By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
This Saturday, July 1, it will be the sixth race of the 2023 ARCA Menards West Series season and the 1,010th in history. When the checkered flag is lowered at the end of the 150 laps, the mid-season milestone will be reached. A season that until then saw Landen Lewis as a solid leader until he suffered an accident during the last race in Sonoma.
This sixth race is also an opportunity to return for the second time this season to the Irwindale Speedway. The first race contested here on April 1 was won by Sean Hingorani, his first career victory. Will he make the sweep by winning the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame on Saturday? He would thus join in the stats Brendan Gaughan who had also succeeded in the sweep in 2001, just like Austin Cameron in 2004, Jason Bowles in 2008, Todd Gilliland in 2017 and Jesse Love in 2021.
Among the drivers mentioned, several have even managed to win three consecutive races at Irwindale such as Gaughan (the three races of 2001), Bowles (2008-09), Gilliland (2016-17) and Love (2020-2021). It must be said that this will be the 34th race in history on the Californian half-mile, which makes it the fifth most used track in history in the West Series but far behind Evergreen Speedway (Monroe, WA) with its 61 races.
If the last road races visited this year in Portland and Sonoma have never seen the Bill McAnally Racing team visit their Victory Lane, it is quite the opposite here where the team based in Roseville, CA is the absolute record holder for victories with 16 over 33 races, i.e. nearly 50% success!
The race will be 150 laps (75 miles) and all activities will be concentrated on the single day of Saturday with the single practice from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. PT. The General Tire Pole Qualifying at 5 p.m. PT and finally the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame at 10 p.m. PT.
The entry list is made up of 16 drivers. Among them we find all the regular drivers of the series as well as RJ Smotherman who takes the wheel of his Lowden-Jackson Motorsports No. 46 after having left the seat to other drivers during road races. It’s also the return of Jake Bollman in High Point Racing’s second car and we’ll also see the debut of 17-year-old Robbie Kennealy at the wheel of a second car entered by Kyle Keller Racing.
The Race Procedure
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame 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 in the timed session qualifying.
RACE PIT STOP: Pitting is restricted to repairs, adding fuel, adjustments and emergency tire changes only. Pitting is not required. Any tire changes 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 8. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4) for emergency use only.
The Drivers
No. 05 Dave Smith (Shockwave Racing)
Despite an accident in April, the team led by crew chief Brandon Carlson had managed to repair the Toyota and this had allowed Dave Smith to obtain his first career top-10. Admittedly, he had finished nine laps behind the winner and had taken advantage of the retirements of other drivers.
But didn’t Richard Petty himself say that to win a race, the first thing is to finish the race? And it is exactly this doctrine that the Canadian veteran had applied to the letter. Never give up as long as there is hope!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | 1 start, best result : 10th |
No. 1 Robbie Kennealy (Kyle Keller Racing)
At 17, this young driver from Madera, CA will be making his West Series debut. He will drive a second car for KKR, he who is part of the team’s development program by driving for example in Pro Late Models on the Madera Speedway where he obtains very good results. This Ford comes from the former Levin Racing team.
Note that Thomas Martin will be his crew chief. The latter was in the past the crew chief of Jack Sellers but also a regular driver between 2006 and 2015. Period during which he drives for Jack Sellers or John Krebs for example, obtaining eight top10 including 2 top-five in 34 races.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| – | – | – | – | – | n/a | n/a |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
After the disappointments of the last few races where Bubba had the pace for top 10s and even top fives, he returns to Irwindale with big ambitions. The first is to overcome the bad luck that has dogged him since the start of the season and the second is to return to the top 10. What he has already done on the Californian half-mile in 2021 with a ninth position. His crew chief Ty Joiner who knows all the secrets of the track should allow him to achieve his goals.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5th (1x) | 2 starts, best result: 9th |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing)
After the disappointment of Sonoma, Koga returns to a track where he has a lot of experience. Indeed it will be his 16th race here and he has already obtained four top-10 finishes on this oval. Last April he finished seventh, which remains his best result of the year. Denny Moyer will of course be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 106 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 15 starts, best result : 7th |
No. 13 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing)
Despite a somewhat chaotic race, Souza was able to bounce back and finish eighth in Sonoma. He and his crew chief Michael Munoz hope to ride the right wave and get a new top10, see much better. Because if the No. 13 is fast, it loses performance when the tires wear out, especially on ovals since the start of the season. He knows Irwindale very well but yet in 13 races, surprisingly he has never done better than seventh on three occasions.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 113 | 1 | 19 | 63 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 13 starts, best result : 7th (3x) |
No. 15 Sean Hingorani (Venturini Motorsports)
After halving their points deficit to championship leaders Landen Lewis in Sonoma, Hingorani returns to Irwindale with championship ambitions higher than ever. And in addition it was here last April that he obtained his first career victory. And it was already with Kevin Reed, Jr. as the crew chief. Will he succeed in the sweep? The bookmakers think so!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1st (2x) | 1 start, best result : 1st |
No. 16 Tanner Reif (Bill McAnally Racing)
Fifth last April, Tanner really hopes to return to victory on one of his favorite tracks. It is also here that last year, as a rookie, he had atomized his opponents by dominating the entire race, offering himself his first career victory at the same time. Given BMR’s successful history at Irwindale, he and his crew chief John Camilleri have everything in their hands to achieve this goal.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 16 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 3 starts, best result: 1st |
No. 17 Landen Lewis (McGowan Motorsports with Cook Racing Technologies)
Sonoma almost turned into a disaster for Lewis, who saw his series of four consecutive Top2 finishes come to an end following an accident for which he was in no way responsible. He had led the race here in April before finishing second behind Hingorani who had taken first position from him at the last restart.
