CONCORD, N.C.: Set for his third ARCA Menards Series start of the season, Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team have set the reboot button ahead of Friday night’s General Tire 150 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
Following a remarkable career-best sixth-place finish in the season-opening Hard Rock Bet 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February, the team set their sights on surpassing that performance with a stellar effort at Talladega (Ala.) The superspeedway last month. However, their aspirations were met with frustration.
Despite a challenging radiator issue in practice, Kitzmiller showcased the raw speed of his No. 97 A.L.L. Construction Chevrolet in the race’s early laps.
Unfortunately, the radiator issue resurfaced, forcing him to retire from the race. This setback, however, has only fueled the team’s determination to bounce back at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
With the upcoming race at Charlotte, Kitzmiller and his team eagerly anticipate the opportunity to reignite their performance on their home turf. This race is crucial in their part-time ARCA Menards Series schedule this season.
“The setback at Talladega was a tough blow for our team, but it has only made us more determined,” shared Kitzmiller. “We’re heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway with the aim to not just rebound, but to do
so in a spectacular fashion, delivering another strong result for our team.”
Surprisingly, an ARCA career that launched in 2020, Kitzmiller will make just his second ARCA Menards Series start at the legendary 1.5-mile track.
In 2021, Kitzmiller started 14th in the General Tire 150 and methodically moved forward during the race to earn a respectable 11th-place finish at the checkered flag.
This year, the Petersburg, WV native returns to the Concord, N.C.-race track, looking to better his previous Charlotte experience and capture his sixth career top-10 finish under the tutelage of 11-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel.
“I am so thankful to have Frank (Kimmel) under our roof,” added Kitzmiller. “He’s not only a wealth of knowledge, but his experience and leadership have the opportunity to allow our team to reach new heights not only as the season progresses but in the years to come.
“Talladega wasn’t exactly a fair shake for Frank, but we are excited about what we think we will be to accomplish on Friday night.”
Since Talladega, Kitzmiller has had some fun and recently returned to Victory Lane.
Two weeks ago, Kitzmiller returned to the Grand National Super Series at Franklin County Speedway where he raced against his son Isaac. The younger Kitzmiller prevailed against his father in the first of a double-header night of competition.
In the second 50-lap showdown, the elder Kitzmiller withstood the heat of several challengers but captured his second win of the season.
Now, Kitzmiller is hopeful to take the checkered flag on a bigger stage.
“I’m having a lot of fun in the Grand National Super Series, and I love racing against my son,” sounded Kitzmiller.
“It’s fun to win in that series, but what an honor and dream it would be to win in the ARCA Menards Series. That’s what we are here to do, and I think we can contend for victory with some luck and a fast race car.
“We will see what happens.”
Since 2020, Kitzmiller has 24 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit, with five top-10 finishes overall, including a career-best sixth-place finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2024).
The General Tire 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the sixth of 20 races on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 72nd consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, May 24 from 11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 12:40 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
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