In 2012, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards implemented a rule that permitted approved drivers 15 years of age to compete on tracks one mile in length or shorter. It took a year for it to happen, but eventually those 15 year olds started winning races.
The first was Byron, Michigan’s Erik Jones, who in 2012 made his debut at Mobile at 15 years 284 days old. He won at Berlin Raceway, his home track, in August, 2013 at 16 years old. Jones had much success in late models and teamed with Venturini Motorsports for a limited run in 2012 that was plagued with bad luck, but their 2013 campaign found much greater success. In just four starts in 2013, Jones earned one win, two top five and three top ten finishes and earned himself a ride in a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck in 2014, which he parlayed into he 2015 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship.
Kyle Benjamin became the youngest ARCA driver ever the next year at Mobile at 15 years 126 days. He became the youngest ARCA winner ever and 15 years 296 days when he won at Madison International Speedway. Benjamin, from Easley, South Carolina, went on to win again at Salem Speedway that fall and again at Winchester in 2017. He’s been a part of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver development program and scored two top-five finishes in both of his NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts in 2018.
Benjamin’s record lasted through May, 2015 when third-generation driver Todd Gilliland became the youngest driver in series history and the youngest winner in series history when he won at Toledo two days after he became eligible to race. Gilliland’s win at 15 years 2 days old is a record like it likely to go unbroken.
Since that Toledo win, Gilliland has won two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championships in 2016 and 2017, and he finished second in the K&N Pro Series East standings in 2017. He has 20 career wins between East and West, and once he turned 18 in May of last year moved full time in the Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Gilliland will make his Daytona debut driving for his father David’s team, DGR-Crosley Racing, in the upcoming Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire.
The first official track activity of the season will come on Thursday, February 7 when the teams receive two hours of practice starting at 4 pm ET. There will be another hour of practice on Friday, February 8 starting at 9:30 am ET followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 3:30 pm ET. The green flag will wave over the expected 40-car field in the Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire at 4:30 pm ET on Saturday, February 9. ARCA for Me members can access live timing & scoring, live chat, and live track updates from Daytona exclusively at ARCARacing.com; new members can register for free at ARCARacing.com/login.
![visit Sunoco3c [converted] website - opens in the same window](https://www.arcaracing.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2020/01/Sunoco3c-Converted-291x180.png "visit Sunoco3c [converted] website - opens in the same window")
