Category: ARCA

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Rette Jones Racing (RJR) confirmed today the addition of this weekend’s ARCA Menards Series (AMS) race at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway to the team’s 2021 schedule with NASCAR rookie Kris Wright at the helm.

Wright will tackle his fourth career ARCA Menards Series short track race, but first with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, and overall eyes a career-best finish in his ninth career start.

“Anytime you add a race to your schedule that you weren’t planning to be a part of it is a good day,” said Wright.

“I’ve heard a lot about Winchester not only from Mark (Rette, crew chief and co car-owner) but other drivers who just really embrace the track.

“I’m excited to get to Indiana and experience the racetrack for myself. We had a fast car at Pocono Raceway last month but had some bad luck. Hopefully, we can bounce back on Saturday night and give our team some momentum for the ARCA Menards Series race next weekend at Watkins Glen.”

While expected to be a favorite for the series’ return to the Finger Lakes region of New York on Aug. 6, Wright is eager to continue his development in stock cars since transitioning from Sports Car Racing during the 2020 season.

Wright doesn’t have any experience at Winchester’s historic half-mile oval, but he does have laps at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in an ARCA car. Bristol’s “Thunder Valley” often is compared to Winchester with its extremely fast lap times and the demeanor required to negotiate passing and even lap traffic.

“I’ve heard that Winchester is a high-banked half-mile with some similarities to Bristol and last fall I had a blast there,” added Wright. “Unfortunately, we had some battery problems in the race that hindered our finish – but I’m thankful now more than ever for the experience and hope it will be beneficial for our race on Saturday night.”

Long-time Wright partner Wright Automotive Group will serve as the primary marketing partner for Wright’s third ARCA start of the season.

Since 1927, family-owned and operated Wright Automotive Group and WrightCars.com has been serving the Pittsburg area’s automotive needs featuring its Chevrolet, Buick, GMS, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Lotus, Genesis and Explorer Vans brands.

They offer an extensive selection of new and pre-owned inventory in Pennsylvania.

Find the perfect vehicle for your lifestyle at Wright Automotive Group.

“We’ve had speed just not the results for things that were completely out of Kris’s control,” offered Rette. “He has done everything we’ve asked of him and then some. Hopefully, the bad luck ends on Saturday night.

“Even though he doesn’t have any laps at Winchester, I think he will adapt quickly and have a chance of a strong night and finish in our No. 30 Wright Automotive Group Ford Fusion.

“I am thankful Kris has chosen Rette Jones Racing to help further his stock car development and the team is looking forward to Winchester and Watkins Glen for sure.”

In his previous eight ARCA Menards Series races, Wright has four career top-10 finishes, including a career-high seventh twice at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in 2020.

In addition to Wright Automotive Group, iHeart Radio, Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement and JRi Shocks join the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as partners this weekend.

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

For more on Kris Wright, please visit, kriswrightmotorsports.com, like him on Facebook (Kris Wright Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@KrisOnNASCAR).

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

The Calypso Lemonade 200 (200 laps | 100 miles) is the 12th of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., Jul. 31 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is set for a short time later at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold Pass. 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 2021 in the ARCA Menards Series East, while also hopeful to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

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

WINCHESTER, Ind: Determined to pick up the pieces of an unfortunate weekend at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway last month, Greg Van Alst Motorsports today announced the addition of Saturday night’s ARCA Menards Series race at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway to his 2021 schedule.

The addition of his first short track race of the season brings a new race car to the Greg Van Alst Motorsports fleet, purchased from the former potent Chad Bryant Racing team.

Van Alst had hoped to make his “Tricky Triangle” debut at Pocono Raceway, but a crash in the opening laps of practice at the 2.5-mile triangle forced the Anderson, Indiana-based team to withdraw and regroup.

While disappointed with the outcome of Pocono, the team led by interim crew chief Donnie Richeson has worked harder than ever to prepare not only for Saturday night’s Calypso Lemonade 200 but upcoming races on the 2021 premier ARCA Menards Series schedule.

