ARCA Season Opener Kicks Off Busy Daytona Schedule For Brian Scott

Topics:  Brian Scott, ARCA 200 at Daytona

Chris Knight
Knight Motorsports Management
Bob Schacht Motorsports
February 5, 2008

“NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie To Drive For Bob Schacht Motorsports”

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 5, 2008) - - Speedweeks 2008 will begin a week earlier than anticipated for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) rookie Brian Scott as the Boise, Idaho native has been tapped to drive the No. 75 Bob Schacht Motorsports (BSM) Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the ARCA RE/MAX Series season opener at “The World Center Of Speed”; Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in Saturday’s ARCA 200 at Daytona.

Despite not participating in the open ARCA test in December at DIS, Bob Schacht Motorsports did and passed with flying colors. With a duo (Scott Stenzel and Brandon Knupp) of drivers BSM stormed to the top-20 overall giving Scott plenty of confidence heading into his ARCA debut at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

“I can’t wait for the green flag to drop on Saturday,” said Scott, who made two ARCA RE/MAX Series starts in 2007 with Country Joe Racing. “Bob Schacht Motorsports has an outstanding reputation in the garage and I am very fortunate to be behind the wheel of the team’s Chevrolet for the ARCA season opener.”

With a realistic chance of being in contention for his first career win in the 45th annual ARCA 200 at Daytona, Scott is looking at the bigger picture. Next Friday night, Scott will make his NCTS debut at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of his No. 16 Xpress Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. Scott is hoping to take the experience he acquires in the ARCA race and transfer it over to what is expected to be his biggest NASCAR start yet.

“There is so much you can learn at Daytona that is transferable,” noted Scott. “Drafting is probably the biggest element. You can never get enough drafting. Just the extra seat time alone will be critical, but our main goal is to qualify solidly into the field and complete all 200 miles. We’re aiming for a top-10 finish and it’s definitely doable.”

Luckily for Scott, he isn’t a complete stranger to restrictor plate racing as the former USAR Hooter’s Pro Cup star made his Talladega Superspeedway debut in the ARCA RE/MAX 250 last October. Scott showed extreme talent after drafting his way from a deep starting position to maneuver his machine into the top-15 only to be collected in the “Big One” with three quarters of the race complete. With another chance at one of the fastest tracks on the circuit, Scott is anxious to try again.

“I had a good time at Talladega , just had a rough finish,” he recalled. “I’m hoping what I learned there can help me on Saturday. The tracks are very different, but the ARCA racing styles are similar. We’re not guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s race, so we’ll focus on our qualifying setup on Thursday and once we lock ourselves into the event, we can use Happy Hour to find out what we have for the race. It’s going to be an exciting week, that’s for sure.”

With a massive entry field expected for the first venue of the season, Scott is relying on Schacht’s previous Daytona starts as both a driver and car owner to waive any additional pressure he may be feeling. “There’s always pressure going into a race,” sounded Scott. “From Daytona to a short track, you’re always faced with some type of pressure. We do not have a guaranteed starting position like I had at Talladega . Luckily, Bob’s track record at Daytona speaks for itself and we know we’re coming full armed and prepared to win the battle of making the show. The war is on Saturday, but in order to conquer the war, you have to win the battle. There’s little doubt in my mind with the determination of the team, we’re going to be sitting just fine.”

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for Brian Scott for Saturday’s ARCA 200 at Daytona. Interested parties are urged to contact Emmett Byrd at 704.662.8088.

The ARCA 200 at Daytona (80 laps/200 miles) is the first of 21 events on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 45th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 7 with a five hour practice session planned from 12:00-5:00 p.m. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is set for Friday, February 8 slated to begin at 12:00 p.m. A one hour and five minute final practice session is etched in on Friday evening from 5:10pm-6:15pm. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, February 9 shortly after 4:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

For more on Brian Scott, please visit BrianScottRacing.com.

For additional information on Bob Schacht Motorsports, please click on BobSchachtMotorsports.com.