Category: ARCA

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Chevrolet Accessories GMS Racing Chevrolet

DuQuoin Stats

- Daniel has no prior starts at DuQuoin.

2022 ARCA Menards Series Stats

• Starts: 15
• Top 5’s: 9
• Top 10’s: 13
• Poles: 1
• Avg Finish: 6.3

Notes:

• Daniel Dye will make his first career start at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, a one-mile flat dirt racing surface.
• Sunday’s Rust-Oleum Automotive Finishes 100 will be race 16 of the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season. Dye is second in series point standings, 11 from the lead.
• Dye finished seventh in his inaugural dirt track start two weeks ago at the Springfield mile. The same GMS Racing chassis will be used this weekend at DuQuoin, as was used on the Springfield, Illinois dirt track.
• The Daytona Beach, Florida driver, Dye, has compiled nine top-five finishes through 15 ARCA races, with 13 top-tens and one General Tire Pole Award.
• Chevrolet Accessories will adorn the hood of Dye’s black No. 43 car, with additional sponsorship from Solar-Fit, Race to Stop Suicide, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• The September 4th ARCA Menards Series 100-lap race will air live on MAVTV and FloRacing, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET.
• Behind-the-scenes updates and content will be posted to Daniel’s Twitter account (@danieldye43) on race day.

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operating the No. 23 and the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs, as well as the ARCA Menards Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet SS. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Camping World 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.

WEST ALLIS, Wisc.: Praying for some luck.

After a continuous stretch of misfortune and heartbreak, ARCA Menards Series rookie Amber Balcaen and Rette Jones Racing invade The Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile this weekend using every trick known to man hoping their luck will change in Sunday afternoon’s Sprecher 150.

The historic oval nestled in a suburb of Milwaukee completes a stretch of three races in seven days for the ARCA Menards Series tour and Balcaen hopes the 15th race of the season yields a finish that brings some much-welcomed momentum for the popular driver and team.

Last weekend at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Raceway and the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield) saw two opportunities for Balcaen to take the checkered flag. However, an erroneously attempted pass by a competitor landed Balcaen into the barrier wall.

Two days later in her return to dirt, the No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion team was plagued by overheating woes that prematurely ended their day.

With six races remaining in her freshman ARCA Menards Series season, Balcaen has more than enough paid her dues in the heartbreak department and hopes the Sprecher 150 offers an opportunity to contend for her fourth top-10 of the 2022 season.

“I am excited about racing at The Milwaukee Mile this weekend,” said Balcaen. “It looks like a fun track and I know that my Rette Jones Racing team is going to bring me a fast No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.”

Even with her frustrating finishes, Balcaen has continuously been able to display speed including in the most recent races at Watkins Glen and Springfield – and this weekend on the one-mile track of The Milwaukee Mile, she expects no different.

“To showcase speed despite our bad luck has been really important for both me and our team to show that we are capable of top-10 finishes and having solid competitive runs,” added Balcaen.

“My goal this year has always been to improve and develop my skills as a driver and I know I have accomplished that despite what the results show. I know I continue to show more speed and ability as the races progress.”

As for the continued support around her, Balcaen has used the positive vibes from friends, family and fans to continue to hammer down behind the wheel and stay upbeat despite the continued forks in the road.

The support from my friends, family and fans has been incredible,” she mentioned. “It feels amazing to have so many positive and uplifting messages and support from everyone. They all know I can do it; we just need things to go our way.”

This weekend’s race in Wisconsin will again be a combined series race – with the ARCA Menards Series East division set to compete with the premier ARCA Menards Series.

Knowing that Sunday’s race can bring even stiffer competition to the race track, Balcaen doesn’t mind the challenge and is determined to use the knowledge of her team and resilience from the cockpit to deliver a competitive finish.

“We know we have to ability to be a top-five to a top-10 car; we just need luck on our side and things to fall into place. This weekend’s race will be a challenge, but like the challenges we’ve embraced all year, we accept it with open arms.

