Category: ARCA

PENSACOLA, Fla.: So much learned.

Teenage standout Parker Retzlaff turned heads in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East season-opener earlier this month at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway by dominating 55 of the first 65 laps of the Jeep Beach 175.

Unfortunately, an array of issues would plague the 17-year-old rising star leaving him with a ninth-place finish aboard his No. 42 Ponsse | Strike Force Toyota Camry when the checkered flag was thrown.

“We had such a good start to the race, it is a shame the rest of the race turned out as it did,” said Retzlaff. “I learned a lot though.
“I probably was too hard on the tires during the first half of the race and then we developed some issues following the red flag for rain and just never could get ourselves back to the front.”

Being a young driver, especially in ARCA, Retzlaff knows he’s going to likely experience a number of hardships before relishing in the moment of victory.

Eyeing his first career ARCA Menards Series East top-five finish in just his eighth career start, Retzlaff hopes to deliver for his Cook Finley Racing team in Saturday’s race.

Retzlaff, 17, returns to Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway, the site of Saturday’s Pensacola 200 presented by INSPECTRA not only determined to recover from New Smyrna but improve on his 10th place finish at the historic Florida short track last October.

“You can say the pressure is on,” offered Retzlaff. “I’m ready for it though. With every race under my belt, I am learning. I am eager to learn and some things behind the wheel of this Cook Finley Racing Toyota I will only learn the hard way.

“I know from a driver’s standpoint where I can be better and I plan to execute that on Saturday. Our finish last year at Five Flags may be a little discouraging though.

“Even though it was a top-10, circumstances didn’t work out as we hoped and I think robbed us of a better finish. Five Flags though is a demanding race track with some similarities to New Smyrna.

“We have shown that we are a team capable of not only running inside the top-five but also controlling the race. Now, we just need to do it from start to finish. Hopefully, that happens this weekend.”

Ponsse, which manufactures and markets a range of forestry vehicles and machinery such as forwarders and harvesters will return as the primary partner of Retzlaff’s No. 42 Toyota this weekend, while Iron Horse Loggers, Eco-Tracks, Paul G. Senft & Sons Trenching LLC, Strike Force Energy, MMI, Sunwest Construction, Zamp, Absolute Realtors and HDFive | Horvath Design will all join as associate partners for the 200-lap race on Feb. 27.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to have a stack of companies that believe in me and our Cook Finley Racing team,” added Retzlaff. “We earned them some time in the spotlight at New Smyrna, it’s time to do more of the same in Pensacola.”

With seven East races remaining this season, Retzlaff is ninth in the championship standings, three points from fifth and 11 behind current points leader Max Gutiérrez.

Before turning complete attention to ARCA Menards East competition this year, Retzlaff has had a busy offseason.

Last month, he participated in the open ARCA Menards Series test at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway driving for ARCA champion Andy Hillenburg.

He was hand-selected for the Road to Daytona program by ARCA officials after his successful ARCA East campaign in 2020. He was one of 56 drivers to turn a lap at the historic 2.5-mile superspeedway in the No. 10 Fast Track Racing prepared entry.

Additionally, Retzlaff has stayed busy with iRacing, where he continues to rack up victories and currently ranked inside the top-10 as one of the winningest iRacing drivers in the world. To date, he tallies over 1,520 victories and more than 50,000 laps led since 2016.

The Pensacola 200 presented by INSPECTRA (200 laps | 100 miles) is the second of eight races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East schedule. Practice begins for the one-day show on Saturday, February 27 from 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 2:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag just after 5:00 p.m. with live television coverage on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. All times are local (CT).

The event will be rebroadcasted on a tape-delayed basis on NBCSN on Thurs., Mar. 4, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

For more on Parker Retzlaff, please visit parkerretzlaff.com, like him on Facebook (Parker Retzlaff Racing), Instagram (@parkerRetzlaff) and follow him on Twitter (@Parker79p).

Saturday, February 27
Track: 5 Flags (Fla.) Speedway, half-mile paved oval
Race: 2 of 8
Event: Pensacola 200 Presented by INSPECTRA (200 laps, 100 miles)

Schedule
Final Practice: 1:15 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 3:30 p.m. ET
Race: 6:00 p.m. ET (Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion

• Gray will make his second career start at 5 Flags Speedway on Saturday. On October 11 of last year, he qualified second and finished fourth in his first appearance at the Pensacola, Florida oval.
• In the ARCA Menards Series East season opener at New Smyrna Speedway, Gray earned his second career ARCA pole and led 43 laps en route to a third-place result in one of the closest finishes in ARCA history.
• In one year of action across the ARCA National, East and West Series’, the young driver has 11 starts on half-mile ovals with one win, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
• Click here for Gray’s career statistics.

