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Category: ARCA

Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) news and information

  • Jack Wood to Compete Full-Time for GMS Racing in 2021

    Jack Wood to Compete Full-Time for GMS Racing in 2021

    STATESVILLE N.C. (Nov. 2, 2020) – GMS Racing announced today that Jack Wood will pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet full-time for the team in the ARCA Menards Series East in 2021 as well as the full ARCA Menards Showdown schedule. Mardy Lindley will return to the team as crew chief.

    “GMS is looking forward to this next chapter for our ARCA program,” said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. “Our ARCA team has accomplished amazing things these last two seasons and I’m confident Jack can take over and build on that success next season.”

    The Loomis, CA native has competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series West since 2019 and has collected one top-five and six top-10 finishes in seven starts this season. Wood will also be a part of the Drivers Edge Development program in 2021.

    “I’m so thankful for the opportunity to compete with GMS in 2021,” said Wood. “To transition from a part-time schedule with our family-run team in the West series to running the East series full-time with a team like GMS who has won two consecutive East titles is awesome. I’m ready to get out there and learn and grow as a driver, but also to chase wins and a championship with this new team.”

    About GMS Racing – GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with drivers Brett Moffitt, Sheldon Creed, Tyler Ankrum and Zane Smith as well as part-time with David Gravel and Chase Purdy. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Sam Mayer. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 Gander Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship as well as the 2019 ARCA East championship and 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

  • ARCA Menards Series West Advance: All American Speedway & Kern County Raceway Park

    ARCA Menards Series West Advance: All American Speedway & Kern County Raceway Park

    Track: All American Speedway, half-mile oval
    Event: NAPA Auto Parts 125 (62.5 miles, 125 laps)

    Schedule:
    Friday, Oct. 23
    6:00 p.m……………Practice/Qualifying
    10:00 p.m…………Race (Trackpass on NBC Gold)
    (all times ET)

    Track: Kern County Raceway Park, half-mile oval
    Event: NAPA ENEOS 125 (62.5 miles, 125 laps)

    Schedule:
    Sunday, Oct. 25
    1:10 p.m……………Practice/Qualifying
    5:00 p.m…………Race (Trackpass on NBC Gold)
    (all times ET)

    Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion

    Taylor Gray will pull double duty this weekend in California in the ARCA Menards Series West. Gray will start his racing weekend Friday at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., for the 125-lap race. Then he’ll head south to Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif., for Sunday’s 125 lapper in his No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion.

    This will be Gray’s third and fourth ARCA West starts this season. He ran the doubleheader races at Utah Motorsports Campus in June where he finished fourth in the first race and 11th in the second race after having to change a battery. In addition to those, he has also made 12 ARCA Menards Series starts with eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has also run five ARCA East races earning two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

    Gray has no prior experience at either track, but has been studying film from previous races there and learning as much as he can about the technical elements of each place. Seth Smith, who was Hailie Deegan’s crew chief in the ARCA Menards Series this season, will be on the pit box calling the shots for Gray at both races.

    Both races will stream live on Trackpass on NBC Gold. The races will be 125 laps (62.5 miles) with no race breaks. All American will start at 10pm ET on Friday and Kern at 5pm ET on Sunday.
    
    Gray on All American & Kern: “I’m looking forward to going out west for both races. I’ve never raced at either track, but they both look like a lot of fun. My spotter, Brandon McReynolds, has raced at both of these tracks in the past, so he’s been a big help coaching me and telling me what to expect from each track. It’s nice to have someone in the spotter’s stand who knows the tracks and can help me navigate my first races there.”

  • Corey Heim takes ARCA victory at Kansas, Bret Holmes claims ARCA championship

    Corey Heim takes ARCA victory at Kansas, Bret Holmes claims ARCA championship

    The 2020 ARCA Menards Series season finally reached its conclusion with the season finale Friday night in the Heartland at Kansas Speedway.

    Only two drivers had a chance at the championship, Bret Holmes and Michael Self, and neither has ever won an ARCA title. While the battle was competitive on track, the 2020 championship eventually went to Holmes after five years of trying. With determination and a never give up attitude even when at times he wanted to give up racing entirely, Holmes finally prevailed.

