Michael Self at the General Tire Pole Award presentation during qualifying for the Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire for the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Feb. 8, 2020.
Michael Self has plenty of reason for optimism as the ARCA Menards Series heads to Phoenix Raceway next week. (Kate Gardiner/ARCA Racing)

Michael Self Has Phoenix Circled

ARCA Racing February 27, 2020

Michael Self doesn’t waste words when he talks about the upcoming venue for the ARCA Menards Series.

“I love Phoenix,” Self said. “To be honest, I’ve been waiting seven years to go back there.

“As soon as I saw the schedule had some changes, that’s one I had circled.”

The 29-year-old from Park City, Utah, has plenty of reason to be giddy about the impending General Tire 150 next Friday at Phoenix Raceway. Not only is Self coming off a season-opening win at Daytona International Speedway, he is heading to a track he’s had his share of success at. He has five top 10s in eight starts there, winning the West finale in 2012.

RACE CENTER | GENERAL TIRE 150 SCHEDULE | BUY TICKETS

The track is also one of the closest on the ARCA Menards schedule to his hometown in Utah, as well as the Utah-based headquarters of his primary sponsor, Sinclair Oil.

And while he’s not raced there since the track reconfigured the location of the finish line, Self has no doubts it won’t take him long to get up to speed.

“I think still know what I’m doing at Phoenix,” said Self. “I got back in the simulator at Toyota a couple weeks ago, and it all just came right back. I remember the line I used to run there.”

RACING-REFERENCE: MICHAEL SELF CAREER STATS | MICHAEL SELF RESULTS AT PHOENIX

The start of the 2020 season has been unique for Self. When he won at Daytona in 2018, he wasn’t running a full season. And last year, when he was chasing the championship, he started off with a crash and a 31st-place finish.

“Winning Daytona for a second time is awesome,” said Self. But winning in a season we are running for a championship, it’s so much better than last year.”

Self has stayed busy in the car since Speedweeks. He got some test time in with his Venturini Motorsports teammates this week at Virginia’s Motor Mile Speedway.

He’s not the only one feeling confident, though, heading to the Valley of the Sun.

Ty Gibbs won the West finale last year, starting 22nd and driving to the front. And Sam Mayer, who finished second after starting on the pole in that race, is coming off back-to-back wins at New Smyrna and Las Vegas.

The General Tire 150 is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST on Friday, March 6, and will air live on FS1.