Series: ARCA Menards Series

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race: General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Duration: 100 laps / 150 miles

Date / TV: 5/26/2023 – 6 p.m. ET on FS1 

A Home Race for VMS: This weekend the team will be taking on the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway for their home race. The team returns to the track having procured a second place finish at last year’s outing with Corey Heim. 

A Packed Four Car Lineup: This year VMS will be arriving at Charlotte with a full and talented roster of drivers. Dean Thompson in the No. 15 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota Camry, Jesse Love in the No. 20 GEARWRENCH Toyota Camry, Gus Dean in the No. 25 Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry, and Toni Breidinger in the No. 55 Rootly Toyota Camry. 

Jesse Love’s Recent Triumph: The 18 year old driver has captured a victory at both of his last two race entries, Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway. Now leading in the Driver’s Championship standings, Love, a two time ARCA Menards Series West Champion, looks to carry this momentum going into the Charlotte Race Weekend. 

Gus Dean’s First Charlotte Start With VMS: Charlotte will mark Dean’s seventh start with Venturini Motorsports and his third at the aforementioned track. Of his previous races at the track, he has a best finish of third. This will be his first Charlotte outing with Venturini Motorsports. 

Dean Thompson Pulling Double Duty: Dean Thompson will be making his second ARCA Menards Series start with Venturini Motorsports. He achieved his career best ARCA finish with the team on his VMS debut at Kansas Speedway. He completed the team’s one-two finish alongside teammate Jesse Love. Thompson will be following up his run in the ARCA car with a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start

Toni Breidinger Partners With Raising Cane’s: This weekend Breidinger will have a new name on the No. 55 Rootly Toyota Camry, Raising Cane’s, as a part of a 2023 partnership. 

Meet Toni Breidinger: Fans will have the opportunity to meet Toni Breidinger as a part of the Toyota Racing Experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event will take place at 3:15pm ET in the Fan Zone. 

Meet the Full VMS Lineup: Fans will have the opportunity to meet the drivers prior to the race through an ARCA arranged autograph session from 3:30 to 4:30pm ET at the General Tire Display Footprint.

 

Dean Thompson – No. 15 Thompson Pipe Group | MCM Transportation Toyota Camry

Regarding the Charlotte Race: Really excited to get back in my Thompson Pipe Group | MCM Transportation Toyota Camry this weekend at Charlotte. We came really close at Kansas and I feel like we can get it done here in the Queen City. 

Jesse Love – No. 20 GEARWRENCH Toyota Camry

Regarding the Charlotte Race: Charlotte is one of the biggest races of the year for our team. It’s a track we haven’t won at yet, but with the speed in our No.20 car, I think if we go do our thing we should be tough to beat come race day.

Gus Dean – No. 25 Mobil 1 | Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry

Regarding the Charlotte Race: “I am really glad to be back with Venturini Motorsports this weekend at Charlotte. I cannot thank everyone on the Venturini Motorsports team enough for continuing to give me opportunities to drive their race cars. Charlotte is a fun race track. I know our No. 25 Mobil 1 | Dean Custom Air Toyota Camry will be fast, but it will be crucial for us to make sure we stay ahead of the handling and have a mistake free race to challenge our contenders for the race win.”

Series: ARCA Menards Series East

Track: Flat Rock Speedway

Race: Dutch Boy 150 at Flat Rock Speedway

Duration: 150 laps / 37.5 miles

Date / TV: 5/20/2023 – 7:30p.m. ET on FloRacing

Billy Venturini Returns to the Driver’s Seat: Venturini Motorsports team owner, Billy Venturini, will be making his first ARCA start since 2007. Venturini makes his return to the drivers seat to cross Flat Rock Speedway off of his bucket list. The track holds a significant place in the history of the racing family. Billy’s father, Bill Venturini (Big Bill), has won at the track three times, with his victory in 1983 being his first ever ARCA victory. Billy, who saw his father’s first victory at Flat Rock Speedway, has always dreamed of racing at the track. 

Previous Success at Flat Rock: Flat Rock marks the first win of 88 total victories for the Family owned team. Team founder Bill Venturini picked up two more victories at the track following the first of his career.

• June 18th 1983 – Bill Venturini
• June 16th 1984 – Bill Venturini
• August 11th 1984 – Bill Venturini

Flat Rock Returns to the ARCA Calendar: The ARCA Series returns to the famous quarter mile oval, nicknamed the Level Pebble by fans, for the first time since 2000. The 150 lap race is one of eight races making up the full ARCA Menards Series East calendar. 

