ARCA Racing Series
Points leader Mitchell on a roll
in ARCA Racing
The 19-year-old is on fire with NASCAR hopes in mind
(September 2014) – Ambition leads the way for 19-year-old ARCA Racing competitor Mason Mitchell. A full-time schedule in the ARCA Racing Series doesn’t stand in the way of his desire to compete on the NASCAR Sprint Cup series one day.
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For the 2014 ARCA season, Mitchell has competed in 11 races. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native has earned one win, seven top-fives, 11 top-10 finishes and two pole positions – at Toledo Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. The pole at Toledo was a new track record at 15.682 or 114.781 mph.
The series points leader comes to Sparta, Ky., on Friday, Sept. 19, to compete in ARCA Racing’s ZLOOP 150. This will be the 21st ARCA race event at the track. Two-lap qualifying begins at 5 p.m. Friday, with the green flag at 8 p.m. for the 100-lap race.
Mitchell also started his own team in 2014 – Mason Mitchell Motorsports. Mitchell earned his first career ARCA victory in July at Chicagoland Speedway in his 35th career start and his 11th start as an owner in the series. He passed leader Justin Boston with six laps remaining to win the race.
Two years ago, he raced at Lucas Oil Raceway, starting second and finishing fifth. He said of the track, “It’s one of my favorite tracks that the series raced at.” Last year, he didn’t race at Lucas Oil Raceway and said, “When ARCA announced it (Lucas Oil Raceway) was heading back in 2014, I immediately circled the date on my calendar. This track really put me on the map as a driver two years ago.”
Since beginning his own team, Mitchell has an average finishing position of 4.5. The Mason Mitchell Motorsports team provides race car driver development programs for auto racing drivers.
Mitchell and his team led the standings by 25 points over Grant Enfinger heading into the Herr’s Live Life with Flavor 200 at the Madison International Speedway in August 2014 in Wisconsin. “Madison is such a difficult short tract,” he said. “If you make one little mistake it can coast you dearly.”
Ambition has always been in his blood. Mitchell began riding dirt bikes at age 5 and cars at age 8. Two years later, Mitchell began his Minicup racing career. Over the course of this latter career, he garnered more than 75 wins.
Age thirteen saw him testing in Late Model Cars. At age 15 he raced a full season of Pro Late-Model Racing.
During his rookie year of competing in the ASA Challenge Series National Tour, Mitchell finished second in Rookie poœints and eleventh in over-all points. That same year he became the youngest driver to ever complete the race at Rockingham, N.C.
In 2012, Mitchell made his move to the ARCA Racing Series, gaining four ARCA starts that year. He earned two front row starts at Lucas Oil Raceway and Berlin Raceway. He finished a solid 10th in his first start.
By 2013, Mitchell had completed his first full season in the ARCA Racing Series, finishing sixth in ARCA driver points. He scored back-to-back runner-up finishes to close out the season at Kentucky and Kansas.
During the final nine races of the ARCA season, he earned nine straight top-10 finishes. This feat earned him the second most driver points during that span.
Mitchell currently drives the No. 98 Thermal Technology Services, Inc. Ford Fusion in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. “I am looking forward to these final five races, especially the last two, Kentucky and Kansas,” Mitchell has been quoted as saying.
It has been Mitchell’s goal to make the leap to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year.
Mitchell said he likes to devote as much of his spare time and money as possible to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.