By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires.
This Saturday, April 1, for the first time this season, the ARCA Menards West Series drivers meet at the Irwindale Speedway, in the eponymous city in California. The West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 will be the second race of the season. Note that we will return to Irwindale a second time on July 1 for what will be the sixth race of the year.
This is the second of 12 races for the 2023 season and the 1006th since the inception of the series in 1954. Regarding Irwindale, it will be the 33rd race since 1999 on the paved half mile and the victory of Steve Portenga. Will we witness a record number of yellow flags like we did in Phoenix?
The record being nine cautions for a total of 60 laps here at Irwindale. But that dates from the year 2000 at a time when the race was 250 laps against 150 today. For a race of 150 laps the record dates from 2016 with seven yellows for 39 laps. It should also be noted that the last three races contested here have all been extended by an overtime finish.
The last winner here, Jake Drew, and his Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing team are no longer part of the West Series landscape. But his former teammate, Tanner Reif, who won his first career victory in March 2022, will be present with his new team Bill McAnally Racing to try to clinch a second victory on the Californian track. He will not be the only former winner at the start of the race as Trevor Huddleston, winner in 2019, will also try to win the race, which would be a first for his new family team High Point Racing.
But the competition will be fierce with, for example, championship leader Tyler Reif, winner of the Phoenix race, who intends to continue to ride the wave of success.
Irwindale is also what I call the “private garden” of Bill McAnally Racing. The Roseville CA-based team having won 16 of 32 races to date as well as the prestigious All-Star Showdown in 2003. Among the remaining teams again in activity that have already won races here is Performance P-1 Motorsports (1). Austin Cameron with five wins is the all-time winningest driver at Irwindale. At the manufacturers, Chevrolet leads with 15 wins. Other wins are split between Toyota (8), Ford (8) and Dodge (1).
All this takes place on the one and only day of Saturday, April 1. A one-hour practice session (3:30 to 4:30 p.m. PT) will precede the qualifying session (5:00 p.m. PT). The start of the 150-lap race (75 miles) will be given at 7:00 p.m. PT.
The Race Procedure:
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 is limited to 22 plus provisional positions. 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.
RACE PIT STOP: Pitting is restricted to repairs, adding fuel, adjustments and emergency tire changes only. Pitting is not required. Any tire changes during the race must be approved by ARCA.
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) on race day, plus four (4) for pre-race practice day. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4) for emergency use only.
The Drivers
With 22 places available for the race, this will not be a problem for the drivers since there are 18 in the entry list! And among them, note the presence of three newcomers with Jake Bollman, who will be driving a second car for High Point Racing, and Jalen Mack. Hoping for the last named that this time his team will be present after the two forfeits of 2022. It’s time to introduce the drivers in more detail.
No. 04 Ethan Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
I invite you to read the article “Get to know” dedicated to Ethan Nascimento and available here:
www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-series/get-to-know-arca-west-ethan-nascimento/
Mechanical issues prevented the 15-year-old driver from seeing the checkered flag in Phoenix. But here on a half mile, a type of oval he’s more familiar with, he should be more comfortable. Besides, he says it himself that the objective is to bring the car back into the top-five and if possible without a scratch at home. Which in Irwindale is not easy. Of course, I’m talking about bringing back a scratch-free car! His uncle Mike Nascimento will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 1 | – | – | – | – | 26th | N/A |
No. 05 Dave Smith (Shockwave Racing)
The Canadian veteran will discover the Irwindale track with his ARCA car. His goal will be to learn and if possible get closer to the top 10. Brandon Carlson will of course be his crew chief. But they can count on the expertise of their technical partner Naake-Klauer Motorsports to be as efficient as possible.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th | N/A |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
14th in Phoenix, Bubba was disappointed because his race had not been a long calm river. But he knows Irwindale well where he already achieved a top-10 in his rookie year in 2021. He feels good on this track and intends to fight for victory. Ty Joiner, his crew chief, has yet to win there but has already scored numerous top-fives here as well as two poles.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5th (1x) | 1 start, best result: 9th |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing)
An accident at the very end of the race in Phoenix in which he had nothing to do with it… Too bad but that’s also motor racing. That said, Irwindale could restore the Japanese’s confidence since he knows the Californian half mile very well, having already done 14 races there. His best result here being a seventh place finish last year. With Denny Moyer, his crew chief, the top-10 is the minimum to take home.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 102 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 14 starts, best result : 7th |
No. 13 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing)
A last complicated restart in Phoenix deprived the veteran of obtaining a new top-10. But for his farewell tour, Souza intends to play for victory in Irwindale. An oval which curiously has never really brought him luck so far since in 12 races, he has never been able to do better than seventh (three times).
