Lavar Scott’s ‘dream come true’ moment arrives with his full-time ARCA Menards Series run in 2024
“Excited” may be an overused term in motorsports, but that’s exactly the word to describe Rev Racing’s Lavar Scott as he prepares for his first full ARCA Menards Series season in 2024.
The 20-year-old Carney’s Point, New Jersey native will team with second-year driver Andres Perez as Rev Racing returns to a two-car effort next year in the ARCA Menards Series.
Since he joined Rev Racing in 2021 as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, Scott’s goal has been to earn the opportunity to run the full, 20-race ARCA Menards Series schedule. He took a big step toward that goal in 2023 by contesting the eight-race ARCA Menards Series East schedule as well as select ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West events.
While he did not win a race in the 11 ARCA platform events he entered, Scott turned plenty of heads.
RELATED: See the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule
Rev Racing teammates Andres Perez and Lavar Scott pictured at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Scott’s 2023 season started with an unexpectedly strong performance in the opening race of the ARCA Menards Series season at Daytona International Speedway. He led 14 laps and was in contention to win until the final corner.
It was a performance that left many, including Scott, surprised and impressed.
“That race was awesome,” Scott said. “Everybody didn’t know what to expect, including me. I didn’t know what to expect from myself because it was a completely different form of racing that I’d never come close to doing. My biggest track before then was maybe Motor Mile or Hickory.
“I had to study a lot before then, a lot of preparations. I think I found out I was racing that race a month before it happened, so I had a lot preparation.”
Lavar Scott pictured ahead of the Reese’s 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 11, 2023. (Gunnar Word/ARCA Racing)
Following his impressive run at Daytona, Scott put together a solid East Series season that saw him earn a best finish of second at Michigan’s Flat Rock Speedway. He ended the year ranked third in the series standings after earning five top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
“I think 2023 was an awesome year of progression and an awesome year of learning,” Scott said. “We kind of did what we set out to do, which was compete for a championship, which we didn’t end up getting, but we were fighting every week to be up there with the top contenders.
“I think every race we did was just a learning curve for me, and we kind of exceeded expectations.”
Lavar Scott pictured during the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine at Florence Motor Speedway on Oct. 11, 2023 in Timmonsville, South Carolina. (Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)
Scott in September found out his goal of advancing to the ARCA Menards Series would become a reality.
“I remember three or four years ago when I was racing Legends for Rev Racing, I walked in the shop every day, and all I wanted to see was my name on an ARCA national (car). That’s all I ever wanted when I joined Rev Racing,” Scott said.
“I worked really, really hard these past four or five years to be there, so to sign the contract and to see them building cars for me next year, it’s really a dream come true.
“I’m going to make the most of the opportunity that [team owner] Max Siegel is giving me.”
Now Scott’s focus is on 2024, when he’ll once again begin his season at Daytona.
Unlike in 2023, when he entered the opening round of the season full of nerves, this time Scott knows what to expect as he prepares for the busiest year of his young career.
“I don’t think I can get any more nervous in my life then when I did for that race [in 2023],” Scott said. “It was hard to eat, it was hard to sleep; that is the most nervous feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. A few months before that race I was racing Late Models at Carteret [County Speedway], and now I’m about to race before the Daytona 500.
“This year, I can really go in and compete hard and go for a win. It’s still far from the race, but right now I don’t feel any nerves for it. I’m watching footage; I’ve already started to study.
“I really feel more excited than anything.”
Sources: Adam Fenwick, ARCARacing.com