NOTEBOOK: Marco Andretti gearing up for doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile

Marco Andretti has visited the Milwaukee Mile several times during his career while racing in the IndyCar Series.

On Sunday afternoon, though, Andretti will take part in his first two stock-car events around the historic facility. The doubleheader opens with Andretti driving the No. 17 Chevrolet for Cook Racing Technologies in the ARCA Menards Series before he straps into the No. 04 Roper Racing Chevrolet for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Preparing for Sunday’s doubleheader has required Andretti to re-learn how to navigate the Milwaukee Mile, a theme that has followed him throughout his limited starts this year.

“I’m glad I ran the sim, because things are quite different from the IndyCar,” Andretti said. “I’m excited to be flying around [The Milwaukee Mile] and have some fun. It’s going to be a different perspective, but I’ve learned a lot of different types of tracks and the nuances of stock cars [this year], so right now I’m along for the ride.”

Andretti’s debut venture into the ARCA Menards Series platform has been one marred by mixed results.

The 2024 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway saw Andretti sustain damage in an early accident before a blown tire ended his night four laps before the finish. Andretti’s next four starts only saw him encounter more misfortune, with his best run being a ninth at Kansas Speedway.

A trip to a familiar complex in the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where Andretti had 15 previous IndyCar Series appearances, finally yielded a complete race for the veteran driver. After starting sixth, Andretti kept his car clean through 42 laps to net his first top-five finish on the ARCA Menards Series platform.

Andretti backing up that performance with another top 10 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park has given him confidence heading into Sunday’s Sprecher 150 and LiUNA! 175. The Milwaukee Mile was one of Andretti’s best tracks in the IndyCar Series, particularly in qualifying, where he tallied two poles.

Both of those events nearly ended with Andretti making a trip to Victory Lane. In 2008, he led 40 laps before getting tangled up in a late-race crash. In 2013, an electrical issue sidelined him after he led 61 laps.

The heavier-but-more-sturdy ARCA Menards Series and Truck Series chassis will require Andretti to approach the Milwaukee Mile differently. Despite this, recent success in stock cars has put Andretti in an ideal position to capitalize on the momentum with two strong outings Sunday afternoon.

“That’s what’s fun about this, it’s a lot of learning by fire for me,” Andretti said. “I’d like to finish better than what he have, probably around fifth to ninth range in ARCA. It’d be nice to crack the top 15 in [the Truck Series], but I’ve got to qualify better to make the next day easier. I’ve been starting too far behind the eight ball, and by the end of IRP, we were the fastest truck on the track.

“If we can start further up, I definitely think we’ll be in the mix.”

Andretti’s doubleheader begins when the Sprecher 150 commences at 2 p.m. ET on FS1 and FloRacing.

The LiUNA! 175 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series immediately follows at 5 p.m. ET for Andretti. That race also airs live on FS1.

Gio Ruggiero looks to continue consistent ARCA national stretch 

While he has comfortably settled into third behind Connor Zilisch and William Sawalich in the ARCA Menards Series East standings, Gio Ruggiero is still enjoying a solid rookie season.

Along with picking up his maiden East Series triumph at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida at the beginning of the year, Ruggiero has yet to finish an ARCA Menards Series national race outside the top five. Of those five races, Ruggiero scored runner-up showings at Phoenix Raceway and Dover Motor Speedway.

The expertise Ruggiero showed in a Super Late Model on short tracks was a contributing factor behind his earning a seat for Venturini Motorsports in 2024. Ruggiero won both the ASA CRA Super Series and Southern Super Series titles across an efficient 2023 that also saw him claim the prestigious Winchester 400.

Sunday will be the third time Ruggiero has competed at the Milwaukee Mile, but his first in an ARCA Menards Series car. The other two appearances for Ruggiero inside the historic track were quiet-but-strong outings, as he finished sixth and seventh driving for Donnie Wilson Motorsports.

With decent experience at the Milwaukee Mile on his resume, Ruggiero is primed to continue his streak of top fives in the ARCA Menards Series national division and build more momentum heading into 2025.

Lawless Alan hopes for two strong runs with Reaume Brothers Racing

Fresh off his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Michigan International Speedway, Lawless Alan is turning his attention to a busy weekend at the Milwaukee Mile.

Along with fulfilling his usual obligations in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Reaume Brothers Racing, Alan is also back in the organization’s ARCA Menards Series car for the fourth time on the 2024 season.

Alan and Reaume showed immediate speed when their No. 33 AutoParkIt Ford debuted at Kansas Speedway in May. They ran inside the top 10 for the first half of the day, but issues on pit road forced Alan to settle for 11th, one lap behind race winner Connor Mosack.

Following the disappointment at Kansas, Alan delivered another strong showing for Reaume at Charlotte Motor Speedway that ended with a lead-lap finish of eighth. Alan was poised to get another top 10 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park but finished 23^rd after tangling with Toni Breidinger with fewer than 30 laps remaining.

Maintaining the speed displayed with Reaume over their first three races together will be pivotal for Alan to potentially bring home a career-best ARCA Menards Series finish in Sunday afternoon’s Sprecher 150.

NOTES:

• Joining a notable group of drivers running both the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events at the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday is Dean Thompson, who is in the No. 55 for Venturini Motorsports. Thompson is seeking his second top five of the 2024 season after finishing third at Kansas Speedway in May.
• Tyler Tomassi is back with the ARCA Menards Series after making his debut at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with CW Motorsports. Earning a 17^th place finish that evening two laps behind the leader, Tomassi hopes to parlay the experience from IRP into a top-10 performance at the Milwaukee Mile.
• Zachary Tinkle came close to obtaining his second top 10 of 2024 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, but he ended up settling for 11^th. Tinkle sits fourth in the ARCA Menards Series East standings with two top fives in the standalone events. He looks to earn his first top five in the national division Sunday afternoon.
• A solid run for Alex Clubb at the Illinois State Fairgrounds was undone after he was involved in a crash shortly after the halfway break. Clubb is once again bringing a second car to the track for his father Brian Clubb, both of whom are striving to keep their cars in one piece at the end of the Sprecher 150.