Blame it on bad luck and also sometimes on this excessive ardor which characterizes the driver of No. 13. But that is also why the public loves to see him in action so much. Because with Souza, there is always action and fun on the track. Michael Munoz, his crew chief, will do everything so that this time the trophy goes to decorate the workshops of Central Coast Racing.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 109 | 1 | 19 | 61 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 12 starts, best result : 7th (3x) |
No. 15 Sean Hingorani (Venturini Motorsports)
Only 16th following a somewhat “messy” race at Phoenix, the young driver has already rebounded in the East Series by taking fourth at Pensacola. For the Venturini driver, the top-five is the minimum goal in every race.
As he had only done a partial season in 2022, started at Evergreen, he has not yet been able to ride at Irwindale in the West Series. But he knows the track and will have Kevin Reed, Jr. as crew chief. The latter has already obtained a pole here in 2019 with Hailie Deegan.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12th | N/A |
No. 16 Tanner Reif (Bill McAnally Racing)
Victim of insoluble vibrations, the ROTY 2022 went through hell in Phoenix. A race to forget. And what better way to do that than to return to where he had been dazzling last year by leading all the laps of the race from pole position. This year he is driving for BMR which is the absolute reference in Irwindale with 16 victories in 32 races. John Camilleri will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 12 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 2 starts, best result: 1st |
No. 17 Landen Lewis (McGowan Motorsports with Cook Racing Technologies)
About 500 feet was all that Lewis needed and he could have won the Phoenix race thanks to a perfectly executed final restart. But Tyler Reif was the quickest in the end and recaptured the lead, preventing the Team Hornaday Development driver from taking the win. Good news, this year he will do full-time season in the West Series.
Last year he finished fifth at the wheel of the No. 16 BMR. Rookie in the West Series, Richie Mason, who we have already seen in the Truck Series, will be his crew chief instead of his Phoenix crew chief, Amber Slagle. Slagle, unlike Mason, knows the Irwindale track perfectly since she competed in two races there, obtaining ninth position last year.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 9 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 1 start, best result : 5th |
No. 22 Ryan Roulette (Triple R)
Due to lack of time to complete the preparation of his car, Roulette had to forfeit at Phoenix. Hopefully this time everything will be ready for Irwindale. A track that he will discover in the West Series. Quite the opposite of his crew chief, Chris Greaney who has already frequented the Californian track countless times!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22nd | N/A |
No. 27 Bobby Hillis, Jr. (Fearce Creature Racing)
A fuel pump shut down due to electrical problems disrupted veteran Hillis’ race in Phoenix. He intends to bounce back in Irwindale since he has solved all the problems. He has a lot of experience on the Californian half mile since he has been coming there since 2001 in the West Series. Ralph Byers will be his crew chief, as in Phoenix.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 92 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8th (1x) | 12 starts, best result : 10th |
No. 41 Tyler Reif (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
The hero of the race in Phoenix intends to continue his momentum and take another victory in Irwindale. He kept pace with the competition by competing in the ARCA East Series in Florida at Pensacola where he finished sixth. He will discover Irwindale in racing condition with his West Series car. But he is far from being a rookie on this track. With Tony Jackson, his crew chief, they will have two objectives. Victory of course but also maintaining the leadership in the championship.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1st | N/A |
No. 46 RJ Smotherman (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
While his teammate Tyler Reif exulted on Victory Lane at Phoenix, Smotherman had to face a disastrous start to the season due to a mechanical problem. Only 29th, he is already significantly behind in the championship. But he too was in Pensacola in the East Series and he got his first top-10 of the year there. Yet there also his race was not free from problems.
