DAYTONA BEACH, Fla: When it comes to superspeedway racing, confidence is always a good thing.
For ARCA Menards Series driver Howie DiSavino III, confidence is on his side ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Undoubtedly, the 2021 ARCA season opener will be the biggest race of DiSavino’s career, but that does not seem to faze the AM Racing development driver one bit.
“It’s important for me to do well at Daytona this weekend,” said DiSavino. “I really want to give this AM Racing team some momentum.
“Kevin (Cywinski), Jamie (Jones) and everyone on this No. 32 Chevrolet are going to Daytona with the mindset of winning the race and I think we can do that – I just need to do my job and have a little luck along the way.
“I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity to compete on this big stage,” added DiSavino. “It’s a very humbling moment for me and my family, but once I climb into the car on Saturday, I can’t treat it as the biggest race or biggest chance of my career – I just have to treat it as another race.”
That cool, calm demeanor could be the winning ticket for DiSavino aboard Kevin Cywinski’s No. 32 Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning | Front Runner Boats Chevrolet. Of course, AM Racing (formerly WinTron Racing) is no stranger to Daytona’s victory circle.
Cywinski alongside crew chief Jamie Jones have been fielding the No. 32 Chevrolet for several years around the 2.5-mile superspeedway and while also having fast race cars, when the payday window opened, they always found themselves collected in someone else’s mishap.
DiSavino isn’t thinking about the dreaded “Big One” this weekend, because chances are there will be nothing he can do to prevent being collected. What he can do is act off instinct and the guidance of his spotter, Tyler Monn.
To help prepare DiSavino for his superspeedway debut, the Chesterfield, Va. native participated in the open ARCA Menards Series test at Daytona last month with Jones and Monn by his side.
“I learned a lot at the test,” added DiSavino. “It certainly can be intimidating, but I felt like we made the best of the test for sure. We made adjustments throughout the two days and my comfort level was really at its best on Saturday and I feel like I’ve done my part studying up on the prior races since the test that will all help with the cause and our goal.
As DiSavino prepares for his sixth career ARCA Menards Series race, he knows he doesn’t have to go far outside his circle for advice on how to conquer Daytona.
DiSavino’s manager is former ARCA Daytona winner and former series champion Austin Theriault who captured both crowns during the 2017 season. Theriault has not only been instrumental in mentoring his young driver in the car but out of the seat too.
Former ARCA winner Joey Coulter has also played an important part in coaching Howie, in preparation for the biggest race of his career.
Former ARCA winner Joey Coulter has also played an important part in coaching Howie, in preparation for the biggest race of his career.
“Having them (Austin and Joey) is going to help me with my learning curve as I continue to climb the ranks. I’m glad they are on my side,” sounded DiSavino.
“Hopefully, our race ends with a strong finish and something to be proud about looking ahead to the rest of 2021.”
Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Front Runner Boats and KEES Vacation will support DiSavino in 2021.
Additional details on DiSavino’s 2021 program are forthcoming.
For more on Howie DiSavino III, please visit howiedisavino.com, like him on Facebook (Howie DiSavino III Racing), follow him on Twitter (@hdisavino) and Instagram (HowieDiSavino).
For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing) or follow them on Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.
The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 12 with a one-hour session from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 13 at 8:30 a.m. The season-opener for the 69th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:30 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.
About Bud’s Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric:
Bud’s Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric is the recognized leader in residential and light commercial mechanical contractors in the Hampton Roads market. From simple, honest beginnings in 1969, Bud’s quickly rose to prominence, establishing a legendary reputation for quality, service and professionalism while always maintaining the same home-town personalized connections with clients throughout its 51-year history.
In 2000, Bud’s expanded under the current leadership of CEO Robert W. Nelson Jr. adding plumbing and electrical departments and introducing a science-based whole home approach that has now become the industry benchmark, while national influencing the market through innovative business and customer relations practices.
About Front Runner Boats:
Front Runner as defined by Meriam Webster is “a contestant who runs best in the lead.” Indeed, this defines the vision of Front Runner Boats’ founders, two fishing buddies and business partners who saw an opportunity to build the boats they enjoyed, but with their own ideas on how to build them better!
There are plenty of big, beautiful, boats on the market, but none that came up to the standards Mark and Phil had set for themselves. Standards that today’s boat builders have never seen. Standards that only people that take the sport of blue water fishing seriously will appreciate.
If you’ve always dreamed of having everything you wanted in a boat, it’s time for Front Runner Boats.
Show your support for Howie, the team and our boats using #MrFrontRunner on social media.
