77 drivers took part in this past weekend’s ARCA Series test at Daytona International Speedway. Photo courtesy ARCA Media
Drivers from 28 states, four Canadian Provinces and Sweden, England and Australia converged on Daytona Beach, Florida for the annual ARCA Test leading to the Feb. 15 Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAV TV American Real at Daytona International Speedway. Over 70 drivers took part in the three-day test, which saw 49 different race cars on track. There were no on-track incidents.
Venturini Motorsports led the speed charts overall with 2013 SCOTT Rookie of the Year Justin Boston, who circled the 2.5-mile superspeedway in 49.019 seconds, a top speed of 183.602 mph. Defending race winner, John Wes Townley, gave the Venturini team a clean sweep of the top two positions with the second best speed – 183.501 mph.
The Daytona ARCA event will open the season for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for the 51st consecutive season in 2014. Bobby Gerhart brought four Lucas Oil-MAV TV Chevrolets to the test in his effort to grow his all-time record eight victories in the Daytona ARCA race, first run in 1964.
Cunningham Motorsports also made a big splash with four drivers testing, including rookies Tyler Reddick (fifth fastest), Austin Wayne Self (ninth fastest), Shannon McIntosh, and veteran Tom Hessert. Reddick recorded the most laps in any of the six different sessions, making 57 circuits on the final afternoon session Sunday.
ARCA’s Road To Daytona initiative brought touring series champions Travis Braden (ARCA CRA Super Series) and Dan Fredrickson (ARCA Midwest Tour) to Daytona to gain experience on the famed high banks. In its second year with support from Fast Track High Performance Driving School, Roush Yates Engines and Hoosier Racing Tire, Braden and Fredrickson were guided by program administrator and spotter Andy Hillenburg, the 1995 ARCA Racing Series champion and a two-time Daytona ARCA 200 winner.
The familiar red Mallory Ignition trays, standard issue to ARCA teams since 2005, were being swapped out for yellow Accel Ignition brand products. Both brands are owned by Mr. Gasket Company. The brand change coincides with significant technological advances to the ARCA-mandated ignition systems. Major features of the new and improved systems are greater protection internally to prevent overvoltage charges, a design enhancement to reduce overheating of the systems and lightening the system from 16 pounds to 11 pounds. Graham Fordyce and Chris Whitworth represented Accel at the test.
Chase Elliott had an impressive lineup of Hendrick Motorsports mechanical talent assisting his Daytona ARCA Test effort including Jim Long, Billy Wilburn and Lance McGrew.
Justin Allison, who posted the third best speed overall in Saturday’s drafting practice session, had help beyond the Howard Bixman-Grant Enfinger led BCR Ford team. His grandfather Donnie Allison, who nearly won the Daytona 500 in the now famous battle with Cale Yarborough which ended with Donnie and his brother Bobby Allison scuffling with Yarborough, was an interested observer at the test and enjoyed offering his insight.
USAC Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown legend Dave Darland, whose accomplishments are well documented in the USAC record book, made his initial laps at Daytona and plans to return to race in February.
Rich Lushes, car chief of the 2013 ARCA Racing Series championship team of owner Duke Thorson and driver Frank Kimmel, has moved to Venturini Motorsports to join the crew chief lineup. Venturini Motorsports fielded the full time effort of 2013 SCOTT ARCA Rookie of the Year Justin Boston. Venturini Motorsports brought five teams to the test including ZLOOP sponsored Boston, Zaxbys driver John Wes Townley, Mark Thompson, Leilani Munter (sixth fastest) and Michael Self (seventh fastest), all of whom logged many laps at the test.
Joey Coulter, whose career advanced through the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards en route to his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series success, was on hand spotting for Allegiant Travel Chevrolet driver Spencer Gallagher, who was fourth fastest overall. Newcomer Scott Sheldon also tested a Gallagher Motorsports entry, ending up eighth fastest overall.
Thomas Praytor gave Wayne Hixson’s car a good ride with the 10th best speed overall among the 77 drivers who posted time and speed Friday through Sunday.
NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran Carl Long was at Daytona assisting in the efforts of Empire Racing and driver Sean Corr.
James Hylton combined efforts with the Empire Racing Ford team at the test and may be looking at plans to work together with the John Corr owned, John Bellesfield managed team for the full 2014 season.
1989 ARCA Racing Series champion Bob Keselowski was in the garage working with Matt Kurzejewski. Keselowski’s son Brad is the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and son Brian is a multi-time winner in ARCA Racing Series competition.
NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver Joe Nemechek brought his son John Hunter to gain experience, working with veterans Del and Rick Markle and the John Fox Motorsports team.
Two teams notably absent from the Daytona test indicated they will do private testing at Talladega Superspeedway in January to prepare for the Daytona ARCA race. Win-Tron Racing’s Nate Thiesse indicated Frank Kimmel would be at the wheel of the Win-Tron owned #44 Ansell Menards Toyota. Stange Motorsports crew chief Larry Moore was at Daytona and said MaryEve Dufault would be at test the team’s Fords at Talladega in January as well.