    “It’s been a tough road, for sure,” said Holmes. “Everything we’ve done has just been phenomenal this season, every decision we’ve made. To come out and not even know we were going to run the full season, and to finish it off like this, is really special.”

    With an ARCA title on the line, there was also a race winner to be had in the 100 lap race as well. Three segments split up the 100 lapper, with the first segment ending on Lap 30, second on Lap 60 and the final on Lap 100. Ty Gibbs, who ultimately took home the Owner’s Championship qualified on the pole.

    Segment 1: Lap 1 – Lap 30

    The action was intense early for championship contender Michael Self. Self, in the No. 25 SinClair Lubricants Toyota, started to experience fuel pick up problems on Lap 21 of the race. The issue eventually put the Park City, Utah native a lap down through the rest of the segment, but he was the recipient of the free pass when Segment 1 ended.

    Also experiencing problems was the polesitter, Ty Gibbs. At Lap 28, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team pushed the Monster Energy Toyota behind the wall for multiple laps. It wasn’t until the end of the second segment that Gibbs would return to the racetrack, but multiple laps down.

    As the first segment wrapped up on Lap 30, Venturini Motorsports driver Corey Heim was in first, with Holmes, Derek Griffith, Hailie Deegan, Self, Drew Dollar, Dylan Lupton, Kris Wright, Scott Melton, and Eric Caudell completing the Top 10.

    Segment 2: Lap 33 – Lap 60

    The second segment was caution-free with Heim leading the field to the second break that occurred on Lap 60.

    Segment 3: Lap 64 – Lap 100

    With Heim pulling away from the field, the focus was on the two title contenders, Self and Holmes, who were battling in the top five. Self rebounded to a fifth-place running position after the fuel pickup problem earlier in the race.

    As the checkered flag flew on Lap 100, Corey Heim collected his first-ever checkered flag while Self, unfortunately, fell short for a second consecutive year. Holmes finally took home his first ARCA Menards Series championship in 81 starts since 2016. Self was runner-up in the points finishing 12 points behind Holmes.

    “Really surreal right now, man,” said Heim of his first ARCA Menards Series victory. “I’m kind of at a loss for words. Craftsman, Toyota, Venturini Motorsports, all the people who make it happen, couldn’t have done it without them. [Crew chief Kevin Reed Jr.] here, he did an awesome job just dialing me in. We were a little loose throughout the race, but I couldn’t have asked for much more on that last run, and here we are in victory lane. Couldn’t be happier.”

    Heim dominated the race by leading 82 of the scheduled 100 laps, en route to his first ARCA Menards Series victory in just 16 starts.

    There were two leaders among two different lead changes.

    Official Results following the Speediatrics 150 at Kansas Speedway.

    1. Corey Heim, led 82 laps
    2. Bret Holmes, led 18 laps
    3. Derek Griffith
    4. Dylan Lupton
    5. Michael Self
    6. Hailie Deegan
    7. Kris Wright
    8. Drew Dollar, 1 lap down
    9. Scott Melton, 3 laps down
    10. Eric Caudell, 4 laps down
    11. Tim Richmond, 6 laps down
    12. Mike Basham, 9 laps down
    13. Chandler Smith, 19 laps down
    14. Ty Gibbs, 40 laps down
    15. Brad Smith, OUT, Engine
    16. Owen Smith, OUT, Clutch
    17. Wayne Peterson, OUT, Brakes
    18. Alex Clubb, OUT, Vibration

    Up Next: After a hectic season and some major rescheduling, the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season is finally completed. Now, the focus will turn to the off-season and toward the 2021 season as well. Normally, an ARCA Open Test at Daytona takes place in January, but nothing has been officially announced as of this writing.

  • Grant Enfinger to drive for Chad Bryant Racing at Five Flags Speedway

    Grant Enfinger to drive for Chad Bryant Racing at Five Flags Speedway

    PENSACOLA, Fla.: Chad Bryant Racing (CBR) announced today that 2015 ARCA Menards Series champion Grant Enfinger will return to the ARCA platform and compete in Saturday’s Pensacola 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions, the season finale for the ARCA Menards Series East at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway.

