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  • Daytona Newcomer Dominique Van Wieringen Leads Final Test for ARCA Menards Series Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona International Speedway

    Daytona Newcomer Dominique Van Wieringen Leads Final Test for ARCA Menards Series Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona International Speedway

    First-timer Dominique Van Wieringen led the way in the final day of testing for the ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. The two-day test session, leading into the February 10 Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire, was plagued both days by overnight rain showers that delayed the start, but the teams on hand were able to get nearly 15 hours of track time over the course of both days.

    Van Wieringen, who has a career-best third place finish in the ARCA Menards Series East at Langley Speedway, piloted the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford to a fast lap at 49.615 seconds/181.397 miles per hour. Van Wieringen’s fast lap also marks the second consecutive season a female driver led the way in a test session at Daytona as now-retired Leilani Munter led the first day of the open test last year.

    “I was really surprised when Mark (Rette) said we went to the top of the charts,” Van Wieringen said. “I was practicing trying to time the draft for qualifying and I didn’t get it times just right. Hopefully when we come back for the race I can time it out a little better in qualifying and get even more.

    “It’s been a good experience. It’s really intimidating because you go really fast and when things go wrong they go wrong really fast. For the first time out, it was better than I thought it would be. It was actually really relaxing. I don’t know how to explain it, it was just really relaxing.”

    World of Outlaws star David Gravel (No. 28 KBR Development Chevrolet) timed in second fastest at 49.659 seconds/181.236 miles per hour. Gravel is slated to run a partial season for GNS Racing in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and will get his pavement career started in the ARCA Menards Series opener at Daytona.

    Sean Corr (No. 8A Empire Racing Chevrolet) was third fastest with a lap at 49.676 seconds/181.174 miles per hour. He was followed closely by a trio Venturini Motorsports teammates, last year’s season runner-up and former Daytona winner Michael Self (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota), Drew Dollar (No. 15 Venturini Motorsports Toyota), and Ryan Repko (No. 20 Venturini Motorsports Toyota).

    Self timed in with a lap at 49.684 seconds/181.145 miles per hour, Dollar just behind at 49.687 seconds/181.145 miles per hour, and Repko at 49.691 seconds/181.119 miles per hour.

    Alabamian Bret Holmes (No. 23 Bret Holmes Racing Chevrolet) was seventh at 49.707 seconds/181.061 miles per hour, the final driver over 181 miles per hour. Riley Herbst, who led Friday morning’s session in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, was eighth at 49.799 seconds/180.727 miles per hour, just in front of the two Chad Bryant Racing teammates Jacob Heafner (No. 77H Chad Bryant Racing Ford) and yesterday’s overall fastest Connor Hall (No. 22C Chad Bryant Racing Ford).

    Other notables throughout the field included former Talladega winner Gus Dean (No. 32 Win Tron Racing Chevrolet) in twelfth, former NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock national champion Tanner Gray (No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford) in 13th, Hailie Deegan (No. 4 DGR-Crosley Ford) in 16th, and Tom Hessert III (No. 77H Chad Bryant Racing Ford) in 20th.

    Two ARCA touring champions, ARCA CRA Super Series champion Greg Van Alst and ARCA Menards Series East champion Sam Mayer, took part in Saturday’s action making single-car runs in a car prepared by two-time Daytona winner and 1995 series champion Andy Hillenburg. Van Alst timed in 28th quickest at 51.527 seconds/174.666 miles per hour, while Mayer was 34th at 51.939 seconds/173.280 miles per hour.

    The Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire is scheduled for Saturday, February 10 with the green flag expected to wave over the field at 4:45 pm ET. The race will be televised live flag-to-flag on FS1; ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring throughout practice, General Tire Pole Qualifying, and the 80-lap, 200-mile feature event.

  • Chad Bryant Racing leads the way in ARCA Preseason test at Daytona

    Chad Bryant Racing leads the way in ARCA Preseason test at Daytona

    The ARCA Menards Series returned to on-track action for the annual preseason test at Daytona International Speedway. Rain showers interfered in today and shortened testing on day one. Despite the limited test, one driver was still smiling at the end of the session and that was Chad Bryant’s Connor Hall in the No. 22C Ford with a time of 49.711 seconds equaling 181.046 mph.

    There was also a morning test, which accompanied the afternoon test session. Hall said, they did some single-car runs throughout the morning and was somewhat pleased the way things went on day 1 of testing.

    “We were working on single-car runs this morning,” Hall said. “We had a game plan to work on the car and getting air where we wanted it. We made some gains and learned some things we liked and didn’t like. That’s what testing is all about. We were focused on what we needed to be better on last year. We have a great racecar. We are happy but not totally happy so we’ll get back to work tomorrow.”

    Following in Hall’s footsteps was Jacob Haefner, who placed third fastest in the test session. Haefner piloted the No. 77H Chad Bryant Racing Ford and laid down a lap of 49.767 seconds, 180.843 miles per hour. This was the first time Haefner got on-track at Daytona and while he was excited in the beginning, the Chad Bryant Racing driver was able to calm his nerves.

    “It was a learning curve at the beginning,” Haefner said. “I calmed myself down and got to driving. It is a big change coming from late models on short tracks. We worked a little on single-car runs and then got out there in the draft a little. We’re learning a lot and ready to come back in February.”

    Splitting the Chad Bryant Racing team was the No.02O Chevrolet of Ronnie Osmer for Our Motorsports. Osmer’s lap placed him second on the charts with a time of 49.754 seconds at 180.890 mph. Rounding out the top five was Ty Gibbs in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, with Andy Seuss completing the top five in the No.02S Our Motorsports Chevrolet.

    All in all, just 37 drivers took part in the first day of ARCA testing at Daytona right before the rains came and shortened testing. There will be another day of testing with day two taking place tomorrow morning/afternoon. However, should the rain interfere in that session and wash it completely out, there is a reserve date set for Sunday, January 12.

    Official Results

    1. Connor Hall
    2. Ronnie Osmer
    3. Jacob Heafner
    4. Ty Gibbs
    5. Andy Seuss
    6. Gus Dean
    7. Riley Herbst
    8. Dominique Van Wieringen
    9. Tristian Van Wieringen
    10. Bret Holmes
    11. David Gravel
    12. Dave Mader III
    13. Jason Kitzmiller
    14. Drew Dollar
    15. John Ferrier
    16. Harold Crooms
    17. Tanner Gray
    18. Hailie Deegan
    19. Kieth McGee
    20. Michael Self
    21. Chuck Walker
    22. Gabe Sommers
    23. Chuck Hiers
    24. Jason White
    25. Tom Hessert
    26. Willie Mullins
    27. Sean Corr
    28. Sebastian Airias
    29. Chandler Smith
    30. Sam Mayer
    31. Scott Reeves
    32. Jared Ivan
    33. Ryan Vargas
    34. Ed Pompa
    35. Dawson Cram
    36. Tim Richmond
    37. Doug Herd

    Tomorrow’s test session resumes at 9:00 a.m./ET lasting until 5:00 p.m./ET with an hour for lunch at 12:00 p.m./ET.