“I’m learning with every lap on the track and competing against some of ARCA’s best in both divisions opens the door for me to improve my craft even more and I’d like to showcase that in a big way on Sunday afternoon.

“I would be happy with a top-10 finish on Sunday.”

For crew chief and co-team owner Mark Rette, he is confident that his rookie driver’s positive outlook will pay dividends soon.

“Amber is not going to give up and when our luck turns for the better, she is going to deliver the finishes I know we are capable of,” offered Rette. “Everything that has happened over this ongoing stretch of races has been a learning experience and will help the program for the long term.

“It’s not been easy. It’s been a lot of work on our Rette Jones Racing team, but a lot of it hasn’t been her fault. We stand behind Amber and we’ll continue to take our battle wounds and press on.

“She did exactly what she needed to do at Watkins Glen and got cleaned out. A lot of teams, including ours, battled overheating woes at Springfield. We’ll reset once again and march on.”

ICON Direct will continue to adorn the primary positions on Balcaen’s race car in their 15th of 20 races this season.

ICON Direct is a manufacturer of high-quality plastic component parts for the RV industry, located in Manitoba, Canada. ICON aftermarket replacement parts are available through RV Dealers and Distributors across North America and directly through their website IconDirect.com.

The Winnipeger’s new endeavor at Rette Jones Racing will also be supported by Glenn McLeod and Sons – cementing a full Canadian roster of partners for her ARCA Menards Series rookie season.

Longtime RJR partners Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement and JRi Shocks will continue their relationship with the team in 2022 and serve as associate partners on Balcaen’s No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.

RJR is co-owned by Canadian entrepreneur and former race car driver Terry Jones.

Entering Milwaukee, Balcaen sits sixth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 42 points out of fourth and 137 markers in the arrears to championship leader Nick Sanchez.

“I want to still put together some top 10’s and hopefully even some top-fives by the end of the season,” sounded Balcaen. “I know we have it in us. I think our bad luck streak must be over by now and I am focusing on the positives of the speed and progression we have shown.”

For more on Amber Balcaen, please visit amberbalcaenracing.com, like her on Facebook (AmberBalcaenRacing) and follow her on Instagram (@amberbalcaen10) and Twitter (@amberbalcaen10).

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 Sprecher 150 (150 laps | 150 miles) is the 15th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Sunday, August 28, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. A timed General Tire pole session kicks off at 12:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 2:00 p.m. CT | 3:00 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

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 plan to field a full-time entry in 2022 in the ARCA Menards Series, while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series East and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) respectively.

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

Friday, August 19
Track: Watkins Glen International, 2.45-mile road course
Race: 13 of 20
Event: General Tire Delivers 100 (41 laps / 100 miles)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Mustang
Start: 4th
Finish: 8th

Taylor Gray qualified in the fourth position for the General Tire Delivers 100 at Watkins Glen International. The 17-year-old had an eventful opening lap, climbing to second place in a heated and physical battle with fellow competitor Connor Mosack. Despite keeping pace with race leader Sammy Smith, the Artesia, NM native radioed that his Ford Mustang was struggling in the esses. Needing more front grip through the right-handers, Crew Chief Chad Johnston called for a chassis adjustment at the mandatory stage break. With the No. 17 feeling better on the exit on the carousel, Gray was right on the leader’s heels throughout the second half of the contest. A caution on lap 30 allowed Gray to capitalize on the restart, grabbing the lead in turn 11 before a caution would nullify the pass and re-rack the field for a green-white-checkered finish. On the ensuing restart, contact in turn one would shoot Gray up the track, dropping him down the order and relegating the Ford Performance driver to an 8th-place finish.