“I am blessed to be able to add another ARCA Menards Series race to our schedule,” said Van Alst. “Winchester is such a historic place, but I have a love-hate relationship with the track. But I think that’s the tempo when it comes to racing at Winchester. Some races you love it, others you hate it. Hopefully, we’re on that good side when the checkered flag waves on Saturday night.

“I can’t thank Chad Bryant enough for offering us a stout short-track car.

“Pocono was certainly tough to swallow, but we are determined to turn a positive out of a negative and adding Winchester Speedway – a race that was not on our schedule just shows the drive and determination of our race team.”

Van Alst has plenty of experience at Winchester’s half-mile high banks and while the track is dubbed as his hometown ARCA Menards Series race, the 2019 ARCA CRA champion is hoping to put on a show and contend for his first career top-five finish in the highly anticipated 200-lap barn burner.

“I’ve never won a race at Winchester, but I won a championship there,” added Van Alst. “There is definitely an opportunity for us to win on Saturday. It is not going to be easy, but it is possible.

“Whatever happens on Saturday though, it will be a good test for Bristol later this year for our team. We have a lot to look forward to this summer and fall. I’m just so appreciative to everyone who helps make this happen.”
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.

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.

For the second consecutive race, not only is Van Alst racing for his second top-10 finish of the year on Saturday, but awareness too.

CB Fabricating president Chris Barkdull was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and will utilize the ARCA event to bring attentiveness and awareness to the disease as Barkdull continues treatment.

“We would not be racing at Winchester – heck any of these ARCA races this season without Chris,” added Van Alst. “He’s just not an investor or a partner in this thing – he’s family. When he was diagnosed, he was determined to do his part to educate the public and that is exactly what he is going to do.”

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 eighth career ARCA start.

Earlier this month, Van Alst turned heads with a spirited fourth-place ARCA | CRA Super Late Model run in the historic 55th Greg Hubler Automotive Group Redbud 400 presented by Mitch Smith Auto Service and Perfecto at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway.

Throughout the 400 laps, Van Alst improved nine positions after his 13th place qualifying effort in the No. 35 CB Fabricating | Top Choice Fence Chevrolet.

Following Winchester, Van Alst’s next ARCA Menards Series race with regular crew chief Jim Long is nestled in the Irish Hills of Brooklyn, Mich. at Michigan International Speedway for the Michigan 200 on Fri., Aug. 20, 2021.

For more on Greg Van Alst and Greg Van Alst Motorsports, please stay tuned for a new website, but 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 Calypso Lemonade 200 (200 laps | 100 miles) is the 12th of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., Jul. 31 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is set for a short time later at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold Pass. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).

HUEYTOWN, ALABAMA (July 29, 2021) – Alabama’s Jolynn “JoJo” Wilkinson will debut in the ARCA Menards Series West this weekend for Bill McAnally Racing, driving the no.19 Instacoat Premium Products Toyota Camry at Colorado National Speedway. Wilkinson arrives in the series after a busy season of Pro Late Model and BMR Drivers Academy races to prepare her for the 625hp stock cars.

Wilkinson is a third-generation racer and the second-generation in her family to compete in ARCA-sanctioned competition. She continues the “Alabama Gang” tradition from her hometown of Hueytown as well.

Saturday’s race will be broadcast live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold at 8:05 p.m. Mountain Time. The NAPA AUTO PARTS Colorado 150 will also air on NBC Sports Network on Wednesday August 11 at 3 p.m. Eastern. The black, white, and red Toyota is also supported by Innovative Waterproofing Solutions.

“I can’t thank Anthony from Instacoat Premium Products enough,” Wilkinson said. “They’ve been beside me this whole entire journey and I’m thankful for them. I’m really excited to see what I can do at Colorado and learn as much as I can in one of these ARCA cars.”

Wilkinson has accumulated ten starts in the BMR Drivers Academy – a NASCAR Driver Development Program – this season with several runner-up finishes and fast-times across three different California race tracks. She also tested for BMR in January and again on race week as she aims for Colorado.

