Regional Champs Earn Daytona ARCA Test
Steve Wallace and eventual ARCA Midwest Tour champion Jonathan Eilen battle during the ASA Midwest Tour 3M 150 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Eilen will test an ARCA Racing Series entry at Daytona Int’l Speedway this week. (Doug Hornickel Photo)
TOLEDO, Ohio – Four drivers who achieved success in the three ARCA touring series in the 2012 season will have the opportunity of a lifetime this weekend at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
Johnny VanDoorn, Travis Braden, Jonathan Eilen and Dakota Carlson will all participate in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards open test at the superspeedway between Friday and Sunday, having earned their spots in the new “Road to Daytona” program.
The test session will give competitors from nearly all divisions of ARCA competition the opportunity for seat time as ARCA Racing Series teams prepare for the 50th consecutive annual event at Daytona, a tradition dating back to 1964.
VanDoorn, 24 and of Coopersville, Mich., is now a three-time ARCA CRA Super Series champion and won the 2012 title for Kaos Motorsports.
Braden, 18 and of Wheeling, W.V., is the 2012 Super Series Rookie of the Year.
Eilen, 27 and of Hampton, Minn., won the 2012 Midwest Tour championship five years after becoming the series’ first race winner. The Midwest Tour connection to ARCA is new this fall, and the 2013 season will be the first in competition for the ARCA Midwest Tour.
Carlson, 25 and of Cedar Springs, Mich., won the ARCA Gold Cup Series championship, contested at ARCA-owned Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways, as well as Spartan (Mich.) Speedway.
Andy Hillenburg, a two-time Daytona winner and the 1995 ARCA champion, will assist each Road to Daytona driver in the test session. His Fast Track High Performance Driving School, ARCA’s Official Driving School, will provide the cars and support for the test.
New relationships with the Super Series and Midwest Tour in the last 18 months have created a unique opportunity to celebrate the best from each of ARCA’s divisions. Last season, Super Series champion Derrick Griffin and Gold Cup champion Dennis Strickland participated in the first year of the Road to Daytona program.
Testing will take place from 9-12 and 1-5 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring of each session.
Posted by Adam Fenwick
on Dec 11 2012 Filed under ARCA, Latest Headlines, Stock Cars, Top Stories.
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