Sean Hingorani’s Success out West: In contention for two championship titles this season, Hingorani is making headway with two West Series victories to his name. Hingorani picked up his first ARCA victory at Irwindale Speedway. He immediately followed it up with a second victory at Kern County Raceway. Only nine points separated from the West Series leader, Hingorani strives to keep up the momentum and close the gap. Heading East this weekend, the young rookie hopes to add to his impressive season. 

Meet the Drivers: ARCA will be hosting an autograph session prior to the start of the race for fans to meet the drivers and receive autographs. The session will be conducted from 6:10 to 6:50pm. 

Brennan Poole to Spot for Billy Venturini: Brennan Poole, NASCAR Series driver and Venturini Motorsports alumni, will be rejoining the team for the weekend to take on a different role; spotter for Venturini. In his time with VMS, Poole secured six ARCA victories before moving up the NASCAR ranks. 

Recent Triumph for VMS: The 2023 season has seen great success for Venturini Motorsports. Most recently the team picked up a first place trophy at Kansas Speedway with 18 year old Jesse Love behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota Camry. The Kansas victory was preceded by multiple other dominant weekends for the team, including wins at Irwindale Speedway, Kern County Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Dover Motor Speedway.

Venturini and JBL: Billy Venturini will be piloting the No. 20 JBL Toyota Camry this weekend. 

Hingorani in Molten Orange and Black: Hingorani will be carrying the support of GEARWRENCH for the ARCA Menards Series East Series event at Flat Rock Speedway.

VMS to Pursue Three Different Titles: The VMS 2023 season is the first in ARCA history that a team is in contention for all three of the Championship titles. VMS is in the midst of challenging for the East and West Series Championships with Sean Hingorani on top of their traditional ARCA Menards Series season run. Hingorani has already secured two victories within the West Series. 

Billy Venturini – No. 20 JBL Toyota Camry

Regarding the Flat Rock Race:

Looking forward to this weekend. I think the test went pretty well or at least as well as I realistically hoped for. I know I’m fast enough to have fun and that was my goal. Just to be able to go out there, compete a little bit, and have fun at Flat Rock. I think now I’m in a position where that should be achievable. I should run decently, I’m sure there will be a handful that will be faster but I should be able to race with some people and make it a fun night.

Sean Hingorani – No. 15 GEARWRENCH Toyota Camry

Regarding the Flat Rock Race:

I’m looking forward to another East race this weekend. It’s always exciting going to a new track and this race is really special for the team. I’m glad to be a part of it. I’m also looking forward to racing against Billy. He’s been my spotter at a couple races now so it will be fun to have him as a teammate. 

 

Series: ARCA Menards Series East

Track: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

Race: Music City 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

Duration: 200 laps / 125 miles

Date / TV: 5/13/2023 – 9:30p.m. ET on FloRacing

Previous Success at Nashville: Venturini Motorsports returns to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway this season with a record of success at the track. VMS has captured the victory once before at the famous track with Christian Eckes in 2019. 

Recent Triumph for VMS: Venturini Motorsports picked up a win this past weekend at Kansas Speedway with 18 year old Jesse Love behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota Camry. The Kansas victory comes on the heels of multiple dominant weekends for the team, including wins at Irwindale Speedway, Kern County Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Dover Motor Speedway. Adding to their string of successes, the team has collected five wins in a row.

Gio Ruggiero Joins the Driver Lineup: Venturini Motorsports will be welcoming 16 year old driver Gio Ruggiero to their roster. Ruggiero will be piloting the No. 20 Mobil 1 Yahoo Toyota Camry at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. He will be working alongside Crew Chief Shannon Rursch. 

Sean Hingorani’s Headed East: Following his recent successes in the West Series, Hingorani returns to the East Series for the third race of the season. Hingorani began his championship run at Five Flags Speedway earlier this season in addition to taking on the West Championship along with additional main series races. 

Isabella Robusto’s ARCA Debut Set For Elko: Isabella Robusto, originally slated to make her ARCA debut with Venturini Motorsports at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, suffered a concussion from a collision at Hickory Speedway in a Pro Late Model race. Isabella, focused on recovery, will now be making her debut at Elko Speedway on June 24th.

Hingorani in Molten Orange and Black: Hingorani will be carrying the support of GEARWRENCH for the ARCA Menards Series East Series event at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

VMS to Pursue Three Different Titles: The VMS 2023 season is the first in ARCA history that a team is in contention for all three of the Championship titles. VMS is in the midst of challenging for the East and West Series Championships with Sean Hingorani on top of their traditional ARCA Menards Series season run. Hingorani has already secured two victories within the West Series. 

