Garth Griswold

Pensacola, FL – March 23, 2025 – Race 3 of the Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series season delivered a chaotic Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway last Sunday night, marking the first event in the ARCA East Division. Cody Porter emerged victorious, but his win came with significant controversy and a penalty that will shake up the series moving forward.

Porter, starting from the pole, led 109 of the 159 laps, showcasing his dominance throughout the night. However, the race took a dramatic turn on lap 107 when Porter and Waylon Nelson tangled in a heated exchange. Nelson shoved Porter up into the wall, prompting Porter to retaliate with a right-hook that sent Nelson spinning into the cars behind him. Porter drove away unscathed, while Nelson’s spin triggered chaos in the pack. The incident was one of 26 cautions that plagued the evening, with 104 laps run under the yellow flag—nearly two-thirds of the race distance.

Post-race, Crown Jewel Racing (CJR) officials reviewed the incident and deemed Porter’s maneuver intentional. They issued a one-race suspension and a 75-point penalty. Porter’s appeal to the CJR Incident Review Board fell flat, with the board voting 3-0 to uphold the ruling. As a result, Porter will miss the next ARCA East Division race on April 20 at Rockingham Speedway, though he’ll be eligible to compete in this Sunday’s race, March 30, at Kern County Raceway—the first event in the West Division.

Porter isn’t the only driver facing a suspension after the Pensacola 150. Josh Stoltz, driving the No. 43, accrued 6 Race Clean (RC) points during Sunday’s chaos, adding to the 2 RC points he received for an earlier incident at Phoenix. With a total of 8 RC points, Stoltz has triggered a one-race suspension and will miss the upcoming race at Kern County Raceway on March 30 unless he successfully appeals. The RC points system, designed to penalize aggressive or reckless driving, has already claimed two victims this season, underscoring the series’ emphasis on clean competition.

“It’s short-track racing—things get intense,” Porter said after the race. “I got pushed into the wall and reacted. I’m not happy about missing Rockingham, but I’ll be ready to bounce back.”

The Pensacola 150 was a war of attrition, with only three leaders and five lead changes across its 1-hour, 16-minute duration. Cameron Albertson finished second, 1.090 seconds behind Porter, followed by Henry Kallhoff in third. Billy Vanmeter and Nathaniel Campbell rounded out the top five, navigating a night where survival often trumped speed. Nelson, meanwhile, limped home in 25th, 17 laps down after the lap 107 clash.

The race’s relentless caution count highlighted the intensity of short-track racing at Five Flags. Clear weather—72°F with a northeast wind at 2.5 MPH—offered perfect conditions, yet the tight track and early-season aggression led to frequent wrecks. Joseph Stafford led 48 laps before finishing 11th, while rookie Hayden James soldiered to 24th in his series debut. Drivers like Josh Stoltz, Cat Wheeler, and Cory Mott saw their nights end early due to crashes.

Porter’s victory netted him 46 points (43 race points plus 3 bonus points), but the 75-point penalty casts a shadow over his season. The series now shifts west to Kern County Raceway this Sunday, March 30, for the West Division opener, where Porter will look to regain momentum before his East Division suspension takes effect.

Garth Griswold

March 13, 2025 – The Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series closed out its Modified Generation 6 car era in spectacular fashion last Sunday night, March 9, with the General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway. Joseph Stafford emerged victorious in a chaotic, caution-filled race that stretched over 151 laps, marking the end of an era as the series prepares to transition to the newly released iRacing ARCA cars for its next event on March 23 at Five Flags Speedway for the Bounty 150.

The race, which unfolded under clear skies with a comfortable 74°F and a light breeze, was a fitting send-off for the Modified Generation 6 car, a staple of the series that has now been retired after months of hard-fought competition. Stafford, starting from pole, led an impressive 129 laps and held off a fierce challenge from Henry Kallhoff to claim the win by a razor-thin margin of 0.185 seconds.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out this car,” Stafford said post-race. “It’s been a wild ride, and to finish it off with a win feels incredible. Now we’ve got our eyes on the new ARCA cars and Five Flags.”

Kallhoff, finishing second after starting third, kept the pressure on throughout, while Cat Wheeler rounded out the podium with a hard-charged climb from 11th to third. Cory Mott and Mark Morton completed the top five, with Morton earning accolades for an astonishing recovery from a 30th-place start.

