TOLEDO, Ohio: No one would deny that ARCA Menards Series veteran Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing — CR7 Motorsports team have showcased plenty of speed over the last several weeks. Unfortunately, the finishes haven’t reflected the effort.
After showing strong pace at both Talladega Superspeedway and last weekend’s road course battle at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, late-race incidents in consecutive events erased what appeared to be promising top-10 opportunities.
Now, the focus shifts to Toledo Speedway for Saturday night’s Owens Corning 200, where Kitzmiller hopes to turn speed into results and rebound with his third top-10 finish of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series season.
In Friday’s return to Watkins Glen, Kitzmiller positioned himself inside the top-10 conversation throughout the afternoon. After receiving the free pass to return to the lead lap late in the race, the veteran driver mounted a determined charge through the field before his day abruptly ended as an innocent victim in an accident with just seven laps remaining.
With hopes that the recent stretch of bad luck is finally behind them, Kitzmiller and the No. 97 team head to the first short track event of the season, eager to capitalize on their speed and leave Northern Ohio with momentum back on their side.
“Honestly, I feel like we’ve had a lot more speed than the results show the last few weeks,” said Kitzmiller. “At Talladega and Watkins Glen, our A.L.L. Construction Racing — CR7 Motorsports team proved we can run with some of the best cars in the field, but circumstances just didn’t fall our way at the end.
“Watkins Glen especially was frustrating because we fought hard to get back on the lead lap and were making progress before getting caught up in someone else’s mess. That’s racing sometimes, but I’m proud of the effort from everyone on this team.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to a short track at Toledo. It’s a place where patience and execution matter, and hopefully we can finally put together the kind of finish this team deserves and build some momentum heading into the busy summer stretch of the season.”
Kitzmiller, a native of Petersburg, W.Va., will make his second career start at the famed half-mile oval, long regarded as the home track of the ARCA Menards Series. In his debut appearance at Toledo Speedway last season, Kitzmiller showed impressive speed throughout the weekend, posting a strong qualifying effort of ninth before backing it up with a ninth-place finish — one of his 14 top-10 finishes during the 2025 campaign.
Returning to Northern Ohio this weekend, Kitzmiller hopes to build on the experience gained from last year’s event and elevate the performance of the A.L.L. Construction Racing — CR7 Motorsports team as they continue their pursuit of a breakthrough top-five finish in 2026.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Toledo,” added Kitzmiller. “Last year, we unloaded with good speed right away, qualified inside the top-10 and came away with a solid finish, so that gives our team a lot of confidence heading into the weekend.
“Toledo is one of those racetracks where experience really matters. Knowing what to expect this time around should help me communicate better with the team and hopefully give us a chance to improve on what we did there a year ago.
“We’ve shown we’re capable of running up front this season, and I truly believe if we can put together a clean race and stay out of trouble, we have the potential to contend for a top-five finish on Saturday night.”
Kitzmiller’s ambitious goal, however, won’t come without a challenge. For the first time this season, the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East divisions will compete together in a combination event, creating a larger field and one of the most competitive entry lists of the year.
Among those entered is Kitzmiller’s son, Isaac Kitzmiller, the defending ARCA Menards Series East champion, adding another layer of intrigue to Saturday night’s showdown at Toledo Speedway.
With additional competition and limited room for error on the tight half-mile oval, Jason Kitzmiller knows execution, patience and track position will be more important than ever if the No. 97 team hopes to contend near the front of the field.
“We know this weekend is going to be a tough challenge,” said Kitzmiller. “When you combine the ARCA Menards Series and East cars together, the competition level goes up immediately, and there are a lot of talented drivers and strong teams in the field.
“At a place like Toledo, things happen fast, and you have to stay ahead of the track all night long. Track position, keeping the fenders on it and making the right adjustments will all be critical if we want to be there at the end.
“It’s also special to race against Isaac again. As a father, I’m proud of everything he’s accomplished, especially winning the East championship, but once the helmets go on, we’re both competitors trying to get the best finish possible. Hopefully, both of us can put on a good show Saturday night.”
