ARCA Category

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Despite a host of late-race carnage, Michael Self started the ARCA Racing Series season off the same way he ended 2017 – in victory lane. Self survived two late pileups to win Saturday’s Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire at Daytona International Speedway. The Park City, Utah native took the lead after the first attempt at a one-lap shootout on lap 87 went haywire in Turn 3. The top four of Sean Corr, Sheldon Creed, Chase Purdy and Travis Braden ran side-by-side, bumper-to-bumper inRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Saturday’s Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona International Speedway has as diverse a field as the ARCA Racing Series has seen in a long time. The race marks the first time ARCA will use composite bodies at a restrictor plate track, giving a fair playing field for all 39 drivers who’ll accept the 80-lap grind. The historic field consists of long-time veterans, a Navy Academy grad, female teammates and young guns in top budget teams. Let’s begin with Venturini Motorsports teammates Natalie Decker and Leilani Münter.Read More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Natalie Decker turned a 49.489 second lap (181.859 mph) around Daytona International Speedway on Friday afternoon to win the pole for Saturday’s ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil 200. The Wisconsinite edged out Zane Smith by .001 seconds, earning her first General Tire Pole Award in eight series starts. Decker is the first female to claim the top spot at the 2.5-mile superspeedway since Erin Crocker in 2007. Decker is set to run the full 20-race ARCA schedule this season, piloting the No. 25 Toyota withRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer In a sport that often celebrates patriotism, United States Navy Lt. Jesse Iwuji will find himself at home. Lt. Iwuji will become the first Naval Academy Graduate to compete in the ARCA Racing Series Present by Menards when he takes the green flag February 10. He will pilot the No. 34 BBMC Mortgage Chevrolet SS for Patriot Motorsports Group. Lt. Iwuji has 29 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. There he has just one top-10 at Orange Show Speedway in 2016. Lt. IwujiRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer When the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menard’s takes the green flag at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, history will be made. Venturini Motorsports drivers Natalie Decker and Leilani Münter will become the first women to compete as teammates in the series. Decker, who will drive the No. 25 N29 Capital Partners Toyota Camry, will make her first restrictor plate start this weekend. She has seven previous starts in ARCA competition with two top-10 finishes. Decker’s best finish was seventh at Road America lastRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer Despite a breakout 2017 season, ARCA Racing Series Champion Austin Theriault’s plans for 2018 are still in the dark. Theriault’s journey to his first national series championship has been a long and winding road. Theriault dominated the 2017 ARCA Racing Series season. In 20 races, he finished in the top-10 19 times. The Fort Kent, ME native also earned seven victories and 16 top-five finishes. Theriault also became the first driver in ARCA history to win on all five styles of racetracks (dirt track, intermediateRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Natalie Decker has signed a full-time deal with Venturini Motorsports and will pilot the team’s No. 25 Toyota for the 2018 ARCA Racing Series season. The deal was officially announced on Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway prior to the series’ 20th and final race of the 2017 season. “I’m so excited,” Decker told Motorsports Tribune. “I’ve known for so long, so I’m just so pumped to finally tell everyone and be able to talk about it in my interviews. “I’ve known for like five months andRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer What was originally announced as a three race ARCA schedule for the 2017 season back in March has expanded to seven races for Natalie Decker as the 20-year-old driver has experienced success and gained valuable experience behind the wheel of a Venturini Motorsports Toyota. Decker has achieved several accomplishments with her family-owned Super Late Model team over the past few seasons, including earning the first podium finish for a female racer in the ARCA Midwest Tour. After recording several victories in Super Late Model competitionRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer As a young kid, Blaine Perkins loved going out with his dad and a bunch of his friends and running go-karts. About the age of 10, the Bakersfield, California native got his own go-kart and launched his racing career. Progressing through the SRL Legends Tour, SRL Southwest Tour and the Lucas Oil Modifieds, Perkins landed a ride in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. On Friday night at Kentucky Speedway, Perkins takes the next step in his racing career when the 17-year-old driver makes hisRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer For this week’s edition of Climbing the Ladder, Seth Eggert sat down with Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Harrison Burton. Burton is a 16-year-old NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver that drives the No. 51 DEX Imaging Toyota Tundra. Burton competes full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series in the No. 8 Dex Imaging Toyota Camry for MDM Motorsports where he currently leads the standings by 22 points over Todd Gilliland. He also competes part-time in the No. 28 Dex Imaging Toyota Camry in theRead More