By Vincent Delforge, Staff Writer
This Friday, August 29th, the eighth race of the 2025 ARCA Menards West Series season will take place. The Portland 112, the second and final road track race of the year, will be held at Portland International Raceway (PIR), Portland, OR. The Portland is a 12-turn, 1.970-mile road course. A circuit that will have to be covered 57 times for a total of 112.29 miles.
William Sawalich, last year’s winner, will try to make it two. He won the first road race of the season in Sonoma, California. If he wins the race, he will tie Jake Drew’s record as the only driver to win two races on the PIR. Of the tenth races already contested here, there are nine drivers who have already visited Victory Lane.. Hershel McGriff was the first in 1986.
It will be the 1036th race since the creation of the series in 1954, the 149th road race and the eleventh here. Ford is the winningest manufacturer here with 5 wins ahead of Chevrolet with 2. Dodge, Toyota and Pontiac with one each.
The most successful team here, Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing, with three victories, no longer exists, so who will succeed it? Joe Gibbs Racing for a second consecutive victory? Or maybe Bill McAnally Racing? Indeed, Portland is one of the few tracks where the team from Roseville, CA, has never won.
This race accompanies the NASCAR Xfinity Series, whose race will take place on Saturday, August 30. Sawalich will not be the only driver from the second division of NASCAR present since Christian Eckes will be behind the wheel of the N° 19 of BMR, as in Sonoma. A great opportunity for both drivers to race in the West Series and thus obtain valuable seat time.
But they won’t be the only non-regular West Series drivers present. Veteran Dale Quarterley, as always, will be on the road track, along with road ringers Davey Magras and Alon Day. There will also be three newcomers: Spaniard Fernando Navarrete (Central Coast Racing No. 3), recent ARCA National Series winner at Lime Rock, Thomas Annunziata (Nitro Motorsports No. 70) and Californian native Austin Varco (Strike Mamba Racing No. 72).
We’ll also have the pleasure of seeing Greg Biffle again, who will be driving the No. 24 Sigma Performance Services car. He’s familiar with the PIR, having raced there in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He took the pole in 2000, but more importantly, he won the race in 1999.
All this takes place on the one and only day of Friday, August 29. A one-hour practice session (11:00 to 11:45 a.m. PT) will precede the qualifying session (12:20 to 12:40 p.m. PT). The start of the 57-lap race will be given at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on FloRacing.
The Race Procedure
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: Field limited to 26 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2025 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: Modified Live pitting procedure, with the following two exceptions: Fuel may not be added prior to the completion of lap 20; Tire changes for emergency use only, any change must be approved by ARCA. There will be a scheduled caution at or near lap 28.
TIRE ALLOTMENT: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is 8 plus wets. In the event of wet conditions, General Tire SC wet radial may be used on all four corners. Any tire changes must be approved by ARCA officials.
ARCA West Quick stats
-72nd season in history.
-Race No. 1035 since the inception of the West Series in 1954.
-2025 race No. 7 of 12.
-149th road track in history (including the 4 street races) .
-11th race since 1968 at TCR.
-Race No. 11 at Portland International Raceway (PIR), Portland, OR, since 1986.
-The third time the track used is measured at 1.970 miles. Previously 1.950, 1.967 or 1.980 miles.
-Among the manufacturers, Ford leads the dance with 5 wins ahead of Chevrolet (2), Toyota, Dodge and Pontiac with one each.
-The all-time most successful manufacturer is Ford with 295 wins.
-The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally (76), Fred Elder (45), Bob Bruncati (42) and Ernie Conn (41).
-The all-time most successful teams in history are Bill McAnally Racing (100), McCoy Racing (54), The Racing Farmers (47), Bruncati Racing (42) and Gene Price Motorsports (26).
-The most successful team at PIR is Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing with three victories.
-Jake Drew is the most successful pilot at PIR with two wins. In all, 9 different drivers have won at least one race.
-Among the manufacturers, Ford and Chevrolet have 5 poles each
-Among the owners, the most successful are Bob Bruncati and Steve McGowan, both with 3 poles at PIR.
-Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing is the most successful team at PIR with 3 poles.
-The most successful team in history is Bill McAnally Racing with 83 poles. The most successful owner in history is Bill McAnally with 56 poles.
-All winners started from the top5 of the starting grid
-The third time that the driver who started second wins the race. The drivers who won the race from the worst starting position were Hershel McGriff (1986) and Jim Inglebright (2009), both from fifth position. Note: The poleman won four times at PIR.
-The track record (current configuration 1.970) is owned by Brandon Jones at 92.853 mph achieved in 2024.
-As far as yellow flags are concerned, the record is 7 (1986). The 2011 race holds the record for the number of yellow flag laps with 25.
-The record for the fewest cautions is 2 (2022 race #1). With just 9 laps behind the pace car, the 2022 (race #1) race holds the record for the fewest laps under yellow flags.
-The most leader changes occurred in 2009 with 10. The fewest leader changes were zero in 2012.
-The largest starting field was in 2011 and 2012 with 30 cars.
-The smallest starting field was in 2022 (race #2) with 13 cars.
-Four times the race has been extended by overtime (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2021).
-One time, the race was shortened by rain in 2022 (race #1).
The Drivers
No. 05 David Smith (Shockwave Racing)
Last year, the Canadian veteran experienced incredible misfortune, suffering from a variety of mechanical issues during the race. He said he was happy to have been able to finish the race despite everything, thanks to the efforts of his team members. Hopefully, this year will be better. Brandon Carlson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 35 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10th (3x) | 2 starts, best result : 13th |
No. 1 Robbie Kennealy (Jan’s Racing Team)
This is where Kennealy had his first career road track race last year. He saw the checkered flag in 13th place despite a few spuns. This season he has taken a step up in terms of performance. If at Sonoma he had ended in a crash, here nothing less than a top 10 finish will be the minimum objective. Chris Greaney will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 19 (2 DNS) | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3rd | 1 start, best result 13th |
No. 3 Fernando Navarrete (Central Coast Racing)
After Adrian Ferrer at the start of the season, a new Spanish driver will be at the wheel of the No. 3 car. Todd Souza, leaving his seat for this road race. Navarrete is a versatile driver. He has experience on road tracks, whether in International GT Open, TCR touring cars, or open wheel. He is 44 years old and began his motorsport career in 1996. This will be his first time behind the wheel of a West Series car. Gilbert Munoz will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
No. 5 Eric Johnson, Jr. (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Johnson, Jr., suffered a broken suspension last year and is counting on this race to finally claim his first career victory. He loves this track, where he finished 10th in his 2023 debut. Dustin Ash will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 23 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 2nd | 2 starts, best result 10th |
No. 6 Caleb Shrader (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Very fast on the PIR, he finished seventh in his West Series debut in 2023. Last year, he suffered a mechanical failure. He will be one of the favorites because he has countless victories in various categories on this road track. RJ Johnson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6th | 2 starts, best result 7th |
No. 13 Tanner Reif (Central Coast Racing)
Last year, he had a stint driving the Naake-Klauer Motorsports car but was forced to retire due to a broken radiator. But if he stays out of trouble, he’ll be a contender for victory. He’s already proven to be a strong performer here, as evidenced by his third-place finish during his rookie year. Mihael Munoz will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 32 | 3 | 13 | 22 | 2 | 1st (3x) | 4 starts, best result 3rd |
No. 14 Davey Magras (Davey Magras Racing)
Magras only competes in road races and while he has never had success at Sonoma, it’s quite the opposite at PIR where he has already obtained two top 10s including a fine seventh position for his West Series debut in 2022. Absent last year, he intends to find his way back to the top 10 with the help of his son Zach, who is also his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7th | 2 starts, best result 7th |
No. 18 William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Dominant at Sonoma this season, Sawalich, with the help of his crew chief Matt Ross, is hoping to sweep the road races this year. Especially since he’s been very successful at the PIR, as evidenced by his victory last year. That said, he had to battle hard against polesitter Brandon Jones.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 9 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 1st (4x) | 2 starts, best result : 1st |
