By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires.
This Saturday, October 5th, will be the 10th of the 12 races of the 2024 ARCA Menards West Series season. It is on the .333 mile of the All American Speedway in Roseville, CA that the 150-lap race, the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Berco Redwood, will be contested in the evening.
Last year, it was Kaden Honeycutt who won his first career victory. He was ahead of the current leader of the 2024 championship and 2023 champion Sean Hingorani. Roseville hosts its 26th race in its history and will see a new driver inscribe his name on the list of winners. Indeed, none of the 16 entrants have won here before.
There are many new features to report for this meeting with the change of team of Kyle Keller who leaves Kennealy-Keller Motorsports (KKM) to join Central Coast Racing in the No. 3 until now driven by Todd Souza. He will be the teammate of Tyler Reif. KKM welcomes at the wheel of the No. 12, left vacant by the departure of Keller, Joey Kennealy, the younger brother of Robbie (driver of the No. 11), who will make his debut in the West Series. The Kennealy family who overcomes with great courage the loss of Gary who died on September 30 following a heart attack at the age of 61. Fran, his wife, and Harley his daughter, the co-owners of the teams as well as Robbie and Joey will be keen to fly the team colors high in memory of their father Gary.
The fight for the 2024 championship continues between Sean Hingorani, current leader with a six-point lead in the championship and Tyler Reif. Let’s not forget Trevor Huddleston who, thanks to his victory at Madera, reduced his deficit to 38 points. Jack Wood and Kyle Keller following closely round out the top five. There will be 16 drivers at the start of the race.
ARCA Menards West Series stats at All American Speedway
-71st season in history.
-Race No. 1026 since the inception of the West Series in 1954.
-2024 race No. 10 of 12.
-This will be the 689th paved oval race in history.
-This will be the 26th race at All American Speedway (Roseville) since 1977. The 21st on the 0.333 mile configuration since 2008. The first five races was held on a 0.250 mile bullring.
-Eric Holmes is the most successful pilot with four wins. He precedes Paulie Harraka (2) and all the other drivers who each have a victory.
-21 drivers have won at least one race at Roseville.
-Among the manufacturers, Toyota leads the dance with 10 wins ahead of Ford (7), Chevrolet (4), Oldsmobile (2), Pontiac (1) and Buick (1).
-The most successful team is almost unsurprisingly Bill McAnally Racing with ten wins (2008, 2009 (2X), 2010 (2X), 2011, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2022. Bruncati Racing follows with three wins (2016, 2017 and 2019). The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally Racing (99), McCoy Racing (54), The Racing Farmers (47), Bruncati Racing (42) and Gene Price Motorsports (26). The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally (99), Fred Elder (45), Bob Bruncati (42) and Ernie Conn (41).
-Concerning the poles, BMR is again at the top of the ranking with seven (2009, 2010 (2X), 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019). Bruncati Racing being just behind with six (2008, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2022).
-The track record is owned by Michael Self for Bruncati Racing at 89.383 mph achieved in 2017.
-The poleman has won the race 11 times.
-Jason Fensler won the race in 2011 from 15th position on the starting grid, which is a record.
-As far as yellow flags are concerned, the record is 11 in 2021 while twice in 1977 and 1981 there was only one. The March 2008 race holds the record for the number of yellow flag laps with 76, while the 1978 race holds the opposite record with only seven laps.
-The most leader changes occurred in 2015 with 17. The 1979 and 1981 races saw the pole sitter lead every lap.
-The largest starting field was in 2008 #1 with 25 cars.
-The smallest starting field was in 2020 with 13 cars.
-The driver with the most races is Jack Sellers (11).
-The driver with the most wins is Eric Holmes (4)
-The driver with the most pole is Paulie Harraka (3)
-The drivers with the most top5 are Eric Holmes and David Mayhew with 3.
-The driver with the most top10 is David Mayhew (9).
-The drivers with the most laps is Eric Holmes (1463).
-The driver with the most laps lead is Eric Holmes (661).
The race will be 150 laps (49.950 miles) and all track activities will be concentrated on the single day of Saturday with the single practice from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. PT. The General Tire Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. to 4:55 p.m. PT and finally the 150-laps race at 7:10 p.m. PT.
ARCA West at Roseville
Before detailing the entry list, let’s go back for a moment to the past and the stats concerning the All American Speedway.
