TEMPERANCE, Mich. (January 2, 2024) – Two drivers representing the ARCA Menards Series East and West have been selected to participate in the ARCA Menards Series “Road to Daytona” during the series’ annual Pre-Race Practice at Daytona International Speedway. The two-day session will take place on Thursday and Friday, January 9 and 10, 2025.
Speedway, Indiana resident Zachary Tinkle will represent the ARCA Menards Series East. Tinkle started all eight ARCA Menards Series East races in 2024, finishing in the top ten in four of them, two of which were in the top five. Tinkle finished a career-best fourth at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in May and backed it up with a fifth-place finish in the next series race at Flat Rock Speedway. Tinkle’s consistency – his only finish outside of the top-12 was a 20th-place finish at Iowa Speedway – resulted in a fourth-place result in the final ARCA Menards Series East standings for the second consecutive season.
Trevor Huddleston, from Agoura Hills, California, will represent the ARCA Menards Series West. Huddleston scored two West victories in 2024 in back-to-back starts at Madera Speedway and All American Speedway in which he led 295 out of a possible 300 laps. Huddleston also finished second to Kole Raz at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in a photo finish, one of six top-five finishes he scored en route to third in the final ARCA Menards Series West standings for the second straight year. All told, Huddleston has made 77 career West starts with five career victories, 30 top-five finishes, and 62 top-ten finishes.
A total of seven drivers representing the ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, and ASA Southern Super Series will share cars prepared by 1995 ARCA Menards Series champion Andy Hillenburg throughout the two-day session. Each driver will have an opportunity to run approximately 100 miles at speeds approaching 190 miles per hour.
The ARCA Menards Series Road to Daytona has seen several participants matriculate from the pre-race practice runs to competing at Daytona and battling for and winning NASCAR national series championships. Former participants include 2023 ARCA Menards Series winner at Daytona Greg Van Alst, 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ty Majeski, 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, ARCA Menards Series race winner Travis Braden, and 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series rookie of the year Layne Riggs.
Live timing and scoring data will be available throughout the two days of track activity, scheduled to run from 10 am through 5 pm, at ARCARacing.com.
The 2025 ARCA Menards Series season will kick off with the 62nd Annual Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 15. The race will be televised live on FOX starting at 12 noon ET; the race will also be broadcast nationwide on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network.
