ARCA West Kicks Off Big NASCAR Weekend In Vegas
• Love Aims To Extend Lead In Championship Standings
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2021) – NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series West visits The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday for the Star Nursery 150.
Jesse Love, driver of the Bill McAnally Racing No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, will be gunning for his third win of the season and try to build on his 19-point lead in the championship standings as the series heads into its final three races of the year.
His BMR teammate, Cole Moore, is tied for third in the standings – one point behind second – and aims to stay in contention for the title with a win at Vegas in the No. 99 NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry. In addition to being in the hunt for the overall title, Moore is in a tight battle for the Rookie of the Year Award in the series.
Amber Balcaen and Jolynn “JoJo” Wilkinson will also be in action at the 3/8-mile Vegas track. Balcaen will be making her third career series start in BMR’s No. 19 Icon Technologies Unlimited Toyota Camry. Both of her previous races were at California’s Irwindale Speedway, where she registered a best finish of 11th on Aug. 21. Wilkinson, set for her second series start with BMR in the No. 1 Instacoat Premium Products Toyota Camry, made her series debut at Colorado with an eighth-place finish.
Love – the 16-year-old defending series champion – has two wins, four top-five and five top-10 finishes in six starts this season. He had a second-place finish and a third-place finish in two previous series starts at The Bullring, last year as a series rookie.
Moore, who will be making his first series start at the Vegas track, has three top-five and four top-10 finishes this season – his first year of running the full series schedule.
Thursday’s event kicks off a big weekend of NASCAR racing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway venue. Competition on the adjacent 1.5-mile track will feature the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday.
In addition to BMR competing on Thursday, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing will be racing in the Camping World Truck Series on Friday.
In advance of the on-track action, team drivers will visit NAPA AutoCare shops in the Las Vegas market on Thursday.
Special guests from NAPA Los Angeles and the Las Vegas district stores will be welcomed to the track. Sponsor activation for both events will include a NAPA VIP Guest Crew Member.
ARCA Menards Series West Event:
Race: Star Nursery 150 (Race 7 of 9) Sept. 23, 2021
Location: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev. (3/8-mile oval)
Television: TRACKPass on NBCSports Gold (Live) Sept. 23, 8:30 p.m. PT/ NBCSN on Sept. 30, 2 p.m. PT
BMR Drivers:
Jesse Love
No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry
Age: 16
Hometown: Menlo Park, Calif.
Career series starts: 17
Career series wins: 5 (Utah1 6/27/20, Irwindale 7/4/20, Colorado 8/22/20, Irwindale1 7/3/21, Irwindale2 8/21/21)
Career series poles: 4 (Irwindale 7/4/20, Colorado 8/22/20, Las Vegas 9/26/20, Bakersfield 10/25/20)
Most recent series finish: 3rd – Portland (9/11/21)
Last series finish at Las Vegas: 3rd (9/26/20)
2021 season series stats:
Races: 6 starts, 2 wins, 4 top fives, 5 top 10s
Laps completed: 690/712
Laps led: 174
Series standings: 1st
Cole Moore
No. 99 NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry
Age: 24
Hometown: Granite Bay, Calif.
Career series starts: 14
Best career series finish: 4th – two times (Sonoma 6/5/21, Colorado 7/31/21)
Most recent series finish: 12th – Portland (9/11/21)
Last series finish at Las Vegas: First visit
2021 season series stats:
Races: 6 starts, 3 top fives, 4 top 10s
Laps completed: 710/712
Laps led: 35
Series standings: 3rd
Rookie standings: 2nd
Amber Balcaen
No. 19 Icon Technologies Unlimited Toyota Camry
Age: 29
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Career series starts: 2
Last series finish at Las Vegas: First visit
Career Stats:
Career series starts: 2
Best series finish: 11th – Irwindale (8/21/21)
Jolynn “Jo Jo” Wilkinson
No. 1 Instacoat Premium Products Toyota Camry
Age: 17
Hometown: Hueytown, Ala.
Career series starts: 1
Previous series finish: 8th – Colorado (7/31/21)
BMR Series Record at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
BMR has won three of the nine ARCA West races held at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.