Category: ARCA

TALLADEGA, Ala.: Set to make his second ARCA Menards Series start of the 2020 season this weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Gus Dean is hoping history can repeat itself in Saturday afternoon’s General Tire 200.

In 2016, Dean in just his second ARCA Menards Series race went to Victory Lane at Talladega in a nail-biting finish that was determined by inches. Since then, he has continued to enjoy strong finishes at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, but the Bluffton, S.C. native is ready to celebrate again.

“I feel very blessed to have another opportunity to come back to Talladega and race and try and get another ARCA win,” said Dean. “I’ll never forget April 2016, but its time to make new memories with new people in 2020 and I hope we can do that on Saturday.”

Dean will return to Win-Tron Racing for his 53rd career ARCA start under the leadership of veteran crew chief Jamie Jones who has worked with the two-time ARCA winner for the last 25 races.

The two have enjoyed modest success with pole, a win at Elko (Minn.) Speedway and numerous top-five and top-10 finishes to boost – but a superspeedway win would be the icing on the cake for this pair who has shown since 2018 with fast race cars on the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega for the Kevin Cywinski-owned team.

“I love working with Jamie (Jones),” added Dean. “Jamie and I have great communication and a great friendship. He wants to win just as bad as I do – if not more. He spends a lot of time preparing our superspeedway car and he feels really good about this weekend’s piece. As do I.

“I’m just ready for Saturday to be here and get the ball rolling.”

Dean has four prior starts at Talladega with a win, one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has not finished worse than 12th and has completed all 319 laps from 2016 to 2019.

And while the other superspeedway track of Daytona has not been as kind to him, he hopes for more of the same luck at Talladega for the fifth consecutive year.

“I always run well at the superspeedway tracks, but Talladega has certainly been kinder to me over the years. I’ve been super blessed to drive fast race cars and have great spotters and teams who have put me in the same position year after year.”

Like Daytona, MASHONIT Apparel Co. will support Dean’s effort for the 76-lap race.

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.

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With a limited practice session on Saturday afternoon to get their No. 32 MASHONIT Apparel Co. Chevrolet dialed in, Dean feels no matter where he starts by virtue of the random draw, his superspeedway experience will pay dividends.

“A short practice session followed by a shorter than normal race is going to put a lot of pressure on the teams to make sure you unload off the hauler the best of the best. You just have to hope the car is pretty close to perfect by the end of practice and then hope for the best.

“I think we’ll have an opportunity for adjustments if we need them at some point early in the race, but Jamie knows what I need from a drivers’ standpoint so I put my faith in him and the rest of the Win-Tron Racing guys and I’ll do my best from behind the wheel.”

Veteran spotter and close friend Tyler Monn will spot for Dean. Monn guided Dean to his second career ARCA victory at Elko in July 2018.

Dean will carry the MASHONIT Apparel Co. onboard camera for the General Tire 200 offering viewers a unique view from inside the cockpit.

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 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 General Tire 200 (76 laps | 202 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., June 20 with a half-hour session from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (Central).

Track: Talladega Superspeedway, 2.66-mile oval
Race: 3 of 20
Event: General Tire 200 (202.16 miles, 76 laps)

Schedule:
Saturday, June 20
11:00 a.m………..Practice
2:00 p.m……….Race (FS1)
(all times ET)

Hailie Deegan, No. 4 Toter Ford Fusion

After over a three-month hiatus in racing, Hailie Deegan is ready to get back on track in her No. 4 Toter Ford Fusion. She sits second in the ARCA Menards Series point standings after finishing second in the season-opening race at Daytona, and seventh in the series’ last race at Phoenix in March.

Since then Deegan’s only racing has been on a simulator and she has spent her time working out and playing with her new Rottweiler puppy, Trigger. She returned to North Carolina to the DGR-Crosley shop this week for the first time since mid-March before she quarantined with her family at home in California.

This will be Deegan’s first race at Talladega, but if her superspeedway debut at Daytona is any indication, there is a good chance she could score her first ARCA win this weekend. She ran with the lead draft much of the race, and finished second. She was also able to spend some time on the Ford Performance simulator earlier this week to prepare for the biggest track of her career.

Deegan on Talladega: “After Daytona, I didn’t realize how much fun superspeedway racing was going to be. I really loved it. Everyone always talks about how not fun and boring it is, but I had so much fun. It think having a good car made it a lot more fun too. Racing is always better when you have a good car! The guys at DGR-Crosley gave me a really good Ford Fusion to work with, so that always makes it a lot easier, a lot more fun and creates a lot of positive energy. They’ve been giving me really good stuff and I think that we can just go out there and hopefully expect to have another good run. I’ve been waiting to race for way too long, so hopefully we can get back to racing, have some good finishes and get the season back on track.”

