Thirty drivers are entered for Friday night’s (May 24) ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is the most entered since the 2018 edition.
Pinnacle Racing Group enters two drivers – Connor Mosack and Carson Kvapil – and it is arguably the hottest team in the series, as Connor Zilisch won at Dover Motor Speedway and an ARCA Menards Series standalone race at Flat Rock Speedway. Mosack, meanwhile, won at Kansas Speedway.
Mosack is from Charlotte, so it’s his home racetrack on Memorial Day weekend. He’s competed there three times — twice in ARCA and once in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He has fourth- and ninth-place result at Charlotte, and he’s led 23 laps. Look for him to have his No. 28 Chevrolet up front.
His teammate Kvapil will give him a run for his money though. Kvapil finished third, after starting second, in the fall 2023 ARCA race at fellow 1.5-mile racetrack Kansas, one spot behind Mosack.
Venturini Motorsports’ No. 20 went to victory lane last year. This year, Dean Thompson pilots it. Thompson is running a triple-header at Charlotte, competing in ARCA, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series.
“I’ve put a lot of work in,” Thompson told ARCA Racing. “The Venturini, TRICON [Garage] and Sam Hunt [Racing] guys have all been working hard and helping me out getting prepared for this weekend. I’m driving three different [types] of cars, but honestly, I’ve heard the ARCA and Xfinity car are pretty close, so I’m feeling pretty confident.”
Thompson tied his career-best ARCA finish of second at Charlotte last year; he wants one more spot for his first victory on Friday night.
“A win would mean so much to me,” he continued. “I’ve been working my tail off day and night this past week. I’ve been preparing for Charlotte before North Wilkesboro [Speedway], so it would mean a lot for the Venturini and TRICON guys that work hard to give me fast race cars. Sam Hunt has as well, but there’s just different expectations there.”
Venturini’s rival Joe Gibbs Racing has Tanner Gray back in its No. 18, and he too will be pulling double duty on Friday night.
Gray only has one ARCA start at Charlotte, where he wound up sixth, but he scored his lone Truck Series pole there last year. JGR won the 2022 and 2023 ARCA Charlotte events, so Gray will be eager to take that team back to victory lane.
All the aforementioned drivers are part-time competitors. Of the…
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