Category: ARCA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla: The biggest race of Jacob Heafner’s young career is set for this Saturday.

Heafner, an accomplished short track racer from North Carolina is poised to make his ARCA Menards Series debut in the series’ biggest race of the season in Saturday’s Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire at the famed Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

And although the 20-year-old is a rookie when it comes to the heavier stock cars used to compete in ARCA competition, the Dallas, N.C.-native tested at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway last month more like a tamed veteran guiding his No. 77 Ford Fusion to the 10th quickest time overall during the two-day test session led by team owner and championship crew chief Chad Bryant.

While Heafner realizes the situation will be totally different this weekend in his series’ debut, he’s embracing the opportunity to learn and turn heads on Saturday afternoon.

“I can’t begin to say how huge of an opportunity this is for me and my career,” said Heafner. “I’m paired with a lot of smart people who bring fast and winning race cars to the track and I’m the lucky guy that gets to sit behind the wheel.

“I’m not sure what all to expect for my ARCA Menards Series debut, but I definitely want to earn the respect of my competitors and be around for the finish.”

Knowing that 80 laps will go by quick thundering around the “World Center of Racing” in about 50-seconds, Heafner is relying on his team led by Bryant to help limit his mistakes.

“It’s a big deal to come to Daytona,” added Heafner. “I want to have zero mistakes both on the race track and on pit road. I plan to really use my spotter to my benefit and listen to not only his guidance but the tips he’s giving me from up top. I realize that I (still) have a lot to learn, but I feel like between the team and I – I can have a good showing and look for more races on the horizon.”

When asked of his goals for Daytona, Heafner was quick to respond.

“Finish,” he quipped. “I’d love to have a top-10, that would feel like a win, but I want to finish this race and bring the car back in one piece for Chad and the guys and all of those pitching in to put me on the track.”

PowerHouse Recycling, a marker leader in certified electronics recycling and IT asset management services will advance their relationship with Heafner from Late Models to ARCA and support his efforts this weekend.

“I can’t thank PowerHouse Recycling enough for their faith in me as a race car driver,” he said. “It’s a huge investment for them to take this next leap in my racing endeavors. The car looks great and I’m determined to bring them a finish they can be proud of.”

For Bryant, he is no stranger to working with young, inexperienced drivers but says Heafner displays the patience that will be pivotal to success at a place like Daytona.

“I’m really proud of our lineup for Daytona,” sounded Bryant. “Connor (Hall) is back with us for a second Daytona race and Jacob will make his ARCA Menards Series debut on Saturday. I think Jacob and Connor are a lot alike as they are both relatively quiet drivers but are fierce competitors once they put on those helmets.

“I think Connor will be a good drafting partner for Jacob and vice-versa. We had a lot of speed in our cars at the test and I’m hopeful we can continue that pace this weekend and kick off our 2020 season with some momentum.”
The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 7 with a one-hour session from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. A final practice session has been etched in from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 68th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 4:30 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.

For more on Jacob Heafner, please like him on Facebook (Heafner95) and follow him on Instagram (@heafner95) and Twitter (@JacobHeafner).

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

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla: Having one of the fastest ARCA Menards Series cars in preseason testing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway last month, Chad Bryant Racing and newcomer Connor Hall are eager to return to the “World Center of Racing” and capitalize on their speed in Saturday afternoon’s Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire.

Saturday’s season-opening race will be Hall’s second experience at the famed superspeedway and after narrowly missing a top-10 finish in his ARCA Menards Series debut last February, the Hampton, Va. native is eager for a second opportunity.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to Daytona this weekend,” said Hall who has two ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit. “I had to learn a lot in 80 laps last year – but going back to the test in January and knowing what I had to work on and improve, I was really happy with our team walking out of the test.

“Saturday’s race though isn’t going to be easy. There’s a lot of people on different agendas and some who have little to no experience at Daytona – so being patient and staying out of trouble are going to be super important to make it to the finish.”

LetLoveLive Animal Rescue will serve as the primary partner for Hall’s 2020 season-opening race.