ARCA Racing Series
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL
Overall Combined Test Results
POS NO NAME TIME SPEED
1. 25 Justin Boston 49.019 183.602
2. 15 John Wes Townley 49.046 183.501
3. 88 Justin Allison 49.053 183.475
4. 23A Spencer Gallagher 49.057 183.460
5. 22A Tyler Reddick 49.068 183.419
6. 55 Leilani Munter 49.099 183.303
7. 35 Michael Self 49.105 183.281
8. 23 Scott Sheldon 49.152 183.105
9. 22 Austin Wayne Self 49.163 183.064
10. 2 Thomas Praytor 49.206 182.905
11. 39B Alex Guennet 49.224 182.838
12. 39A Mario Gosselin 49.246 182.756
13. 82B Jacob Engle 49.250 182.741
14. 12 Kody Weisner 49.268 182.674
15. 22B Shannon McIntosh 49.270 182.667
16. 12A Jared Marks 49.276 182.645
17. 77 Tom Hessert 49.299 182.559
18. 38 Clay Rogers 49.304 182.541
19. 82A Cole Powell 49.313 182.508
levitra on line sales It is specially designed for men to achieve firm or lasting erections of the penis. Erectile dysfunction does not necessarily have to be long term, as already buy levitra mentioned it could happen once and probably never repeat again. cheap viagra online These five (dys)functions are based on the work of Patrick Lencioni and are highly effective in creating truely effective teams. A person who is facing heart problems or you have had a look at these guys professional cialis heart attack or stroke in the last 6 months have liver disease have abnormally high or low blood pressure have an eye disease like non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which causes loss of vision or if you have retinitis pigmentosa cimetidine for treating ulcers, antibiotics like erythromycin and rifampicin, verapamil or diltiazem. 20. 23B Joey Coulter 49.330 182.445
21. 48 Sean Corr 49.336 182.423
22. 75 Benny Chastain 49.342 182.400
23. 56 Derrick Lancaster 49.342 182.400
24. 98 Mason Mitchell 49.342 182.400
25. 69A Will Kimmel 49.346 182.386
26. 5 Bobby Gerhart 49.399 182.190
27. 86 Bobby Grewohl 49.472 181.921
28. 9 Chase Elliott 49.515 181.763
29. 75B Scott Green 49.525 181.726
30. 99 Buster Graham 49.530 181.708
31. 2 Josh Williams 49.543 181.660
32. 40C Kelly Admiraal 49.613 181.404
33. 97E Friday Hassler Jr 49.678 181.167
34. 57 Bryan Dauzat 49.713 181.039
35. 90 Grant Enfinger 49.721 181.010
36. 12C Tanner Berryhill 49.769 180.835
37. 97 Dominick Casola 49.776 180.810
38. 40B Justin Lloyd 49.806 180.701
39. 54 Matt Kurzejewski 49.854 180.527
40. 11 Travis Braden 49.854 180.527
41. 68 Michael Lira 49.907 180.335
42. 69B Chris Bailey Jr 49.928 180.260
43. 40A Rick Clifton 49.939 180.220
44. 5B Scott Hubler 49.961 180.141
45. 57A Andy Seuss 49.962 180.137
46. 5B Scott Edwards 49.982 180.065
47. 54 Mark Thompson 50.004 179.986
48. 32 Terry Jones 50.015 179.946
49. 40G Mark Meunier 50.024 179.914
50. 32 John Hunter Nemechek 50.036 179.870
51. 40 Josh Reeves 50.061 179.781
52. 40E Alx Danielsson 50.141 179.494
53. 57A Doug Barnes Jr 50.229 179.179
54. 5c Jacob Severen 50.256 179.083
55. 97D Jami Weimer 50.259 179.072
56. 5A Michael Lia 50.269 179.037
57. 39 Darin Matthews 50.331 178.816
58. 5A Casey Hillenburg 50.460 178.359
59. 69E Brian Finney 50.484 178.274
60. 69C Sara Elrod 50.496 178.232
61. 40D Josh White 50.509 178.186
62. 11B Dave Darland 50.554 178.027
63. 97B Kris Martin 50.618 177.802
64. 97B Jerry Tunney 50.683 177.574
65. 10B Ed Pompa 50.739 177.378
66. 10 Ethan McMillian 50.766 177.284
67. 3B Tim Viens 50.805 177.148
68. 10A Richard Doheny 50.886 176.866
69. 11A Dan Fredrickson 50.903 176.807
70. 7 Brent Cross 51.107 176.101
71. 3A Kevin Powell 51.110 176.091
72. 10C Tyler Speer 51.117 176.067
73. 97A Andrew Portter 51.205 175.764
74. 3 Sarah Cornett-Ching 51.242 175.637
75. 3C Karl Weber 51.274 175.528
76. 97C David Sear 52.730 170.681
77. 12B Rachel Marks 53.901 166.973
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