Category: ARCA

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Carolina Custom GMS Racing Chevrolet
Charlotte Stats

- Daniel Dye has no prior starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway

2022 ARCA Menards Series Stats

• Starts: 4
• Top 5’s: 3
• Top 10’s: 3
• Poles: 0
• Avg Finish: 6.3

Notes:

• Daniel Dye will make his first career start at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, driving the GMS Racing No. 43 Carolina Custom Chevrolet.
• The No. 43 Chevy driven by Dye is one of just two competitors to have completed every lap (402) of ARCA competition this season. Daniel has been the race leader for 32 of those laps.
• Dye graduated from Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, during the off-week (May 21), and will set his sights on attending Daytona State College this fall.
• DD has 18 career ARCA Menards Series starts, earning one victory (Berlin Raceway, 2021) and numerous top-five and top-ten finishes.
• Crew Chief Chad Bryant will call the shots from the pit box for Dye, and Derek Kneeland will spot the No. 43.
• The General Tire 150 is set for 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, May 27. The race will be televised live on FS1 and broadcast on select affiliates of the Motor Racing Network, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and MRN.com. Additionally, the race will be streamed through the FOX Sports App.
• Behind-the-scenes updates and content will be posted to Daniel’s Twitter account on race day, @danieldye43.

Quote:

“I’ve heard a lot about how challenging Charlotte is to race at, with its unique characteristics and bumps, especially in turns three and four. I have done my homework and research in preparation for Friday’s race, and I’m confident the GMS guys will bring us a fast Carolina Custom number 43 to run up front with. We’ve been really good at every event so far this season, and I believe a win is right around the corner.”

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.

CONCORD, N.C.: On the heels of her career-best finish in the premier ARCA Menards Series two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, rookie Amber Balcaen hopes to continue a solid ride of momentum and capture back-to-back top-10 finishes in Friday night’s General Tire 150 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

After mounting then a career-best 12th place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April, Balcaen and her Rette Jones Racing team invaded Kansas Speedway looking to maintain pace.

Not only did Balcaen maintain pace, but she impressed with a strong ninth-place finish in her track debut at the 1.5-mile speedway nestled outside Kansas City, Kansas.

With another 1.5-mile track on deck, this weekend and with most of the ARCA Menards Series teams within a 50-mile radius of the Concord, N.C.-race track, Balcaen is optimistic that she can not only back up her Kansas effort but perhaps land another career-best ARCA finish.

“I am really excited to race in Charlotte,” said Balcaen. “It’s now my new home track and I really enjoy mile and a half race tracks and look forward to backing up what we were able to produce at Kansas.”

Since the drop of the green flag to the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season in February at Daytona, Balcaen’s mission has been to make improvements with every start. Some finishes may not reflect the enhancements she has gained behind the wheel of her No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion, but with every ARCA premier start, she is becoming a better driver and Kansas offered proof of that fact.

“Improving every race and getting that official top-10 finish was really big for both my development and confidence moving onto Charlotte this weekend,” added Balcaen. “I hope to build on what I learned in Kansas and get another top-10 result at Charlotte on Friday night.”

While Kansas and Charlotte showcase the same track length, the two tracks from a driving standpoint are night and day. To better aid Balcaen for her fifth ARCA Menards Series start of the season, she has been readily utilizing the tools available to her.

“I have been competing on iRacing, studying video – both past race footage and in-car (camera) and even also evaluating my prior performance from Kansas finding the areas on which I can improve on and be able to apply that to Charlotte,” Balcaen explained.

“It’s going to be a much tighter field I think on Friday compared to Kansas, so it’s important that I take all the resources available to me so when practice does get underway on Friday, I already know what to expect. Hopefully, that will allow us to dial in our No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion and post a good lap to start as close to the front as possible.”

As far as the race, Balcaen believes her Rette Jones Racing No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion can contend for another top-10 finish or better.

“I would like another top-10 at Charlotte but I am now hungry for that first top-five effort,” sounded

Balcaen. “As usual I want to be able to run all the laps, keep the car clean, be competitive and keep learning and progressing.”

For crew chief and co-team owner Rette, he is confident that his rookie driver will continue to adapt and find her groove and continue an upward pace in her ARCA Menards Series quest.

“I was thrilled with Amber’s efforts at Kansas,” offered Rette. “It can be difficult to get comfortable at an incredibly fast track like Kansas, but she did well and continued to make huge strives from the start of practice until the checkered flag flew.

“Charlotte is a challenging track, but I feel if Amber is able to take that mindset she hoisted at Kansas, she’ll be able to adapt to the different driving style that Charlotte requires and find herself in a good rhythm that I hope will lead to an astounding finish on Friday night.”

ICON Direct will continue to adorn the primary positions on Balcaen’s race car in their fourth 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. 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 Charlotte, Balcaen sits seventh in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, nine points out of fifth and 46 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 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fifth of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A combined practice and qualifying session begins on Friday, May 27, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM channel 391, online channel 981 managing the radio waves 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).

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.

KANSAS CITY, Kan: Greg Van Alst needs some luck in the ARCA Menards Series and Kansas Speedway might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Van Alst and his Greg Van Alst Motorsports team trek to Kansas Speedway, the site of his first career top-10 finish last year hoping to rekindle the magic and put his 2022 ARCA Menards Series season back on track.

In the series’ most recent race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Van Alst once again proved how fast his No. 35 CB Fabricating Chevrolet SS was drafting from his mid-pack starting position based on 2021 car owner points to inside the top-five.

Unfortunately, Van Alst got shuffled late in the race and with the event cut short due to time constraints, he ran out of laps to climb back through the field and settled for a season-best 11th place finish.

With the path steered in the right direction, Van Alst eyes Saturday afternoon’s Dutch Boy 150 as the primary opportunity to not only capture a top-10 finish but earn some much-needed ARCA Menards Series championship points.

“We are feeling really good about this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway,” said Van Alst. “I feel like this is a track that our experience will benefit our team on Saturday afternoon. We’ve learned a lot about our intermediate program over the past year and I’m eager to get on the track to get a good gauge on where we stand.”

Scoring the first of three top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway last May, Van Alst says returning to the site of what was then the best effort of his ARCA career gives his all-volunteer team some much-welcomed momentum in the fourth ARCA race of the 2022 season.

“It is huge for us to return to Kansas Speedway,” added Van Alst. “The race last fall didn’t go our way, but we had a mechanical issue that hindered our performance. In the spring, we were competitive and I feel like it showed the other competitors and teams that we can bring speed to any type of race track.

“Reflecting on last year gives us the confidence to shoot for a good day.”

With an average finish of 23rd after three races this season, Van Alst has made the climb to 13th in the championship standings and just six points outside the top-10.

Another good run at the Kansas City, Kansas facility would continue a steady uphill climb as Van Alst hopes to challenge for the series championship. Entering Kansas, Van Alst is 49 points behind championship leader Rajah Caruth.

“We are disappointed with the results we have had so far,” explained Van Alst. “We have had two finishes out of our control that has set us back but not out. We are going to continue to grind to work ourselves back into contention for the season championship.”

As for his goals for Saturday afternoon’s 100-lap contest, Van Alst would like to improve on his sixth-place finish from last year and post his second career top-five ARCA Menards Series run.

“We are hoping for a top-five finish on Saturday,” sounded Van Alst. “We are taking the car we took there in the fall and have found the issues that caused us to struggle at that race.

“We hope these things allow us to be fast right off the trailer. With practice and qualifying being combined on Saturday morning, it’s important for us to make the most of that track time so we can get a good starting position from there.

“From there, it’s just running our race and staying out of trouble and hoping that when push comes to shove, we’re in a position to capitalize on exactly what we’re going to Kansas to do.”

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.

