18-Year-Old Racer Earns Valuable Experience Ahead of NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Debut
Date: Aug. 7, 2026
Event: JR&CO 150
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Location: Iowa Speedway in Newton (.875-mile oval)
Length: 150 laps (131.25 miles)
Start/Finish: 2nd / 2nd (Running, completed 150 of 150 laps)
Overview:
Carson Brown was part of a strong 1-2 finish for Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG) Friday night at Iowa Speedway in Newton, finishing second to teammate Tristan McKee in the JR&CO 150 ARCA Menards Series race.
Brown started second alongside pole-winner McKee, and when the green flag dropped it served as a prelude for how the rest of the 150-lap race would unfold. McKee was able to take off, while Brown had to modulate the throttle on his No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet, as his car either spun its tires or bogged down under acceleration.
While Brown’s car struggled on restarts, its handling came in the longer it ran around the .875-mile oval. By lap 31, Brown had caught McKee, and with a deft move to the inside of two lapped cars while McKee went high, Brown took the lead.
Brown led for the next 25 laps, but on the lap-57 restart that followed the competition caution, history began repeating itself – McKee drove away while Brown had to fend off drivers who stacked up behind him.
This scenario continued through four more restarts, with McKee taking the checkered flag .950 of a second ahead of Brown.
Despite the outcome, the effort still yielded positive results. Prior to the race, Brown had never turned a lap at Iowa. Now, heading into his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut on Saturday, the 18-year-old from New London, North Carolina, brings firsthand experience to the HyVee Perks 250 where Brown will drive the No. 32 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport.
Carson Brown, driver of the No. 28 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group:
“I wish I was better on the restarts. That was our issue the whole time. We just struggled to fire off all day. I just couldn’t really get going. We were either bogging or we were just lighting the tires up, and just couldn’t really go anywhere.
“Lapped traffic was a little more chaotic than what we needed, but it also gave me the lead at one point – just ended up losing it there toward the end during all those restarts. When you get behind there, it’s hard to play catch-up, but I felt like we had a good long-run car.
“This was my first time here at Iowa and, honestly, I love the place. I think it’s pretty cool, just the track layout, the surface, and a little bit of everything. I feel like it’s aging well and it has a lot of character. So, definitely looking forward to tomorrow in the O’Reilly Series car.”
Notes:
● This was Brown’s 12th career ARCA Menards Series start. He has now finished among the top-three nine times, a mark highlighted by his victory March 5 at Phoenix Raceway.
● Brown qualified second for the JR&CO 150 with a time of 23.514 seconds at 133.963 mph. In 12 career ARCA starts, Brown has never qualified lower than sixth.
Next Up:
Brown will grab another rung on the racing ladder when he makes his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut on Saturday in the HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway. He will drive the No. 32 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport.
