With the 53rd annual Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona Int’l Speedway just around the bend, several ARCA Racing Series teams will get a jump-start this weekend at the “World Center of Racing” for two days of open testing this Friday and Saturday, January 15-16.
Series officials expect as many as 20 teams to participate, some with several drivers rotating in and out of a variety of Chevrolets, Fords, Toyotas and Dodges. More than 50 drivers are expected to test.
Eight-time Lucas Oil 200 winner Bobby Gerhart is among the veteran drivers in the line-up, along with Tom Hessert, who just announced a full season in the Venturini Motorsports flagship No. 25 car, and the 2014 ARCA Racing Series national champion Mason Mitchell. Watkinsville, Ga.’s John Wes Townley, the 2013 Lucas Oil 200 winner, is also expected to test.
Series officials also expect to see a sizeable group of rookies looking for experience on the renowned 2.5-mile superspeedway, including Ladera Ranch, California’s Cole Custer (ARCA Pocono winner 2015), Mitchell, Indiana’s Chase Briscoe, Las Vegas, Nevada’s Noah Gragson and Matt Wallace to name a few. Wallace is the son of NASCAR/ARCA veteran driver Mike Wallace. Briscoe, along with his Cunningham Motorsports teammate Kevin Thomas, are expected to commute from the ARCA test Friday to compete in the Chili Bowl Nationals in Oklahoma Saturday.
Other entrants expected include 2015 SCOTT Rookie of the Year and Short Track Challenge champion Kyle Weatherman, Bo LeMastus, Sarah Cornett-Ching, 2015 Superspeedway Challenge champion Matt Kurzejewski, Josh Williams and Will Kimmel, the nephew of 10-time ARCA national champion Frank Kimmel.
The 53rd annual Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona is scheduled for Saturday, February 13, preceding NASCAR’s Sprint Unlimited.