For more information on Jolynn Wilkinson, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. She can also be followed on her new website www.JoJoWilkinson.com

Daniel Dye, No. 21 GMS Racing, Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet

Winchester Speedway Stats

- Daniel Dye has no prior starts at the high-banked half-mile

2021 ARCA Menards Series Stats

• Starts: 3, Best start: 1, Best finish: 1, Avg finish: 3.3

Career ARCA Stats

Notes:

• Daniel Dye will make his fourth career ARCA Menards Series national tour start on Saturday at the “worlds fastest half-mile” Winchester Speedway.
• Saturday’s Calypso 200 will be Dye’s first career start at Winchester and his fifth race in the GMS Racing No. 21 Solar-Fit Chevrolet.
• Crew Chief Chad Bryant and Dye will work together for the fifth time this season, and look to maintain an impressive ARCA Menards Series average finish of 3.3. Dye, who won at Berlin Raceway, had a strong runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway last weekend.
• Winchester Speedway, located in Winchester, Indiana, averages 18-degrees of banking in the corners and measures at exactly one half-mile in length. This weekend’s event will be the 12th race of the ARCA Menards Series season.
• The No. 21 Chevrolet will carry the traditional white, orange, and black colors. Solar-Fit will appear on the hood, with Race to Stop Suicide on the quarter panels. The NASCAR Foundation will also be on the car.
• The 200-lap, 100-mile ARCA Menards Series race will air live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Quote:

“We’ve been building some momentum over the last few weeks, so to go to Winchester and race again this weekend with the GMS 21 Chevrolet is exciting. Chad (Bryant) has had a bunch of success there and our GMS cars have been fast every weekend, so I’m confident we’ll have another great shot this weekend. I’ve never seen Winchester in person, but everyone talks about how much fun it is to race at and all the action that usually takes place. Hopefully we can battle for the win with our Race to Stop Suicide car on Saturday night.”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum and Chase Purdy. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Jack Wood and Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://www.gmsracing.net/

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

Saturday, July 31
Track: Winchester Speedway, .5-mile oval
Race: 12 of 20
Event: Calypso Lemonade 200 (200 laps, 100 miles)

Schedule
Practice: 4:15 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 6:00 p.m. ET
Race: 8:00 p.m. ET (MAVTV)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion

• Gray enters Winchester Speedway on Saturday night for his fourth straight start in as many weeks with the ARCA Menards Series.
• Last weekend at Iowa Speedway in Newton, the 16-year-old driver started sixth and brought home a third-place finish earning his third straight top-five with the series.
• Gray has one previous start on the half-mile, high banked Winchester surface coming last September. He qualified fifth and finished there in his Ford Performance Fusion.
• Crew chief Chad Johnston returns to his home state this weekend. Johnston hails from Cayuga, Indiana, which is three hours west of Winchester. The veteran is a 2004 graduate of Indiana State University.

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Clean Harbors Ford Fusion

• Saturday night at Winchester marks Moffitt’s 12th race of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season.
• The North Carolina native is coming off a sixth-place finish at Iowa Speedway last Saturday night.
• Through 11 races, Moffitt has four top-fives and nine top-10s and sits third in the series standings as one of four drivers with perfect attendance so far this season.
• This will be the first appearance at Winchester Speedway for both Moffitt and crew chief Derek Smith.

MANTECA, CALIF. (July 28, 2021) – 20-year-old Manteca, Calif. driver Eric Nascimento will make his second-career ARCA Menards Series West start on Saturday at Colorado National Speedway in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Colorado 150. The driver known to many as “Bubba” will drive the No. 4 Finishline Express Toyota Camry in a joint effort with Don Wood, Velocity Racing, and Bill McAnally Racing. The event will be broadcast live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and tape-delayed on NBCSN as well.