Next event: Atlas 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois on August 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: With his 2022 ARCA Menards Series season winding down, road course ace Parker Chase returns to the circuit in the final road course race of the season hoping to contend for his first career ARCA victory in Friday night’s General Tire Delivers 100 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

Returning to the seat of Venturini Motorsport’s No. 15 Vertical Bridge Toyota Camry, Chase is hoping his return to the Finger Lakes of New York offers an opportunity to rebound from Pocono Raceway, but also deliver a similar performance as his most recent road course race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course where he earned a career-best second-place finish.

“I’m glad to be back in ARCA competition and racing at a track that I’m familiar with,” said Chase.

“Every race is an opportunity and with only a handful of races left on my schedule this year, I’d love to keep progressing forward and showcase my road racing skills again with a trip to Victory Lane on Friday night.”

Chase has previous experience at the 2.450-mile road course earning a podium finish in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge division and hopes to carry that success to stock cars in the short 41-lap race on Friday night.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a road course, superspeedway, short track or wherever, any type of experience at a track is beneficial,” added Chase. “With my experience and success at Watkins Glen in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – I am hoping it will all pay off towards the bigger picture.”

Watkins Glen will showcase Chase’s third career ARCA start on a road course and with an average finish of sixth at his two previous road courses at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Couse and Mid-Ohio, Chase knows the layout of Watkins Glen proves to be one of the friendlier venues.

“From a road racing background, Watkins Glen is definitely one of the easier road courses,” Chase explained. “It has some unique characteristics and there are plenty of trouble spots if you don’t pay attention – but as far as the technical element, it’s forgiving which makes my job a little easier behind the wheel.

“I just need to capitalize on that when it counts the most on Friday.”

With just three scheduled races remaining on his Venturini Motorsports slate in 2022, Chase aims to add his name to the winning roster of drivers for the veteran team.

“I really want to build some consistency with my Venturini Motorsports team over these next couple of races. Road course racing is a lot of fun and I know my team and crew chief Kevin Reed will bring me a fast No. 15 Vertical Bridge Toyota Camry, but I’m eager to win.

“I believe I can win for these guys and I would love to do it at a track that is an absolute blast to race at.”

Despite completing in only six of the scheduled 12 races, Chase sits a respectable 16th in the championship standings, 129 points out of 10th.

In addition to Watkins Glen, Chase will pilot a Venturini Motorsports Toyota Camry at a variety of race tracks in 2022, including Kansas Speedway and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September.

Since 2020, Chase has 11 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 eight top-10 finishes and holds an average series finish of 9.6.

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 General Tire Delivers 100 (41 laps | 100.45 miles) is the 13th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Friday, August 19, 2022, from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying kicks off at 4:25 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 and the Motor Racing Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).

Builds on partnership with New York road course In multi-year deal for General Tire Delivers 100 at The Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 18, 2022) – Already a visible presence for fans on race weekends, General Tire was today announced as the entitlement partner for this summer’s ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, August 19, now called the General Tire Delivers 100 at The Glen.

The expanded partnership builds on an existing relationship between General Tire and The Glen that began in 2019. General Tire signage, hospitality and displays have been a vibrant part of the NASCAR race weekend experience for fans. Prior to that, Continental, the parent company of General Tire, partnered with The Glen on IMSA race weekends from 2012-2018.

“General Tire has been an outstanding partner of our track and we’re proud to see their partnership expand to include the General Tire 100 at The Glen,” said Watkins Glen International president Michael Printup. “The return of the ARCA Menards Series to New York was met with great fanfare last year and we can’t wait to see the action on the track again this year.”

After the ARCA Menards Series made its debut at Watkins Glen International in 2001 (in a race won by John Finger), it was 20 years before the series would return to the historic road course in 2021. Last year, the race was won by Corey Heim – one of six wins for the young driver who finished second in the series standings to Ty Gibbs.

“We are proud to continue our partnership at the Glen,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire. “Watkins Glen produces excellent racing year after year, so we are thrilled to sponsor this event. As we’ve continued to support the ARCA Menards Series since we first became a partner in 2016, our track partnerships help to expand both of our brands even further.”

