As a professional racer from the United Kingdom, Dan Boys has been privileged to race at so many different motorsports facilities around the world, including the United States.
Boys finds himself back stateside this weekend for another career milestone; his ARCA Menards Series East debut at Flat Rock Speedway (Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on FloRacing). Leading the effort is Fast Track Racing, with Boys piloting the program’s No. 12 Toyota alongside teammates Craig Pellegrini Jr. and Blaine Donahue.
While he is plenty familiar with short track racing on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Boys understands an East Series race at a quarter-mile bullring like Flat Rock is going to be a unique experience in many regards. That is why Boys is relying heavily on Fast Track owner Andy Hillenburg and his crew before Saturday’s green flag.
“I’ve got a lot of feelings at the moment,” Boys said. “There’s excitement, there’s, I wouldn’t say nerves, but this is going to be a big step. I spent a good amount of time with [Fast Track Racing on Wednesday]. We had the seat fitting, they went through all the safety gear with me and made sure everything was as comfortable as it can be.
“I spent a bit of time just chatting with the team, getting to know them a little bit more and so on. I am looking forward to it.”
For as long as he can remember, Boys has expressed a fascination with American motorsports and how much it differed from racing in Europe.
Before he could start competing in the U.S., Boys needed to find his footing back home, which saw him enroll in the Jim Russell Racing Driver School in 1999. Founded by former driver Jim Russell, the list of alumni that came through his schools includes Emerson Fittipaldi, Carlos Pace, Danny Sullivan and Jacques Villeneuve.
Once Boys logged a healthy number of races in Formula Ford cars at tracks like Silverstone Circuit and Brands Hatch, he felt ready to give the U.S. auto racing scene a try. Boys eventually signed up for the Competitive Edge Racing School, which primarily taught drivers at Stateline Speedway in Idaho.
Boys’ American education also saw him turn laps at tracks like Evergreen Speedway and the now-defunct Rocky Mountain Raceways. He even got to take part in Evergreen’s local late model class before heading back to Europe.
Fortunately for Boys, he managed to hold onto the lessons learned in the U.S. by competing in European Legends and late model events. The experience Boys obtained in those disciplines was crucial in helping him advance into the NASCAR Euro Series Rookie Challenge division last season.
Yet a burning desire remained within Boys to run professional racing events in the U.S. Boys’ close friend Arnout Kok would be the one to open the door back up for him, as he previously contested four ARCA Menards Series events with Fast Track from 2021-22 and got Boys connected with Hillenburg.
The two sides came together on a deal that would see Boys drive one of Hillenburg’s cars at Flat Rock. Based on what Boys has seen from the ARCA Menards Series platform, he believes he will be in for an enthralling education on and off track this weekend.
“I watch the shows on NASCAR Regional and I do catch up on the races on YouTube,” Boys said. “The cars look fantastic, there’s some brilliant racing out there, so maybe this will be a chance to discover the car, get to know some of the other guys on track and spend some more time with the team.”
In the brief time Hillenburg has known Boys face-to-face, he has seen the enthusiasm Boys’ possesses about his maiden East Series start. There are many intricacies about the ARCA Menards Series cars Hillenburg is trying to pass along to Boys so that he quickly finds his comfort zone after practice.
The primary goal for Hillenburg when it comes to Boys’ debut is to ensure he puts together a clean, but strong outing that will give him something to build on for future ARCA Menards Series starts, which are currently in the early planning phase.
“[Dan’s] an outstanding guy,” Hillenburg said. “He’s very excited and ready to go. His crew chief Joseth Carabantes has put a great setup on the car. Hopefully he has a fun weekend. I don’t think the racing [in Europe] is quite as close as it’s going to be at Flat Rock, but ‘welcome to America’ is what we’re going to tell Dan.”
From Hillenburg’s perspective, Flat Rock is the perfect track for Boys to debut in a Fast Track car. Not only did Hillenburg win a national ARCA Menards Series race at Flat Rock in 1995, but Fast Track enjoyed a stellar outing there in last year’s East Series race that saw Matt Kemp and Japanese driver Takuma Koga finish inside the top five.
Boys admitted a quarter-mile complex like Flat Rock is not something he is unfamiliar with. Stateline was Boys’ first exposure to bullrings in the U.S., but he has also been to plenty of comparable tracks around Europe, from the .375-mile complexes in the Netherlands to the handful of quarter-miles present in the UK.
One key difference between Flat Rock and other bullrings Boys has raced at is the former features a much wider racing surface. Due to this, Boys is unsure how much different Flat Rock will race compared to other quarter-miles, but he considers himself fortunate to have Hillenburg in his corner giving him pointers.
“Andy was very clear from his experience at Flat Rock that you have to be gentle on the pedal around there, as it can be really easy to spin the wheels,” Boys said. “Andy’s been giving me guidance on that. Beyond that, it’s about discovering the car and learning the track. We’ll just have to go from there.
“This is a bit of a step into the unknown, but I’m going to give it 100 percent.”
Hillenburg looks forward to giving Boys his first real exposure to running a big-time auto race in the U.S., especially at a track with a vibrant fanbase like Flat Rock. While Boys will not be able to hear it from the car, Hillenburg always appreciates the fans stomping their feet on the bleachers before the green flag, known as ‘the Flat Rock Thunder’.
Flat Rock has tested drivers both seasoned and inexperienced throughout its long history, so Hillenburg anticipates some challenges for Boys once it comes time to turn laps in his car. Despite this, Hillenburg is confident the plan he and Fast Track have will be executed properly and lead to a successful debut weekend for Boys.
“[I want Boys] to see what kind of races that we do and what we have, but also get some laps,” Hillenburg said. “Hopefully we’ll get him a lot of practice. We want to be a little bit conservative qualifying because he doesn’t need to be in the middle and get pinballed around. I want him to take a great experience with him back home to England.”
The chance to drive in a race like the Sunbelt Rentals 150 was a long time coming for Boys. He does not want it to be his lone start on the ARCA Menards Series platform.
Returning to U.S. soil in a Fast Track car next year will require Boys to find the necessary funding to support such an endeavor. Showcasing his talent around Flat Rock would be a solid first step towards reaching that goal, but Boys understands simply finishing inside the top 10 is not going to be an easy task for a first-time starter.
Despite this, Boys has the experience around him to quickly acclimate himself to the ARCA Menards Series chassis. He just needs to apply the knowledge obtained and simultaneously gain respect from his American competitors.
“I am being pretty modest about it, truth be told,” Boys said. “I want to start the race and I don’t want to get in any trouble. I don’t have any expectations. It’s going to be about learning, taking that away and see where we go from there.”
The distance between Flat Rock and the UK is over 3,700 miles, yet Boys finds himself in an environment equal parts familiar and unfamiliar. Boys knows his way around short tracks on two different continents, but Flat Rock brings its own history and distinct characteristics for him to ascertain.
A fitting start to what Boys hopes is an extended American odyssey.
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