 

Sean Hingorani – No. 15 GEARWRENCH Toyota Camry

Regarding the Nashville Race: I’m excited to be racing in Nashville. I haven’t raced on this track before so it should be a good experience for me. We have a solid team and great guys behind us. I’m also looking forward to working with Gio this weekend. It’s great to have a new teammate.” 

Gio Ruggiero – No. 20 Mobil 1 Yahoo Toyota Camry

Regarding the Nashville Race: “I’m excited to make my ARCA debut with Venturini Motorsports and am thankful for the opportunity that Toyota racing has given me. I am looking forward to racing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway again as it is one of my favorite race tracks.” 

 

Venturini Motorsports will be bringing an exciting new talent to the track this weekend for the Music City 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. 16 year old Gio Ruggiero, from Seekonk, Massachusetts, will be piloting the No. 20 Mobil 1 / Yahoo Toyota Camry.  

Isabella Robusto, originally slated to make her ARCA debut with Venturini Motorsports at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, suffered a concussion from a collision at Hickory Speedway in a Pro Late Model race. Isabella, focused on recovery, will now be making her debut at Elko Speedway on June 24th. 

Stepping in to take on his first career ARCA start, Ruggiero, who is currently showcasing his talents competing in Super Late Models, brings rookie talent to the team. Ruggiero has valuable experience at the track having completed two previous starts there in both Super Late Models and Pro Late Models. He took on the track twice in 2022, once for the All American 400 where he picked up a second place finish. Additionally, he competed in the Rackley Roofing Masters of the Pros 150. He has seen further success in the form of victories on the CARS Pro Late Model Tour and tracks such as Watermelon Capital Speedway and New Smyrna Speedway. 

In regards to the opportunity ahead of him this weekend, Ruggiero expressed, “I’m excited to make my ARCA debut with Venturini Motorsports and am thankful for the opportunity that Toyota racing has given me. I am looking forward to racing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway again as it is one of my favorite race tracks.” 

Catch Ruggiero’s ARCA debut with Venturini Motorsports this Saturday, May 13th, at 9:30pm ET live on FloRacing. For delayed viewing on CNBC tune in on May 21st at 12:30pm ET.

 

May 10, 2023 (Concord, NC) – Billy Venturini, owner and chief architect of the most prolific NASCAR driver development team in ARCA Menards Series history, announced his return to the seat for the upcoming ARCA East event at Flat Rock Speedway on May 20.

Strapping into a race car for the first time in 17 years, Billy Venturini will be piloting his own Venturini Motorsports’ car – the No.20 JBL Toyota Camry to cross off one of his lifelong “bucket list” items.

Venturini, known for spearheading his race team’s efforts, doesn’t want anyone to be confused by his intentions going into the event.

“I am not coming out of retirement,” he reiterated with a laugh. “In no way does this mark my return to the seat on a regular basis. No matter the outcome, this is a one and done for me. I never got to race at Flat Rock when I was racing full time. I don’t have a desire to be a racecar driver again; I’ve been there and done that. But I do have a desire to do this.”

Flat Rock Speedway holds a significant place in the history of the family owned racing team. Billy Venturini describes the importance of this endeavor stating that,“this is an opportunity for me to race at the track where I watched my dad win his first career ARCA Race. It’s also the one track I never had the opportunity to race. I always told Ron Drager, if ARCA goes back to Flat Rock, I’m racing!”

So what are his expectations?

“I know I am going to be a little rusty,” he said. “We’ll go test beforehand just to knock the rust off. It’s been 17 years. After that we’ll have a more realistic view of what our expectations will be. But I am going there to enjoy myself. It’s truly the first time I’ve raced for fun.”

He will have plenty of support in his corner, as former East Series championship-winning crew chief Shannon Rursch will be calling the shots on the pit box. Additionally, former VMS driver and current NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brennan Poole will be his spotter.

“Shannon said ‘I don’t care what else we have going on, I want to be your crew chief for that race,’ and Brennan could be a Cup spotter if he wasn’t busy as a racecar driver,” Venturini said. “I have some really good people in my corner and Toyota loved the idea so it’s just a great atmosphere to do this.

 “I’ll be in the No. 20 JBL Toyota Camry. I’m excited to get behind the wheel of the 20 car. A lot of people expected it to be the No. 25, and my family certainly had a lot of success and history with that number, but the No. 20 has always been my car. We won an owner’s championship with that car, so I thought it was just natural that it was the number used for my return.”