Prior to the return of the ARCA Menards Series last summer, The Glen hosted a total of 26 ARCA Menards Series East races (then run under the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East banner) between 1993 and 2019. Recent winners of that race included this year’s Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric in 2016 and current NASCAR Xfinity Series standout Brett Moffitt in 2018.

Watkins Glen hosts the NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend August 17-21, with racing action beginning with the General Tire 100 at The Glen ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, August 19. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete on Saturday, August 20, and the Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race will cap off the weekend on Sunday, August 21.

To purchase IMSA or NASCAR race tickets or for camping and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit TheGlen.com. Fans can view the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series schedules and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets.

About Watkins Glen International

Located within five hours and 300 miles of 25 percent of the U.S. population, Watkins Glen International is the premier road racing facility in North America, four-times voted “Best NASCAR Track” by readers of USA Today. Keep up with The Glen on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For tickets, camping, and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit www.TheGlen.com and get all of the latest information by downloading the NASCAR tracks app at www.theglen.com/nascar-tracks-app.

2022 Watkins Glen International Schedule

April 9-10 – Opening Weekend

May 20-22 – Ferrari Challenge North America

June 3-5 – SCCA Majors Super Tour

June 23-26 – IMSA Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen

July 7-10 – Finger Lakes Wine Festival; Masters Historic Racing Weekend

July 21-24 – GT World Challenge America

August 17-21 – NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen

September 8-11 – Hilliard U.S. Vintage Grand Prix

October 28-29 – Finger Lakes Beer Festival Presented by Chemung Canal Trust Co.

2022 Watkins Glen International NASCAR Weekend Schedule

August 19 – General Tire Delivers 100 at The Glen – ARCA Menards Series Race

August 20 – Sunoco Go Rewards 200 – NASCAR Xfinity Series Race

August 21 – Go Bowling at The Glen – NASCAR Cup Series Race

About General Tire

For over 100 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of Major League Fishing, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series, Team Lucas, ROUSH Performance, Expedition Overland, Camburg Engineering, FreestyleMx.com Tour, Zero One Odyssey, and Jeep Jamboree USA. Team GT supports athletes: Jim Beaver, Jerett Brooks, Cory Winner, Kyle Greaves, Stan Shelton, Ryan Beat, Skeet Reese, Edwin Evers, Mark Rose, Ott DeFoe, Andy Montgomery, James Watson, Alton Jones Jr., and Britt Myers.

Advance discount tickets to the ARCA Menards Series season finale at Toledo Speedway are now available at northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan Menards locations. Tickets to the Shore Lunch 200 presented by CGS Imaging, slated for Saturday, October 8, can be purchased for just $20, a savings of $10 off the race-day ticket price.

The Shore Lunch 200 presented by CGS Imaging will determine the ARCA Menards Series champion, marking the first time since 2011 that the series title has been determined at the series’ home track.

The day’s schedule will feature practice and qualifying for the ARCA Menards Series, an on-track autograph session with each of the drivers entered in the Shore Lunch 200 presented by CGS Images, as well as several former championship-winning drivers and team owners. Toledo Speedway will also crown season champions in the Salenbien Excavating Late Model Sportsman and The Vault Antiques and Treasures Factory Stock divisions, with the 200-lap main event putting an exclamation point on the on-track activities at 4 pm ET.

“It’s a tradition for a lot of tracks to end their season with a big weekend, and the Shore Lunch 200 presented by CGS Imaging will be big for sure,” said ARCA president and Toledo Speedway owner Ron Drager. “We have a great championship battle developing in the ARCA Menards Series between three great up-and-coming talents, Nick Sanchez, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Each of those drivers has shown to be outstanding, with a very bright future. We look forward to seeing which of them will end up as the 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion.”