“Kansas was special last year for a lot of reasons and it was great to carry CB Fabricating to its first top-10 in ARCA competition with our team,” recalled Van Alst. “Like Talladega, Kansas can prove to be a pinnacle race for our small team and 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 15th career ARCA start.

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 Dutch Boy 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fourth of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A combined practice and qualifying session begins on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) managing the radio waves 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).

KANSAS CITY, Kan: Fresh off her career-best finish in the premier ARCA Menards Series, rookie Amber Balcaen looks to deliver her Rette Jones Racing team a strong top-10 finish in Saturday afternoon’s Dutch Boys 150 at Kansas Speedway.

After finishing a respectable 16th in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Balcaen set a goal to improve on her first superspeedway race. Mission accomplished.

A competitive No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion kept Balcaen hovering inside the top-15 for a majority of the race. A late-race surge vaulted her to inside the top-10, but an untimely caution that ultimately froze the field, left Balcaen and her Mark Rette-led team with a season-high 12th place finish at the demanding 2.66-mile superspeedway.

Reflecting on her Talladega finish, Balcaen said it is important to continue to improve behind the wheel of her No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion

“It’s really important for me as a rookie to keep progressing forward each race,” explained Balcaen.

“Seeing my improvement from Daytona to Talladega helps increase my confidence and builds positive momentum going into Kansas.

“The goal is always to be better and better every race, and if we can keep doing that then we will be on the right path to success.”

With a strong finish in the books and the superspeedway program completed for the season, Balcaen and her Mooresville, N.C. team look ahead to Saturday’s first intermediate race of the ARCA Menards Series season hoping the momentum continues in the fourth race of the year.

“I am really excited for Kansas,” said Balcaen. “It will be my first time on a mile and a half-track but I am ready for it.”

Set to embrace her first of several mile-and-a-half tracks of the 2022 ARCA season, Balcaen has been taking a calculated approach over the past two weeks to make sure she can execute at Kansas beginning with a combined practice and qualifying session on Saturday morning.

“I’ve been preparing for Kansas but watching videos of past ARCA races, studying in-car camera videos, practicing on iRacing and staying consistent in the gym,” she explained. “All of these elements are important for my debut in Kansas to be as seamless as possible.

“We have just forty-five minutes of track time on Saturday before the race starts, so it’s important for me to take advantage of that track time and apply it and give my team good feedback so we can post a fast lap and start as close to the front as possible.”

Kansas will also be the site of a new partner aboard her No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Fusion. 1st Phorm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri is a high-performance supplement and nutrition that has been a long-time partner of Balcaen’s, however, this weekend, 1st Phorm will increase its commitment and serve as an associate marketing partner for the 100-lap race.

“1st Phorm and I have been partnered for the last eight years but this is the first time they will be on my race car in a larger way. Their brand and core values really align with mine, so it’s the perfect fit. I am a big advocate for fitness and health, so I am excited to have them on the car this weekend.”

As far as the race, Balcaen believes her Rette Jones Racing No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion can contend for a top-10 finish or better.

“A good goal for our team on Saturday is a top-10 finish, but I would be really happy with a top-five,” she said. “I want to have fun like I did at Talladega and keep progressing forward as a driver.”

For crew chief and co-team owner Rette, he is confident that his rookie driver will adapt and find her groove and continue a solid pace in her ARCA Menards Series quest.

“Amber did a terrific job at Talladega,” added Rette. “I am excited to see what she can do on some of these cookie-cutters tracks on the ARCA Menards Series schedule. Kansas is a good placemat to get us ready for Charlotte at the end of the month.

“She’d like a top-10 on Saturday and that would be a good booster for our Rette Jones Racing team and give us even more momentum for the upcoming races.”

Amber Balcaen 05.09.22a.jpg

ICON Direct will continue to adorn the primary positions on Balcaen’s race car in their fourth 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. 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.

