Mullins Racing Take 4 to the High Banks of Daytona International Speedway

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With the ARCA Menards Series annual pre-season practice atDaytona just days away, Mullins Racing is set to bring some new drivers to the track to gainvaluable experience, as well as some familiar faces looking to help build the program evenstronger.This year’s roster for the pre-season practice includes Blake Lothian, Ryan Kuhn, and DaveyCallihan, who will participate in the two-day session alongside team owner Willie Mullins. KevinReed will sit atop the box as crew chief.Late Model driver Davey Callihan, a veteran of the team, is ready to get back behind the wheelat the 2.5-mile superspeedway.”Really excited to get back to Daytona for the test. It’s always fun when you’re able to dosomething a little different than short-track stuff. Really excited and grateful for the opportunity.”Callihan has become a sort of veteran presence for the group heading to the test, having madestarts in both the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East. This also marks areturn to Daytona for him after testing before with Mullins Racing and being a crew member.”Daytona is just one of those places when you walk in it always gives you goosebumps the firsttime. Just all the history and things that have happened there…A lot of short-track guys orracers in general don’t even get the chance to drive there. Just being on track and making lapsis really neat,” he added.The 34-year-old is a regular in the late model scene at Dominion Raceway, where MullinsRacing calls home, but he also says away from the track they are still great friends.”We got connected through Dominion, and we kind of became friends, and I’ve been aroundsince then. They haven’t been able to get rid of me…We’re friends outside of racing,” Callihanadded.The Fredericksburg VA, native said heading into the test he has one goal, to “learn as much aswe can about the car.””We’re gonna take that time and see if we can bring them back and massage on them a little bitand make them faster…We’re just trying to find speed and better the speedway program.”Blake Lothian, a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity campaign, a go-kart racer, andhas two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts with Reaume Brothers Racing.”As a kid, you grow up watching the Daytona 500. All the memories you have growing up there.Watching it all happen on TV…As a kid, I always wanted to race Daytona when I was racinggo-karts,” he said talking about his excitement to hit the high banks in Florida.This isn’t the first time the Fayetteville, NC native has hit the high banks though. He teamed upwith Mullins Racing in 2022 for the two-day test at the superspeedway.”I can’t even put into perspective what it’s like being on the banking…You’re used to DominionRaceway and the short tracks, and then you go to the high banks of Daytona…Your mind istelling you ‘you have to break’ but it’s a mental battle along the way,” the 21-year-old mentioned.While both Callihan and Lothian have some experience in ARCA, fellow driver Ryan Kuhn isgetting his first chance and something other than a late model and short-track racing. It doesn’tseem to phase him though.”I’m pumped. It’s been a dream of mine since I was young. I wanted to do it all my life, and I feltlike this was the right time to do it.”Kuhn has been a racer most all his life, starting his career at age eight in go-karts. Moving upthe ranks, the East Bridgewater, MA native began his career in late models in the northeast,winning the 2018 Seekonk Speedway Late Model Championship and the 2019 ACT TourRookie of The Year. He’s also been part of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program back in2021.”It really helped the grassroots style of racers. It was a cool opportunity.”Kuhn said the chance at the superspeedway came after he reached out to a veteran in theARCA Menards Series.”The first person we contacted was Dale Quarterly. My dad used to work on his racecars backwhen they were both younger. He sent us to Willie and everything just clicked right there. It justworked out really well.””A lot of that track is precision and being ultra smooth, and wheel inputs. In a pack, you’redefinitely going to learn what the air does around you and side drafting. It’s going to be adifferent animal, but the experience is going to be fun,” the 21-year-old added.Dinah Mullins, wife of Willie Mullins and co-owner of Mullins Racing, talked about the enjoymentof this time of year and getting back to the track.”We’re super excited about Daytona. The test is one of our favorite things every season. Thisyear we’re just going to have four drivers between the two cars. We feel like it’s going to give usthe best opportunity to get the most out of the cars and the most out of the drivers,” she said.”Super excited to have Blake Lothian back with us. He tested with us two years ago. He’s runsome trucks since then and a little bit of CARS Tour. He’s a great kid. We have Ryan Kuhncoming from Massachusetts…total shoe, the real deal. Of course, we have Davey Callihancoming back with us, and we can’t forget Big Willie,” Dinah added.”We have confidence in the cars we have. We’re excited to get back on track…The goal is to getboth of the cars in the top 15 on speed…Willie’s goal is the top of the board.”While the team is set for the upcoming test, Dinah added that they are ‘still on the fence’ when itcomes to the season opener on February 17th and are looking for some more funding to race.You can follow along with the journey of Mullins Racing on Facebook at Mullins Racing, on X@mullins_racing, mullinsracing on Instagram, or you can go to mullinsracing.com to learn more.

Mullins Racing PR

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