    This weekend’s race marks Enfinger’s ARCA East debut and his return to an ARCA-sanctioned event since competing at Toledo Speedway in 2018.

    The No. 77 Ford Fusion will be backed by longtime Enfinger supporters Champion Power Equipment and Breland Homes with team owner and former ARCA championship winning crew chief Chad Bryant calling the shots.

    Enfinger, a native of Fairhope, Ala. is taking advantage of an off-week in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series – where he sits fourth in the Playoff standings entering the semi-final round at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 17.

    “I grew up racing at Five Flags, so I’m extremely excited about coming home to the ARCA race at Five Flags Speedway this weekend,” said Enfinger. “I really appreciate the opportunity from Chad Bryant Racing and it’s great to have Champion Power Equipment and Breland Homes onboard our No. 77 Ford.

    “It should be a great short track race, so we need to have a great crowd and keep this series coming back to Pensacola every year.”

    Since 2003 Champion Power Equipment has earned a reputation for designing and producing the market’s finest power equipment. From their original headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Jackson Tennessee, Milwaukee Wisconsin and Toronto Canada.

    Today, Champion’s product line has expanded to include portable generators, home standby generators, inverter generators, engines, winches and log splitters.

    Breland Homes was founded more than 40 years ago and is now one of the most trusted names in the home building industry. Breland Homes is one of the Southeast’s top new construction home builders, offering affordable single-family and luxury townhomes with exceptional value throughout Alabama and Northern Florida.

    Team owner Chad Bryant says having Enfinger is a prime opportunity for the team to make a statement and contend for the win at the historic short track.

    “We are excited to have Grant representing Chad Bryant Racing this weekend at Five Flags Speedway,” offered Bryant. “He is a tremendous driver who knows what it takes to win at Five Flags, and we look forward to giving him the opportunity of winning in his ARCA Menards Series East debut aboard the No. 77 Champion Power Equipment | Breland Homes Ford.”

    In 95 ARCA Menards Series starts, Enfinger has captured six poles, 16 wins, 47 top-five and 66 top-10 finishes and captured the 2015 championship title for GMS Racing.

    For more on Grant Enfinger, please visit grantenfinger.com, like him on Facebook (Grant Enfinger) and follow him on Twitter (@grantenfinger).

    For more on Chad Bryant Racing, please visit ChadBryantRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Chad Bryant Racing) or follow them on Twitter (@ChadBryantRace).
    About Champion Power Equipment:

    Since 2003 Champion Power Equipment has earned a reputation for designing and producing the market’s finest power equipment. From our original headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Jackson Tennessee, Milwaukee Wisconsin and Toronto Canada.

    Today Champion’s product line has expanded to include portable generators, home standby generators, inverter generators, engines, winches and log splitters. With over 2.5 million generators sold in North America, Champion is a market leader in the power equipment field.

    For more information visit: ChampionPowerEquipment.com.

    Breland Homes:

    Breland Homes was founded more than 40 years ago, and is now one of the most trusted names in the home building industry. Breland Homes is one of the Southeast’s top new construction home builders, offering affordable single-family and luxury townhomes with exceptional value throughout Alabama and Northern Florida.

    Buying a new home with us is a one-of-a-kind experience; where our homes speak for themselves and our people make the difference.

    For more information visit: BrelandHomes.com

  • ARCA Menards Series East Advance: Five FlagsSpeedway

    ARCA Menards Series East Advance: Five FlagsSpeedway

    Track: Five Flags Speedway, half-mile oval
    Race: 6 of 6
    Event: Pensacola 200 (100 miles, 200 laps)

    Schedule:
    Saturday, Oct. 10
    3:15 p.m……………Practice
    6:00 p.m…………..Qualifying
    8:00 p.m…………Race (Trackpass on NBC Gold)
    (all times ET)

    Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion

    Taylor Gray will get a bonus race of sorts Saturday at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway in the ARCA Menards Series East. When the schedule was originally announced, Gray planned on missing this race because he would not be 15 years old until March 25. When the pandemic pushed the race back to October, Gray was able to add this to his ARCA East schedule.