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 Dutch Boy 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fourth of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A combined practice and qualifying session begins on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) managing the radio waves 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.

CONCORD, N.C.: Two-time ARCA Menards Series winner Gus Dean (@gusdean) has added Saturday afternoon’s Dutch Boy 150 race to his Venturini Motorsports 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule.

Dean, a native of Bluffton, S.C. returned to the ARCA Menards Series in 2022 after a two-year hiatus and has delivered two top-five finishes aboard the No. 55 Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the series’ most recent race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 23.

Despite missing the series’ second race of the year at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, he is seventh in the championship standings.

Dean will pilot the No. 15 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry with Kevin Reed Sr. serving as crew chief.

“I’m very thankful to add this race with Venturini Motorsports,” said Dean. “Everyone at Venturini Motorsports has certainly been great to work with and we’ve enjoyed some strong runs in our two races together. Our goal at Kansas though is to win.

“Anything less than a win would be a disappointment.”

The popular ARCA driver has four prior ARCA Menards Series starts at the 1.5-mile track with a top-10 finish in his last visit during the 2019 ARCA Menards Series season finale with AM Racing.

“I like Kansas Speedway, but I don’t have the finishes to show that,” added Dean. “Hopefully, we can change that with our No. 15 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry and build our notebook for my next planned ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway in August.”

The 27-year-old South Carolinian is amid a busy 2022 season combining of ARCA, Late Models, Mud Truck Racing and a hopeful sporadic appearance or two in one of NASCAR’s National Series.

“With no championship on the line for me this season, it’s about having fun,” sounded Dean. “Whether that’s competing with Venturini Motorsports in ARCA, DLP Motorsports in Late Model competition, or the other racing endeavors we have planned for this season.

“We’re working hard behind the scenes to get back to a full-time status hopefully in 2023.”

In addition to Mobil 1, Dean Custom Air, Folds of Honor, IMPACT, Kick Industries and WileyX will serve as associate marketing partners for Dean’s 58th career ARCA start.

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

The Dutch Boy 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fourth of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A combined practice and qualifying session begins on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) managing the radio waves 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).

NASHVILLE, Tenn: On the heels of a top-10 finish in last Friday afternoon’s General Tire 125, ARCA Menards Series East rookie Christian Rose treks on during his freshman campaign eyeing his third straight top-10 run in Saturday night’s Music City 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

Rose aboard the No. 42 West Virginia Tourism Toyota Camry for Cook Racing Technologies experienced his toughest short track yet last weekend at the Monster Mile, but progress was made throughout the race including in the final sprint to the finish which gives Rose motivation as his learning curve continues.

“Dover was definitely a challenge but start to finish I feel like we went forward, especially at the end of the race,” said Rose who also captured a top-10 finish at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway in March.

“Dover can certainly be intimidating because things can happen in a hurry but I feel like that as our No. 42 West Virginia Tourism Toyota Camry improved handling wise, especially late in the race – I wish I could have taken with what I had learned during those first 100 laps and I suspect our race result would look a lot different.”

Tackling Dover for the first time with a car intact and a top-10 finish would suffice as a victory for some, but Rose admitted that his Cook Racing Technologies team is hungry about winning.

“I know that I am learning behind the wheel and my team stands behind me 100 percent, but they have already visited Victory Lane as an organization this year and I know they want to do it again. I’d love to do for West Virginia Tourism and everyone who supports our team. This isn’t easy – especially in ARCA.

“The series is full of very good drivers who compete for some of the best race teams out there, but we are improving and we are heading in the right direction. Nashville is a place that I have prior experience at and I’m hoping that will pay dividends ahead of the race on Saturday night.”

In 2019, Rose competed in a CARS Pro Late Model Tour event at the historic half-mile short track.

“I feel like Nashville is pretty close to your typical short track,” Rose added. “Its confines are tight and the bottom groove is the preferred line, but it’s also a momentum track where if you can carry that speed through the corners and onto the straightaways, your chances of passing cars and making moves.