Several former ARCA Menards Series champions have already indicated they will participate in the weekend’s activities, including 1987 and 1991 driver and owner champions Bill and Cathy Venturini, 1982 series champion and current series official Scott Stovall, 1995 champion Andy Hillenburg, and 2019 team owner champion Billy Venturini, with additional former champions expected to confirm their participation in the coming weeks.

Fans can purchase advance discount tickets to the Shore Lunch 200 presented by CGS Imaging by visiting Menards locations in Defiance, Findlay, Holland, Oregon, Sandusky and Toledo in Ohio, and in Ann Arbor, Belleville, Jackson, Livonia, Taylor, Warren, and Wixom in Michigan.

For complete event information, please visit ARCARacing.com.

WATKINS GLEN, NY: On the heels of another top-10 finish in ARCA Menards Series competition two weeks ago at Michigan International Speedway, Greg Van Alst and his team trek to the Fingers Lakes of New York ready to make the most of the final road course race of the season in Friday night’s General Tire Delivers 100 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

By no means does Van Alst consider himself a road racing ace, but on the strength of a respectable 12th-place finish in his road course debut last month at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Anderson, Ind. native returns to the mindset of turning both left and right in hopes of delivering his eighth top-10 finish of the 2022 season.

“Hopefully the second road course is better than the first,” Van Alst said with a chuckle.

“Right now, it doesn’t look like there will be any rain which is a big relief from what we dealt with at Mid-Ohio.

“I don’t feel we did badly at Mid-Ohio; I am just inexperienced. So hopefully we take what we learned and get better at Watkins Glen.”

A long-time racer with aspirations of someday making a start in one of NASCAR’s top-three national divisions, Van Alst is familiar with the layout of Watkins Glen from studying previous races, but as the ARCA veteran knows – nothing is more adequate than actual seat time.

“For me, it’s just going to be about consistency at Watkins Glen this weekend,” added Van Alst. “I don’t expect to see us in contention for the win, but I think with a game plan, I think we can maintain a good enough pace that keeps our top-10 rebooted streak alive on Friday.”

With seven top-10s in the last nine races in a tough summer stretch, Van Alst is proud of the work that his all-volunteer team has committed to his No. 35 CB Fabricating Ford Fusion not only this summer but all year long.

“The momentum of our team is really big right now,” added Van Alst. This stretch has been tough on us with no full-time guys. I’m not complaining by any means, but I am proud of what we are doing with the way we operate and work hard to get to the race track every week.

“This weekend might be our biggest challenge yet, but I am confident if we can have a good race on Friday night, it’s only going to help us prepare for the rest of the weekend and Milwaukee next weekend.”

Following Watkins Glen, Van Alst will join the rest of the ARCA teams and travel west to the Illinois (Ill.) State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill where he’ll make his debut on a dirt track in the highly-contested Atlas 100.

“It’s a part of the dream right?” sounded Van Alst. “I’ll admit I’m more nervous about the travel to and from each track. You just worry about something happening out of your control. But, once you arrive at the track and unload, it is business as always but there are a lot of miles to cover in a short amount of time.

“I don’t know what to expect on Sunday as far as racing on the dirt. I’m just trying to have a positive open-mind approach and hope it will help for DuQuoin in a few short weeks.”

Chris Barkdull’s CB Fabricating, a longtime partner with Greg Van Alst Motorsports has boosted its commitment to the team and will continue its role as the primary marketing partner of Van Alst’s No. 35 Ford Fusion.

Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating, and assembly.

Their 26,000-square-foot facility allows them to service the needs of many different industries. Everything from the Automotive, agricultural, aquatic, medical, transportation, electrical enclosures, and much more.

“We are accelerating forward and preparing for this six-week stretch and none of it would be possible without the support of Chris,” expressed Van Alst.

“The consistency we have shown over the last two months is the type of pace that will keep Chris and everyone on this team in it for the long haul,” expressed Van Alst. “Everyone left Michigan International Speedway feeling like we got our mojo back.