No. 19 Christian Eckes (Bill McAnally Racing)
An excellent second behind Sawalich at Sonoma in his West Series debut, Eckes will aim to win the race for BMR. Like his rival, he is using the West Series race to increase his seat time in preparation for his Xfinity Series run the following day. Cayden Lapcevich will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | n/a |
No. 23 TBA (Clark Racing)
The pilot has not yet been announced at the time of writing. An update will be provided as soon as possible. Chris Bray will be the crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
No. 24 Greg Biffle (Sigma Performance Services) Start: 2nd – Fin: 3rd
As mentioned in the introduction to the article, while Biffle has never raced in the West Series at PIR, he does have some great, winning experience in the Craftsman Truck Series. He will be driving the car used by Tyler Reif at Sonoma and will have Tom Ackerman as crew chief. Biffle has rediscovered the joy of driving in the West Series and, as he proved at Tri-City, he doesn’t just come to race, but clearly to win!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3rd | n/a |
No.25 Alon Day (Venturini Motorsports)
The Israeli driver, a great road track specialist in all NASCAR series, needs no introduction. He finished third at Sonoma and will be a serious contender for victory, despite the fact that he will be new at PIR. Kevin Reed, Jr. will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3rd | n/a |
No. 27 Bobby Hillis, Jr. (Fierce Creature Racing)
Veteran Hillis, Jr.’s final race was in Phoenix in November 2024. He was scheduled to race in Sonoma, but a major mechanical failure during a private test (during a club race) forced him to withdraw. He will therefore race his first race of the year with the goal of improving on last year’s finish of 15th in his first race at the PIR. Tony Huffman will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 103 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8th (1x) | 1 start, best result 15th |
No. 32 Dale Quarterley (Quarterley “1/4” Racing)
Quarterley will be keen to erase the disappointment of Sonoma, where he crashed. Sixth last year in Portland, he has already achieved a podium finish there, finishing third in 2023. He will, however, be a contender for the top five. His son Alex Quarterley will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2nd (1x) | 4 starts, best result: 3rd |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing)
The championship leader finished eighth last year at PIR. But he’s clearly raised his game on the road track this year, as evidenced by his impressive fourth-place finish at Sonoma. Jeff Schrader will be his crew chief. If he leaves Portland still in command of the championship, he’ll have taken a big step toward the 2025 title.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 84 | 7 | 36 | 68 | 3 | 1st (7x) | 3 starts, best result: 7th |
No. 51 Blake Lothian (Strike Mamba Racing)
The rookie will be discovering the PIR and the experience gained at Sonoma will undoubtedly be beneficial to him. As a reminder, Sonoma was his very first career race on a road track. But he is studious and makes few mistakes. John Reaume will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8th | n/a |
No. 70 Thomas Annunziata (Nitro Motorsports)
This excellent road track driver will be making his West Series debut, but he knows his car well. He took it to Victory Lane earlier this year at Lime Rock in the ARCA Menards National Series. Despite his PIR rookie status, he will be one of the favorites for victory. Shannon Rursch will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
No. 71 Kyle Keller (Jan’s Racing Team)
Fresh off his first career victory at Tri-City, Keller arrives in Portland with a newfound status. The underdog is now a favorite, and his eighth-place finish at Sonoma demonstrates his ability to compete on all types of circuits this year. It’s worth noting that it was here at PIR that he earned his first top-10 finish on a road track in career last season. Brian Kizer will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| 41 | 1 | 14 | 28 | 1 | 1st (1x) | 2 starts, best result : 9th |
No. 72 Austin Varco (Strike Mamba Racing)
Another new driver at the wheel of SMR’s No. 72. This time it’s 25-year-old Californian Austin Varco. This will be his West Series debut. Varco started racing at 20. He’s raced in Mazda Cup and SCCA, and this year began his short-track career in the Spec Racers/Trucks class. He’s familiar with PIR, having already competed there three times in the SCCA. Al Lebert will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Portland |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |