- Amber Balcaen (No. 70A Nitro Motorsports Toyota) was the fastest of 70 drivers that took time in the two-day ARCA Menards Series Pre-Race Practice at Daytona International Speedway. Balcaen turned her fast lap, 49.102 seconds/183.292 miles per hour, in a tight draft with her Nitro Motorsports teammate Thad Moffitt and fellow Toyota drivers out of the Venturini Motorsports stable.
- Eighteen-year-old Chase Pinsonnault (No. 15 Venturini Motorsports Toyota) made a strong debut in the ARCA Menards Series, timing in second fastest at 49.226 seconds/182.830 miles per hour. Pinsonnault, a third-generation racer, has driven in the ASA STARS National Tour for NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar; he will make his first career ARCA Menards Series start in the Daytona ARCA 200.
- Balcaen, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Pinsonnault, from Windsor, Ontario, gave Canadian drivers a sweep of the top two positions for the first time in the history of the pre-season practice runs at Daytona International Speedway.
- Willie Mullins (No. 3M Mullins Racing Ford), last year’s General Tire Pole Award winner at Daytona International Speedway, was third fastest at 49.227 seconds/182.826 miles per hour, just one one-thousandth of a second off the pace set by Chase Pinsonnault.
- Lawless Alan (No. 20 Venturini Motorsports Toyota), 2024 Talladega Superspeedway winner Jake Finch (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota), and Isabella Robusto (No. 55R Venturini Motorsports Toyota) were fourth through sixth in the overall results. VMS had four of the top six drivers, all from Thursday’s session.
- KLAS Motorsports had its two drivers in the Pre-Race Practice both in the top ten; the team’s regular driver Andy Jankowiak (No. 73J KLAS Motorsports Ford) was seventh fastest in the draft on Thursday, while newcomer Vincent Arthur (No. 73A KLAS Motorsports Chevrolet) was ninth overall.
- NASCAR Xfinity Series hotshoe and utility crewmember in virtually every major motorsports series in America Brad Perez (No. 3P Mullins Racing Chevrolet) teamed up with team co-owner Willie Mullins in a right draft and set the eighth fastest lap of the week at 49.308 seconds/182.526 miles per hour.
- Kole Raz (No. 76 AM Racing Ford) rounded out the top ten at 49.536 seconds/181.686 miles per hour.
- Jeff Scofield (No. 07 Finney Racing Chevrolet), Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97 CR7 Racing Chevrolet), and Katherine Legge (No. 23 SPS Chevrolet) rounded out the top 13 on the speed chart, all setting their fast laps on Thursday. Dale Quarterley (No. 4 Quarterley Racing Chevrolet) turned in the 14th-fastest lap and was the fastest driver in Friday’s session.
- Other notable drivers in the two-day session included Thad Moffitt in 17th, Hendrick Motorsports development driver Corey Day in 19th, Joe Gibbs Racing youngsters Brent Crews and William Sawalich in 20th and 21st respectively, Pinnacle Racing Group’s Brenden Queen – who will race for the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2025 – and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in 26th and 27th.
- Seven drivers representing regional and grassroots racing series made laps in the ARCA Menards Series Road to Daytona program, led by Trevor Huddleston who was 39th overall. The other six drivers, Ty Fredrickson, Dustin Smith, Burt Myers, Zachary Tinkle, Austin Beers, and Chase Burda, all ran approximately 100 miles in single-car runs in cars prepared by 1995 ARCA Menards Series champion Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track High Performance Racing Team.
- The 62nd Annual Daytona ARCA 200 is set for Saturday, February 15 at 12 noon. The race will be televised live on FOX and will be carried live nationwide on select affiliates of the MRN Radio Network. Live timing and scoring data from all on-track activity, including practice on Thursday, February 13, and General Tire Pole Qualifying on Friday, February 14, is available at ARCARacing.com. Follow @ARCARacing on X (formerly Twitter) for up-to-the-minute updates and information.
About ARCA
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing).
About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states. Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more. To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture. Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries. And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more.
Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.