The General Tire 150 was a wild ride, marked by a staggering 22 cautions that consumed 63 of the 151 laps—almost half the race. The event’s frenzied conclusion saw just 16 of the 35 starting drivers finish the full distance, underscoring its relentless intensity. With only three leaders and three lead changes, the constant interruptions from yellow flags turned the race into a nerve-wracking, stop-go battle that pushed drivers’ skills and composure to the limit. Tight racing and bold maneuvers fueled the high caution tally, paving the way for the explosive post-race drama that unfolded in the garage.

Tensions Boil Over Between Basden and Wheeler

One of the most talked-about incidents involved Nick Basden and Cat Wheeler, whose on-track battles fueled a heated confrontation after the checkered flag. Basden, who led 13 laps but finished 24th, didn’t mince words when addressing Wheeler’s driving style.

“Cat was reckless out there,” Basden fumed, pointing to multiple incidents that he claimed cost him a shot at the podium. “You can’t just barrel through people like that and expect no consequences. It’s a miracle more cars didn’t get wrecked.”

Wheeler, who logged 12 incidents enroute to his third-place finish, dismissed Basden’s accusations with a shrug. “It’s racing—stuff happens. I was pushing for the win, and sometimes you’ve got to get a little aggressive. He’s just sore he couldn’t keep up.”

The tension between the two drivers spilled over into the garage, where crew members had to step in to separate heated exchanges. The rivalry has added an extra layer of intrigue as the series shifts gears to its next chapter.

A New Era Beckons at Five Flags Speedway

As the dust settles on the Modified Generation 6 car’s final outing, the Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series is gearing up for its next race on March 23 at Five Flags Speedway. The Bounty 150 will debut the newly released iRacing ARCA cars—specifically the ARCA Chevrolet SS, Ford Mustang, and Toyota Camry—ushering in a fresh era of competition. These modern machines, recently introduced in iRacing’s 2025 Season 2 update, promise to bring new dynamics to the series with updated physics and performance capabilities.

Drivers and teams are already buzzing about the transition. Devin Corey, who finished ninth, noted, “The Gen 6 car was a beast, but I’m excited to see what these new ARCA cars can do. Five Flags is a tight track, so it’ll be a whole new challenge.”

The General Tire 150’s chaotic finish, with only 16 of 35 starters completing all 151 laps, highlighted the intensity. As the series looks ahead to the Bounty 150, the focus shifts to adapting to the new cars and settling scores from last Sunday’s fireworks. One thing is certain: the Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series is poised for an electrifying future, with Stafford’s victory serving as a high note to close out the past. Fans won’t want to miss what’s next on March 23 at Five Flags Speedway.

Garth Griswold

The Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series commenced their season on Sunday night with a rejuvenated and robust field. A total of 32 drivers completed 80 laps at speeds exceeding 200 mph, resulting in thrilling racing combined with significant destruction. In a display of skill, strategy, and sheer determination, Henry Kallhoff emerged victorious in the Project K-9 Hero Daytona 200, leading for 11 of the 80 laps and securing the first win of the season. The race, characterized by nine cautions over 21 laps, showcased the competitive spirit and the high stakes of the Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series.

Race Overview:

• Duration: 1 hour and 51 minutes
• Laps: 80
• Leaders: 8
• Lead Changes: 14
• Cautions: 9 for 21 laps
• Weather: Partly cloudy, 74°F, 1-2 MPH from the NE

Top Performers:

• Henry Kallhoff piloted his way to victory, starting first. He recaptured the lead at the end to win and secure 45 total points, a blend of race points and bonus points for leading laps.
• Starting from the 23rd position, Cat Wheeler performed remarkably, finishing just 0.056 seconds behind Kallhoff. Wheeler’s ability to move through the field and secure 43 points underscored the race’s competitiveness.
• Craig Martin completed the podium with a strong drive from 25th on the grid to 3rd place, showing resilience and speed to finish -0.216 seconds off the lead.

Notable Performances:

• Jim Mott and Garth Griswold finished 4th and 5th, respectively, with Griswold gaining an extra point for leading laps. Both drivers were able to avoid the last-lap carnage and move up almost 20 positions on the last lap.
• Despite leading for 35 laps, Zander Short ended in 26th due to a significant setback, demonstrating how quickly fortunes can change under racing conditions. Womp, Womp.

The race was punctuated by its 14 lead changes and eight different leaders, which kept spectators and participants alike on the edge of their seats. The high number of cautions led to strategic decisions regarding fuel management and pit stop timings. These decisions, crucial in determining the final standings, highlighted the strategic aspect of the sport and its impact on the race outcome.