“It’s important to make sure we get our No. 42 West Virginia Tourism Toyota Camry dialed in and practice and then utilize the race to keep making gains to put us in contention. The track is going to change a lot throughout the night so it’s crucial that we keep up with those adjustments to keep our drive off strong that will hopefully put us in contention for a top-five finish on Saturday night”

No matter the outcome of his fourth career ARCA Menards Series East start this weekend, it’s already been an amazing week for the Martinsburg, West Virginia native.

On Tuesday, May 3rd – he was inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Wall of Fame for his Division 1 baseball achievements.

“Tuesday was very special,” sounded Rose. “I appreciate everyone at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for giving me the honor and it brought back a lot of great memories. I’m ready to make new memories though on Saturday in one of the coolest cities in the United States.”

This season, Rose who competes in the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East will continue to strengthen a relationship with the West Virginia Department of Tourism.

The West Virginia Department of Tourism promotes West Virginia as a leading four-season travel destination and a top state to live, work and retire.

Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the United States and home to thousands of acres of parks and public lands, including America’s newest national park and 45 state parks and forests.

In addition to its majestic mountains and rolling hills, West Virginia is full of rich historic sites, enchanting art galleries, charming towns and an immense sense of belonging found only in its heaven-like landscapes.

In West Virginia, let country roads lead you far away from everything. And a little closer to heaven.

“My relationship with the West Virginia Department of Tourism is everything to me,” added Rose.

“Without them, I would not be able to race at Nashville. It is my goal throughout the year to spread the mission of everything the West Virginia Department of Tourism means.

“It goes without saying that we have had a lot of speed with our West Virginia Department of Tourism race cars this year and we’re starting to climb that ladder of consistency. There is still more work to do though. A lot more work.

“We will get there though. Our Cook Racing Technologies team is too good not to have our luck turn around and post the finishes we know that we are capable of.”

Following Nashville, Rose and CRT plan to compete in the ARCA Menards Series event at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on May 27th.

For more on Christian Rose, please like him on Facebook (Christian Rose Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@christianroseracing) and Twitter (@CRoseRacing).

The Music City 200 (200 laps | 119.2 miles) is the fourth of seven races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series East schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, May 7th at 1:30 p.m. for an hour and fifteen-minute session. General Tire Pole qualifying begins at 4:15 p.m. The event will take the green flag just after 8:30 p.m. with live streaming coverage on FloRacing and taped delay television coverage on the USA Network on Friday, May 13th at 12:00 p.m. ET. All times are local (Central).

About The West Virginia Department of Tourism:

The West Virginia Department of Tourism promotes West Virginia as a leading four-season travel destination and top state to live, work and retire.

Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the United States and home to thousands of acres of parks and public lands, including America’s newest national park and 45 state parks and forests.

In addition to its majestic mountains and rolling hills, West Virginia is full of rich historic sites, enchanting art galleries, charming towns and an immense sense of belonging found only in its heaven-like landscapes.

Racing fans in southern Indiana will have an opportunity to Break Out the Herr’s when the ARCA Menards Series returns to the historic high-banks of Salem Speedway in the Herr’s Snacks 200. It will mark the 108th time since 1956 the series has raced at the legendary half-mile oval located between Indianapolis and Louisville.

The Herr’s Snacks 200 will be the 19th race of the 20 that comprise the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season. It will also be the series’ annual throwback race, allowing teams to celebrate days gone by with unique paint schemes from the past on their cars.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ARCA and Menards,” said Bob Clark, VP of Marketing, Herr Foods. “That partnership is now in its eleventh year. It continues to expose our brand to millions of great race fans that follow the ARCA Menards Series. We’re excited to move the Herr’s Snacks 200 to Salem Speedway this year, one of the most exciting and historic tracks on the circuit.”

