The class of 2024 at Sherman Thomas Charter School in Madera, California is set to walk across the stage in front of their friends and family as part of their graduation ceremony this weekend.
For one of the school’s students in Robbie Kennealy, the only stage he plans to walk across is the one used for driver introductions at Portland International Raceway.
Kennealy admitted missing graduation carries mixed emotions, but the ARCA Menards Series West rookie said his mindset has never deviated from ensuring this weekend concludes with a strong showing in his first road-course appearance.
“I haven’t really thought much about [graduation],” Kennealy said. “My mind has been focused on Portland. The last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy around the shop. It hasn’t really come around yet that I won’t be in school anymore because I’ve been really focused on trying to finish the best we can this weekend.”
RELATED: Watch the Portland 112 on FloRacing
Having been racing for 13 of his 18 years, Kennealy is determined to do everything necessary to build a sustainable career in motorsports.
Last year saw Kennealy make the jump to the West Series with his family-owned operation. Kennealy made a strong first impression by finishing fifth in his debut race at Irwindale Speedway, but he has only obtained one more top-10 performance since then, which came at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring.
Adjusting to the heavier West Series cars has been a learning curve for Kennealy, who knows the equipment his family team possesses can contend for wins. This optimistic mindset was reinforced when Kennealy’s family partnered with veteran Kyle Keller over the offseason to form Kennealy Keller Motorsports.
The guidance of Keller and his veteran crew members have made Kennealy feel more comfortable in the West Series, especially as the group has navigated through an inconsistent start to 2024. Once Kennealy shakes off the misfortune that has followed him, he expects top fives to become a more regular occurrence.
Portland presents a unique obstacle for Kennealy to clear if he wants to obtain his second top five. Kennealy has been logging laps on iRacing and studying film of previous West Series events at Portland to prepare for Friday, but he will not know what to expect until he hits the track for the first time in real life.
No matter how Portland turns out, Kennealy knows it will be a special weekend regardless. He will have plenty of family members in attendance for Friday’s Portland 112 that include his twin sister Harley, who is also skipping Sherman Thomas’ graduation ceremony.
Winning at Portland in front of his family would make an excellent graduation present for Kennealy, but his primary goal is to keep his No. 1 Setting The Stage/American Swim Academy/Coverease Chevrolet intact through all 57 laps and use the momentum to build consistency over the rest of 2024.
“Hopefully [we can keep] all four tires on the racetrack with no damage,” Kennealy said. “If we can do that, I think the results will come with it. This is my first time on a road course, so [a win] would be crazy. I’d love that, but we need to go in there, have a good finish and pick up some good points.”
Kennealy’s pursuit for a career-best West Series finish starts Friday when the green flag waves for the Portland 112 at 4 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET. Live coverage at Portland International Raceway will be on FloRacing.
Dale Quarterley seeks another strong finish at Portland
At 63, Dale Quarterley continues to prove he can hold his own with the next generation of drivers.
Last year’s ARCA Menards Series West race at Portland International Raceway showcased Quarterley’s years of experience, particularly when it comes to road courses. After starting in the 14th position, Quarterley methodically worked his way through the field before settling for third behind Cole Custer and race-winner Landen Lewis.
The precision with which Quarterley navigated Portland’s tough layout came as no surprise to those who have followed his career. Two of Quarterley’s six wins in the ARCA Menards Series East came at another road course in Lime Rock Park, which was also the site of Quarterley’s lone NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory.
Friday’s Portland 112 will be Quarterley’s second appearance on the ARCA Menards Series platform this year. He previously competed in the season-opener for the premier ARCA division at Daytona International Speedway, which ended in a 33rd place finish after Quarterley was collected in a crash on Lap 40.
Quarterley has never won a West Series event during his long career, but another strong performance at Portland this weekend could put him in an ideal position to finally reach that milestone.
Points leader Sean Hingorani joins Jerry Pitts for Portland
Jerry Pitts Racing will have a familiar name behind the wheel of their No. 5 Toyota at Portland International Raceway.
Defending ARCA Menards Series West champion Sean Hingorani looks to keep his title defense alive in what is now his third different team in three events, having previously competed for Hattori Racing Enterprises and Sigma Performance Services.
Despite bouncing around different organizations, Hingorani has managed to hold onto a lead in the West Series standings by three points over Tyler Reif. He finished fifth with Hattori to open the 2024 season at Phoenix Raceway before turning a last-minute opportunity to compete with SPS at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway into a fourth-place run.
Hingorani seeks to bolster his advantage in the standings by securing his first road-course victory this weekend at Portland. During last year’s race, Hingorani started on the outside pole and maintained solid track position for most of the afternoon, but he finished 11th when he spun in the final turn on the last lap following contact with Trevor Huddleston.
A win for Hingorani on Friday afternoon would be the second one in a row for Jerry Pitts Racing, which visited Victory Lane at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway after Kole Raz edged Huddleston in a photo finish.
NOTES:
- Fresh off running the Indianapolis 500, Marco Andretti makes his standalone ARCA Menards Series West debut this weekend at Portland International Raceway with Cook Racing Technologies. During his time in the IndyCar Series, Andretti made two starts at Portland, scoring a best finish of 13th in 2019.
- Driving the second car for Cook Racing Technologies at Portland International Raceway this weekend will be NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran Brandon Jones. Friday’s event will be Jones’ second appearance in the West Series, with his last one occurring in 2013 at Phoenix Raceway when he drove for Turner Scott Motorsports.
- Tanner Reif is set to drive the No. 88 for Naake Klauer Motorsports on Friday afternoon after previously competing for Cook Racing Technologies across the ARCA platform earlier this year. The two-time West Series winner is seeking to break a prolonged drought that dates back to 2022 at Evergreen Speedway.
- Jake Walker will make his first West Series start at Portland International Raceway this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 23 for Sigma Performance Services. Acting as a road-course ringer for SPS, Walker made his first starts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this year, which included the Rolex 24.
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