Concord, NC (March 10, 2013) – On the heels of their dramatic ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season opening victory at Daytona, Venturini Motorsports (VMS) shifted gears and turned their attention to short track racing this weekend at Mobile International Speedway.
Saturday’s VMS entry list for the ARCA Mobile 200 consisted of ARCA championship contender, Justin Boston, Venezuelan native, Milka Duno and a pair of teenagers making their ARCA debuts, 15 year-old Kyle Benjamin and 17 year-old Taylor Ferns.
Kyle Benjamin, a native of Easley, S.C., has caught the attention of the racing world with performances well beyond his 15 years.
Living up to the pre-race hype, Benjamin delivered the goods.
Driving his No.15 “The Truth Band” sponsored Chevrolet; Benjamin showcased his raw talent and battled veteran drivers, en-route to a second-place finish in his highly anticipated ARCA debut.
“What an experience to come here in the ARCA car and accomplish what we did in our first race out,” said Benjamin. “Venturinis gave me a great car and the team worked hard all weekend. They did a great job and Kevin (Reed) made great calls on the pit box. We had an almost flawless day.”
Benjamin, who qualified fourth, battled race winner, Grant Enfinger for the top spot leading a total of 26-laps during the race. Benjamin’s second-place finish earned him SCOTT Rookie Challenge honors for the ARCA Mobile 200.
Coming off a near perfect showing with four wins and seven fast-time awards in his Super Late Model last month at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, Benjamin made more headlines this weekend by becoming the youngest competitor in the 61 years of ARCA racing.
Benjamin, driving part-time for VMS in 2013 will make his next start at Salem Speedway on April 28th.
23-year old driver, Justin Boston, driving the No.25 ZLOOP Computer & Electronics Recycling Toyota rebounded nicely from a disappointing 31st place finish at Daytona with a solid sixth place finish at Mobile.
“Today’s race is exactly what we needed after our Daytona finish. Rebounding and getting a solid finish under our belt was important for this year’s championship run,” said Boston.
Justin Boston, a native of Baltimore, Maryland is focused on a full season effort in the ARCA series.
Qualifying ninth, Boston kept his sleek looking ZLOOP Toyota in the top-10 the entire day. With a limited stock-car racing resume the former motocross racer continues to impress his new team and adjust to his new surroundings within his 3,400 lb. stock car.
“The car was good all day long and I think we’ll be even better when we bring the car back to the track. Can’t thank ZLOOP and VMS enough for giving me the opportunity to represent them both. I plan on doing my part with strong finishes for all their hard work.”
Boston looks to build on his recent success and carry it over to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this weekend where he’ll be fielding the No.25 VMS entry at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Another impressive debut was turned in by Shelby, Michigan’s, Taylor Ferns. Ferns, the all-time leading feature winner among women in United States Automobile Club (USAC) history made a strong impression with her solid 10th place finish.
With her sights set on a top-5 finish, Ferns was running in the 6th position with 12 laps to go before a hard charging car spun her going into turn one. Keeping her composure, Ferns got back in line to salvage her inspiring ARCA debut.
“My first ARCA race…that was awesome,” said the energetic Ferns. “I had a great car and learned a bunch from the guys on the team, especially my chief, Kevin Caldwell. I’ve still got a lot to learn as I’m transitioning from open-wheel to stock cars. I’m not use to shifting on the restarts, so I definitely need to work on that part, but overall, a great day for our team.”
Ferns, who qualified fifth, drove an impressive race behind the wheel of her No.55 Motor City Auto Transport Toyota. Following suit with teammates Benjamin and Boston, Ferns showed consistency and proved she’ll be a driver the ARCA field will have to contend with every time she hits the track.
Ferns, the 2011 USAC Mopar D1 Midget Champion, is scheduled to make six more starts in the ARCA Racing Series this year, with entries at Toledo, Elko, and Iowa Speedways. She will also race at larger tracks such as Pocono Raceway and Kentucky Speedway, and compete in the Labor Day dirt race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
Caracas, Venezuela driver, Milka Duno who signed on with VMS during the off-season made her return to Mobile this weekend driving her No.35 CANTV/Milka Way Chevrolet.
Coming off her career best qualifying effort at Daytona (outside pole position), Milka Duno drove a solid race Saturday afternoon taking the checkered flag in the 14th position, giving VMS four top-15 finishes in the 200-lap event.
Duno, who qualified 17th for the ARCA Mobile 200 consistently picked up speed throughout the day gaining valuable short track experience which will undoubtedly provide more confidence going into ARCA’s next event at Salem Speedway on April 28th.
With nearly a month off before the next scheduled ARCA event Venturini Motorsports looks ahead to next weekend where they’ll be pulling double duty at Bristol Motor Speedway, fielding Justin Boston in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event and making their team debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Daytona winner, John Wes Townley behind the wheel of the No.25 Zaxby’s Toyota.
About Venturini Motorsports
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars for over 30 years in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. With multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports. Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Brian Scott, Kevin Swindell, Miguel Paludo, John Wes Townley, Josh Richards, and Ryan Reed. In 2012, VMS was inducted into the National Italian Sports Hall of Fame, and 2013 will highlight the team’s debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com | Twitter: @VenturiniMotor | Facebook: Venturini Motorsports
