By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires.
This Friday, June 2 will take place the first of the two road races of the season in the ARCA Menards West Series. Indeed after a month without a race, it has come time to turn left and right for the drivers. It is in Portland, Oregon at the Portland International Raceway that hostilities will begin. They will continue the following week in California in Sonoma.
The Portland 112, the fourth race of the season, will be held on the 12-turn, 1.967 mile road course. A circuit that will have to be covered 57 times for a total of 112.119 miles. The 24 drivers entered will all want to succeed Jake Drew, winner here last year.
The 2022 champion not being present this year, a new driver will put their name on the list of winners in Portland. Of the eight races already contested here, there are seven drivers who have already visited Victory Lane. Only Jake Drew managed to win two races. Hershel McGriff having been the first in 1986.
It will be the 1008th race since the creation of the series in 1954, the 144th road race and the ninth here. Ford is the winningest manufacturer here with 5 wins ahead of Dodge, Chevrolet and Pontiac with one each.
The most successful team here, Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing, with three victories, including the last two in date, no longer exist, so who will succeed him? Maybe Bill McAnally Racing? Indeed Portland is one of the few tracks where the team from Roseville, CA, has never won. Note that the poleman won the race three times.
This race accompanying the NASCAR Xfinity Series, whose race will take place on Saturday, June 3, some drivers from the second division of NASCAR take the opportunity to race in the West Series and thus obtain a valuable seat time.
We thus find Cole Custer, Parker Retzlaff, Dylan Lupton, Riley Herbst and Kyle Sieg. East Series leader William Sawalich will also be present in addition to the regular West Series drivers. Finally there will be several beginners with Eric Johnson, Jr. Roxali Kamper and Caleb Shrader without forgetting the road ringers that are Ryan Philpott, Dale Quarterley or Davey Magras.
All this takes place on the one and only day of Friday, June 2. A one-hour practice session (11:35 to 12:35 a.m. PT) will precede the qualifying session (3:10 to 3:30 p.m. PT). The start of the 57-lap race will be given at 5 p.m. PT.
The Race Procedure
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Portland 112 is limited to 22 starters plus provisionals. This event will run under the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West rules, procedures, regulations, and specifications.
QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by each car’s fastest recorded lap per the Timed Session qualifying procedure, plus provisionals.
RACE PIT STOP: There will be a scheduled caution at or near Lap 28. Pitting during any caution period in this event will be for adding fuel, making repairs and adjustments only, no tires can be changed unless approved by ARCA Officials. Positions will not be gained or lost among those pitting on the same lap unless penalty or going a lap down on pit road. All cars will be required to make at least one pit stop prior to last 10 laps of race.
The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is eight (8). Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race = two (2) for emergency use only.
The Drivers
No. 02 Parker Retzaff (Young’s Motorsports)
Retzlaff is driving full-time in the Xfinity Series this year and he will discover the PIR. To gain experience and learn the track, there’s nothing like racing again and again. Though he drives in Xfinity for Jordan Anderson Racing, he will be here at the wheel of the car entered by Young’s Motorsports.
A No. 02 that we had already seen in Phoenix with Leland Honeyman at the wheel. Retzlaff has already done a West Series race, it was in 2019 in the combination race at Gateway where he finished third. As in Xfinity Joshua Graham will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3rd | n/a |
No. 04 Ethan Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
The young driver will discover the PIR but he already has a good experience of racing on road tracks in Legend Car for example. He is confident after good results obtained in recent weeks. And then he would like to ride the wave of success. Indeed he obtained his first top-10 in Bakersfield after having finally been spared the bad luck suffered during the first two races of the season. Mike Nascimento will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 3 | – | – | 1 | – | 8th | n/a |
No. 05 Dave Smith (Shockwave Racing)
It will be the first time for the Canadian veteran on the PIR in West Series. But his background on road track will certainly be profitable for him. Indeed he is a regular at Trans-Am races in class TA2. Brandon Carlson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | n/a |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
Although he has not been successful on the PIR in his two previous races due to mechanical failures, one thing is certain, Bubba is very fast there. His crew chief Ty Joiner will be a serious asset since the latter already obtained a second position here two years ago with P.J. Pedroncelli.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5th (1x) | 2 starts, best result: 11th |
No. 5 Riley Herbst (Jerry Pitts Racing)
This is the return of Herbst in the West Series, he who already has 17 starts. He will race to get some valuable seat time and prepare for the next day’s Xfinity race. Although he raced on the PIR last year in NXS, he had suffered an accident and could not see the checkered flag. The experienced Jerry Pitts will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 17 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 3rd (4x) | n/a |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Koga was very disappointed following a mistake made even before the start of the race from Bakersfield. But if there is a place that can allow him to smile again, it is the PIR. Indeed in three races here, he has obtained fifth position three times. Whether in the rain or under a bright sun, the Japanese is particularly effective on this road track. Denny Moyer will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 104 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 3 starts, best result 5th (3x) |
No. 13 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing)
After a complicated start to the season with his new Ford Mustang despite good speed, the active driver with the most career starts finally found his way to the top-10 at the last race in Bakersfield. And this is surely only the beginning of the revival for Souza and his crew chief Michael Munoz.