Nascimento is the 2020 Stockton 99 Speedway Late Model champion and a winner in the MAVTV-televised Nut Up Pro Late Models at Madera Speedway in 2021. The Modesto Junior College student qualified seventh in his debut at Sonoma Raceway in June before ultimately finishing 14th. Nascimento is also a former winner in the 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model Series at Madera Speedway. He participated in BMR Drivers Academy – a NASCAR Driver Development program – events at Thunderhill Raceway and Sonoma Raceway in May before his entry into ARCA competition in June.

The entry will carry additional support from RJs Paintshop and Skipco Welding & Industrial. Nascimento has traveled the 80 miles from Manteca to Loomis, Calif. daily over the last three weeks to help prepare the car for the event. Preparation has been aided by championship crew chief Ty Joiner, while his uncle Mike Nascimento will serve as the crew chief for the weekend’s race.

Drivers will have a practice and qualifying session from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Mountain Time. The NAPA AUTO PARTS Colorado 150 goes green at 8:05 p.m. Coverage can be viewed on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. Delayed television coverage will be available on NBCSN on Wednesday August 11 at 3 p.m. Eastern / 12 p.m. Pacific.

There will be a lot on the line when the ARCA Menards Series takes to the 37-degree banks at Winchester Speedway on Saturday night.

The Calypso Lemonade 200 is first and foremost a part of the ARCA Menards Series championship, and that championship battle is turning into a war between new leader Ty Gibbs and now challenger Corey Heim. Gibbs assumed the championship lead with his sixth victory of the season last Saturday night at Iowa Speedway, while Heim, who has four wins of his own this season, now sits second just four points behind.

Heim started off the season at Daytona International Speedway with his second consecutive series win, dating back to the 2020 finale at Kansas Speedway. Gibbs won at Phoenix Raceway to even the score at 1-1 headed to Talladega Superspeedway. Heim would take his second win of the year at Talladega, but the big story was Gibbs’ 27th-place finish after being swept into a late-race crash while battling for the lead. Gibbs would start to claw his way out of the deep points deficit with a dominant stretch, winning four consecutive races at Kansas Speedway, Toledo Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Two of those wins, at Kansas and Charlotte, were flag-to-flag, the first time since 2012 that a driver had led every lap in an ARCA Menards Series race and the first time since 1978 that someone had done it twice in a season.

Heim broke the Gibbs dominance with a win at Pocono Raceway, and then nudged Gibbs out of the way on a late-race restart at Elko Speedway to take his fourth win of the year and hold on to a perilously small advantage in the series standings with his second consecutive victory.

The two front runners are also at the top of the heap in the Sioux Chief Showdown standings. The series-within-a-series allows drivers as young as 15 years of age to compete for a title on paved oval tracks a mile in length or less and road courses. Through five Showdown races so far in 2021 – Toledo, Mid-Ohio, Elko, Berlin, and Iowa – Gibbs has three wins to Heim’s one, at Elko. Daniel Dye, a 16-year-old from Deland, Florida who has recently moved into the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet that Sam Mayer piloted to the Showdown title in 2020, took the victory in his second series start at Berlin.

The Calypso Lemonade 200 is also a part of the CGS Imaging 4 Crown championship, a four-race series-within-the-series that celebrates the diverse schedule of the ARCA Menards Series. The four races are spread across superspeedways, intermediate tracks, short tracks, and dirt tracks, in 2021 those events are slated for Kansas Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Winchester Speedway, and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Gibbs won both of the previous races at Kansas and Mid-Ohio, giving him a dominant lead in the standings heading into a race that he won last year by leading 199 of 200 laps.

Tickets for the Calypso Lemonade 200 are available at selected Menards locations in western Ohio and eastern and central Indiana, including Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne. Discounted advance adult tickets are just $20, a savings of $10 per ticket. For more information, visit WinchesterSpeedway.com, TrackEnterprises.com. For updated event information, visit ARCARacing.com.