The relationship between Herr Foods, ARCA, and Menards started with current NASCAR Cup Series star Chris Buescher winning at Madison International Speedway on his way to the ARCA Menards Series title in 2012, kicking off a three-year run at the Wisconsin half-mile that also saw 15-year-old sensation Kyle Benjamin and Justin Boston score wins. The entitlement then moved to the legendary high-banked half-mile Winchester Speedway in Indiana for two years, with current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self winning in 2015 and future NASCAR Cup Series star Chase Briscoe scoring his first career series win on the way to the 2016 series championship.

The sponsorship transitioned to the mile dirt track at the Illinois State Fair in 2017 where former series champion Grant Enfinger scored the most recent of his 16 career ARCA Menards Series wins. Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series star and nine-time ARCA Menards Series winner Chandler Smith celebrated his first career ARCA win with a potato chip shower in victory lane at Madison in 2018 and followed with another at Lucas Oil Raceway in 2019. The 2020 version of the race was part of the ARCA Menards Series East schedule at Toledo Speedway and rising superstar Ty Gibbs earned the victory, one of seven he scored on the ARCA Menards Series platform throughout the year. Last year’s Herr’s 200 was also at Toledo Speedway, again part of the ARCA Menards Series national tour, with Gibbs again celebrating in victory lane.

“We have always enjoyed our partnership with Herr’s because few things go better than watching a great race and enjoying a great snack, and when you “break out the Herr’s” while watching a race, you’re guaranteed both,” said Menards promotions manager Jeff Abbott. “Salem Speedway is a thrilling racetrack that has seen a lot of great racing and unexpected moments. It will be a critical stop this year in the battle for the championship too.”

In addition to the Salem race entitlement, Herr’s will continue its designation as the Official Salty Snack of the ARCA Menards Series, as well as per race, point fund and special award sponsorship.

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 ARCA/CRA Super Series, and the ARCA Midwest Tour, 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.

 
DOVER, Del. (April 29, 2022) – Taylor Gray grabbed the momentum his race team was seeking in a commanding way Friday at Dover Motor Speedway.

And his reward is a new Monster Trophy to display.

Gray led 115 of 125 laps and cruised to his first victory at the Monster Mile with a win in the General Tire 125 ARCA Menards Series East race.

It was the first ARCA Menards Series East victory of the year for Gray, 17, a New Mexico native, who has also made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this year.

Gray has top-three finishes in all three AMSE races so far this season but Friday marked his first trip to Victory Lane.

“Hard work has paid off finally,” Gray said. “We’ll take this momentum and go to Nashville [next race in series is May 7 at the Fairgrounds] and see what we can do.

“We’ve been working hard and making gains.”

Gray, driving the No. 17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing, topped second-place Jesse Love by 1.456 seconds at the checkered flag, with Conner Jones in third and Rajah Caruth in fourth.

Sammy Smith, who entered Friday as the ARCA Menards Series points leader after winning the season’s first two races, finished fifth.

Gray earned the pole position with a track record lap of 160.915 mph earlier on Friday.

And after capping a long day at Dover with a big win, Gray already has a place in mind to keep his newly-won Monster Trophy.

“It’s a super cool trophy – probably one of my favorite trophies on the circuit,” Gray said. “It’s probably going to go right in my living room.”

The NASCAR tripleheader weekend race weekend schedule also includes:

SUNDAY, MAY 1: DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne NASCAR Cup Series race (3 p.m., FS1).
SATURDAY, APRIL 30: A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race (1:30 p.m., FS1)
The DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne is the 104th NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, one of only 10 venues in the country to host 100 or more Cup Series events.

TICKETS:
Kids 12 and under get in FREE with a paying adult to Saturday’s race and start at just $10 on Sunday. For tickets to all of Dover Motor Speedway’s events, visit https://www.DoverMotorSpeedway.com or call 800-441-RACE.

FOLLOW US:

Keep track of all of Dover Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter and Instagram or become a Facebook fan. Be sure to use #DuraMAXDrydene400 and #AGame200 in your posts.