“With every race complete, even if it is not the finish we are hoping for, it’s a small victory for our team knowing the large mountain that is still left to climb. I’m thankful to have the support of Chris and CB Fabricating.”

In addition to CB Fabricating, Top Choice Fence, Norton Transport, KRJ Race Products and Lintz Creative will serve as associate marketing partners for Van Alst’s 24th career ARCA start.

Entering Michigan, Van Alst sits a career-high fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 84 markers in the arrears to championship leader Nick Sanchez.

“Step by step, we will do everything we can to catch the top three,” sounded Van Alst. “No question they have been the three strongest cars all year, It’s not going to come without some luck and strong finishes, but we are not going to go down without a fight. This is a tough series and we are still proud of where we are at.

“We still stay focused.”

For more on Greg Van Alst and Greg Van Alst Motorsports, please visit GregVanAlst.com, like them on Facebook (Van Alst Motorsports) and follow him on Twitter (@GregVanAlst35).

For more on CB Fabricating, please visit CBFabricating.com and like them on Facebook (CB Fabricating).

The General Tire Delivers 100 (41 laps | 100.45 miles) is the 13th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Friday, August 19, 2022, from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying kicks off at 4:25 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 and the Motor Racing Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).

The Atlas 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 14th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Sunday, August 21, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. General Tire pole qualifying kicks off at 11:15 a.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 1:00 p.m. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

Friday, August 19
Track: Watkins Glen International, 2.45-mile road course
Race: 13 of 20
Event: General Tire Delivers 100 (41 laps / 100 miles)

Schedule
Practice: 3:15 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 4:25 p.m. ET
Race: 6:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Sunday, August 21

Track: Illinois State Fairgounds, 1-mile dirt track
Race: 14 of 20
Event: Atlas 100 (100 laps / 100 miles)

Schedule
Practice: 11:00 a.m. ET
Qualifying: 12:15 p.m. ET
Race: 2:00 p.m. ET (MAVTV/FloRacing)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Mustang

• Taylor Gray enters a doubleheader weekend with the ARCA Menards Series this weekend. He will make his second career appearance at Watkins Glen International on Friday followed by his third appearance at the Springfield Mile on Sunday.
• At Watkins Glen one year ago, the 17-year-old driver finished seventh in a stout field of cars. He also competed in the Truck Series race last season, but mechanical gremlins plagued the team resulting in a 35th-place finish.
• On the dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Gray has finishes of fourth and third in the last two seasons. For this event, the team has prepared a Ford Fusion entry out of its fleet of ARCA cars.
• Friday’s event will serve as the seventh round of the Sioux Chief Showdown. The No. 17 sits second in the standings, 19 points behind leader Sammy Smith.

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: Taking a much-welcomed off-week to reset, ARCA Menards Series rookie Amber Balcaen and Rette Jones Racing trek into an ARCA doubleheader weekend with an optimistic approach beginning with Friday night’s General Tire Delivers 100 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

Watkins Glen marks the second and final road course race of the season. Two days later, Balcaen and her Mark Rette-led team thunder to the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield) for the first of two ARCA Menards Series races on the one-mile dirt in the Atlas 100 on Sunday, August 21.

While Balcaen will have zero laps turned at both race tracks, she is still approaching the unknown with a positive attitude in hopes that her mental approach will finally be the key to ending a frustrating summer for the driver of the No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.

“I’m happy to get another shot at a road course and hope Watkins Glen will be a good race for our Rette Jones Racing team,” said Balcaen.

“I think Watkins Glen will fit my driving style a lot better than Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course did and hopefully I’ll be able to showcase that from practice to the checkered flag on Friday night.

“Hoping the rain stays away so we can get a fair crack at getting a top-10 finish with our No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.”

Soaring past the halfway point of the ARCA Menards Series season, Balcaen and her Mooresville, N.C.-based team hope to stop a challenging six-race stretch that has resulted in an average finish of 17.1 for the freshman ARCA driver.