    This will be Gray’s fifth ARCA East start this season. In his four starts, he has one top-five and four top-10 finishes. In addition to those, he has also made 12 ARCA Menards Series starts with eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has also run two ARCA West races in the doubleheader at Utah Motorsports Campus earning one top-five finish.

    Gray sits ninth in the ARCA East point standings since he missed the season opener at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in February due to age restrictions. This will be the season finale for the East series since the schedule was shortened from eight to six races due to the pandemic.

    The Pensacola 200 will stream live at 8 p.m. ET on Trackpass on NBC Gold. The race will be 200 laps (100 miles) and is to be run in three segments. The race will have two breaks, the first at, or near the conclusion of lap 75 and the second at, or near the conclusion of lap 150.

    Gray on Pensacola: “I was able to test at Pensacola in the off season, so it’s cool I actually get to race there. It’s a rough race track that you will have to save tires and you will have to rotate well to stay on the bottom, so it should be fun. I’m excited I actually get to race there since I wasn’t old enough when it was originally scheduled in March. My birthday was a couple weeks later than when the race was supposed to be. I’m happy to get to race since it seems like a fun place.”

  • Toyota Clinches 2020 ARCA Menards Series Manufacturer’s Championship

    Toyota Clinches 2020 ARCA Menards Series Manufacturer’s Championship

    PLANO, Texas (October 1, 2020) – After driving to victory at Memphis International Speedway on Saturday with Ty Gibbs, Toyota has captured its fifth manufacturer’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series.

    This is the fourth-consecutive ARCA title for Toyota. Earlier this season, Toyota set an ARCA Menards Series record with victories in 15 consecutive events. In 2019, Toyota clinched the title with 17 victories in 20 ARCA Menards Series events.

    “Toyota is thrilled to have captured its fifth manufacturer’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports and Assets, for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “We are pleased to support four teams in the ARCA Menards Series, which gives a strong platform for our driver development program. The ARCA Menards Series is a great proving ground for these drivers and allows them to experience larger tracks for the first time. We are focused on continuing to show strength for the balance of the season and earning another driver’s championship.”

    Toyota supports four teams – Venturini Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hattori Racing Enterprises and Bill McAnally Racing – that compete in the ARCA Menards Series. Ty Gibbs leads Toyota with six wins, while Chandler Smith and Michael Self have earned two victories each. NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Riley Herbst and rookie driver Drew Dollar complete the winning success for Toyota this season. All of these victories have led Toyota to close on another ARCA milestone – its 100th ARCA victory. The manufacturer currently sits at 99 race wins.

    Toyota first entered the ARCA Racing Series in 2007 and has captured five manufacturer’s titles (2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and six driver’s titles (2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019).

    # # #

    About Toyota

    Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

    Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

  • Ty Gibbs claims ARCA Menards Series victory at Memphis

    Ty Gibbs claims ARCA Menards Series victory at Memphis

    After winning at Winchester Speedway a week prior to Memphis, Ty Gibbs had high hopes of winning at Memphis International Raceway. Gibbs started on the pole but lost ground early due to potentially saving his equipment and tires. However, Gibbs made the pass for the lead and the eventual win following the Segment 3 restart on Lap 153 for his sixth ARCA Menards Series win of 2020.

    “Yeah, this (win) means a lot here,” Gibbs told MAVTV. “My guys worked hard and we never gave up, and we came away with the win, was ale to beat all these guys out here. It (the win) was hard to work for, but we just never gave up. It was a fun time and thank you Tennessee.”

    For the first time time in 19 years, ARCA Menards Series competition returned to Memphis International Raceway for race No. 18 of the year. Three segments made up the 200 lap event, with the first ending on Lap 75 and the second at Lap 150. The Sioux Chief PowerPex 200 also marked the championship race of the Sioux Chief Showdown Championship.

