Venturini Motorsports Phoenix Raceway Pre-Race Fast Facts
CONCORD, NC | MARCH 2, 2020
Series: ARCA Menards Series
Track: Phoenix Raceway
Race: General Tire 150
Duration:150 laps / 150 miles
Date / TV:3/6/2020 – 7:00 PM ET FS1
· PHX: While Friday’s race marks the inaugural trek to the desert for the ARCA Menards Series, it will be the fourth time Venturini Motorsports has been to the track.
o “Big” Bill Venturini has two starts at the 1.022-mile track:
§ 1992 – NASCAR Southwest Tour
§ 1995 – NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
o Alex Bowman has one start:
§ 2011 – ARCA Menards Series West – Finished second
· MEET THE DRIVERS: ARCA Menards Series officials will hold an autograph session Friday from 12:45-1:30 PM MT at the back of the haulers, where fans can meet all three VMS Drivers.
· LAST TIME OUT: VMS earned their fourth Daytona victory with Michael Self bringing home the No. 25 Sinclair Oil Toyota Camry first during the season opener.
· CHANDLER’S BACK: Chandler Smith will be making his 2020 season debut, back behind the wheel of his No. 20 JBL Audio Toyota Camry.
· HELLO OLD FRIEND: All three VMS drivers have made previous starts at the Avondale, Arizona facility:
o Michael Self – eight ARCA Menards West – one win in 2012
o Chandler Smith – one NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (2019)
o Drew Dollar – one ARCA Menards West (2019)
· GENERAL TIRE: Fans at-track can stop by the General Tire display on the midway and meet Drew Dollar and Chandler Smith, Friday from 3:15 – 3:45 PM MT.
· SOCIAL: Fans can interact with VMS and their drivers on social media utilizing the different outlets:
o Facebook: VenturiniMotorsports
o Twitter: @VenturiniMotor
o Instagram: VenturiniMotorsports
o Hashtags: #FlyTheV #TeamToyota #DINOracing #PoweringChampions
QUOTES:
Drew Dollar – No. 15 Lynx Capital, Dollar Concrete Construction Company Toyota Camry
Regarding the Phoenix Race
“I am ready to get out to Phoenix Raceway this weekend and get back into my No. 15 Toyota Camry. I was able to race there once last season in the ARCA West Series and learned a lot about the track. Phoenix (Raceway) is definitely one of my favorite tracks and one of the races that I have really been looking forward to.”
Chandler Smith – No. 20 JBL Audio Toyota Camry
Regarding the Phoenix Race
“I am really looking forward to Phoenix this week and kick starting my 2020 race season. Running the truck race there last year helped prepare me for Friday night’s race and I am excited to get back in my No. 20 JBL Audio Toyota Camry and start back with my Venturini Motorsports team.”
Michael Self – No. 25 Sinclair Oil Toyota Camry
Regarding the Phoenix Race
“Phoenix is such a special track to me for so many reasons. It’s not just a track that I’ve won at, it’s the track where I learned how to big-track race. Early in my stock car career I really struggled there because I just didn’t know what to do on an oval that size. I specifically remember sitting down with my old West crew chief Steve Portenga after a bad run there during the 2012 spring race and talking through the technique of driving there. After he explained how he used to drive the track t seemed like things started to click for me. My driving style changed everywhere, and I won my first K&N West Series race not long after that and followed it up with my win at Phoenix (Raceway) in the fall of that same year. After than I loved it and couldn’t wait to get back. I really have been waiting seven years to race there again.”
ABOUT VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS
With over 65 victories, the 2019 ARCA Menards Series champions, Venturini Motorsports, are an official Toyota Racing Development team, and have been a permanent fixture in the ARCA Menards Series since 1983 and are considered one of the early pioneers in NASCAR driver development programs.
Since Joey Logano, the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup champion, raced for the team in 2007, VMS has gone onto assist many of the sports’ top driver prospects in pursuit of making it to the highest levels of stock car racing.
The growing list of drivers racing today in one of NASCAR’s top-three touring series include current Toyota drivers Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, Harrison Burton, Christian Eckes, Chandler Smith, Brandon Jones, Todd Gilliland, Brennan Poole, Ryan Reed and Natalie Decker. VMS Alumni also include Joey Logano, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace, Matt Tifft, Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley.
Sources: Venturini Motorsports