A New Start … The 2023 ARCA Menards Series West (AMSW) tour begins with a fresh start for Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) as the 11-time championship organization welcomes Tanner Reif behind the wheel of the storied No. 16 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet SS entry at Phoenix Raceway. The 16-year old Las Vegas, Nev. native is entering his second full-time season on the tour and showcased his talents with an impressive rookie season in 2022. He looks to join an esteemed list of champions that have contributed to BMR’s pedigree since 1999, and the journey begins with 150 laps in the Arizona desert on Friday evening.
Reif’s Racing Resume … Like most young Las Vegas-based racers, Reif cut his teeth on the 3/8-mile at “The Bullring” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Before stepping into AMSW competition, Reif captured a NASCAR Pro Late Model track championship in 2021, which included four victories. His AMSW rookie campaign was a blueprint for every aspiring driver making the leap to regional competition, which resulted in a runner-up finish in the championship standings. He earned two victories (Irwindale Speedway and Evergreen Speedway), four top-five and nine top-10 finishes in the 11-race season. Now transitioning to BMR, Reif hopes to build on his recent success with the accomplished BMR squad to challenge for the championship.
Stat Sheet … Last season, the No. 16 NAPA Auto Care team finished fifth in the owners’ point standings with Landen Lewis and Austin Herzog splitting the driving duties. BMR owns five AMSW trophies from Phoenix, the first of which came with Austin Cameron in 2022 and the most recent triumph occurred with Todd Gilliland in 2015. Reif is aiming for BMR’s sixth win at Phoenix as he has one top-10 under his belt on the Arizona mile in the season finale last season.
Crew Chief / Chassis Selection … Crew chief John Camilleri and the NAPA Auto Care team have prepared chassis No. 115 for Friday’s opener. This Chevrolet SS most recently raced at Phoenix in the finale last fall, finishing sixth with Lewis behind the wheel.
Tune In … The AMSW season opener will be televised live on FOX Sports 2 and streamed on the FOX Sports App at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday night. Stay connected with the NAPA Auto Care team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Tanner Rief Quote:
On his second full-time season and joining BMR:
“I’m excited and will be glad to finally get the season started this week. I’ve been looking forward to this and finally getting to race with everyone at BMR on our NAPA Auto Care team. This is a great opportunity for me, and I think we have everything it takes to compete for a championship this year. Hopefully we can start strong on Friday, be in the top-five every week and win some races along the way. BMR has a history of winning races and championships, so I’m looking forward to adding to that this year.”
MHR PR