We know their effectiveness on road tracks. And the PIR is no exception. Souza has already finished on the podium twice here, with for best result a second position during the last visit to this circuit in September 2022. In six races here, he obtained three top 10 finishes. We will have to count with him for the victory.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 111 | 1 | 19 | 62 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 6 starts, best result : 2nd |
No. 14 Davey Magras (Davey Magras Racing)
For his debut last year in the West Series, Magras surprised by his ability to avoid problems while having a good pace. This year, he is back better prepared and the brake problems encountered last year have been resolved during tests carried out before this race. His son Zach Magras will be his crew chief like last year. Note that it has a new engine supplier, Koerner Racing Engines.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | 1 start, best result 7th |
No. 15 Sean Hingorani (Venturini Motorsports)
Hingorani is on cloud nine right now, getting great results no matter what series he’s riding in. And in the West Series, he remains on two consecutive victories. Last year for his first road race he had experienced ups and downs. Very fast, he made a rookie mistake and finished outside the top-10. But it was only his second career West Series start at the time. Today he is the favorite in the championship and it will be interesting to see how he has evolved since last year. He will have Kevin Reed, Jr. as crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1st (2x) | 1 start, best result 12th |
No. 16 Tanner Reif (Bill McAnally Racing)
Everything is going better for Tanner Reif who is now well acclimatized at BMR. And he’s going to be a serious contender for victory. Will he be the first driver to offer victory to Bill McAnally at the PIR? He showed last year that he was efficient here with sixth and third position respectively. Its crew chief will be John Camilleri.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 14 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 2 starts, best result 3rd |
No. 17 Landen Lewis (McGowan Motorsports with Cook Racing Technologies)
Last year Lewis finished ninth at the PIR after a difficult race. This year he has obtained second place three times consecutively in three races, which allows him to be the leader of the championship. But Landen wants the win. And he’s pretty good on the road track. Even if the raw result obtained in Sonoma, the other road race of the last season does not let imagine it. He had been caught in an accident for which he was not responsible while he was fighting for victory. Richard Mason will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 11 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1st (1x) | 1 start, best result 9th |
No. 18 William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Polesitter in Phoenix for his only career race in the West Series, he finished 13th following an accident during the first overtime. But since then he has won two victories in the East Series where he leads the championship. He will discover the PIR. He will have his East Series crew chief Matt Ross with him.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13th | n/a |
No. 19 Eric Johnson, Jr. (Bill McAnally Racing)
The 20 -year -old pilot Eric Johnson, Jr. will start in West Series on the PIR. He will pilot one of the four cars hired by BMR in Portland. However, it is not new at BMR since he works there. But this time the car he prepared for the workshop will be his! He will also be racing from Sonoma next week. His crew chief will be Chuck Jones.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
No. 24 Dylan Lupton (Bill McAnally Racing)
Surprise! Californian Dylan Lupton is back in the West Series. He comes for the seat time and for the win! Indeed he has just signed for two Xfinity Series races (Portland and Sonoma) with Alpha Prime Racing. His last race in the West Series was already a road race in 2021 in Sonoma where he finished second. And it was already for BMR. He has a nice resume in the West Series with 33 starts and two wins. He has done the vast majority of his career for Bob Bruncati. The experienced Roger Bracken will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 33 | 2 | 14 | 27 | – | 1 st (2x) | n/a |
No. 32 Dale Quarterley (Quarterley Racing)
A specialist in road tracks, the veteran demonstrated last year in Sonoma that he had lost none of his speed by finishing in an excellent third position. On the other hand in Portland it had been more complicated due to mechanical problem. Alex Quarterley, his son, will be his crew chief. However, we will have to be wary of him because he knows the PIR well, even if his only top10 here dates back to 2012.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 11 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2nd (1x) | 2 starts, best result: 8th |
No. 39 Roxali Kamper (Last Chance Racing Racing)
The 15-year-old will make her West Series debut at the wheel of the car normally driven by driver/owner Andrew Tuttle. Her father Travis Kamper will be her crew chief. She has a good experience of road tracks.
