(IRVINGTON, Ala.) — Grant Enfinger used a rocket re-start with fewer than 30 laps remaining and held off a late challenge from Kyle Benjamin Saturday afternoon to win the ARCA Mobile 200.

Enfinger, a local crowd favorite, took the lead on lap 172 when he ducked under 15-year-old Kyle Benjamin, then used another re-start with nine laps to go to stretch his lead and win his first-ever ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event.

“I knew we were going to get here, I just didn’t think it would take this long,” Enfinger said in Victory Lane. “I started knocking on the door in 2009 and I don’t know how many second and third-place finishes I had.”

After Enfinger drove the Triple K Construction Ford into victory lane, a throng of family and friends surrounded him. Some of the loudest cheers came when he donned a University of Alabama Crimson Tide ball cap.

Anderson Bowen finished third, Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell winner Mason Mingus fourth and Frank Kimmel fifth.

Enfinger is from nearby Fairhope, Ala. and considers Mobile International Speedway a home track.
“I’ve wanted to win for so long,” he said. “To do it in front of the home crowd is something special. A lot of these people, family and friends, can’t come up north when we race. This is something special.”

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(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Feb. 16, 2013) – Venturini Motorsports driver John Wes Townley took the checkered flag Saturday after an amazing sequence of events inside the finals 10 laps left him at the front of the Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAVTV American Real.

Townley won from the pole in what was the 50thannual ARCA Racing Series event at Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s one thing to win your first race in ARCA, it’s another to win at Daytona,” Townley said after the first win in the 31-year history of Venturini Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway.

“This is just a great day for Venturini Motorsports,” Townley said. “This is priceless. I almost wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It’s a real honor.”

The final 49 laps were all under the green flag.

Kyle Larson finished second, Ricky Ehhrgot third and Frank Kimmel fourth. Sean Corr came in fifth. (more…)

(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – December 16, 2012) – Three days of open testing for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Daytona Int’l Speedway came to a conclusion Sunday afternoon with nary an on-track incident among 61 drivers who posted time and speed.

While several veteran teams and drivers utilized the open test in preparation for the 2013 season opener, several rookies circled the 2.5-mile superspeedway in search of seat-time with the intention to gain approval to compete in ARCA competition. Given the success of the test, ARCA’s newest rookie crop is off to a very good and safe start.

Venturini Motorsports, in all Toyotas, led the leader board in six separate sessions during which New Castle, Indiana rookie Caleb Armstrong posted the fastest speed overall at 184.192 mph. He was followed by rookie Justin Boston, veteran John Wes Townley and rookie Taylor Ferns.

“As a driver there is no doubt Daytona is the place to be,” Armstrong said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity and excited to see my progress in making the transition from open wheel to stock cars. The team has been totally supportive and given me really good equipment.” (more…)

(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.) – When open testing begins this morning for ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards teams at Daytona International Speedway, drivers in ARCA’s “Road to Daytona” program will have Fast Track High Performance Driving School and Hoosier Racing Tire, among others, to thank.

The North Carolina-based Fast Track High Performance Driving School, ARCA’s Official Driving School, will provide the cars and support for three 2012 touring series champions: the ARCA CRA Super Series’ Johnny VanDoorn, the ARCA Midwest Tour’s Jonathan Eilen, and the ARCA Gold Cup Series’ Dakota Carlson.

School owner Andy Hillenburg, a two-time ARCA Daytona winner and the 1995 Series champion, will assist each Road to Daytona driver in the test session. The 2012 Daytona test is the second at which Hillenburg’s school has assisted the touring series competitors. Last year, the Super Series’ Derrick Griffin and the Gold Cup Series’ Dennis Strickland drove Fast Track cars in the Daytona test.

Hoosier Racing Tire will provide a set of tires for each driver at the test. The Indiana-based company has been active in the ARCA Racing Series since the 1950s and has acted as the series’ official tire supplier since 1995.

Yesterday, officials from Roush Yates Engines and ARCA announced that Roush Yates will supply an ARCA spec restrictor plate engine lease for the weekend’s test. (more…)

(TOLEDO, Ohio) – Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America have announced several important procedural changes for the 2013 ARCA Racing Series season.

Beginning in 2013, drivers aged 17 years old may be considered for eligibility to drive in race events at Pocono Raceway and Kentucky Speedway. Drivers seeking approval will be subject to meeting specific and strict guidelines, including but not limited to a thorough driving experience review, successful participation in a minimum of five approved ARCA Racing Series events, and an ARCA-sanctioned open test at the intended track.

The change will give 17-year-old drivers three more races to enter in 2013, bringing the potential season total for a 17-year-old to 16 races.

“In recognizing the growing youth movement in stock car racing, we are proud to have reached agreements with two partner tracks that will allow qualified, up-and-coming drivers to begin their speedway careers at a younger age,” said ARCA president and CEO Ron Drager. “We appreciate the commitment from those tracks to assist in our drivers’ development.”

ARCA also announced that in 2013, the starting field for the February 16 race at Daytona International Speedway will be 40 positions. The first 30 positions will be set by time trials, and the remaining 10 will be set by the provisional procedure listed on the entry blank. (more…)

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The celebration of ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season created a clear theme for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Championship Awards Banquet at the Indiana Convention Center. The end of the night, though, centered on the accomplishments of Chris Buescher and Roulo Brothers Racing, both champions for the first time.

Buescher and his No. 17 Ford team were officially crowned ARCA champions at the series’ annual celebration, taking place in downtown Indianapolis for the first time after a long stretch in Covington, Ky. The 20-year-old from Prosper, Texas was among 18 drivers from the top 20 in the final point standings to be honored on stage. He and his team left with a significant amount of point fund and special award earnings, as awarded by a parade of series partners at the ceremony.

To honor Buescher as the 30th ARCA Racing Series champion in 60 seasons, ARCA president Ron Drager presented the team its series championship rings. Jim Johnson of Menards was the last guest on stage, congratulating Buescher on behalf of the series’ presenting sponsor.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Buescher said of his title coronation. “We’ve been looking forward to it for a while now. I’m not a big dress-up-and-get-fancy guy but for an occasion like this I’ll certainly do it. I’m happy to have my parents here and have everyone up on stage.” (more…)

(MOBILE, Ala.) – Officials from Mobile International Speedway, in conjunction with the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, announced today that the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park will welcome aboard ARCA fans, drivers, and teams on Thursday, March 7, just days before the Mobile ARCA 200.

Fans of all ages will have the opportunity to see ARCA cars and haulers up close, along with live pit stop demonstrations and a driver autograph session. The autograph session will take place inside the Aircraft Pavilion, which fans can access at no charge.

“We are excited about having the horsepower of the ARCA teams and fans at Battleship Park,” said Bill Tunnel, executive director of USS Alabama Battleship Park. “Starting the Mobile ARCA 200 weekend here is another example of the Park’s ability to be a multi-faceted entertainment and tourist destination.”

Mobile drew ARCA fans and teams to Mobile for the series’ first race at the track in 2012, and found much more. (more…)