Built in 1955, the first coming to Roseville by the West Series was in 1977 when the oval was still a quarter mile. Chuck Bown will get pole position but following a redraw will only start in fifth position. Ernie Stierly, who had inherited the first position on the starting grid, was heading for his sixth career victory when he was passed six laps from the finish by Sumner McKnight who thus took his first career victory.
This quarter mile will be used until 1982. It will then be necessary to wait until 2008 for the All American Speedway, reconfigured in the meantime to a 0.333 mile, to return to the West Series calendar. From 2008 to 2011 we will come there twice a year. A period largely dominated by Bill McAnally Racing since the team won six victories there in eight races. The master of the place being undoubtedly the triple champion Eric Holmes. The latter still holds the victory record in Roseville with four.
Since 2012, the West Series has come to Roseville once a year.
As far as statistics are concerned, of the 25 races already contested in Roseville we can highlight:
The Race Procedure
The race will be 150 laps (49.95 miles) and all track activities will be concentrated on the single day of Saturday with the single practice from 3 to 4 p.m. PT. The General Tire Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. PT and finally the 150-laps race at 7:55 p.m. PT.
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 is limited to 22 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2023 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations, and specifications.
QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by each car’s fastest recorded lap in qualifying (single car, 2 laps; impound).
RACE PIT STOP: Pitting during any caution period in the NAPA Auto Parts 150 will be for 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 for a penalty or going a lap down on pit road.
TIRE ALLOTMENT: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is 8. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race = two (2) for emergency use only.
The Drivers
No. 05 David Smith (Shockwave Racing)
The Madera race went off without much trouble or almost for Smith who hopes to get the top 10 in Roseville. He came close to it the two previous years with 11th and 12th positions respectively in 2022 and 2023. The 2022 race is also the only one he has finished on the leader’s lap in his career. Brian Carlson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10th (2x) | 2 starts, best result 11th ) |
No. 3 Kyle Keller (Central Coast Racing)
It was here a year ago that Keller participated in the first race under the new entity Kennealy-Keller Motorsports. He had to abandon due to a rear end problem while the top 5 was possible. No birthday cake then for Keller and KKM in Roseville. However Keller is a talented driver and he joins a team established and renowned in the West Series for about twenty years, namely CCR. He takes the controls of the No. 3 driven until now by the boss Todd Souza. The top 5 is the minimum objective. The victory would be the grail. But how will the cohabitation go with his teammate Tyler Reif who is playing for the championship? Jason Dickenson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 31 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 2 starts, best result 5th |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento, Jr. (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
Madera will remain a bad memory but Eric wants to forget it as quickly as possible and bounce back in Roseville. He finished seventh there last year after having to move up part of the pack following a spun while he was in the top 5. Ty Joiner will of course be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 23 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 2nd (1x) | 1 start, best result : 7th |
No. 5 Sean Hingorani (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Second last year here, Hingorani is eager to finally win a race with Jerry Pitts Racing. Second positions are good, they bring a lot of points, but Sean prefers to climb the fence after the finish of a race because for him it is synonymous with victory! Dustin Ash will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 26 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 3 | 1st (6x) | 2 starts, best result 2nd |
No. 6 Henry Barton (Jerry Pitts Racing)
At Madera, a short track he knew well, Barton was able to stand out and have a great race. He could even claim better than his eighth final position. The All American Speedway, he also knows well and with the experience acquired during his first two races in the West Series, we will have to keep a close eye on the driver of the No. 6. Jerry Pitts will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8th | n/a |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing)
A good race at Madera rewarded him with seventh place, his best result of the season. He is the driver with the most experience at Roseville among the entries this year. He has already obtained four top 10s in seven races. Denny Moyer will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 123 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 7 starts, best result 9th (2x) |
No.9 Mikey Killen (Jan’s Racing)
Killen will do everything to ride the good momentum created in Madera where he had a great finish to the race rewarded by his first top 10. Roseville has a different banking but like Madera it is a .333 mile bullring. His father Michael Killen, Sr. will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | n/a |
No. 11 Robbie Kennealy (Kennealy Keller Motorsports)
Start and park at Madera, what about Roseville? The lack of budget forces Robbie not to be able to express his talent. It’s a shame because you don’t make a top 5 in your first race in your career by chance. Last year he was sixth when he was the victim of an accident. John Keller will be his crew chief. But the team is not yet sure about having the No. 11 participate.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 12 (2 DNS) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5th | 1 start, best result : 16th |