    Segment 1: Lap 1 – Lap 75

    Gibbs led early on in the Sioux Chief PowerPex 200 but was passed by the No. 23 of Bret Holmes on Lap 18. Meanwhile, the No. 15 entry of Drew Dollar struggled early on and nearly made contact with the No. 12 of D.L. Wilson on the backstretch. On Lap 20, two laps after Gibbs lost the lead, he dropped as far as back as eighth in the running order.

    In addition, 2020 breakout star Sam Mayer, rallied from the back after the Wisconsin driver started in the rear due to changing a tire when qualifying was complete. Mayer cracked the top five at Lap 58.

    When Lap 75 came for the first segment break, it was Bret Holmes who led the way with Dollar, Mayer, Deegan, Self, Gibbs, Moffitt, Wright, and Chandler Smith rounding out the Top 10.

    Segment 2: Lap 80 – Lap 150

    Just one caution flew for the second segment when the No. 15 of Drew Dollar made contact with the No. 32 of Gus Dean entering Turns 3 and 4. Dollar would also collect Deegan in the process as well which spun her No. 4 Monster Energy car sideways a little bit.

    Surprisingly, this was the only caution that was seen in the second segment, which was once again dominated by the No. 23 of Holmes. Gibbs, Mayer, Deegan, Gray, Self, Thad Moffitt, Smith, Dollar and Wright were the Top 10.

    Segment 3: Lap 153 – Lap 200

    The changing moment of the race came on the final segment restart. Holmes lost the lead to Gibbs and begin riding around in second. Once it looked as though Gibbs would check out a caution flew with seven to go as the No. 17 of Taylor Gray suffered a right-rear flat tire thus setting up a late-race restart with three laps to go.

    Even though Holmes tried his best with very few laps remaining, Ty Gibbs went on to claim the eighth checkered flag of his ARCA Menards Series career. Sam Mayer, Bret Holmes, Thad Moffitt, and Chandler Smith completed the top five.

    After finishing in the second position, Mayer collected the 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Championship.

    “We didn’t win the battle, but we won the damn war,” Mayer, the 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Champion said. “I’m so proud of these guys, it’s just awesome. What a race. This track was so green all day, and the tires were wearing on the right-front after the first (pit) stop. We were cutting it close, but had enough to finish there (at the end).”

    Sam Mayer, driver of the #21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet celebrates winning the Sioux Chief Showdown Championship for the ARCA Menards Series at Memphis International Raceway on Saturday, September 26, 2020. (Barry Cantrell/ARCA Racing)

    There were four cautions for 17 laps and three lead changes among four different leaders.

    Official Results following the Sioux Chief PowerPex 200 at Memphis International Raceway.

    1. Ty Gibbs, led 58 laps
    2. Sam Mayer
    3. Bret Holmes, led 135 laps
    4. Thad Moffitt
    5. Chandler Smith
    6. Michael Self
    7. Hailie Deegan
    8. ,Drew Dollar, led 7 laps
    9. Taylor Gray, 2 laps down
    10. Kris Wright, 2 laps down
    11. Gus Dean, 5 laps down
    12. Mike Basham, 8 laps down
    13. Tim Richmond, 13 laps down
    14. Eric Caudell, OUT, Battery
    15. Brad Smith, OUT, Transmission
    16. D.L. Wilson, OUT, Overheating
    17. Wayne Peterson, OUT, Vibration
    18. Richard Garvie, OUT, Did Not Start

    Up Next: The ARCA Menards Series will head to the dirt tracks of Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Illinois Truck & Equipment Allen Crowe 100 on Sunday, Oct. 4, live at 3 p.m. ET on MAVTV.

     

  • Gracie Trotter takes historic victory at Las Vegas Bullring

    Gracie Trotter takes historic victory at Las Vegas Bullring

    It was a historic day at the Las Vegas Bullring, as Gracie Trotter became the first female to win in ARCA competition. Grabbing the checkered flag wasn’t all that easy for Trotter, since she had to maintain the lead through numerous cautions near the end of the General Tire 150 and fend off a hard-charging Gio Scelzi and polesitter Jesse Love for her first career ARCA West win.

