WEST ALLIS, Wisc.: Max Gutiérrez’s rookie ARCA Menards Series East season is approaching the finish line, but with two races remaining in the 2021 season, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) is determined to put the freshman driver back in Victory Lane in Sunday afternoon’s Sprecher 150 at the famed Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile.
In the series’ most recent race at Iowa Speedway, Gutiérrez and his Mark Rette-led team had a solid showing at the 0.875-mile oval, but a tight field and close competition left Gutiérrez with a 12th place finish in the ARCA combined event and definitely more to be desired.
Luckily this weekend at the iconic Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile, most of the ARCA field will be on the same page.
The series returns to the short track after a 14-year hiatus with only one driver entered in the next-to-last ARCA Menards Series East race of the season with previous experience at the track.
Gutiérrez hopes the lack of inexperience for his competitors will put the field on a level playing field.
“I’m excited about getting back in an ARCA car with these Rette Jones Racing guys,” said Gutiérrez. “It’s hard to believe that the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East season is almost over with, but we still have time to get ourselves another win and make our presence known not only on Sunday but next month at Bristol too.”
Not exactly thrilled with his most recent performance at Iowa Speedway, Gutiérrez has hunkered down and focused on trying to better prepare himself for the 150 laps that await him on Aug. 29.
“I take every race seriously, but Milwaukee is an opportunity for our Rette Jones Racing team,” added Gutiérrez. “While there have been some teams and just one driver that has prior experience at The Milwaukee Mile – I’ve been doing what I can looking at photos, watching old races and just doing everything I can to make sure that when the track opens for practice, we can take advantage of the time allotted.
“The track is going to be green for a lot of us, so we just have to focus on making sure we get our No. 30 TOUGHBUILT Ford Fusion dialed in during practice and then make the right adjustments for qualifying and the race that keep us in the hunt.”
With two races remaining in 2021, Gutiérrez remains mathematically in the fight for the championship sitting fourth in the series standings, 30 points behind leader Sammy Smith and 11 markers behind current runner-up Mason Diaz.
The 18-year-old Gutiérrez knows his Rette Jones Racing team will have to be nearly flawless over the next four weeks and contend wins and top-five finishes.
“We’re not out of the championship battle yet and we will do everything we can to remain in that hunt,” he said. “These next two races aren’t going to be easy, but nothing is when it comes to auto racing, but if we can stay focused and out of trouble, hopefully, we’ll find ourselves exactly where we need to be when that checkered flag falls on the season.”
In addition to TOUGHBUILT. TekNekk and Jimmy Morales Escuderia TELMEX | TELCEL, BolsaDX.mx, Distributed Ledger Inc. (DLI), GoGig, Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement and JRi Shocks join the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as partners this weekend.
Championship or not, Rette is happy with the efforts of his driver and team.
“We are going to Milwaukee this weekend with the same mentality that we’ve had all season long,” Rette sounded. “We’re here to win. But if for whatever reason we can’t, we will do what we can to bring home the best finish possible for all of our partners and everyone who supports Rette Jones Racing.
“Milwaukee is going to be tough. It’s another new track, but I think Max will adapt well. He has proven time and time again this season that he is a quick learner. Hopefully, the homework that he gave himself will pay off and we bring home our second win of the season.”
In eight career ARCA Menards Series East starts, Gutiérrez has one win, two top-five and five top-10 finishes and hoists a series’ average finish of 8.8 over two years.
RJR is co-owned by Canadian entrepreneur and former race car driver Terry Jones.
The Sprecher 150 (150 laps | 150 miles) is the seventh of eight races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East schedule. Practice begins Sun., Aug. 29 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. A timed General Tire pole qualifying session is set for a short time later at 11:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold Pass. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the day’s festivities. All times are local (CT).
The Sprecher 150 (150 laps | 150 miles) is the 16th of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sun., Aug. 29 with a forty-five-minute practice session from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. A timed General Tire pole qualifying session is set for a short time later at 11:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold Pass. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the day’s festivities. All times are local (CT).
For more on Max Gutiérrez, please visit maxgutierrez.com, like him on Facebook (Max Gutierrez Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@maxgutierrezmx).
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing) or follow them on Twitter (@RetteJones30).
About TOUGHBUILT Industries Inc.:
TOUGHBUILT is an advanced product design, manufacturer and distributor with emphasis on innovative products. Currently focused on tools and other accessories for the professional and do-it-yourself construction industries.
We market and distribute various home improvement and construction product lines for both the do-it-yourself and professional markets under the TOUGHBUILT brand name, within the global multibillion-dollar per year tool market industry. All of our products are designed by our in-house design team.
Since launching product sales in 2013, we have experienced significant annual sales growth.
Our current product line includes three major categories, with several additional categories in various stages of development, consisting of Soft Goods & Kneepads and Sawhorses & Work Products.
Our mission is to provide products to the building and home improvement communities that are innovative, of superior quality, derived in part from enlightened creativity for our end users while enhancing performance, improving well-being and building high brand loyalty.
Additional information about the company is available at: toughbuilt.com.
About Rette Jones Racing:
Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never give up attitude.
Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plan to field a full-time entry in 2021 in the ARCA Menards Series East, while also hopeful to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).
The winning ARCA East team also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.
