NOTEBOOK: Driving for Joe Nemechek, vintage racer Ryan Gemmell making ARCA debut at Watkins Glen

Ryan Gemmell will find himself in familiar-yet-foreign territory when he arrives at Watkins Glen International for his ARCA Menards Series debut Friday.

A seasoned competitor in vintage car racing, Gemmell is strapping into a modern Toyota Camry chassis fielded by Joe Nemechek’s NEMCO Motorsports for the General Tire 100 at the Glen. Although he expects a learning curve on the ARCA Menards Series platform, Gemmell is eager to put his vintage car racing experience to proper use.

“I’m ready for it to be here,” Gemmell said. “It’s been a long time coming trying to get this deal together. We’ve been planning it for the better part of a year, so I’m ready to be done stressing about [this race] and to get after it.”

Long before vintage car competition became a vital part of his life, Gemmell got his first exposure to stock cars just like many other competitors today — through iRacing. He spent a decade competing in races on iRacing servers, all while gaining rudimentary knowledge of how stock cars operate at different tracks.

An internship with NEMCO Motorsports served as the catalyst that pushed Gemmell to the driver’s seat. With the organization choosing to scale back its NASCAR ambition and focus more on the vintage car racing scene, Gemmell worked closely with Nemechek to secure his first opportunity competing in the discipline.

Gemmell immediately found his comfort zone in vintage cars. Driving an older NASCAR Xfinity Series chassis with a 900-horsepower engine, Gemmell went full-time in both the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association and Historic Sportscar Racing in 2023, earning a championship in the latter’s Stock Car division.

Although his experience with racing real cars remains limited, Gemmell felt the consistency he was displaying with vintage events provided him the necessary preparation to branch out into another series. Nemechek agreed with Gemmell, with the two settling on making an ARCA Menards Series appearance at Watkins Glen.

The No. 29 Diamond Brite-TC3 Turf Toyota prepared by Nemechek is much different compared to anything else Gemmell has driven. Unlike his classic Xfinity Series chassis, the ARCA Menards Series car provides less horsepower and a harder tire, which will require Gemmell to sustain more momentum through the corners.

Despite the unknowns, Gemmell feels a sense of security having Nemechek calling the shots. Although Nemechek himself never won as a driver at Watkins Glen, he had plenty of success as a car owner, as accomplished road racer Ron Fellows took his No. 87 to Victory Lane four times at the track between the Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Nemechek has encouraged Gemmell not to stress about his ARCA Menards Series debut and enjoy all 41 laps around Watkins Glen. Gemmell intends to follow Nemechek’s advice as he looks to deliver a strong performance against a competitive field.

“I’m confident in my ability and the car we put together,” Gemmell said. “Joe has been doing this for 30 years, and he’s one of the smartest guys in the industry, hands down. I have one of the greats in my corner, so I’m optimistic. If we can out and run top 10 in my first ARCA race, that would be really good.”

Gemmell’s first venture into the ARCA Menards Series begins Friday when the green flag waves for the General Tire 100 at the Glen at 5 p.m. ET. FS1 will provide live coverage of the race.

Connor Zilisch determined to avenge near miss from 2023

One overtime restart prevented Connor Zilisch from prevailing in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International last year.

After dominating the day by leading 34 of the 41 scheduled laps, Zilisch was forced to go on both offense and defense when a caution for Jack Wood set up a one-lap sprint in the rain. Zilisch held the lead until the final turn, where a bump and run from Jesse Love relegated him to second in the running order.

Zilisch has followed the disappointing outcome at Watkins Glen with a stellar rookie season on the ARCA Menards Series platform. He currently holds a 16-point advantage over William Sawalich in the ARCA Menards Series East standings, all while boasting four victories in the national series.

Watkins Glen is a return to Zilisch’s roots in road racing, which includes class victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring this year. With more experience on his side compared to 2023, Zilisch heads into the General Tire 100 at the Glen as a heavy favorite to avenge last year’s narrow defeat.

Friday’s race will also serve as a warm-up for Zilisch’s NASCAR Xfinity Series debut the following day, when he will drive the No. 88 Carolina Carports Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.

Dale Quarterley racing alongside son Alex at Watkins Glen

The General Tire 100 at the Glen will be a special evening for long-time competitor Dale Quarterley.

Not only is Dale making his fourth ARCA Menards Series appearance of the 2024 season, but he is doing so alongside his son Alex, who is making his platform debut piloting the No. 3 Van Dyk Recycling Solutions Chevrolet with veteran driver Willie Mullins as his crew chief.

Alex has recently started his own racing career with a handful of Super Late Model and Pro Late Model events in the northeast, but he still primarily works on preparing cars at the family shop. During Dale’s two most recent ARCA Menards Series appearances at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, Alex served as his crew chief.

Both Quarterleys are hoping for better luck at Watkins Glen on Friday, as all three of Dale’s starts in 2024 have ended prematurely. Watkins Glen has been one of Dale’s better tracks during his long career, as he recorded two poles there in the ARCA Menards Series East while also tallying a top five at the facility last year.

Expectations are high for Dale and Alex on Friday afternoon as they look to build some momentum with two stellar outings at one of the United States’ most historic tracks.

NOTES:

• Of Brandon Jones’ eight victories in the national ARCA Menards Series, one of them came at Watkins Glen International in 2022 after he passed Sammy Smith on the last lap. Jones is testing his skills against the ARCA Menards Series competitors once again on Friday, this time in the No. 42 for Cook Racing Technologies.
• Thomas Annunziata nearly found his way to Victory Lane at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June but ended up settling for fourth following a late nudge from Connor Mosack while leading. Annunziata is back in the No. 44 for Jeff McClure at Watkins Glen seeking another solid top-five performance.
• Dylan Lupton makes his return to the national ARCA Menards Series at Watkins Glen after last competing at Kansas Speedway in 2020 with David Gilliland. Having garnered plenty of experience across NASCAR’s top three divisions, Lupton looks to find success piloting the No. 30 for Rette Jones Racing.
• Watkins Glen serves as a home race for Andy Jankowiak, who is back with the ARCA Menards Series in his No. 73 KLAS Motorsports Chevrolet on Friday. Jankowiak earned a seventh-place showing at Watkins Glen in 2023 but is hoping to come away from the facility with his second top five of 2024.