their hard work and can’t wait to get on the track.”

In addition to Bearden Automotive and Parker Electric, All In Designs, Marc Metz Racing, AIRBOX Air Purifier and AM Racing will serve as associate marketing partners for Bearden’s penultimate race of the season.

Pits will open on Saturday, July 30th at 11:00 a.m. Practice will begin at 2:15 p.m. with the ARCA | CRA Super Series having two 45-minute practice sessions with the one-day format of the event.

The Winchester 400 is 400 laps counting cautions and is a 12-tire race. The event will once again feature Controlled Cautions in an effort to save teams the cost of bringing in professional pit crews.

When a yellow comes out teams will have two laps to service their race car without losing laps or positions on pit road.

Those cars will then line up behind the cars that did not pit at that yellow. Teams not getting out of the pits in the two laps will have to fall to the tail of the field and will risk losing laps.

As in the past, teams will only be allowed to change a maximum of two tires per yellow flag.

The format for the Winchester 400 has also been changed for the 51st edition, in an effort to save teams some expenses for the weekend.

The ARCA | CRA Super Series teams will just be at the track for two days, they will move in, have two one-hour practice sessions and qualify on Saturday, October 15.

The 51st Winchester 400 presented by Vore’s Welding & Steel will take place on Sunday, October 16, with a green flag at 2:00 p.m. ET.

For more on Logan Bearden, please visit LoganBearden.com, like his Facebook page (Logan Bearden Racing) or follow him on Twitter @LoganBearden66.

Friday, October 14th
Track: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 3/8-mile oval
Race: 10 of 11
Event: Star Nursery 150 (150 laps, 106.6 miles)
Schedule
Practice/Qualifying: 5:15 p.m. ET
Race: 10:15 p.m. ET (FloRacing)

Taylor Gray, No. 71 Ford Mustang

• Taylor Gray has concluded his ARCA Menards Series and ARCA East seasons for 2022 and will venture west for the final two ARCA West events of the year at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
• Last Saturday afternoon, the No. 17 team brought home a fourth-place finish in the ARCA season finale at Toledo Speedway in a special tribute paint scheme to Frank Kimmel.
• Gray returns to The Bullring looking to repeat his dominant performance from last season where he started second and led 123 laps en route to victory lane.
• The 17-year-old pilot has historically been successful on the ARCA West trail with four victories, seven top-fives and nine top-10s. He is one for one in 2022 with his early season triumph at Phoenix.
• With Gray’s usual number being claimed on the West circuit already, he will utilize the No. 71 for the final two events of the season.

Andrés Pérez de Lara, No. 51 Empereon Constar Latam Mustang

• Andrés Pérez de Lara returns to the No. 51 at The Bullring for his second of three starts with DGR.
• In his ARCA debut at Bristol Motor Speedway last month, the 17-year-old impressed with a seventh-place finish.
• Pérez de Lara is a part of the 2022 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class and was announced as a Drive for Diversity Combine participant for 2023 last week.
• Crew Chief Derek Smith will once again call the shots for the Empereon Constar Mustang. Smith is a veteran of the ARCA Menards Series with well over 30 races to his credit between the three ARCA series.