    “The car was good,” Trotter said to NBCSN following her win. “I mean, it wasn’t tight or loose one bit. The car would roll through the corner pretty good. Today, we thought we were going to be a little bit tight, but (Crew Chief) Roger Bracken worked his magic today. I never had a perfect race car until today. I’m really happy we were able to get our first win!”

    Prior to the General Tire 150, a qualifying session was held, and Jesse Love in his No. 19 Bill McAnally Toyota, sat on the pole with a time of 14.94 seconds.

    Love, the Menlo Park, California native, led through the first 35 laps before being challenged by the No. 6 of Trevor Huddleston. Huddleston, however, became the first lead change of the race, passing Love for the top spot at Lap 36. Unfortunately for Huddlestone, his lead was short-lived as the No. 6 Bob Bruncati Ford ended up in the Turn 3 and 4 walls, and out of the race early.

    With Huddleston eliminated from the race, this saw Bill McAnnally teammates Love and Trotter make up the Lap 54 restart. Love held the lead momentarily before Trotter took the top spot. Though, another caution flew just three laps later, when another Bob Bruncati machine saw trouble. This time, it was the No. 6 of Blaine Perkins, who hit the wall hard off the exit of Turn 2. The incident left Perkins out of the race and credited with a 10th place finish.

    From that point on, Trotter would easily drive away from the field without much challenge from the back. Regardless, four more cautions would fly within the last 100 laps of the event. Two of them for debris on Laps 68 and 104, and then two for incidents. One occurred with 20 laps to go when Love accidentally made contact with the No. 88 of Bridget Burgess, which sent her spinning on the frontstretch. Eventually, the final yellow flew inside 15 to go, as the No. 50 of Holley Hollan was up in the Turn 3 wall.

    After the numerous yellows, Love and Scelzi knew they had one final chance to make a last-ditch effort for the victory as the final restart came with nine laps to go. Despite their efforts, Trotter maintained the lead and took home the checkered flag in just her eighth ARCA Menards West Series start. Gio Scelzi, Jesse Love, Kyle Keller (making his ARCA debut competition), and Todd Souza rounded out the top five finishers in the General Tire 150.

    With his third-place finish, Love gained his eighth top-five of the 2020 season and keeps the championship points lead over Blaine Perkins by seven points.

    “Congratulations to the team (Bill McAnally), 1-2-3 is pretty a big deal,” Love said to NCBSN. “I’m not sure when the last time that happened for the West Series. Just super cool for Bill, he’s done a gat job managing the team, and getting everyone faster. But for us, we just got beat today. You win together, and lose together. We’ll get better and comeback better next month.”

    There were six cautions for 25 laps, and seven lead changes among eight different leaders.

    Official Results following the General Tire 150 at Las Vegas Bullring.

    1. Gracie Trotter, led 95 laps
    2. Gio Scelzi
    3. Jesse Love, led 41 laps
    4. Kyle Keller
    5. Todd Souza
    6. Takuma Koga
    7. Bridget Burgess, 2 laps down
    8. Bobby Hillis, JR, 4 laps down
    9. Holley Hollan, 6 laps down
    10. Blaine Perkins, OUT, Suspension
    11. Joey Iest, OUT, Ignition
    12. Trevor Huddleston, OUT, Suspension, led 14 laps

    Up Next: The ARCA Menards West Series will head to All American Speedway on Friday, Oct. 23, live on NBC Sports Trackpass beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET with 125 laps making up the distance.

  • Gus Dean hopes to rekindle Memphis winning ways

    Gus Dean hopes to rekindle Memphis winning ways

    MEMPHIS, Tenn: When the ARCA Menards Series (AMS) added a race at Memphis (Tenn.) International Raceway to their 2020 schedule, two-time winner Gus Dean (@gusdean) knew he had to be a part of the series’ nearly 20-year return.

    Dean will compete in Saturday afternoon’s Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 and look for a positive finish to conclude his limited ARCA Menards Series schedule this season.

    The Bluffton, S.C. native is a former winner at Memphis in 2014 competing in the X-1R Pro Cup Series (now CARS Tour).

    Adding strength in numbers, Dean’s crew chief Jamie Jones is also a prior Memphis winner taking home the checkered flag in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) in 2005 with driver Brandon Whitt.