Gray on Pensacola: “5 Flags is probably my favorite short track to race at on the schedule this year. It’s such a cool place with a lot of history. The surface is rough which makes you have to save your tires and it makes strategy come into play – I love it. We ran really well there in October and we had a lot of speed in the season opener at New Smyrna, so I can’t wait to get to the track again.”

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

• Iest made his debut with David Gilliland Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway on February 8 and brought home a fifth-place finish after qualifying third.
• While the west coast native has never visited 5 Flags Speedway, he is no stranger to the short track scene with most of the tracks in the central California area being smaller than a half-mile.
• Pensacola will be the first race together for Iest and crew chief Derek Smith after David Gilliland served as the crew chief in the season opener. Smith is a veteran in the ARCA series’ and most recently won with Gilliland at Phoenix Raceway last November.
• Click here for Iest’s career statistics.

Iest on Pensacola: “After New Smyrna, I can’t wait to get back to the track again with DGR. The team and car were outstanding and it seemed like we kept getting faster throughout the day. I like the half-mile race tracks where you have to take care of your brakes and save your tires for the end, so Pensacola should be a fun track for me and my experience on the west coast bullrings should help.”

It was a finish everyone anticipated, but no one expected.

Headed into turn three on the final lap of the season-opening ARCA Menards Series East race at New Smyrna Speedway, everyone anticipated contact between the leaders. Taylor Gray had led three times on the night, including the previous five laps as he took the lead on a late-race restart. That restart involved a lot of contact into turn one, sending Mason Diaz around and out of contention.

The next restart, the final one of the race, put Sammy Smith next to Gray coming to the green. Smith had led 78 laps, leading through lap 171 when officials realigned him fourth in the field after a pit road violation. Smith had to be aggressive to get back to the lead because the race was now in overtime. He had two laps to make it happen.

Gray opened a slight lead at the drop of the green and held it for the first of the two overtime circuits. Smith closed the gap coming to the white flag. Everyone anticipated what came next.

Headed into turn three, Smith got to Gray’s bumper and made contact. That’s almost standard operating procedure in full-fendered stock car racing these days. The leader expects a shove from behind on the final lap if the driver in second place is close enough to make it happen. Smith was definitely close enough and carried a lot of speed going into the final two turns of the race. The contact didn’t just send Gray up the track, it sent Gray and Smith up the track and left the bottom groove at the high-banked half-mile wide open.

Enter NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series champion Max Gutierrez.

Driving for 2009 ARCA Menards Series championship-winning crew chief Mark Rette, Gutierrez pounced. He dove to the bottom of the track and filled the gap. When Smith and Gray came down the track, they bounced off Gutierrez, with all three making contact coming to the start finish line. But that contact couldn’t stop Gutierrez’s momentum and he nipped Smith at the finish by 0.03 seconds, about the distance from the tip of the nose to the center of his front wheel.

Gutierrez, who still lives in Mexico and commutes to the United States to race, scored the first win of his career in the most surprising fashion.

“I can’t believe it,” Gutierrez said in victory lane. “I thought we were in a good place (third) on the last lap for the season championship. Then they started bumping for first and I decided to take it. I am very happy and proud of my team. That is a great way to start off this championship.”

The next step for Gutierrez will be in Saturday’s Pensacola 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions at Five Flags Speedway. It will be the fourth time the ARCA Menards Series East has raced at the half-mile oval that is the host of the prestigious Snowball Derby every December. Current series team owner Ben Kennedy, who owns the No. 43 car driven by Daniel Dye, won in 2013 while Ben Rhodes, who recently won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway, won in 2014. Two-time champion Sam Mayer put an exclamation point on his 2020 championship season with his fifth win of the season in last year’s race.

For ticket information, visit FiveFlagsSpeedway.com or TrackEnterprises.com.

Practice for the Pensacola 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions is scheduled for 1:15 pm ET/12:15 pm local, with General Tire Pole Qualifying to follow at 3:30 pm ET/2:30 pm local. Saturday’s race will be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold starting at 6 pm ET/5 pm local. It will be rebroadcast on a tape-delayed basis on NBCSN on Thursday, March 4 at 4 pm ET.