Tanner Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion

Tanner Gray returns to the ARCA Menards Series (AMS) at Talladega Superspeedway while there is a break in the action in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) where he competes full time. This will be the third of Gray’s four scheduled starts in the ARCA Series. He plans to race at Pocono Raceway next weekend as well.

The New Mexico native ran eight ARCA races last season with one top-five, five top-10 finishes and one pole. He also ran a combined 15 races between the ARCA Menards Series East and West in 2019 with one win (South Boston, Va.) nine top-five, 12 top-10 finishes and three poles. Gray finished 16th in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona last month after an oil leak took him out of contention, but rallied with a fourth-place finish at Phoenix in March.

This will be Gray’s first start at Talladega in any series, and only his third overall start on a superspeedway. He competed in the ARCA and NGROTS events at Daytona in February. An oil leak took him out of contention in the ARCA race after running up front most of the race, and an accident ended his night early in the Truck Series race. He’s looking to change that luck Saturday at Talladega.

Gray on Talladega: “I’m excited to be back in the ARCA car and working with Blake (Bainbridge, crew chief) and the 17 team again this weekend. We have a weekend off on the truck side, so it’s always nice to be able to stay in the car and get some experience at tracks that we will be visiting later in the season. I learned a lot at Daytona in February, so I’m looking forward to another superspeedway race. I’ve never been to Talladega, but I’ve been watching film with my spotter (Kevin Hamlin) and listening to his advice. Thad (Moffitt) ran there in the ARCA race last year, so he will be a good resource too. Hopefully the three of us (teammates Moffitt and Hailie Deegan) can work together throughout the race and all end up fighting for the lead at the end.”

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Richard Petty Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion

Thad Moffitt cannot wait to get back in his race car after earning his best career ARCA Menards Series finish (fifth) at Daytona International Speedway in February. Then he drove his No. 46 Richard Petty Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion into the top 10 at Phoenix, until a cut left-front tire ended his night with only 25 laps to go. It has been a long three months waiting to get back to what he loves – racing.

This will be Moffitt’s second ARCA start at Talladega. Last year he finished 25th after a broken oil line ended his race prematurely, but this year Moffitt has renewed momentum after a top-five finish at Daytona in February. The DGR-Crosley team is taking the same Ford Fusion he raced at Daytona.

During the over three-month break, Moffitt has spent his time doing some iRacing and working at his grandfather’s (Richard Petty) famous Petty’s Garage in Level Cross, N.C. He also completed his sophomore year virtually, as most students did, at the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC).

Moffitt on Talladega: “I’m really excited to get back to racing. I felt like we had a lot of positive momentum after the first two races and then everything kind of stalled out with the Coronavirus. I think that we can still carry that momentum and confidence into Talladega. I like the fact that we are taking three cars again and I think we (DGR-Crosley teammates Hailie Deegan & Tanner Gray) will work very well together. I think we have shot for sure to win this race, and if not, run in the top five, or top 10.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Chad Bryant Racing (CBR) announced today that the coronavirus pandemic has forced the organization to adjust its 2020 ARCA Menards Series East schedule which includes their withdraw from competition in Saturday’s Herr’s Potato Chips 200 at Toledo Speedway.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, CBR and newcomer Derek Griffith was slated to run the full ARCA Menards Series East schedule, but with current protocols and procedures in place, the team will now run select races in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East.

Griffith, 23 and Chad Bryant Racing embraced an outstanding performance in their series’ debut together in February at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.

The talented Late Model ace from the Northeast had one of the fastest cars in practice; won the pole, led a whopping 144 of the race’s 175 laps, but a late-race pit stop penalty relegated Griffith to start at the rear of the field. With 31 laps remaining he was able to come from last to second.

Knowing the team will now forgo a championship, the team under the leadership of Paul Andrews will now focus on race wins.

“This was a difficult decision for our Chad Bryant Racing team,” said team owner Chad Bryant. “We weighed the options and without the opportunity to race and interact with fans right now, we had to adjust our plans in the best interest of Original Gourmet™ Food Company and their initiatives.

“While we’re disappointed that we’ll no longer be able to compete for an ARCA Menards Series East championship, we’re upbeat knowing that we can go to the race track each week with a young, flourishing and talented driver.”

In lieu of Toledo, CBR and Griffith will now compete in the ARCA Menards Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on June 26 with the No. 22 Original Gourmet™ Food Company Ford Fusion.

An updated 2020 schedule for Griffith will be released in the near future.

For more on Derek Griffith, please visit derekgriffith.com, like him on Facebook (Derek Griffith Motorsports) and follow him on Twitter (@DerekGriffith12).