But he should bounce back and resume his good habits of 2023, namely to be a candidate for victory in each race. And he likes Irwindale where he has never finished beyond fifth. Richard Mason will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 13 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 2 starts, best result : 2nd |
No. 21 Ethan Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
Excellent 10th in Sonoma after starting from the back of the pack, he returns to Irwindale with great ambitions. Indeed, it will be the first time he drives on a track where he already has experience with a West Series car. Certainly in April he had suffered a mechanical problem but since th start of the season the young rookie has raised his level of play and with his crew chief Mike Nascimento, they will aim for neither more nor less than the top-five.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 4 (+ 1 DNS) | – | – | 2 | – | 8th | 1 start, best result : 13th |
No. 41 Tyler Reif (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
Due to a fuel pump problem, he was the only championship contender, other than his own brother Tanner, who was unable to take advantage of Landen Lewis’ problems to reduce his points deficit. But in Irwindale, he finished last April in third place. Perfect timing for him to return to a track where he will be a contender for victory. His crew chief will obviously be Tony Jackson.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1st | 1 start, best result : 3rd |
No. 46 RJ Smotherman (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
Smotherman is back in No. 46 and he really hopes to have left the bad luck that has dogged him since the start of the year. Here in April he had suffered an accident during a restart. Unlucky, he had simply found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s the right time for him to find his way back to the top-10 and boost his confidence. Dave Jackson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | 1 start, best result : 15th |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing)
Poleman here in April, his first career pole, Huddleston had led nearly half of the race before losing pace in the second half. Finally fourth, he knew how to limit the damage. But in Sonoma he experienced a real ordeal from the start of the race. By finishing 28th, he lost big in the championship.
But Irwindale is his home track. The one where he has always been successful. It’s very simple, in eight races, he only obtained top-10s and it was even here that he obtained his first career victory in 2019. The race promoter is none other than his father, Tim. In short, the Huddlestons and Irwindale, it’s a great love story. Jeff As usual Schrader will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 58 | 2 | 21 | 48 | 1 | 1st (2x) | 8 starts, best result : 1st |
No. 55 Jake Bollman (High Point Racing)
It was here last April that he made his West Series debut. And without this accident at the end of the race, he was driving for the top-five. By the next race at Bakersfield, he had finished seventh. On a track he frequents assiduously, Bollman will be one to follow closely. As in previous races Travis Thirkettle will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | 1 start, best result : 12th |
No. 70 Kyle Keller (Kyle Keller Racing)
With a car bought from Last Chance Racing, Keller took part in the two road races with his own team while benefiting from the logistical help of Andrew Tuttle’s team (LCR) and the expertise of Brian Kizer who is also his crew chief sicne Portland.
KKR has acquired a new car, a Ford, and is going to run it under its own banner. However Jerry Pitts Racing will continue to provide technical assistance to Kyle. Remember that Keller did the first three races of the season for Jerry Pitts Racing. Kyle is comfortable in Irwindale as evidenced by his two top-10 finishes in two races here with a fourth and sixth respectively.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 15 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 2 starts, best result: 4th |
No. 77 Nick Joanides (Performance P-1 Motorsports)
Victim of an accident for which he was not responsible last April here, Joanides returns with Joe Nava as crew chief on a track he knows well and where he has already obtained a top-10 in 2021.
For the first time in Bakersfield, and without prior testing, the new Ford acquired by the team from High Point Racing, which had itself acquired it from the late team of Bob Bruncati (Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing). PP1M and Joanides now know their new mount and should aim for at least a position close to the top-five.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4th | 6 starts, best result: 9th |
No. 88 Bradley Erickson (Naake-Klauer Motorsports)
In the fight for the podium last April, the rookie Erickson had clashed with Tyler Reif, sending the Ford No. 88 to hit the wall. After repairs, he was able to grab positions to finish the race in eighth position. It is thanks to this that he is the only driver since the start of the season to have always finished in the top-10.
With Tony Caputo, his crew chief, and the entire NKM team, the objective is to win their first victory this season and thus remain in the race for the championship. Currently Bradley is third just 14-points behind the leader.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Irwindale |
| 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3rd | 2 starts, best result : 8th |
Final notes
– Initially entered on the entry list, the young Jalen Mack (Mack Racing) will not be present at Irwindale with his Chevrolet No. 83. But the team has just acquired a new car from Bill McAnally Racing and plans to make its debut in the West Series at Shasta Speedway on July 29, despite having lost the sponsor who had made an agreement with him. It was also announced that Mack will be in the race at Iowa Speedway with Tamayo Cosentino Racing on July 15 for the ARCA Menards National Series race.