By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
Cody Kiemele, 17-year-old driver, born June 29, 2006, from Riverside, Calif. will drive the No. 77 part-time with Performance P-1 Motorsports in ARCA Menards West Series in 2024. Currently the budget covers the first three races of the season (Phoenix Raceway, Irwindale Speedway, and Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway). But Kiemele aims to do more and is actively in discussions with potential sponsors to acquire the funding to do so.
However, team owner Joe Nava hopes to do the full season, possibly with multiple drivers for the owner points standings. For this he is looking for an experienced crew chief. This would be the first full-time season for PP1M and its famous No. 77 car since 2021.
Cody Kiemele will debut in the ARCA Menards West Series at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, AZ, on Friday, March 8 for the General Tire 150. A race combined with the ARCA national series and which will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 (FS1). The other 11 races of the season will be streamed live on FloRacing.
“The main goal is to gain experience and keep it the car in one piece. I pick things up impressively fast so it’s more of a whatever happens, happens type thing. I’m just extremely grateful for this opportunity and couldn’t do this without all my sponsors. I never would of imagined that I would be racing an ARCA car at Phoenix Raceway so I am just extremely grateful.” Kiemele said.
The son of Rob Kiemele, former racing driver, Cody is a young driver and an excellent baseball player who aspires to make a career in this sport. Kiemele has also a great racing background. Starting in 2014 in Karting at the Adams Motorsports Park and having since raced for example in Bandoleros (2018), South West Tour Truck Series (2020), in the SRL Spears Pro Late Model Series (since 2021). In recent years, he has accumulated numerous Top-10s, Top-fives and victories in Jr Late Model and Pro Late Model on tracks like Las Vegas Bullring, Havasu 95, Kern County, Madera and Irwindale.
The No. 77 Toyota will be sponsored by King Taco, Wallace Signs, Toyota of Redlands, Burgesons Heating & Air, HRP Paving, Unlimited Landscaping, Swift Springs, Racecar Factory and REX MD.
Note that King Taco restaurant chain is celebrating its 50th anniversary and for the occasion the engine hood of the No. 77 will have a special commemorative sticker.
The ARCA Menards West Series season begins March 8 in Avondale, AZ at Phoenix Raceway with the General Tire 150 which will be broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1.