DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: ARCA Menards Series rookie Craig Bracken has been waiting for this moment his entire racing career.
On Saturday, Bracken, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, hopes to be one of 40 starters locked into the Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 and make the most of his superspeedway debut with the veteran NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team, Young’s Motorsports.
Bracken is poised to make his first ARCA start since the 2002 season at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, where an early race mechanical failure ripped him of the opportunity to showcase his talent.
Since then, Bracken has diligently worked hard to race at various levels of Motorsports in Canada and the United States, paving the way to participate in the open ARCA Menards Series practice session at the 2.5-mile superspeedway last month with Fast Track Racing.
Consistent lap times and steady improvement earned the 52-year-old Bracken his ARCA superspeedway license with the determination to take what he achieved during the test and contend for a strong finish in the 80-lap race.
“I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity,” said Bracken. “I have worked my entire life for this moment and this opportunity, and there are no words to describe not only how excited I am but also how blessed I am to have this chance.”
Technique Inc., based in Jackson, Michigan, which specializes in metal parts manufacturing and services for a broad and diverse group of OEM customers by providing the shortest lead times in the industry for Metal Stampings, Tube Bending and Welding will support Bracken in his Daytona ARCA debut.
Since 1991, Technique has built a reputation as the fastest, world-class manufacturer for Prototypes, Low-Volume Production, and Emergency Manufacturing. Markets served include heavy trucks, agriculture, powersports, automotive, power generation, Motorsports, aerospace, and defense.
Technique supplies all industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, and appliance manufacturers. It serves well over 200 customers throughout North America and internationally.
“Technique is proud to support driver Craig Bracken, a Technique employee, for his debut in the ARCA Menards series with Young’s Motorsports,” offered Technique CEO Ronnie Johncox.
“The No. 02 Team Technique car is a natural extension of our passion for motorsports and manufacturing. Our employees and customers are excited to cheer for Team Technique and Craig at Daytona International Speedway.”
Added Bracken, “The opportunity to race at Daytona would not have been possible without Ronnie Johncox of Technique. I started working for him in 2021 at Technique Chassis, one of his other companies.
“Very quickly, we both knew that we had much in common, and he has been instrumental in my success, teaching me a lot about Technique Chassis. With his support, I could do the test at Daytona and found a home with the great people at Young’s Motorsports for the race.
“I want nothing more than to make Mr. Ronnie proud. He is taking a chance on me, and I will never forget it. The only way I know how to make him extremely proud is to bring him back the checkered flag.”
While Daytona will continue to be a learning experience for Bracken this weekend, he is relying on the expertise of his Young’s Motorsports team to lead him and put him in a position to achieve the team’s career-best finish in the premier ARCA Menards Series.
“The Young’s Motorsports team and family have been terrific,” added Bracken. “They have treated me like family since day one, and they know how important this opportunity is for me. They want me to succeed and they have a proven track record on the superspeedways in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
“I know I am a rookie on Saturday, but I won’t let that defy me. I’m going to be innovative and thoughtful throughout the race to make sure we are in a position to contend for a strong finish.
“Hopefully, the Daytona experience will be beneficial and will provide additional opportunities to compete in the ARCA Menards Series with Young’s Motorsports later this year.”
To learn more about Technique Inc. and its services, please visit techniqueinc.com.
For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).
The Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Thursday, February 13, from 4:05 p.m. to 4:55 p.m. General Tire group pole qualifying begins on Friday, February 14, at 1:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag the following afternoon shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live for the first time on FOX, with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the day’s festivities.
