TOLEDO, Ohio: The checkered flag is within sight.
Tackling his first full season of ARCA Menards Series competition will come to a close this weekend at Toledo Speedway for Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team in Saturday afternoon’s Owens Corning 200 in Northern Ohio.
Through 19 races, Kitzmiller, the seasoned veteran, has experienced more highs than lows, but he turns to his debut at the Automobile Racing Club of America’s home track as an opportunity to put an exclamation point on what can be assessed as a successful campaign.
From superspeedways to short tracks, road courses and even two dirt races sprinkled in, Kitzmiller and his Statesville, N.C.-based team have continued to grow stronger throughout the season.
Along the way, they’ve recorded several competitive runs and built a notebook of experience that should serve them well heading into 2026.
Now, the tight quarter-mile oval of Toledo Speedway presents a final test — one where execution, patience and track position will be critical in bringing the season to a close on a strong note.
“This year has been a huge learning curve, but also one of the most rewarding seasons of my career,” said Kitzmiller.
“We’ve been to so many different types of tracks, faced a lot of challenges, and kept building every week. I’m proud of our A.L.L. Construction Racing team and the fight we’ve shown all season.
“Toledo gives us one more shot to finish strong, and I’d love nothing more than to close it out with a performance that shows how far we’ve come.”
The Petersburg, West Virginia native heads to the season finale on the heels of a third-consecutive top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway with a respectable ninth-place finish in last Friday night’s Reese’s 150 in the Midwest.
Armed with 13 top-10 performances so far this season, the successful entrepreneur heads to the popular and extremely fast short track looking to close out the year with another top-10 tally.
“It feels really good to go into the last race of the season with the momentum we’ve built,” added Kitzmiller.
“Thirteen top-10 finishes is something our whole A.L.L. Construction Racing team can be proud of. We’ve shown we belong in this series, and my focus at Toledo is to finish strong, keep our streak alive and carry that confidence into next year.”
But it’s not just another top-10 performance that Kitzmiller is aiming for. With his respectable performance in the penultimate race of the season at Kansas, he leaped to third in the overall ARCA Menards Series championship standings.
With 200 laps on deck in the Buckeye State, Kitzmiller looks to maintain his competitive short track pace while protecting his placement in the standings and ending the year with a podium driver’s championship effort.
Just 13 points separate him from dropping to fourth in the championship standings – currently occupied by ARCA Menards Series rookie driver Isabella Robusto.
“We’ve worked so hard all year to be in this position, and it means a lot to be inside the top three heading into Toledo,” said Kitzmiller.
“The goal is to run our race, stay out of trouble, and put ourselves in position for another solid finish. If we can protect third in points and close out the season on a high note, it would be a huge accomplishment for this team and a great motivator for 2026.”
Of course, an added benefit to Kitzmiller’s first full season of ARCA Menards Series quest has been the confidence, support and guidance from crew chief and top-10 ARCA driver champion Frank Kimmel.
Much like he’s had to do for 15 races this season, Kitzmiller has added new tracks to his resume. Toledo Speedway will be no different.
Thankfully, from 1990 to 2015, Kimmel made 37 ARCA starts at Toledo, which included three poles, nine wins, 24 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.
He also completed 6,316 of a possible 6,617 laps for a 95 percent completion rate in the lap competition.
Kitzmiller hopes all of Kimmel’s knowledge at Toledo Speedway will pay dividends before the curtain falls on the 73rd season of ARCA competition.
“Having Frank on the box has been a huge blessing this year,” Kitzmiller said.
“His experience and success in ARCA, especially at tracks like Toledo, gives me a lot of confidence.
“I know I can lean on him for advice about how the track changes, what to expect in long runs, and how to position ourselves late in the race. With his guidance, I feel like we have a real shot at ending the season strong.”
For Toledo, the team welcomes the continued support of Carter Machinery, featuring the iconic Caterpillar (Cat®) brand as the primary partner on the No. 97 Chevrolet SS for the 20th consecutive race this season.
Carter Machinery’s humble start began in 1928, serving Virginia and southeastern West Virginia.
As our customers’ needs changed over the years, we evolved by continually adding new products, services, and locations, with exponential growth occurring after our 2020 acquisition of Alban Tractor Company.
Today, our footprint spans the Mid-Atlantic, with over 30 locations throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
We sell, rent and support the full line of Cat® equipment, engines, and electric power generation systems, backed by the best parts availability, most diverse rental fleet, and an expert service team working together to enable our customers’ highest level of success.
Our ongoing investment in people, infrastructure, technology, and tooling continues to position us as one of Caterpillar’s leading dealers in North America and throughout the world.
“To have Carter Machinery and Cat® with us every step of the way this year has been incredible,” said Kitzmiller. “Their support means so much to me and everyone at A.L.L. Construction Racing.
“We’re proud to carry their colors for the 20th straight race, and I’d love nothing more than to deliver them another strong finish to close out the season.”
In addition to Carter Machinery, A.L.L. Construction Inc., Grant County Mulch, A&J Excavating, Cobra Mining, Champion Power Equipment and Volt Battery Technology will all serve as associate marketing partners for the 55th ARCA national race hosted at Toledo Speedway.
Entering Toledo, Kitzmiller, 52, sits third in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings and trails 87 points behind second-place Lavar Scott and 172 points behind leader Brenden Queen, with one race remaining.
The A.L.L. Construction Racing team also holds a solid seventh place in the championship owner standings.
Since 2020, Kitzmiller has made 46 ARCA Menards Series starts, earning two top-five and 21 top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in February 2025.
The Owens Corning 200 (200 laps | 100 miles) marks the 20th race of 20 on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series schedule. On Saturday, October 4, teams will hit the track for a forty-five-minute practice session from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. General Tire Pole qualifying will follow at 1:00 p.m., with the green flag expected to wave shortly after 4:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) and the FOX Sports App, while ARCARacing.com will provide live timing and scoring throughout the day’s activities. All times are local (ET).