Of course, the 52-year-old Kitzmiller won’t have to look far for advice when it comes to navigating the challenges of Toledo Speedway.
Serving atop the pit box is his crew chief, Frank Kimmel, widely regarded as
one of the greatest drivers ever to compete at the historic half-mile oval.
In 37 career starts at Toledo, Kimmel compiled an impressive résumé that included nine victories, 24 top-five finishes, 27 top-10s and an impressive average finish of 7.3 across 25 years of competition.
With Kimmel’s experience and notebook guiding the No. 97 team this weekend, Kitzmiller hopes the veteran leadership can help translate speed into the organization’s strongest short track performance of the season.
“Having someone like Frank in my corner is a continued huge advantage for our team,” said Kitzmiller. “There probably isn’t anybody who understands Toledo Speedway better than Frank. The success he had there during his career speaks for itself, and anytime you can lean on that kind of experience, it’s invaluable.
“He’s been a tremendous asset to our program, but at a place like Toledo, his knowledge becomes even more important. From race setup to tire management to understanding how the track changes throughout the night, he knows exactly what it takes to be successful there.
“As a driver, it gives you confidence knowing you have someone atop the pit box who has won at that racetrack as many times as he has,” added Kitzmiller.
“Hopefully, we can take everything he’s learned over the years and continue applying it to our No. 97 team this weekend.”
For the second straight year, Kitzmiller and company welcome Carter Machinery, promoting the Caterpillar® (Cat®) brand as the primary partner aboard the No. 97 Chevrolet for Saturday night’s 200-lap anticipated slugfest at Toledo Speedway.
Carter Machinery’s humble beginnings date back to 1928, serving customers throughout Virginia and southeastern West Virginia. As customer needs evolved, the company expanded its offerings by adding new products, services, and locations, with significant growth following its 2020 acquisition of Alban Tractor Company.
Today, Carter Machinery’s footprint spans the Mid-Atlantic, with more than 30 locations across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. The company sells, rents, and supports the full line of Cat® equipment, engines, and electric power generation systems, backed by strong parts availability, a diverse rental fleet, and an expert service team committed to customer success.
Continued investment in people, infrastructure, technology, and tooling has positioned Carter Machinery as one of Caterpillar’s premier dealers in North America and around the globe.
“We’re excited to welcome Carter Machinery back on board for Toledo,” said Kitzmiller. “They’re a tremendous partner for our program and a company that understands hard work, reliability and performance — values that fit perfectly with what we strive for every week as a race team.
“We’ve shown a lot of speed lately, especially at places like Talladega and Watkins Glen, even if the finishes haven’t reflected the effort. Our team continues to improve, and now the focus is on putting together a complete race at Toledo and capitalizing on the opportunities in front of us.
“It’s also a great opportunity for Carter Machinery to continue strengthening its presence in the northern market, especially in a region where construction, heavy equipment and infrastructure are such a big part of the community.
“We’re proud to represent the Cat® brand again this weekend and hopefully deliver the kind of run this team and partnership deserve Saturday night.”
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 his 53rd career ARCA Menards Series start.
Entering Toledo, Kitzmiller, 52, sits fifth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 40 points behind championship leader Jake Bollman with 15 races remaining.
The A.L.L. Construction Racing — CR7 Motorsports team also holds a respectable 10th place in the championship owner standings.
Since 2020, Kitzmiller has earned two top-five and 24 top-10 finishes in 52 ARCA Menards Series starts, including a career-best third-place effort at Daytona International Speedway in February 2025.
The Owens Corning 200 (200 laps | 100 miles) is the sixth of 20 races on the 2026 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Saturday, May 16, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., while Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Qualifying is slated to begin shortly thereafter at 4:30 p.m. The race is scheduled to take the green flag shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET. The continuation of the 74th season of ARCA competition will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire day’s festivities. All times are local (ET).