Daniel Dye, No. 21 Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet

START: 2nd
FINISH: 2nd

Race Notes:

• Daniel Dye made his third career ARCA Menards Series national start on Saturday at the unique 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway oval, driving the No. 21 Metra Electronics, Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet SS for GMS Racing.
• The 17-year-old Daytona Beach, Florida rookie timed in second overall in General Tire Pole Qualifying. Following the first of six race cautions, Dye would come to pit road, where the crew would check under the hood of the No. 21. Daniel restarted from the tail of the 23-car field when the green returned.
• The Solar-Fit, KIX Country sponsored Chevrolet would immediately surge back to the front of the field, taking the first scheduled caution at lap-50 in third.
• Dye would battle amongst the leaders throughout the Shore Lunch 150 and was chasing down eventual race winner Ty Gibbs in the late stages of the 132-mile event.
• The GMS Racing Chevy SS took the checkered flag in second, 1.297-seconds behind Gibbs. Dye now maintains an average finish of 3.3, including a seventh at Elko, victory at Berlin, and runner-up at Iowa.

Quote:

“Man, tonight was another really great run for our GMS guys with the Race to Stop Suicide Chevy. I about wrecked the car a couple times trying to reel in Ty (Gibbs). The faith Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Beam had to bring me to this 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet and letting me live my dream, I’m so blessed and thankful. To be racing in front of all these fans, the sold-out backstretch packed with campers, and just this race track, in general, is so cool.”

Next:

The ARCA Menards Series including Dye in the GMS No. 21 Chevy invades Winchester (Indiana) Speedway, Saturday, July 31. The Calypso Lemonade 200 is scheduled for green at 8:00 p.m., and will air on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass.

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. The team also competes in the ARCA Menards Series with Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.
SOCIAL MEDIA

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

Saturday, July 24
Track: Iowa Speedway, 7/8-mile oval
Race: 11 of 20
Event: Shore Lunch 150 (150 laps, 132 miles)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion

Start: 6th
Finish: 3rd

• Gray qualified sixth for Saturday night’s 150-lap event at Iowa. Gray was in the second position when the second caution of the race was displayed on lap 21.
• On lap 26, Gray made an excellent save while battling for the lead and managed to maintain the second position.
• During the first race break on lap 50, Gray visited pit road from second for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help the rear end of his Ford Fusion.
• Another caution lap 85 occurred while Gray was in second and he relayed he was searching for anything he could find as he felt the track had only one groove.
• The final break of the night occurred on lap 100 and Gray reported the more he ran down the track, the looser his No. 17 became.
• With 30 laps to go, Gray was in the third position. He went on to finish the event in the third spot.

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 CleanPacs/Aqua ChemPacs Ford Fusion

Start: 5th
Finish: 6th

• Moffitt earned the fifth qualifying spot for the Iowa Speedway race.
• Throughout the first three early cautions in the event, Moffitt remained in the top-10.
• At the first break, the Ford driver was ninth and visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help his car turn better.
• Moffitt again held a top-10 spot until the final race break with 50 laps to go. He came down pit road in eighth for service.
• During the last 50 laps, Moffitt advanced to the sixth position where he ultimately finished the 150-lap race.

Joey Iest, No. 54 ASN/Basila Ranch Ford Fusion

Start: 3rd
Finish: 20th

• Iest qualified third for the Shore Lunch 150 at Iowa Speedway.
• On the opening lap of the race, Iest slipped back to eighth after getting stuck three-wide in the middle.
• The first caution of the race was displayed on lap three and the California native remained eighth.
• Iest continued to find his rhythm as the second caution came out on lap 21 with Iest still holding the eighth position.
• On lap 27, Iest got loose and went for a spin in his Ford Fusion. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to continue on as his No. 54 was heavily damaged and was relegated to a 20th-place finish.

Next event: Calypso Lemonade 200 at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on July 31 at 8 p.m. ET.

NEWTON, IA: The summer break for the ARCA Menards Series East tour ends as Rette Jones Racing and developmental driver Max Gutiérrez head to the Midwest to compete in Saturday night’s Shore Lunch 150 at Iowa Speedway.