Saturday, February 13
Track: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 2.5-mile oval
Race: 1 of 20
Event: Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire (80 laps, 200 miles)

Tanner Gray, No. 17 Ripper Coffee Company Ford Fusion

Start: 10th
Finish: Seventh

• During the first caution on lap 11, Gray reported his No. 17 Ripper Coffee Company Fusion drove really well and he was trying manage his water temperature.
• “We can push, we just need the right person,” Gray relayed to his crew during the lap-29 caution, from the fifth position. Gray inherited the race lead by not pitting during the caution and chose the upper groove on the restart.
• During the race break caution, the Ford driver relinquished the lead and brought his Fusion down pit road for fuel-only and a chassis adjustment.
• On lap 60, Gray was in the 11th position.
• The final caution of the race was displayed with five laps to go while Gray was in the ninth position. With a good-handling Ford Fusion, he stayed out during the caution and restarted from the same position for the green and white checkered finish.
  Gray finished seventh in his second ARCA Series start at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Clean Harbors/CleanPacs Ford Fusion

Start: 16th
Finish: 21st

• Moffitt qualified 16th and advanced up to 11th by lap eight. On lap 11, the right front of the No. 46 made contact with another car and Moffitt was sent spinning towards the inside wall.
• The team quickly changed four tires and cleared the fenders away from the tires before sending the Clean Harbors/CleanPacs Fusion back into the race in the 33rd position one lap down.
• Moffitt was penalized on the ensuing restart for changing lanes prior to the start-finish line and had to serve a passthrough penalty resulting in losing another lap to the leaders.
• At the competition caution on lap 44, crew chief Derek Smith called the No. 46 down pit road from 27th to top off with fuel to make it to the end of the race.
• Over the course of the next 26 laps, numerous cautions allowed Moffitt to advance up to the 21st position in the final rundown.

Next event: Phoenix 150 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona on March 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Saturday, February 13
Track: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 2.5-mile oval
Race: 1 of 20
Event: Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire (80 laps, 200 miles)

Schedule

Friday, February 12
Final Practice: 1:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, February 13
Qualifying: 8:30 a.m. ET
Race: 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Tanner Gray, No. 17 Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion

• Tanner Gray will fill the seat of the No. 17 Fusion at Daytona for the second consecutive year. Gray’s younger brother, Taylor, is forced to miss the season opening race due to being under the age of 16 per series rules.
• This will mark only the second ARCA Menards Series start at Daytona for the elder Gray. In his only previous start, an oil leak caused his race to prematurely end after running 70 of the 80 scheduled laps.
• Gray has 14 career ARCA Menards Series starts between 2019 and 2020 with three top-five and eight top-10 finishes. His best finish of fourth came at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on March 6, 2020.
• Ripper Coffee Company will debut as the primary sponsor of the No. 17 in a unique partnership that allows Tanner and his older brother, Bryce, to team up and raise awareness for the newly launched company.

Click here for Gray’s career statistics.

Gray on Daytona: “Seat time and experience are so important when it comes to superspeedway racing. One of the biggest things I lack is that experience since I have only been able to run Daytona twice in my career. I wanted to run the ARCA race to give myself another opportunity to learn as much as possible. It’s really cool to be able to do that with Ripper Coffee Company onboard and hopefully we can be around at the end of 80 laps to contend for the win.”

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Clean Harbors/CleanPacs Ford Fusion

• Thad Moffitt returns to David Gilliland Racing and the No. 46 Ford Fusion for a second season in 2021. He is slated to compete in at least 11 ARCA Menards Series races.
• The Trinity, North Carolina native has two career ARCA starts at Daytona and earned a top-five finish in last year’s season opener.
• Moffitt has 28 career ARCA Menards Series starts over the course of the last four seasons with three top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. His career best finish of fourth came at Memphis (Tenn.) International Raceway on September 26, 2020.
• Clean Harbors and CleanPacs have paired up with Moffitt for Daytona and will each serve as primary partners for throughout the 2021 season.

Click here for Moffitt’s career statistics.

Moffitt on Daytona: “I’m really excited heading into Daytona this year. We showed really good speed at the test a few weeks ago and in both superspeedway races last season. With the experience we have together as a team, I am really confident that we have a good shot to win the race as long as we are there at the end.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Two-time ARCA Menards Series winner Gus Dean (@gusdean) returns with Hill Motorsports to open the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season piloting the team’s No. 56 Chevrolet Silverado in Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Daytona will mark Dean’s third career Truck Series start with Hill Motorsports with previous runs coming at the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last season.

