Rare Daniel Dye before the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Menards Series at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, on April 23, 2022. (Dustin Chambers/ARCA Racing)
(Photo: Dustin Chambers/ARCA Racing)

NOTEBOOK: ARCA title contender Daniel Dye joins West Series field at Portland to gain road course experience

www.arcaracing.com June 3, 2022

Daniel Dye has never raced on a road course on the ARCA Menards Series platform.

That changes Saturday, when Dye will compete in the Portland 112 at Portland International Raceway, the fourth race of the 2022 ARCA Menards Series West season.

Dye, who ranks third in ARCA Menards Series (national) standings, will pilot the No. 43 Chevrolet with primary sponsorship from Orlando Longwood Auto Auction. The car is being fielded as part of a partnership between Bill McAnally Racing and GMS Racing.

“I’m really excited to go out west and have the opportunity to gain some experience on a road course,” Dye said this week.

RELATED: Portland entry list | Tickets | Schedule

While Dye has no race experience on a road course in ARCA competition, he did get the chance to train with one of the most prominent NASCAR road course ringers in history.

“Chevrolet gave me the chance to learn at Ron Fellows driving school in Nevada earlier this year, but that is my only road racing experience so far,” Dye explained. “We go to Mid Ohio and Watkins Glen with our GMS team later this season, so it’s important for me to build on the notebook this weekend. I’m confident BMR and Travis Sharp will have a fast race car for me on Saturday.”

In the 1990s and 2000s, Fellows was one of the top road course competitors in NASCAR. He earned two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series triumphs and four NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs, all on road courses.

He also earned a pair of runner-up finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series on road courses, both at Watkins Glen International.

With a teacher like that, Dye could be on the right track toward being a contender when the green flag waves at the 1.967-mile road course at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s race will be streamed live on FloRacing.

Tanner Reif, driver of the #9 Vegas Fastener Mfg Ford, addresses the crowd as he is introduced prior to the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame for the ARCA Menards Series West at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California on March 26, 2022. (Michael Owens/ARCA Racing)
Tanner Reif, driver of the No. 9 Vegas Fastener Mfg Ford, is introduced prior to the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame for the ARCA Menards Series West at Irwindale Speedway on March 26, 2022. (Photo: Michael Owens/ARCA Racing)

Tanner Reif leans on Boris Said to prepare for Portland

Tanner Reif, who won his first West Series race at California’s Irwindale Speedway in March, is another driver entered in Saturday’s Portland race who turned to a NASCAR road course ace in preparation.

Boris Said, also a winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on road courses during a career that spanned more than 20 years, worked with Reif to prepare for the first of three road course races on the West Series schedule this season.

“I’ve been practicing my iRacing and studying the track that I’m going to be racing on,” Reif said this week. “And being out at the track with Boris, it was a fun experience, and I have a lot to learn, but he definitely helped get me ready for the three road race events we have this year.

“I plan to just to keep the car as far in front as possible and grab as many points as I can over the three road course events.”

Reif heads to Portland five points behind Jake Drew in the battle for the West Series championship. A strong run at Portland would certainly bolster Reif’s championship odds.

Could Portland provide Drew with redemption?

Last year at Portland International Raceway, Jake Drew crossed the finish line first.

Unfortunately, Drew did not get to visit Victory Lane.

Drew ultimately was penalized for skipping Turn 2 on the final restart of the race as several competitors made contact behind and around him. That handed the victory to Taylor Gray, who crossed the finish line third but was promoted to first after Drew and initial runner-up Eric Nascimento were penalized.

The penalty was like a dagger to the heart for Drew, who had dominated the event up to that point. He led a race-high 29 laps after starting from the pole, but the penalty dropped him to 10th.

He enters Saturday’s race at the top of the West Series standings, and a victory could be a big boost for his championship hopes.

Notes:

  • A trio of drivers are scheduled to make their ARCA platform debuts Saturday. They include California’s Vince Little, Canada’s David Smith and Oregon’s Clark Lukens.
  • After crossing the finish line second only to be penalized and dropped to 11th after the race last year at Portland International Raceway, Eric Nascimento is scheduled to make his first start of the season Saturday.
  • P.J. Pedroncelli is carrying a bit of momentum into the Portland 112. He won the pole at the last West Series race at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, California, and he led a race-high 71 laps before finishing fifth.
  • A potential underdog in Saturday’s race is Dale Quarterley. The 61-year-old veteran racer has six ARCA Menards Series East victories during his lengthy career, two of which came on road courses.