    And with this weekend’s race being the first show for the ARCA Menards Series at Memphis since 2001, the Win-Tron Racing team is hoping to be a serious contender in the 18th ARCA race of the season and help Dean achieve his third career victory.

    “I’m stoked about going to Memphis, obviously,” added Dean. “It’s a fun race track and it brings a lot of memories from 2014 – where I beat some of the best of the best in Late Model competition.

    “I know Jamie (Jones) is hungry to win there again and I hope we can go out there this weekend and have a good showing and hopefully bring home the checkered flag.”

    Memphis though isn’t just about winning for Dean. He’s eyeing the 0.750-mile paved oval as a chance to close out his ARCA season on a high note.

    Dean has been a top-10 contender all season. From his first start of the year at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to his most recent start last Thursday night in the Bush’s Bean 200, but bad luck has bitten the NASCAR driver and left the Statesville, N.C.-based team with less than desirable finishes.

    “Whether it was an accident trigged by the pace car, an electrical issue at Talladega or a parts failure with about five laps left at Bristol, luck has not been on our side this season. That changes this weekend at Memphis!

    “It’s the perfect place for our luck to change and the right spot to give us some momentum going into the offseason to get ready for 2021.”

    But before Dean can shit his attention towards an ARCA and NASCAR schedule next season, he knows he’ll have to conquer Memphis first, a place he remembers quite well.

    “You have to be easy on the throttle and make sure you are conserving the tires, those will be the two biggest factors at Memphis this weekend,” sounded Dean. “We have a short practice then qualifying and then the race.

    “Obviously, the track will change throughout the race, but it is making sure we’re keeping up with those changes, especially following that final segment that I hope will make us a factor on Saturday night.”

    Dean’s No. 32 Chevrolet will continue to be backed by MASHONIT Apparel Co.

    MASHONIT Apparel Co. is a brand for those that live life wide open. The people that look at something normal and think, “That’s not good enough,” “It can go faster” or “Let’s see what this thing can do.”

    Those that have the hunger inside that keeps them just south of normal.

    That never-ending hunger for speed and adrenaline that allows you to find the thin line between being heroic and insane, giving them a perspective on life that few are lucky enough to find. – That’s MASHONIT.

    The 26-year-old Dean will also return to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series this season with details being announced soon.

    Since 2016, Dean has 54 ARCA Menards Series starts with two poles, two wins, 14 top-five and 30 top 10 finishes driving for just two teams Mason Mitchell Motorsports and Win-Tron Racing.
    For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@GusDean).

    For more on Win-Tron Racing, please visit WinTronRacing.com, like them on Facebook (WinTron Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@WinTronRacing).

    For more on MASHONIT Apparel Co., please visit MashOnIt.com, like them on Facebook (MashOnIt Apparel Co.,), follow them on Instagram (MashOnIt_Clothing) and follow them on Twitter (@MashOnIt Apparel Co.).

    The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 (200 laps | 150 miles) is the 18th of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., Sept. 26, 2020 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 1:10 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is slated for 3:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 5:00 p.m., televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports TrackPass Gold, while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire day’s festivities. All times are local (Central).

  • Ty Gibbs bounces back for Winchester victory

    Ty Gibbs bounces back for Winchester victory

    After finishing a frustrating second place at Bristol Motor Speedway Thursday night, Ty Gibbs and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team rebounded to a dominating victory at Winchester Speedway Saturday afternoon after starting on the pole.

    “Yeah, that was fun,” Gibbs told MAVTV in his post-race interview about the Winchester victory. “I’m just trying to get as much experience as I can (in these cars). I think I led almost every single lap. It was a fun time. It was a dream come true to win here at Winchester. It’s a really cool track with a lot of history and it’s cool to win here. I’m just excited we can move on and win some more races after this.”

    The Toyota 200 marked the 17th race of the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season and the second ARCA race of the week, just two days removed from previously competing at Bristol on Thursday night. There were three segments throughout the 200-lap event. The first segment ended on Lap 75, the second on Lap 150 and the final at Lap 200 when the checkered flag flew.

    Before the event started there were a few notable changes. Eric Caudell in the No. 7 was added to the entry list and there were three driver changes. The No. 10 was originally supposed to be driven by Owen Smith but he was replaced by Rick Clifton. The No. 11 change took place when Mike Basham took over after Ed Pompa jumped out of the machine and Owen Smith took over the No. 12 after Basham went to the No. 11.

    Segment 1: Lap 1 – Lap 75

    When the green flag flew, it was all Ty Gibbs who led every single lap throughout the first segment. There was only one caution that flew on Lap 60 for the No. 4 of Hailie Deegan who spun around off Turn 2, but kept going without further incident. However, Deegan, along with her teammate, Taylor Gray, pitted right before the green flag flew for a right-rear tire flat.

    The restart came at Lap 64 but no one proved to be a match for Gibbs as he led through the first segment. Self, Love, Holmes, Dollar, Gray, Deegan, Basham, Caudell, Smith, Nicolopoulos, and Clifton were the Top 10.

    During the segment break, Deegan received the free pass and got back on the lead lap.

    Segment 2: Lap 79 – Lap 150

    Just one caution slowed the second segment. This time, Deegan was back in the wall and unfortunately, her day was done early, as the damage to the California native’s No. 4 machine was too catastrophic to repair. Deegan would be credited with a 12th place finish, out of the race.

    Like the first segment, everyone found themselves riding behind the dominating No. 18 of Ty Gibbs who once again led through the first 150 laps until caution flags flew for the second break of the race. Completing the Top 10 were Self, Love, Holmes, Gray, Dollar, Basham, Caudell, Smith, and Nicolopoulos.

    Segment 3: Lap 153 – Lap 200

    During the remaining laps of the Toyota 200, no more yellows were flown for any other incidents, which allowed Ty Gibbs to run away for his fifth checkered flag of the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season.

    Michael Self came home in the second position, earning his 11th top five of the season, and he still leads the championship points standings over Bret Holmes.

    “This was fun, two fun racetracks,” Self said. “Bristol was a heart breaker for us the other night. We had a super fast car, and I thought we had a chance to win that one. The guys made some great changes and got caught up in a little bit of a wreck by hitting the right-rear but still was able to rebound.

    “Here at Winchester, I’m really proud of the No. 25 SinClair Oil team and everyone at Venturini Motorsports. It’s no secret, we’ve struggled pretty bad as of recently. We’ve been frustrated. We’ve beaten ourselves up, myself up. Despite that, we’ve been thrashing, and the guys have been working hard on the cars and I think it showed. There was a time about five races ago, where we couldn’t keep the 18 (Ty Gibbs) in sight, and today, we were within a adjustment or two of running with him. I’m just really excited as we’re finding speed at the right time. We got good tracks in front of us, and hopefully we can keep our momentum up.”

    While Gibbs celebrated with another victory, drivers such as Brad Smith, Eric Caudell, and Con Nicolopoulous enjoyed a career-high day as they all gained their first Top 10 finish in an ARCA Menards Series competition. Smith’s top 10 came in 363 starts at the age of 51, whereas Caudell’s came in just his 49th start at the age of 53, and Nicolopoulous in just 87 starts at the age of 58.

    Smith’s thoughts about his Top 10 finish are below.

    Official Results following the Toyota 200 at Winchester Speedway.

    1. Ty Gibbs, led 199 laps
    2. Michael Self, led one lap
    3. Bret Holmes
    4. Jesse Love
    5. Taylor Gray
    6. Drew Dollar, 1 lap down
    7. Mike Basham, 6 laps down
    8. Eric Caudell, 18 laps down
    9. Brad Smith, 25 laps down
    10. Con Nicolopoulos, 30 laps down
    11. Rick Clifton, 32 laps down
    12. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Crash
    13. Owen Smith, OUT, Brakes
    14. Wayne Peterson, OUT, Valve Spring

    Up Next: The ARCA Menards Series will visit Memphis International Speedway for Round No. 18 of the 2020 season Sunday, Sept. 26, and will air live on NBC Sports Gold Trackpass.