The Daytona 200 was a testament to the competitive nature of the ARCA field, where strategy, luck, and driving ability all came into play. Henry Kallhoff’s victory was well-earned, but the battle for positions throughout the field was fierce. This provided fans with memorable moments and set the stage for even more exciting races in the future. As the season progresses, it will be intriguing to see how these dynamics evolve and who will rise to the top when the ARCA Series returns to the racetrack on March 9th in Phoenix.

LAS VEGAS, N.V. — Noah Hamilton leads 22 laps and secures his first victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Last night saw the 14th round of the 2024 ARCA series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 26 drivers would fill out the grid for 100 laps as the sun set in the distance.

Qualifying would see the #42 Nishil Condoor guide his Chevrolet Camaro to pole position with a 31.211, which would end up beating #17 Thomas Villano’s 31.245 putting the point leader in 2nd. Aiden Schramm would start 3rd in the 14 car and would end up leading the most laps with 48 in total.

The green flag would fly as Nishil Condoor would lose the lead early to Aiden Schramm, the race would continue until lap 11 where a yellow flag saw an incident including Mason Hoeffner and Caleb Tipton. This incident would kick off a slue of cautions throughout the first half of the race.

Off that restart, Nick Cordova and Joe Gibbons would end up making contact through the tri-oval which would end up collecting Sam Bennett, Garth Griswold, and Bill Martin. After a single car incident involving Ray Gill, Aiden Schramm and Stewart Harding Walker would make contact in front of the field. This incident would have the #18 Cory Mott collected in the chaos.

At the midway break Noah Hamilton would find his #2 Ford Mustang out front as another yellow flag would fly for an incident started from Gordon Fraley and Haden Higginbotham. After the break Aiden Schramm would find his way back out front.

Well on the first one it seemed that Gordon thought we we’re going to make it four wide and he quarter paneled me – this one now looks like he did the same thing.

Haden Higginbotham, #10 Missile Racing Camaro

Tempers would cool down after two quick cautions but the eventual race winner Noah Hamilton would collect front end damage, he would end up at the back of the field after pitting to repair. A five car battle out front would ensue including Nishil Condoor, Noah Hamilton, Vince Mitchell, Aiden Schramm, and Thomas Villano. Condoor would end up getting the best of the battle as Schramm and Hamilton would battle for 2nd.

However with 11 laps to go, Cory Mott would be involved in another incident where his #18 Camry would end up sliding into the outside wall and clip the #22 Garth Griswold, ending the Hollywood Motorsports driver night early.

On the restart, Thomas Villano would make an aggressive move three wide for the lead and would end up turning then leader at the time Nishil Condoor. Austin Runkel would end up having no where to go and run into the side of Condoor’s machine ending both of their nights.

In total the race would include 12 cautions and with a natural overtime including the final. Joe Wright would end up sideways as drivers came out of turn 4 for the white flag, however a caution would see them line back up and go for it once more.

Hamilton would end up pulling away on the restart as Schramm and Villano battled for 2nd. The feel good story of the night would go to Jonathan Leger as he would make a move of the year contender to pass both Schramm and Villano out of turn 4 to take 2nd place. Both of those drivers would also allow Vince Mitchell to sneak through for 3rd as they had to settle for 4th and 6th.

Thomas Villano holds onto his point lead over a race absent Jim Mott who did not start last night’s event. Top Tier driver Cory Mott who had a pretty rough night would be able to recover to a 9th place finish and catapult himself past an also absent Bob Baker in points.

When asked about winning his first race in Crown Jewel competition Noah Hamilton had this to say.

Feels pretty good, I definitely didn’t expect it that’s for sure. Coming into tonight I thought a top 5 would be a miracle, but it worked out!

Noah Hamilton, #2 Apex Motorsports Mustang

ARCA competition will be on hold next week and will return on August 11th at Irwindale for a short track showdown. Tomorrow night’s Bob Henry’s 2004 Cup action will kick off from Dover at 8:25 PM ET.

Crown Jewel Officials have announced changes to the Crown Jewel ARCA Series. After being sighted at multiple tracks across the country this weekend testing the Generation 6 (GEN 6) Cup Car. Crown Jewel Officials have announced that the ARCA series will move forward with the mid-season change over to the GEN 6 with a 90 KG weight addition and a 5% power reduction. Officials announced this change will take effect immediately causing car owners to scramble with paint scheme changes for next week’s race at Phoenix Raceway on July 21st.

“I have really been communicating with Crown Jewel Officials and pushing for them to make this change happen. I hope these changes will make a positive impact and keep the ARCA Series around for the foreseeable future.”

Thomas Villano #1 Chevrolet ARCA Series Driver