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

For more on Original Gourmet™ Food Company and their products, please visit ogfc.net.

“Sponsorship Propels Griffith and Chad Bryant Racing to compete fulltime in 2020”

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Chad Bryant Racing (CBR) announced today that a new partnership agreement with Original Gourmet™ Food Company will propel the team into a fulltime ARCA Menards Series East schedule with driver Derek Griffith beginning with this weekend’s Pensacola 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway.

Headquartered in Salem, New Hampshire, Original Gourmet™ has been innovating in the sweets and snack industry since 1994. Their story started with a recipe and a vision.

Their curiosity for making special blends of flavors and colors of candy became a passion for providing people with bold tasting lollipops.

Griffith’s No. 2 Ford Fusion will be covered in a variety of the company’s 26 lollipops flavors.

Original Gourmet’s lollipops are the largest pops sold with a bright taste and bright colors – standing out from all the rest. Weighing in at 1.1 oz., these lollipops are gluten and peanut free delights that have a plastic stick and will not get soggy as all the other lollipops do.

Original Gourmet™ prides themselves on the wide variety of flavors they offer because they are a great treat for everyone in the family.

“I am so blessed for this opportunity to represent Original Gourmet™ Food Company and compete for the ARCA Menards Series East championship,“ said Griffith. “This is a great chance to bring a new partner into the sport and bring a product that race fans can enjoy while watching our Chad Bryant Racing compete for the championship title.

“I’m eager to get to Five Flags this weekend and finish what we started at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.

Griffith, 23, returns to Chad Bryant Racing on the heels of an outstanding performance in their series’ debut together last month at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.

The talented Late Model ace from the Northeast had one of the fastest cars in practice; won the pole, led a whopping 144 of the race’s 175 laps, but a late-race pit stop penalty relegated Griffith to start at the rear of the field. With 31 laps remaining he was able to come from last to second.

This weekend, Griffith, a two-time finalist in the Kulwicki Driver Development program will look for his first career ARCA Menards Series East victory under the leadership of former NASCAR Cup Series crew chief Paul Andrews.

“It’s going to be a fun season,” added Griffith. “With the support of the Original Gourmet™ Food Company, we’ll not only have the opportunity to win races, but we will also contend for the series’ championship – something I didn’t think we’d be able to do. Hopefully, with the strength of our team, we can put a ‘licking’ on the rest of the competition.”

Team owner Chad Bryant says he’s ecstatic to have Griffith apart of his team’s driver development program, and their performance at New Smyrna was just the start of things to come from the No. 2 Chad Bryant Racing team this season.

“Derek impressed a lot of people at New Smyrna and he’ll only continue to turn heads as the ARCA Menards Series East season marches on,” offered Bryant. “He is extremely talented and our performance last month is just a taste of what is to come from our No. 2 Chad Bryant Racing team.

“We’re happy to carry the Original Gourmet™ colors and look forward to celebrating with them a lot in 2020.”
For more on Derek Griffith, please visit derekgriffith.com, like him on Facebook (Derek Griffith Motorsports) and follow him on Twitter (@DerekGriffith12).

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

For more on Original Gourmet™ Food Company and their products, please visit ogfc.net.

The Pensacola 200 presented by Inspectra Thermal Solutions (200 laps | 100 miles) is the second of eight races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series East schedule. Practice is set for Sat., Mar. 14, 2020 beginning at 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. with a final forty-five-minute session scheduled for 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.. Qualifying is slated 5:00 p.m., while the race is set to take the green flag shortly after 7:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on NBC Sports’ TrackPass on NBC Gold, while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the day’s festivities. The event will be televised on the NBC Sports Network on Monday, Mar. 23 at 6:00 p.m. All times are local (CT).

Sam Mayer, No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet
Five Flags Speedway Stats

– Starts: 1, Best Start: 14, Best Finish: 15.

2020 ARCA Menards Series East Stats

– Starts: 1, Best Start: 1, Best Finish: 1, Laps Led: 138

Notes:

– Mayer comes into this race at the top of the ARCA Menards Series East point standings, after winning the first race of the season.

– This will be Mayer’s second start at Five Flags. His best finish was 15th place in last year’s contest.

– Mayer and the No. 21 team will compete with chassis No. 408 this week at Five Flags. This chassis reached 5 Top-5s in 6 outings and led 17 laps in 2019, with a highest finish of 2nd coming at Salem Speedway in March.

Quote:

“I’m excited for what we have for this weekend. I’m confident in the car and myself to get it done!”

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. 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 Championship and the 2019 ARCA East championship. The organization 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/.

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