ARCA Menards Series Race Advance: Bristol

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion

• Gray enters Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for the combined ARCA Menards Series (AMS) and ARCA Menards Series East (AMSE) event with nine AMS starts and four AMSE starts so far this season. He has one career start at Bristol coming last season where he started fifth and finished seventh.
• Thursday evening will be a busy one for the 16-year-old driver as he competes with both ARCA and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for 400 total laps around the .533-mile high-banked oval.
• Gray is fresh off of his first win of the 2021 season after being awarded the victory at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway in ARCA Menards Series West action last Saturday night. The Ripper Coffee Fusion led 18 laps and crossed the finish line in third, but ARCA officials determined the top-two finishers missed turn one and assessed them a time penalty.
• During his time as a Cup Series crew chief, Chad Johnston accrued 18 starts at Bristol with five top-fives and nine top-10s between Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Kyle Larson and Matt Kenseth.
• Click here for Gray’s career statistics.

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 BAC-D Ford Fusion

• Thursday evening will mark Moffitt’s 16th start of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season. After sitting out the dirt race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, he will be back behind the wheel of the No. 46 for The Last Great Colosseum.
• Despite it being one of the closest tracks to home, this will be Moffitt’s first career ARCA start at Bristol. He has fared well at short tracks in the past with four top-fives and 10 top-10s in 18 starts.
• So far in 2021, the 21-year-old has five top-fives and 12 top-10s in his 15 starts this season. He remains third in the series standings with two races remaining after Bristol.
• The No. 46 will carry new colors for this race in partnership with BAC-D® Sanitizers. You can read more about Moffitt’s partnership with the Fayetteville, North Carolina company here.
• Click here for Moffitt’s career statistics.

Joey Iest, No. 54 ASN/Basila Ranch Ford Fusion

• Joey Iest will be back in the No. 54 for the ARCA Menards Series East finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• In his seven AMSE starts this season, the Californian has four top-five and six top-10 finishes. He sits fourth in the points standings, 5 points behind third place and 38 points behind the leader.
• The 18 year old’s last race came with the West Series at Portland International Raceway driving the Naake-Klauer Motorsports entry. He started 16th and drove his way forward to a fourth-place finish.
• Iest will work with crew chief Seth Smith once again for the Bush’s Beans 200. The pair also worked together for the Milwaukee Mile in Iest’s previous race with the team.
• Click here for Iest’s career statistics.