LONG POND, Pa.: Back on the ARCA Menards Series scene for the first time since Kansas Speedway in early May, veteran driver Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team invade Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for Friday afternoon’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 hoping for a reset on their 2023 season.
Running a limited schedule in the ARCA Menards Series division has certainly presented the opportunity for Kitzmiller and his Todd Myers-led team, but with two DNFS (did not finish) at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway, the North Carolina team is looking for a little luck at the “Tricky Triangle.”
“It is going to be nice to get back to the track this weekend at Pocono, I just hope we have a little luck to go with it,” said Kitzmiller.
“It’s unfortunate that we have had really fast race cars in our three races this season but have nothing to show for it.
“I understand that is the way it goes sometimes – but I really want to give our A.L.L. Construction Racing a complete race start to finish and have a strong finish so we can build on it for the rest of the season.”
Pocono Raceway’s unique 2.5-mile triangle may just be what the doctor ordered for the successful entrepreneur.
In three previous Pocono starts, Kitzmiller has one top-10 last summer and an average finish of 13.3. Anticipating to build off his ninth-place run last July, Kitzmiller is eager to deliver his first top-10 finish of the season and build on his prior experience in Long Pond.
“Pocono is a fun race track,” explained Kitzmiller. “There is not another track like it on the schedule. It has a short track, road course and superspeedway all blended together. It presents its challenges, but it also provides a sense of fulfillment as a race car driver with the opportunity to go fast and be competitive.
“I have learned a lot about Pocono since 2020 and I hope to be in contention to earn another top-10 finish on Friday afternoon.”
With a stacked ARCA Menards Series field on deck for the 10th race on the schedule, Kitzmiller hopes to showcase what he has learned in his 21st career ARCA start.
“The initial start and restarts are crucial at Pocono as well as balancing the tunnel turn,” added Kitzmiller. “Thankfully, I feel like I have one of the best spotters in the business in Tim Fedewa who spots for Kevin Harvick on Sundays in my corner.
“Timmy will keep me in check during the race, but he will also be my biggest asset in doing everything I can to better our most recent performances. I’m just ready to get back in the saddle and get to work on Friday.”
In addition to the ARCA Menards Series this season, A.L.L. Construction Racing will also participate in select Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour Series events.
“While we may not have had the results we wanted at this point in the year, we are still having a lot of fun,” sounded Kitzmiller. “I am hoping as we dive into the rest of the year, we can even have more fun and keep our race car near the front in both the CARS Tour and the ARCA Menards Series.
“I want to thank my team for their endless efforts of making sure we go to the track with a competitive race car and having a positive outlook. The atmosphere is always positively contagious at Pocono, so I cannot wait to get there and mingle with the fans this weekend.”
Following Pocono, Kitzmiller and his team anticipate returning to the ARCA competition at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, August 4, 2023.
Since 2020, Kitzmiller has 20 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with four top-10 finishes overall, including a career-best eighth-place finish twice at Talladega Superspeedway (April 2020) and Michigan International Speedway (August 2020) respectively.
The Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 (60 laps | 150 miles) is the 10th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, July 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will start a short time later at 12:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