To learn more about Roxali, I invite you to click on the following link: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/roxali-kamper-arca-west-debut-portland/
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
No. 41 Tyler Reif (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
After a stunning season-opening win at Phoenix, Tyler has struggled a little bit with a tough car in the past two races. However with a third position at Irwindale and a sixth at Bakersfield, he was able to play the big points. He will discover the PIR but he has experience on road track in the lower categories. With his crew chief Tony Jackson, he intends to repeat the Phoenix coup and pass the first under the checkered flag.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1st | n/a |
No. 46 Kyle Sieg (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
The youngest of the Sieg brothers will drive the No. 46 usually in the hands of RJ Smotherman. This will also be the case in Sonoma. It’s just to get some seat time in preparation for the Xfinity Series race since he’ll find out about the PIR. His crew chief will be Dave Jackson. This will be his second start in the West Series after the one made in 2021 at Phoenix where he finished in a good fourth position.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4th | n/a |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing)
This season is going pretty well so far for Trevor. The cars of the former Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing are of the very first category. And what about cars for road courses? They are the top of the top. As proof last year with this car Jake Drew had won the three road races! Huddleston made only one race at Portland, it was in 2021 where he finished seventh. With Jeff Schrader as crew chief, he will be one to watch for a good result.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 56 | 2 | 21 | 48 | 1 | 1st (2x) | 1 start, best result: 7th |
No. 52 Ryan Philpott (Philpott Racing)
Philpott does only a few races a year and it’s most often the road races where he is a very good driver. As proof last year at PIR he finished sixth. He even occupied the fourth position shortly before the checkered flag. At Sonoma he was already in the top-10 before suffering an accident for which he was in no way responsible just before the finish. Like the last time it will be Chuck Dozhier as crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 37 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 6th (2x) | 3 starts, best result: 6th |
No. 55 Cole Custer Jake Bollman (High Point Racing)
If No. 55 was driven by rookie Jake Bollman in the last two races, this time it will be in the hands of a very experienced driver since it is Cole Custer! 111 races in the Cup Series (1 win), 122 races in the Xfinity Series (10 wins), 42 races in the Craftsman Truck Series (2 wins) without forgetting the ARCA and… the West Series where he did seven races between 2013 and 2019 with a victory in Phoenix in 2014 as best result.
Custer is here simply for more seat time. As experienced as he is, he still needs it on the road tracks. He was already doing this in Sonoma when he was driving in the Cup Series in the past. And he simply does not know the PIR. He will have Travis Thirkettle as crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1st | n/a |
No. 70 Kyle Keller (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Engine failure in Bakersfield, Keller will be keen to erase this disappointment from his memory. But he won’t have it easy because like many drivers this year, he will discover the PIR. It will even be his first road track race in the West Series. For the first time, it will have Brian Kizer as crew chief. Jerry Pitts taking care this time of one of his teammates, namely Riley Herbst. With Koga and Herbst as teammates, he will however be able to discuss setups in order to obtain the best possible result.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 13 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 4th (3x) | n/a |
No. 88 Bradley Erickson (Naake-Klauer Motorsports)
Erickson will also discover the PIR but he has prepared the race well with his team since they have done tests on Buttonwillow Raceway a few days ago. As a rookie, however, he will not have it easy because the competition will be tough. But Bradley has already gotten us so used to surprising us with his speed of adaptation that it would be a mistake to overlook him for the win. Especially since NKM is a renowned team and already victorious on the road tracks in the past.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3rd | n/a |
No. 99 Caleb Shrader (Bill McAnally Racing)
A newcomer to the West Series, Caleb Shrader, 20, will drive BMR’s No. 99. He was able to prepare by testing at Thunderhill Raceway a few days ago. He has a lot of experience on road track since he drives in Karting and SCCA Super Tour in two different categories. And thanks to that he knows the PIR perfectly where he won many victories including three as recently as May 17th. He could create a surprise. He will have an excellent car, Cole Moore last year finished fourth here.
Its crew chief will be Mario Isola.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Final notes
-Unfortunately, due to a lack of budget Bobby Hillis, Jr. has announced that he is ending his 2023 season. Unless a sponsor comes to restore hope by the end of the year . Too bad because Hillis was relying heavily on road racing which he had made a priority this year.
-Performance P-1 Motorsports is not present in Portland, the new road track car could not be ready in time.