‘You’ll never outwork them’: Alex Clubb races on following the team’s highway accident in Iowa

After a long day at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1, Alex Clubb attempted to catch up on some sleep in the passenger seat of his hauler.

The venture was like many Clubb had embarked upon since he started fielding his own cars in the ARCA Menards Series in 2022. With limited funding at his disposal, Clubb kept his own No. 03 out of trouble for a 20th-place finish, and Colby Evans placed 27^th in the team’s No. 86 after an early mechanical failure. Clubb’s No. 03, in the back of the same hauler. was due for radical setup transformations once the road trip ended. The next week would take them to Watkins Glen International, where Clubb hoped to see improvement in his road-course program.

Any thoughts about Watkins Glen or the long-term future of his team evaporated when Clubb was suddenly jolted awake. He immediately recognized something was wrong.

“We were in the median,” Clubb said. “I asked [my buddy] what he was doing. He woke up, jerked the wheel, and the trailer flipped. We went sliding across [Interstate] 80.

“It was really crazy, but I was just happy nobody got hurt. It could have been 10 times worse.”

Really bad night coming home along I80 in Illinois. Thankfully everyone involved is ok. Unfortunately most if not all of our equipment for the #03 is destroyed.#ARCA pic.twitter.com/nzgKzntfKW

— Clubb Racing Inc. (@ClubbRacingInc) August 2, 2025

As soon as Clubb got his bearings and realized no one was in a life-threatening situation, he approached his overturned hauler to inspect the damage. What Clubb saw was a nightmare any small team owner would fear.

Most of the equipment in the hauler had been jarred loose and damaged in the accident, something he knew would deal a massive financial blow to his program’s frugal budget.

The arrival of the towing company only served to exacerbate the situation. With the hauler being towed back to the impound lot on its side before being flipped back over, more damage was done not only to the equipment, but Clubb’s car, as all the straps keeping it secure had broken off.

Clubb was devastated by the accident. He still had one car remaining with the No. 86 being in a separate hauler, but the veteran racer had no idea how he was going to get his battered No. 03 prepared in time for Watkins Glen, especially since the team now had even fewer resources because of the damaged equipment.

With no other feasible option at his disposal, Clubb did what he has always done after every good and bad day at the track. He went to work.

“I didn’t think [the car would race],” Clubb said. “I mean, I watched five different semis bounce off our rig. Each one that hit [convinced me that] everything was junk. Even up through Sunday and into Monday, I didn’t know if we were going to make it because there was so much stuff we had to do.

“Without everybody coming and helping, we never would have made it.”

The group that assisted Clubb’s team in the repairs comprised of several close friends that included Ron Vandermier Jr., a five-time Mid-American Stock Car Series champion who briefly competed with the ARCA Menards Series. Rigorous, 20-hour days were expensed on restoring Clubb’s No. 03 back to a useable condition.

What resulted from the coordinated effort was a car far from the version that arrived at Iowa, but one more than capable of making laps around Watkins Glen. After a week of stress and uncertainty, Clubb would make it to Watkins Glen.

Joe Cooksey, a long-time ARCA Menards Series veteran who will pilot the Clubb family’s No. 86 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Sunday, was amazed to see the No. 03 on track at Watkins Glen following the highway accident.

Having known the Clubbs for many years, Cooksey considers the family a throwback to his time as an ARCA Menards Series regular back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Everything about Cooksey’s time on the platform was hands-on, a quality that is shared by the Clubbs in their pursuit to build up their program.

The Clubbs’ work ethic is why Cooksey knew the No. 03 would be at Watkins Glen despite the circumstances.

“There are people who have opportunities to leverage their success,” Cooksey said. “They have the means to do what they want to do. Alex wants to do it. He may not necessarily have the means, so he does it by working harder. You can’t help but like a guy who’s willing to put his heart and soul into something he enjoys and believes in.

“You may outspend [the Clubbs], but you’ll never outwork them.”

Stepping into Watkins Glen’s garage area was a moment of catharsis for Clubb. The process to reach that moment was arduous and tiring, which is why Clubb and the rest of his team fell asleep at 6:45 p.m. ET that Thursday, shortly after pre-race inspection concluded.

Clubb ended his weekend at Watkins Glen in 16^th, six laps behind race-winner Tristan McKee. Just finishing the race was a victory for Clubb in its own regard given the state of his car one week earlier.

“A lot of people didn’t think we were going to make it,” Clubb said. “I knew it was tough, but we always do whatever it takes to make it to the next race, whether we’re at the local level or running the ARCA stuff. We have that never-say-die attitude, so this shows we’re very dedicated.”

The same No. 03 that was tipped over in its hauler on Interstate 80 and subsequently competed at Watkins Glen will once again be in action this weekend at the Springfield Mile dirt track, an event Clubb is eagerly anticipating.

Preparation for Springfield took slightly longer than usual as Clubb does his due diligence with the No. 03, yet his optimism remains high. Springfield is one of two venues where Clubb can utilize his dirt background, something he believes gives him a shot at a career-best performance Sunday.

“I just like [Springfield] because it rubbers up and drives like a dirty asphalt track,” Clubb said. “It fits my style, because I like a car that slides around and doesn’t stick real good. Springfield is my favorite of the two [dirt tracks] we go to, so we’re going to go out there, give it hell, and see what we can accomplish.”

A top 10 is the goal Clubb and his family have for the No. 03, but he is determined to overachieve at Springfield. If the car unloads how he wants and good fortune falls his way, Clubb said a top-five finish could be feasible.

Cooksey intends to keep the Clubbs’ No. 86 intact for what is currently his only planned ARCA Menards Series start this year. He is appreciative of the Clubbs contacting him to drive their second car and is looking forward to seeing how their program evolves after the checkered flag waves at Springfield.

“It’s humbling to have [the Clubbs] call and ask,” Cooksey said. “Guys in my position and age bracket don’t often have people call and ask. I’m coming into this with a ton of respect for those boys and an understanding of what they have for equipment. I’m going to do everything I can to do them the best job that we can.”

The past couple of weeks have pushed Clubb and his team to their limits, but it also reminded him of how small the motorsports community can be in a time of crisis. Along with the group that fixed the No. 03, numerous people have reached out to Clubb by either helping or just making sure he was in good shape.

Camaraderie like that is one reason Clubb chose to keep racing after an accident that would have forced others to scale back or stop altogether.

“It’s been really tough, but we’ve got a good group of people come to the shop and help,” Clubb said. “We’ve got a group of people with the series, [along with] the teams and fans. Without the fan and team support, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing. I’m very thankful for all the support from people around [my shop] all the way to the Cup Series.

“It’s been eye-opening that people [paid] attention and care about what’s going on, so I’m very happy with that.”

Although work is ongoing to improve Clubb’s No. 03, he can now once again focus on the long-term future of his team rather than approach everything on an hour-by-hour basis. The adversity was tumultuous, but Clubb has long familiarized himself with obstacles small team owners face.

No matter the circumstance, nothing was going to keep Clubb away from fulfilling his dream of being a driver.