TALLADEGA, Ala.: Set to make his second ARCA Menards Series start of the 2020 season this weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Gus Dean is hoping history can repeat itself in Saturday afternoon’s General Tire 200.
In 2016, Dean in just his second ARCA Menards Series race went to Victory Lane at Talladega in a nail-biting finish that was determined by inches. Since then, he has continued to enjoy strong finishes at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, but the Bluffton, S.C. native is ready to celebrate again.
“I feel very blessed to have another opportunity to come back to Talladega and race and try and get another ARCA win,” said Dean. “I’ll never forget April 2016, but its time to make new memories with new people in 2020 and I hope we can do that on Saturday.”
Dean will return to Win-Tron Racing for his 53rd career ARCA start under the leadership of veteran crew chief Jamie Jones who has worked with the two-time ARCA winner for the last 25 races.
The two have enjoyed modest success with pole, a win at Elko (Minn.) Speedway and numerous top-five and top-10 finishes to boost – but a superspeedway win would be the icing on the cake for this pair who has shown since 2018 with fast race cars on the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega for the Kevin Cywinski-owned team.
“I love working with Jamie (Jones),” added Dean. “Jamie and I have great communication and a great friendship. He wants to win just as bad as I do – if not more. He spends a lot of time preparing our superspeedway car and he feels really good about this weekend’s piece. As do I.
“I’m just ready for Saturday to be here and get the ball rolling.”
Dean has four prior starts at Talladega with a win, one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has not finished worse than 12th and has completed all 319 laps from 2016 to 2019.
And while the other superspeedway track of Daytona has not been as kind to him, he hopes for more of the same luck at Talladega for the fifth consecutive year.
“I always run well at the superspeedway tracks, but Talladega has certainly been kinder to me over the years. I’ve been super blessed to drive fast race cars and have great spotters and teams who have put me in the same position year after year.”
Like Daytona, MASHONIT Apparel Co. will support Dean’s effort for the 76-lap race.
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Those that have the hunger inside that keeps them just south of normal.
That never-ending hunger for speed and adrenaline that allows you to find the thin line between being heroic and insane, giving them a perspective on life that few are lucky enough to find. – That’s MASHONIT.
With a limited practice session on Saturday afternoon to get their No. 32 MASHONIT Apparel Co. Chevrolet dialed in, Dean feels no matter where he starts by virtue of the random draw, his superspeedway experience will pay dividends.
“A short practice session followed by a shorter than normal race is going to put a lot of pressure on the teams to make sure you unload off the hauler the best of the best. You just have to hope the car is pretty close to perfect by the end of practice and then hope for the best.
“I think we’ll have an opportunity for adjustments if we need them at some point early in the race, but Jamie knows what I need from a drivers’ standpoint so I put my faith in him and the rest of the Win-Tron Racing guys and I’ll do my best from behind the wheel.”
Veteran spotter and close friend Tyler Monn will spot for Dean. Monn guided Dean to his second career ARCA victory at Elko in July 2018.
Dean will carry the MASHONIT Apparel Co. onboard camera for the General Tire 200 offering viewers a unique view from inside the cockpit.
For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@GusDean).
For more on MASHONIT Apparel Co., please visit MashOnIt.com, like them on Facebook (MashOnIt Apparel Co.,), follow them on Instagram (MashOnIt_Clothing) and follow them on Twitter (@MashOnIt Apparel Co.).
The General Tire 200 (76 laps | 202 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., June 20 with a half-hour session from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:00 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. All times are local (Central).