He too will discover Irwindale with his West Series car. But his knowledge of the track in other categories should allow him to show what he is capable of. Rip Michaels his car chief will be under the direction of Tony Jackson, the general crew chief of the team.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | N/A |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing)
A strong comeback in the pack in Phoenix allowed Huddleston to finish ninth in Phoenix. Here in Irwindale, he is at home. He has covered thousands of laps on this track where HPR is based. HPR is a family team led by his father Tim, who is also president of the Irwindale Speedway. He won a West Series victory there in 2019. He had seven top-10s in seven races at Irwindale, a record in the West Series.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 54 | 2 | 19 | 46 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 7 starts, best result : 1st |
No. 55 Jake Bollman (High Point Racing)
Born on April 22, 2007, the young driver from Huntington Beach, CA will be making his West Series debut. Bollman began his racing career in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series in 2016. Later transitioning to pavement racing, Jake has competed in everything from Bandoleros and Legends, to Pro and Super Late Models.
In 2022, Jake captured his crown jewel victory in his career so far, winning the All-American 100 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway while competing in a Pro Late Model for the NASCAR Truck Series team Rackley W.A.R.
But he knows the Irwindale track well, having already raced there in many categories, including the Pro Late Models of the SRL Spears Southwest Tour with multiple top-10 finishes. He will drive HPR’s second car and will have Travis Thirkettle as crew chief. Ryan Partridge and Trevor Huddleston, will serve as Bollman’s driver coach and teammate throughout the year as well. His 2023 program in the West Series is not yet known but he is expected to do several races with HPR.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 0 | – | – | – | – | – | N/A |
No. 70 Kyle Keller (Jerry Pitts Racing)
A top-five to start the season which is good for Keller. Thanks to that kind of good result that he will be able to attract sponsors. As proof, eight top-10s including six top-fives in 11 career races, he still lacks the budget to be able to do the full season.
Last year when he discovered the track, he had obtained the fourth position. Jerry Pitts his crew chief and owner has already won here with Greg Pursley in 2012.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 11 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 1 start, best result: 4th |
No. 77 Nick Joanides (Performance P-1 Motorsports)
After skipping Phoenix, Joe Nava’s team is back with Nick Joanides at the wheel of the No. 77. For the moment, the 2023 program is not yet finalized. A good result could unblock the situation by making a sponsor want to complete the budget.
Joanides has experience at Irwindale with five career runs. His best result being a ninth position obtained in 2021. Dean Kuhn will be the crew chief. Kuhn, who hasn’t been seen in the West Series crew chief role since 2015 when he worked with Rich DeLong III in Roseville, CA.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4th | 5 starts, best result: 9th |
No. 83 Jalen Mack (Mack Motorsports)
Withdrew for an unknown reason last season here. Mack is young 17-year-old African American who cut his teeth in Karting in the USA (2015-2020) but also in Europe in 2016 at the age of 10, Mack is the son of Lloyd Mack, a former driver in the West Series (nine races between 2007 and 2008) and who was also a Karting specialist.
Mack’s uncle, former karting driver George Mack, who ran a full season in the NTT IndyCar Series in 2002. It is therefore a Californian family where the tradition of motorsport is very present. Last year Chris Diederich was announced as his crew chief. As of now, no names have been confirmed.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
No. 88 Bradley Erickson (Naake-Klauer Motorsports)
It was here in Irwindale that Erickson made his West Series debut last year. And even if he had to retire following a rear end problem, he was immediately a contender for at least a top-10. Since then, he has confirmed, as his third position in Phoenix for the opening of the 2023 season proves.
Despite his young age, he is still considered as one of the favorites for the championship. In addition NKM has already obtained very good results in Irwindale in the past with for example the third position of Joey Iest last year. Tony Caputo will obviously be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | 1 start, best result : 20th |
Final notes
If Chris Lowden were to skip this race as a driver, it would allow him to focus on his role as owner of Lowden-Jackson Motorsports with his two rookies Tyler Reif and RJ Smotherman. On the other hand no news concerning Cole Moore or Andrew Tuttle for example whereas they had announced at the beginning of the season their presence on the oval races of which that of Irwindale.