To raise money for their initiative, any monetary donation of thirty dollars or higher will automatically enter donors into a contest to win the right-side door of Hall’s winning race car from last year in the Hampton Heat, while also guaranteeing (until Saturday morning) their name on the hood of Hall’s Chad Bryant Racing race car for Saturday’s race.

Donations are being accepted here.

“I’m incredibly thankful for everything LetLoveLive Animal Rescue is doing for me and being apart of my racing career,” added Hall. “We’ve already raised over $3,000 in a couple of weeks and focused on making a big push this week leading up to the ARCA race. We’re hoping to do a lot more with them this season.”

Other marketing partners supporting Hall include Breeden Concrete, Charles Barker Automotive, Jarrett Bay Boatworks, Knot Done Yet Sportfishing, Structural Steel Products and Towne Bank.

“Everyone knows that it takes sponsorship to make things go in racing, especially at a place like Daytona,” added Hall. “ARCA is where I’m hoping to be and hopefully we can have a good finish on Saturday that will also us to race more in the future, especially at Chad Bryant Racing.

“I love these guys and they treat me like family. Can’t wait to get on track Thursday afternoon.”

What’s equally exciting for the 22-year-old Hall is the chance to work with veteran and former NASCAR championship crew chief Paul Andrews.

“Paul is so knowledgeable and he’s helping me a ton,” sounded Hall. “He’s easy to talk to and we’re able to bounce things off one another. He knows how to make cars go fast at places like Daytona and Talladega, so I’m looking forward to being in the driver’s seat and continuing Chad Bryant Racing’s winning ways in 2020.”
The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 7 with a one-hour session from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. A final practice session has been etched in from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 68th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 4:30 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.

For more on Connor Hall, please like him on Facebook (Connor Hall Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@connorhallweb) and Twitter (@connorhallweb).

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

Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile tri-oval
Race: 1 of 20
Event: Lucas Oil 200 (200 miles, 80 laps)

Schedule:
Friday, Feb. 7
1:30 p.m…………Practice
3:00 p.m………….Final Practice
Saturday, Feb. 8
12:30 p.m……….Qualifying
4:45 p.m…………Race (FS1)
(all times ET)

Hailie Deegan, No. 4 Monster Energy Ford Fusion

Hailie Deegan has a big weekend ahead of her at Daytona International Speedway. It will be her first start at the 2.5-mile superspeedway and her first race in the No. 4 Monster Energy Ford Fusion. This season she will run the full 20-race ARCA Menards Series schedule competing for the championship, as well as Rookie of the Year honors.

Deegan made six ARCA Menards Series starts last season with one top-five and four top-10 finishes. Her best finish of fifth came at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. She also competed in the full 14-race ARCA Menards Series West schedule where she earned two wins, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. In addition, she scored her first win in the West Series in 2018.

Deegan and her No. 4 team tested at Daytona with their DGR-Crosley teammate Tanner Gray last month. She spent time working on single-car runs, as well as learning to work in the draft with Gray and the other Fords. Deegan will also look to co-owner David Gilliland for advice since the veteran driver has made several starts at Daytona in various NASCAR series

Deegan on Daytona: “The Daytona test last month was great. I’ve never been able to drive a car wide open for laps at a time. That’s something that I’m not used to. I’m used to the quarter to half-mile race tracks where you are super up on the wheel and super aggressive. With this different driving style, and drafting there is just so much more to learn and so much I can improve on to get better and more knowledgeable.”
Tanner Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion

Tanner Gray will make his first start at Daytona in the ARCA Menards Racing Series on Saturday in the No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion. To date, the largest track Gray has competed on is the two-mile oval of Michigan International Speedway where he posted a fifth-place finish. Gray and his No. 17 team tested at Daytona with their DGR-Crosley teammates last month.

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.

It will be a busy Speedweeks for Gray. In addition to the ARCA race on Saturday, he will also be competing in the ARCA Menards Series East race at New Smyrna Speedway on Monday night, Feb. 10 and the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Series race on Friday, Feb. 14 in his No. 17 Ford F-150.


Gray on Daytona: “This will be my first race at Daytona, so it was really helpful I was able to test there last month. I learned a lot at the test from single-car runs to drafting with my teammate, Hailie Deegan. Running the ARCA race on Saturday will also give me more seat time before the truck race the following week. Although the aerodynamics of the vehicles will be totally different, getting time in the draft and getting a feel for it will be a big help. I’m excited to get back on track.”
Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Richard Petty Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion

The Petty family’s racing tradition continues this weekend with Thad Moffitt competing the No. 46 Richard Petty Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford in Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series race. The 19-year-old is the grandson of legendary NASCAR icon Richard Petty.

Over the past three years, Moffitt has run 15 ARCA events with five top-10 finishes. Four of those top 10s came last year. He does have some experience at Daytona after competing in last year’s ARCA race. He finished 27th after a blown tire with nine laps to go took him out of contention.

Moffitt is looking forward to Daytona and his first race with DGR-Crosley. He was not able to test at Daytona last month since his car was not ready, but was there to communicate with his teammates, Hailie Deegan and Tanner Gray. Their input combined with his experience from 2019 should put him on the right track for the weekend.

Moffitt on Daytona: “Last year we started off on the right foot being top 10 in both practices and qualifying on the outside front row. Only 20 laps into the race my window net fell down, so we lost a lap making a green flag stop to fix it. I got back on the lead lap and was 11th with nine to go when I blew a right-rear tire and backed it into the fence. It just wasn’t our day, but hopefully this year will be much better. I’m expecting a good run and to compete for the win. I expect all three of the DGR-Crosley Fords to have a shot at winning if we work together and keep it in one piece with 10 to go. We can all be up front and in the top five.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: For the second consecutive season, race car driver Gus Dean (@gusdean) is going to be a busy man for Speedweeks 2020.

The versatile driver from Bluffton, S.C. will kick off his 2020 racing season with his fifth appearance at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in the ARCA Menards Series driving the No. 32 Chevrolet SS for Win-Tron Racing.

From ARCA, Dean will turn his attention to the World Series of Asphalt competition for a few days of competition at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in his No. 56 Baker Distributing Chevrolet.

On Thursday, Dean will shift back to the 2.5-mile superspeedway of Daytona where he plans to make his second NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at the “World Center of Racing” aboard the No. 56 Chevrolet Silverado in a collaborative effort between Hill Motorsports and Win-Tron Racing.

“I’m extremely blessed to have another jam-packed couple of weeks in Florida,” said Dean.

“I’m excited to get back in an ARCA car with my guys at Win-Tron Racing, have some fun Super Late Model Racing and having the opportunity to come back and get back in a truck on February 14.

“A lot of people continue to believe in me and I’m thankful for everyone’s support.”

Dean, 25, is also considered a factor in ARCA Menards Series competition, especially when it comes to superspeedway racing and this year, he expects more of the same.

“Kevin (Cywinski, team owner) and Jamie (Jones, crew chief) have built me a really fast Chevrolet for the ARCA Menards Series race. I keep thinking we can’t go back to the track and have a better superspeedway piece than we did the last time, but this car that we had at the test is really good.

“It drafted very well, and we had a lot of speed. I’ve always run near the front at Daytona but always get caught up in something. This year, I want to see that checkered flag and hopefully, I can bring Win-Tron Racing back to Victory Lane at a superspeedway.”
While Super Late Model racing has always been a passion of Dean and his family, the opportunity to compete a few nights at New Smyrna is geared to keep the popular driver not only busy but in race mode.

“We have some really good things going on with our Super Late Model program this year and I think everyone will see as the year goes on – the changes we’ve made and continue to make to bring that program more competitive than ever.”

On Valentine’s Day, Dean hopes to win the heart of many and carry his superspeedway success back to NASCAR and have the opportunity to contend for his first Truck Series win driving for his longtime friend Timmy Hill.

“Timmy and I have been friends a long time,” sounded Dean. “Between Timmy, his brother Tyler – we’ve been racing against each other for years – going back to Legacy cars and such. It’s fun to put all the pieces together and get this chance to go to Daytona and leaving nothing on the table.”

Following the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona on Friday night, Dean will return to New Smyrna on Saturday night, Feb. 15 for the Super Late Model 100-lap feature to wrap up his 2020 Speedweeks.

Although Dean doesn’t have any fulltime plans lined up, it doesn’t mean that he plans to be idle on the sidelines.

“We’re not going for a championship this year, but we’re going to do a lot of racing in a lot of different series,” admitted Dean. “I have a lot of support and the races we do compete at – we’re focused on racing near the front and making a statement.

“I’m excited for the year and just thankful I get to still drive race cars for a living.”

Sponsorship for Dean’s ARCA and NASCAR efforts will be announced later this week.

The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 7 with a one-hour session from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. A final practice session has been etched in from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 68th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 4:30 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.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps | 250 miles) is the first of 23 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races on the 2020 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs, Feb. 13 from 4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m. A final practice session is set for 5:05 p.m. – 5:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Feb. 14 beginning at 3:10 p.m. The 32-truck 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 Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90).

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

The ARCA Menards Series has announced a change to its championship points format, aligning the series point structure with those in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series as well as the ARCA Menards Series East and West, formerly known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.

Previously, the ARCA Menards Series used a format that awarded 235 points to a race winner, 220 points for second, and then a five-point interval per position throughout the field. Five bonus points were available for winning the General Tire Pole via qualifying, for leading a lap, and leading the most laps, meaning a driver could earn a maximum of 250 points per race.

Under the new system, a race winner will earn 43 points plus a three-point bonus for winning the race for a total of 46 points, second would earn 42 points with a one-point per position interval through the remainder of the field. There will be a one-point bonus for winning the General Tire Pole via qualifying, and one-point bonuses for leading a lap and leading the most laps, meaning the maximum a driver could score by sweeping an event is 49 points.

As it has been in the past, ARCA will award teams points for competing in each five-race segment within its 20-race season. In 2020, those segments are scheduled to end at Charlotte, Lucas Oil Raceway, Watkins Glen International, and at the season finale at Kansas Speedway. Any driver or owner attempting to compete in each of the five races per segment will earn a 50-point bonus, with any driver or owner entering and competing in all twenty races earning the maximum 200 bonus points. The same system will apply in the ARCA Menards Series East and West as well.

“Entering our third year as NASCAR property and now as the sanctioning body for the ARCA Menards Series East and West, we felt it was time to align our points system to fall more in line with the other national series,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “The one-point-per-position points format has led to some great championship battles since it was implemented, and we are looking forward to seeing how it plays out in the ARCA Menards Series in 2020.”

The battle for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series championship kicks off with the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire at Daytona International Speedway on February 8. The race will be televised live on FS1 starting at 4:30 pm ET. The ARCA Menards Series East opens its season on Monday, February 10 at New Smyrna Speedway and the ARCA Menards Series West opens with the Star Nursery 150 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday, February 20. Both of those races will be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, and will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on NBCSN.

ARCA Menards Series Championship Points Distribution:
1st 43
2nd 42
3rd 41
4th 40
5th 39
6th 38
7th 37
8th 36
9th 35
10th 34
11th 33
12th 32
13th 31
14th 30
15th 29
16th 28
17th 27
18th 26
19th 25
20th 24
21st 23
22nd 22
23rd 21
24th 20
25th 19
26th 18
27th 17
28th 16
29th 15
30th 14
31st 13
32nd 12
33rd 11
34th 10
35th 9
36th 8
37th 7
38th 6
39th 5
40th 4
41st 3
42nd 2
43rd 1

Bonus points available: 3 points for winning the race, 1 point for winning the General Tire Pole via qualifying; 1 point for leading a lap; 1 point for leading the most laps.