 Billy Venturini was a mainstay on the ARCA circuit for his thirteen-year career between 1994 and 2007. Taking over the team’s flagship No.25 full-time after his father’s retirement, Billy, always the underdog, showed grit and determination driving for his underfunded family race team. The highlight of his career was his victory at Salem Speedway on April 23, 2006. Venturini wrapped up his career with a collection of 28 top-5 and 75 top-10 finishes.  

 Having grown up in the sport, the 47-year old has dedicated his entire life to racing. Starting off as a toddler in the pits watching his father race at Rockford Speedway in the late 70’s, Venturini has built his career from the ground up, serving as a parts chaser, tire changer, mechanic, and spotter until eventually reaching his goal of becoming a driver. 

 Despite putting together a respectable racing resume, Billy Venturini will always be best known for the years that followed him vacating the drivers seat. After retiring in 2007, he fell back on his vast knowledge of the only thing he ever knew – the sport of racing.  

 Through a personal friendship with JD Gibbs, Billy was given the opportunity in 2008 to put his years of racing experience to the test assisting Joe Gibbs Racing, fielding a Venturini Motorsports car in the ARCA Series for a top-prospect named Joey Logano. Collectively taking on the legendary Rockingham Speedway in the spring of 2008, the pair made history as Logano dominated the event to achieve his first ever ARCA victory.

 Now, sixteen-years later, Venturini continues to impact the sport of racing having helped to  launch the NASCAR careers of 26 young driver including the likes of two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones, Chandler Smith, Corey Heim and recent NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner Christian Eckes to name a few.

 Creating a blueprint using his ingenuity along with an eye for talent, Venturini has turned his family’s Venturini Motorsports team into the most powerful team in ARCA history. Celebrating championships – both driver titles and owner titles – they’ve become the winningest team in series history with a commanding 88 wins. 

 The ARCA Menards Series East race at Flat Rock Speedway is set for Saturday, May 20, 2023 and will be streamed live on FloRacing. A one-hour rebroadcast will be shown on CNBC on Sunday, May 27 at 11 am ET. Advance general admission tickets can be purchased starting on April 10 at FlatRockSpeedway.com or by calling (419) 727-1100. For complete event information, including live timing & scoring of all on-track activities, please visit ARCARacing.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, please follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter

Venturini Motorsports (VMS) closed out another successful weekend, picking up their fifth consecutive win in the 2023 season and 88th ARCA victory in team history. 18 year old Jesse Love drove the No. 20 GEARWRENCH Toyota Camry into Victory Lane following another dominant performance, placing himself in the lead of the drivers championship standings and picking up his fourth career ARCA victory.

Love set the tone early for the weekend by securing the fastest time in Friday’s test as well as in the only practice session of the weekend on Saturday. Subsequently, Love went on to claim the pole position award with a time three tenths removed from his next closest competitor. 

Following his victory, Love explained his attitude going into the race, “I did a lot of prep work and talked to a lot of people that have won where I’m trying to win. I felt like I was pretty much ready to rip off the truck. I kind of worked up to it in practice, but at the same time I thought we were really good all weekend. And obviously my car was a bottle rocket.”

Despite being Love’s first time taking on a 1.5 mile track, Love won the race after leading 96 laps. Right behind him to finish in second was his VMS teammate, Dean Thompson, in the No. 25 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota Camry. This marks the second one-two finish for VMS this season following Love’s victory at Talladega Superspeedway with his teammate Gus Dean bringing home a second place finish. 

Kansas saw Thompson not only secure his highest career finish in the ARCA Menards Series, but also lead a lap for the first time in his ARCA career on his VMS debut. 

t was a promising weekend for Amber Balcaen in the No.15 ICON Toyota Camry. On only her third outing with the team she was able to put her car in fourth position during the Saturday qualifying session, just behind her teammate Dean Thompson. 

Rounding out a monumental weekend for the team, Toni Briedinger became the first woman to run in both the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in a single day. Briedinger was supported by Victoria’s Secret for both the ARCA race as well as her Truck Series debut.

Venturini Motorsports will be chasing their sixth consecutive victory this weekend at the ARCA Menards Series East Race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The race will kick off at 9:30pm ET and will air live on FloRacing on May 13th. CNBC will offer delayed viewing on May 21st at 12:30pm ET. 

 

Series: ARCA Menards Series

Track: Kansas Speedway

Race: ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway

Duration: 100 laps / 150 miles

Date / TV: 5/6/2023 – 2p.m. ET on FS1

Previous Success at Kansas: Venturini Motorsports returns to Kansas Speedway this season with a record of success at the track. VMS have captured the victory four times before at the famous track. 

