PIT BOX: ARCA Menards Series roars back to action with 60th visit to Talladega

After a more than a month layoff for ARCA Menards Series teams, the 2022 season resumes Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway with the running of the General Tire 200.

The 76-lap event at the historic, 2.66-mile superspeedway is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Noon CT / 1 p.m. ET.

This will be the ARCA Menards Series’ 60th visit to Talladega, with Corey Heim returning to defend his victory from a season ago with Venturini Motorsports.

Tickets to Saturday’s General Tire 200 are available. The race will be broadcast live on FS1 at 1 p.m. ET.

General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Venturini Motorsports has, for lack of a better phrase, owned superspeedway racing in the ARCA Menards Series for the last several years.

The team has won the last five consecutive races at Daytona International Speedway dating back to Michael Self’s 2018 victory at the legendary facility, and they’ve won the last two races held at Talladega, with Drew Dollar winning in 2021 and Heim emerging as the victor last year.

Heim headlines the list of expected entries this weekend aboard the No. 20 Crescent Tool Toyota as he chases of his fourth ARCA superspeedway victory. He will be looking for his second superspeedway win of the year overall after winning at Daytona in February. With drafting an apparent strong suit, Heim also earned his maiden NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at the recently reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

Heim will be joined by Venturini stablemates Parker Chase, Gus Dean and Toni Breidinger. Dean is a previous winner at Talladega in ARCA competition, while Chase and Breidinger are both expected to be near the front of the field.

MORE TALLADEGA: Schedule | Tickets

In addition to the aforementioned Heim and Dean, Dollar also returns to Talladega in search of his second superspeedway triumph. He’ll be back in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in search of redemption after a crash on the last lap of the race at Daytona ended his chances at victory.

Alabama’s own Dave Mader III returns to Talladega one year after nearly scoring an upset victory on the final lap. Mader ended up second, his first top-five finish in ARCA competition since 1991. He’ll look to do one position better Saturday afternoon.

Other potential contenders expected to be in the field include ARCA Menards Series championship leader Daniel Dye, Bret Holmes, Rajah Caruth, Nick Sanchez, Sean Corr, Willie Mullins and Andy Jankowiak.

Lastly, veteran racer Thomas Praytor is expected to make his ARCA Menards Series return after last joining the series at Talladega last season. In nine previous starts at Talladega during his ARCA career, the local Alabama driver has a best finish of 12th in 2017.

The complete entry list for Saturday’s General Tire 200 at Talladega is available here.

RACING REFERENCE:

• Previous ARCA races at Talladega
• ARCA Menards Series drivers at Talladega

RACE FACTS

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the General Tire 200 is limited to 30 plus provisional positions. This event will be run under the 2022 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: No qualifying. Field set by 2021 car owner points plus provisionals.

RACE PIT STOP: Modified live pit stop procedure. There will be a competition caution at or near Lap 38. No adding or removing tires to or from pit box once race has started.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is eight (8).