Saturday’s combination race for the premier ARCA Menards Series and the East Series tour thrusts the divisions into a limelight where the competition will fierce but certainly presents an opportunity.
Iowa marks the second appearance in the premier ARCA Menards Series for Gutiérrez who made his second series start in May at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Despite his inexperience on the bigger and much faster intermediate race track, Gutiérrez impressed.

Qualifying 13th, Gutiérrez raced into the top-10 before a flat tire late in the event relegated the team to a 15th place finish. Still, the team is upbeat that they can return to the tour and finish what they started at Charlotte.

“I’m looking forward to being back on the United States side and racing in ARCA competition at Iowa Speedway,” said Gutiérrez who scored a thrilling victory in the ARCA Menards Series East season opener at New Smyrna in February.

“Charlotte was a great opportunity for myself and our RJR team but unfortunately we did not earn the finish I felt like we were capable of. Iowa is a race where we can do that though and I’m optimistic as well that we can perhaps contend for more than a top-10 finish on Saturday night.”

Gutiérrez has flourished on short tracks this season. In five ARCA East races in 2021, all on short tracks, the Mexico City, Mexico native has scored five top-10 finishes, including the victory in February and maintains an average finish of 6.4 leading into the series’ sixth race of the season.

Nestled fourth in the championship standings, just seven points from second-place contender Mason Diaz – Gutiérrez, driver of the No. 30 TOUGHBUILT Ford Fusion realizes keeping his consistency alive at Iowa’s popular 0.875-mile race track is crucial.

“We certainly did not have the finish we were hoping for at Southern National and that put us a little behind in the point standings,” admitted Gutiérrez. “It is not from a lack of effort from our Rette Jones Racing team. We are going to rebound, and I hope it is in a big way on Saturday night and we can recover the points we lost last month.”

In addition to TOUGHBUILT.

TekNekk and Jimmy Morales Escuderia TELMEX | TELCEL, BolsaDX.mx, Distributed Ledger Inc. (DLI), GoGig, Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement and JRi Shocks join the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as partners this weekend.

“I like racing at Iowa Speedway, and I hope our prior experience as a team helps Max contend for our second victory of the season on Saturday night,” said team co-owner and crew chief Mark Rette.

“Everyone was disappointed the way that Southern National turned out, but it just put some fuel on our fire to go out there and dig deeper. Max has been enthusiastic about getting back to the U.S. and racing and we are too.

“We have a good baseline of where we want to be when we unload for practice on Saturday, so we start from there and just look to get better and see if we can’t help get Max back in Victory Lane.”

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

The Shore Lunch 150 (150 laps | 132 miles) is the sixth of eight races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East schedule. Practice begins Sat., Jul. 24 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is set for a short time later at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold Pass. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

The Shore Lunch 150 (150 laps | 132 miles) is the 11th of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., Jul. 24 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is set for a short time later at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold Pass. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

For more on Max Gutiérrez, please visit maxgutierrez.com, like him on Facebook (Max Gutierrez Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@maxgutierrezmx).

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

About TOUGHBUILT Industries Inc.:

TOUGHBUILT is an advanced product design, manufacturer and distributor with emphasis on innovative products. Currently focused on tools and other accessories for the professional and do-it-yourself construction industries.

We market and distribute various home improvement and construction product lines for both the do-it-yourself and professional markets under the TOUGHBUILT brand name, within the global multibillion-dollar per year tool market industry. All of our products are designed by our in-house design team.

Since launching product sales in 2013, we have experienced significant annual sales growth.

Our current product line includes three major categories, with several additional categories in various stages of development, consisting of Soft Goods & Kneepads and Sawhorses & Work Products.

Our mission is to provide products to the building and home improvement communities that are innovative, of superior quality, derived in part from enlightened creativity for our end users while enhancing performance, improving well-being and building high brand loyalty.

Additional information about the company is available at: toughbuilt.com.

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 2021 in the ARCA Menards Series East, while also hopeful to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

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