• Alex Bowman, 2011
• Christian Eckes, 2019
• Corey Heim, 2020
• Corey Heim, 2022

Recent Triumph for VMS: Venturini Motorsports picked up a win this past weekend at Dover Motor Speedway with 17 year old Jake Finch behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota Camry. The Dover victory comes on the heels of the team’s dominant weekend at both Kern County Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. Adding to their string of successes, the team has amassed four wins in a row. 

Dean Thompson Joins the Driver Lineup: Venturini Motorsports will be welcoming 21 year old driver Dean Thompson to their roster. Thompson will be piloting the No. 25 Toyota Camry at Kansas Speedway. He will be working alongside Crew Chief Kevin Reed Jr. Thompson will be running in the NASCAR Truck Series at Kansas as well this weekend.

Double Duty for Breidinger: Toni Breidinger has just announced that she will be competing in the NASCAR truck series, supported by Victoria’s Secret. Breidinger will be competing in the No. 55 Victoria’s Secret Toyota Camry at Kansas Speedway before taking on her Truck Series debut. 

Amber Balcaen Returns to the VMS Lineup for Added Kansas Race: Amber Balcaen, originally slated for two races with Venturini Motorsports in the 2023 season, has added Kansas Speedway to her race calendar. In her two races with the team this season she has already managed a career best finish result. 

Love in Pursuit of Another Title: 18 year old Jesse Love, a two time ARCA Menards Series West Champion, will be taking on his fourth race of the 2023 season. Battling for the main series championship this season, Love looks to make headway in the drivers championship standings. Having just picked up his first win of the season at Talladega Superspeedway, Love has made his way up to second in the drivers standings. 

VMS to Pursue Three Different Titles: The VMS 2023 season is the first in ARCA history that a team is in contention for all three of the Championship titles. VMS is in the midst of challenging for the East and West Series Championships with Sean Hingorani on top of their traditional ARCA Menards Series season run. Hingorani has already secured two victories within the West Series. 

Toni Breidinger – No. 55 Victoria’s Secret Toyota Camry

Regarding the Kansas Race: I’m looking forward to both of the races this weekend with one of them being my truck series debut with Victoria’s Secret! It really is a dream come true to be able to do this. Especially at a track like Kansas!”

Series: ARCA Menards Series East

Track: Dover Motor Speedway

Race: General Tire 125 at Dover Motor Speedway

Duration: 125 laps / 125 miles

Date / TV: 4/28/2023 – 5:30p.m. ET on FloRacing

Recent Triumph for VMS: Venturini Motorsports procured two wins in a single day last weekend culminating in a run of three straight victories for the team. The first of the day was secured by 18 year old Jesse Love at the iconic Talladega Superspeedway and followed up by Sean Hingorani’s victory out west at Kern County Raceway in the ARCA Menards Series West. The victories at Talladega and Kern supervene the team’s earlier success out west, Hingorani’s first career win at Irwindale Speedway.

VMS to Pursue Three Different Titles: The VMS 2023 season is the first in ARCA history that a team is in contention for all three of the Championship titles. VMS is in the midst of challenging for the East and West Series Championships with Sean Hingorani on top of their traditional ARCA Menards Series season run. Hingorani has already secured two victories within the West Series. 

Jake Finch Joins the Driver Lineup: Venturini Motorsports will be welcoming back 17 year old driver Jake Finch to their roster. Finch will be piloting the No. 20 Toyota Camry at Dover Motor Speedway. He will be working alongside Crew Chief Shannon Rursch. Additional races for the driver will be announced at a later date. 

Conner Jones Returns: Jones made his season debut at the combined ARCA/ ARCA West Series opener at Phoenix Raceway. Jones’ will be running a total of twelve races with VMS during the 2023 season. 

Sean Hingorani’s Headed East: Following his recent successes in the West Series, Hingorani returns to the East Series for the second race of the season. Hingorani began his championship run at Five Flags Speedway and hopes to carry the momentum from his run of wins back East.

Toni Briedinger Back on Track with FP Movement: This weekend the number 55 Toyota Camry of Briedinger will feature the iconic pink and blue FP Movement paint scheme.

 

Sean Hingorani – No. 15 GEARWRENCH Toyota Camry 

Regarding the Dover Race: It’s exciting heading back east with a couple wins under our belt. I’m looking forward to racing the Monster Mile. I think we have a chance to be really competitive there. Hopefully we can pick up another win.  

Toni Breidinger – No. 55 FP Movement Toyota Camry

Regarding the Dover Race: Dover’s a track that I’ve heard so much about and have always wanted to race on. I’m excited to experience the Monster Mile first hand.