“I’m very thankful to be back with Hill Motorsports this weekend at Daytona,” said Dean who scored his first career ARCA Menards Series win at Talladega in 2016.

“Timmy (Hill) and I have been great friends for many years and the opportunity to still be a part of his team in 2021 is fantastic.

“The team has rebuilt the truck we had at Talladega – and honestly, it was probably the best truck I’ve ever raced on a superspeedway. I’m looking forward to climbing back behind the wheel and getting back to work.”

In addition to his duties in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this week, Dean will also compete in select races starting Tuesday night in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in his No. 56 MASHONIT Apparel Co. Chevrolet.

“It’s going to be a fun week of racing,” offered Dean who plans a diverse racing schedule in Super Late Models, ARCA and Truck Series in 2021. “There’s no pressure in either series, expect to go out there and try and get a win.

“Everyone on both teams, the Super Late Model and Truck have worked extremely hard during the offseason to get ready for this week, so I just hope everyone’s hard work is rewarded with our finishes.”

Dean, 26, will make his third NCWTS start at the 2.5-mile superspeedway and hopes to capitalize on two back-to-back strong performances that ended in the garage after being swept into late-race accidents.

“You know you are always taking a chance of getting involved in something at Daytona, hopefully, we have paid our dues and we’ll have a clean race start to finish on Friday,” added Dean.

“We’ve run in the top-10 in every superspeedway race I’ve run in the Truck Series; it would feel like a win for sure if we could finish there on Friday night.”

Daytona will mark the Bluffton, S.C. native’s 26th career Truck Series start.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps | 250 miles) is the first of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs, Feb. 11 from 5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Feb. 12 beginning at 3:10 p.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

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

Gray Brothers Unite to Pursue Common Goal

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 10, 2021) – David Gilliland Racing (DGR) announced today that Ripper Coffee Company will be a primary partner in the ARCA Menards Series on the No. 17 Ford Fusion driven by Tanner Gray.

Ripper Coffee Company will adorn Gray’s Ford Fusion for the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire on Saturday, February 13. This is the lone scheduled ARCA start in 2021 for Gray as he focuses on his second full-time truck season behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford Performance F-150 for DGR.

Ripper Coffee is part of the growing e-commerce coffee trend and the newly formed company is using motorsports as part of its marketing plan. “Racing has a large fanbase and this is an opportunity for me to gain exposure for my brand,” said Bryce Gray, co-owner of Ripper Coffee. “Tanner also happens to be one of my siblings and this is a cool way to support him in his career and it be beneficial to both of us.”

Gray will enter this Saturday’s ARCA National Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for a chance to secure his first career ARCA win. The New Mexico native has 14 ARCA National Series starts under his belt and one start at Saturday’s high-banked 2.5-mile oval. Gray’s sole start at the Daytona superspeedway was last year in February when he started 11th and finished 16th.

“Having a new partner come on board is always a positive,” said team owner David Gilliland. “Ripper Coffee is a young company and I’m glad they see racing as a valuable way to grow their business. Tanner is a talented driver and we’re happy to have Ripper Coffee join us.”

Ripper Coffee Company’s debut on Gray’s No. 17 Ford Fusion at Daytona will air live on Fox Sports 1 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

About The Ripper Cult Company

The Ripper Cult Company was created by two dudes who love going fast, drinking superior coffee and having fun. The focus of our brand is centered around three things; apparel designed for those who enjoy quality garments and original designs, high quality handcrafted coffee roasts that will surely rock your socks off and supplying behind the scenes footage of custom builds, sweet rides and anything else that rips. Our mission is to develop and provide the highest quality products possible to our friends, family and fellow rippers across the globe. Visit therippercultcompany.com to learn more.

About David Gilliland Racing

David Gilliland Racing (DGR) is a race team owned by NASCAR veteran David Gilliland and businessman Johnny Gray. The team specializes in driver development, competing full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, multiple ARCA Menards Series divisions and CARS Tour with factory support from Ford Performance.

In its first four years of operation, DGR has achieved success in each series tallying up multiple wins and championships. The team operates out of three buildings totaling 60,000 square feet in Mooresville, N.C.