NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) driver Dakoda Armstrong will substitute for Matt Tifft in this weekend’s ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event at Winchester Speedway on Sunday, June 26.
Tifft, who sat out this past weekend in the NXS and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Iowa on advice from his doctor, was scheduled to race with Venturini Motorsports in this coming Sunday’s ARCA Series Herr’s Potato Chip 200, but will again sit out as he recovers from a recent medical procedure to alleviate a lower back problem.
In his last ARCA Series start with Venturini Motorsports two weeks ago at Michigan, Tifft finished fifth. Expected to make a full recovery, Tifft will return with Venturini Motorsports in September at Kentucky Speedway and again at Kansas Speedway for the series finale.
Tifft, a student at UNC Charlotte, was one of 12 drivers named to the 2016 NASCAR Next class, an industry-wide initiative designed to showcase rising young stars in racing.
A mainstay in the XFINITY Series, New Castle, Indiana’s Dakoda Armstrong will return to the ARCA Series for his first time since winning the 2011 Winchester Speedway event while driving for Cunningham Motorsports.
Armstrong will make his first series appearance in five years driving the No.15 Venturini Motorsports Toyota. “We’re all wishing Matt a speedy recovery,” said Armstrong. “Obviously the circumstances brought us together last minute but I’m very thankful for the opportunity. Everything just seemed to fall into place with the XFINITY schedule and this now gives me a chance to stay in the car on what would’ve been a week off.”
This will be Armstrong’s first pairing with Venturini Motorsports.
“I’m excited to go back home and race at Winchester. I’m going there with high expectations – to win. All the pressure is my own doing this weekend. I’m ready to knock off some rust and get back into an ARCA car.”
During Armstrong’s three year ARCA career (2009-2011) he’s made 33 starts compiling two wins, (8) top-5 and (19) top-10 finishes.
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