No. 12 Joey Kennealy (Kennealy Keller Motorsports)
Robbie’s little brother will make his West Series debut. The situation will not be easy psychologically following the death of his father this week. Resilience is an important quality in life as well as in motorsport. He is part of the team’s KKM Driver Development program and regularly races at Madera or Irwindale in Pro Late Model. He will drive the No. 12 driven until now by Kyle Keller. Brian Kizer will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
No. 13 Tyler Reif (Central Coast Racing)
Poleman last year at Roseville, Tyler was in contention for the podium when his engine lost power, relegating him to 13th position under the checkered flag. It was also a mechanical problem that ruined his race at Madera last Saturday. Reif will do everything to get back on the winning way and if not at least finish in front of Hingorani and thus keep all his chances of obtaining the 2024 champion title. Michael Munoz will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 23 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 1st (3x) | 1 start, best result : 13th |
No. 16 Jack Wood (Bill McAnally Racing)
To say that Wood and BMR’s 2024 season is complicated is an understatement. Mechanical problems are piling up and are incomprehensible on the part of the most successful team in the history of the West Series. This 100th victory is denied to BMR again and again. And yet Wood is often very fast on the track. He knows Roseville, BMR’s home track, having done two races there in 2019 and 2020 with his family team at the time with an eighth position as his best result. Kevin Bellicourt will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 28 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 2nd | 2 starts, best result 8th |
No. 19 Eric Johnson, Jr. (Bill McAnally Racing) Start: 17th – Fin: 4th
A superb performance at Madera, concluding with a fourth position, came at the right time to boost the rookie’s confidence. He needed this result. He knows Roseville since he obtained the ninth position here last year. This is also the first time he returns to a short track on which he has already gained experience in racing in the West Series. It will be interesting to follow him but no one will be surprised if he makes another top 5 or better. John Camilleri will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4th | 1 start, best result : 9th |
No. 21 Ethan Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
Like Johnson, Jr., Ethan Nascimento needed to finally get the good result he has long deserved. Too often victim of mechanical problems last year, he finally warded off bad luck and the result was not long in coming. He had a superb race at Madera and on another bullring like Roseville, he should be able to repeat his performance and even do better. Victory is possible and Mike Nascimento, his uncle and crew chief, will do everything to give him a very fast Toyota again. This will be his first race in the West Series at Roseville.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 9 (+ 1 DNS) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3rd | n/a |
No. 23 Jaron Giannini (Sigma Performance Services)
Giannini had a great race at Madera even though he would have liked more than sixth place. He had taken pole and stayed in the top 3 for most of the race. But like all rookies, he just needs to gain experience. He has another chance to win his first career victory and his crew chief Chris Bray will be a useful help in this quest. It should be noted that it was here at Roseville that Joe Farrè’s SPS team made its first West Series race last year. What a journey this team has made in just one year!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5th | n/a |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing)
Huddleston is never as strong as when he has full confidence in himself. And after his superb victory at Madera, he has full confidence in himself! Last year he had a laborious race following mechanical problems from the start. He had lost a good part of his chances at the championship here. This time the situation is different and if he continues on the momentum of Madera, he will come back more than ever a contender for the 2024 championship. Jeff Schrader will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 74 | 4 | 28 | 60 | 2 | 1st (4x) | 5 starts, best result : 3rd (2x) |
No. 71 Rip Michels (Jan’s Racing)
For his return to car racing after eight years, Michels quickly got back into the rhythm and obtained a good ninth position at madera last Saturday. He is hot and he will aim higher in the ranking. Note that like SPS, it was here last year that Jan Qualkensbush’s team, Jan’s Racing, made its debut in the West Series. Nick Joanides obtained the 11th position. Mike Naake will be the crew chief as in Madera.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Roseville |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9th | n/a |
Final notes.
– For the first time since Barkersfield in October 2018 (67 races), a West Series race will be without Todd Souza behind the wheel! He had announced his full-time retirement at the end of the 2023 season but has still participated in every race so far this season. The plan to put talented young drivers in the cars of his team, led by his wife Kelly Souza, is now complete. Since Kyle Keller joins Tyler Reif at Central Coast Racing.
-Following pneumonia at the end of August and a hemthorax two weeks ago, Nick Joanides must continue his convalescence and therefore leaves the wheel of his No.71 once again to his crew chief Rip Michels.
-The race will be broadcast live on FloRacing.