For ARCA Menards Series rookie Ryan Huff, Saturday afternoon’s Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire is an opportunity of a lifetime.
A well-groomed racer with experience in Super Trucks and the ProSix division, the upcoming racer from the east coast has recently been thriving on the local short tracks in Virginia.
This weekend though, he will have the opportunity to race for ARCA icon Andy Hillenburg in the series’ biggest race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
And while strapping into his Fast Track Racing car on Saturday will certainly be emotional for a lot of reasons, once the green flag drops, its all business for Huff who hopes to impress in his series debut.
“There are no words to describe what this opportunity means to me,” said Huff who participated in the series’ preseason test at Daytona last month. “I’m working hard to build a brand and work my way up the ladder. This is Daytona and it’s a huge stage filled with opportunity.”
Partaking in the series’ two-day test session at the 2.5-mile superspeedway last month was crucial for Huff, but he says there’s a lot more to embrace this weekend under the leadership and guidance of Hillenburg.
“The test is awfully busy because there’s a lot of drivers, but this weekend there will be a lot of attention on our No. 10 Fast Track Racing Toyota and I plan to take full advantage of that. We plan to take advantage of practice on Friday to get our car in a good place handling wise to set ourselves up for group qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
“In qualifying – we’ll see what group we end up with and just get ourselves (hopefully) a good starting position for the race. From there, we can decide what our agenda is for the race. I’ve been told 80 laps will go quick.”
While drivers across the field will have strict agendas for the opening ARCA Menards Series race of the season, for Huff, his mission is simply – finish the race.
“It’s about the seat time right time,” added Huff. “A top-10 finish would feel like a win for us for sure. Otherwise, it’s turning laps, staying out of trouble and getting used to these ARCA cars. I plan to do a limited schedule this year so the more I can get comfortable – the better it’s going to be for me and the team.”
Backing Huff’s entry on Saturday is Land & Coates, The Virginia-based company that provides the best and latest in outdoor power products.
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“I’m so thankful for Land & Coates for continuing their support this season and making the big leap to ARCA,” sounded Huff. “It’s important to me to make sure I represent them and their customers well, as we are committed to building this partnership to new levels in 2020.
“I’m ready to get started.”
In addition to Land & Coates, HB Hankins and Southeastern Services will serve as associate marketing partners for Saturday’s season-opener.
Following Daytona, Huff plans to return to ARCA Menards Series action at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Mar. 7, 2020.
The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 7 with a one-hour session from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. A final practice session has been etched in from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. The season-opener for the 68th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 4:30 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
For more on Ryan Huff, follow him on Twitter (@driverRyanHuff).
Ryan Huff PR