While Balcaen has continuously been able to showcase speed with her No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion at tracks like Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Michigan International Speedway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway to name a few – getting to the end of the race has proven to be tough as issues have prevented Balcaen from delivering her fourth top-10 finish of the year.

The popular ARCA driver and team know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and with a recent reboot approach to the season – Balcaen is remaining confident as she knows there have been plenty of positives hidden behind the negative.

“We just have to continue to focus on the positives,” explained Balcaen. “There has been a lot of bad luck and a lot that has happened outside of our control. But we showed speed at Pocono, and we showed up with speed again in the most recent race at Michigan International Speedway.

“So, we know we are capable of running consistently in the top-10, it’s just a matter of our luck turning around and hopefully the races at Watkins Glen and Springfield provide the opportunities for us to get back on track.”

While the former Late Model driver has experience on a road course last month, Sunday’s 100-laps on the dirt will be a different task even with her background and success racing on the dirt in her previous racing endeavors.

“I think this weekend will be a lot of fun,” sounded Balcaen. “My background is dirt track racing so I am excited to be on the dirt on Sunday. It will be a busy weekend but as long as everything flows smoothly it should be a really fun one as well.”

Hopeful for two additional top-10 scores on Friday night and Sunday respectively, Balcaen is focused on getting a solid pace that would put her No. 30 Rette Jones Racing team in a positive spotlight with just six races remaining after Sunday.

“Dirt racing is my background so I feel confident about the dirt race, and as far as the road course race, I know I am a lot more capable than what I showed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,” spoke Balcaen.

“I am just looking for big improvement turning left and right and letting our car slide perfectly on Sunday afternoon. From there, we can look ahead to The Milwaukee Mile next weekend.”

For crew chief and co-team owner Mark Rette, he is confident that his rookie driver’s positive outlook will soon pay dividends.

“Amber is not going to give up and when our luck turns for the better, she is going to deliver the finishes I know we are capable of,” offered Rette. “Everything that has happened over the last several races has been a learning experience and will help the program for the long term.

“We’ll take our battle wounds and press on. She did a great job at Michigan and we experienced a parts failure. Hopefully, a double dose of racing gives us the shot in the arm that we need to turn our season around and focus ahead on the upcoming stretch drive.”

Amber Balcaen 05.09.22a.jpg

ICON Direct will continue to adorn the primary positions on Balcaen’s race car in their 13th and 14th of 20 races this season.

ICON Direct is a manufacturer of high-quality plastic component parts for the RV industry, located in Manitoba, Canada. ICON aftermarket replacement parts are available through RV Dealers and Distributors across North America and directly through their website IconDirect.com.

The Winnipeger’s new endeavor at Rette Jones Racing will also be supported by Glenn McLeod and Sons – cementing a full Canadian roster of partners for her ARCA Menards Series rookie season.

Longtime RJR partners Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement and JRi Shocks will continue their relationship with the team in 2022 and serve as associate partners on Balcaen’s No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.

RJR is co-owned by Canadian entrepreneur and former race car driver Terry Jones.

Entering Watkins Glen, Balcaen sits sixth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 36 points out of fourth and 120 markers in the arrears to championship leader Nick Sanchez.

For more on Amber Balcaen, please visit amberbalcaenracing.com, like her on Facebook (AmberBalcaenRacing) and follow her on Instagram (@amberbalcaen10) and Twitter (@amberbalcaen10).

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

The General Tire Delivers 100 (41 laps | 100.45 miles) is the 13th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Friday, August 19, 2022, from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying kicks off at 4:25 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 and the Motor Racing Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).

The Atlas 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 14th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Sunday, August 21, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. General Tire pole qualifying kicks off at 11:15 a.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 1:00 p.m. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

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 plan to field a full-time entry in 2022 in the ARCA Menards Series, while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series East and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) respectively.

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