It’s time for a few weeks off for the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East, taking center stage in the meantime is the ARCA Menards Series West, which returns the spotlight for some road racing, and they’re bringing out some major names to the show this weekend.
This weekend will mark the ninth time that the ARCA West Series has visited Portland International Speedway. The series’ first visit was back in 1986 (K&N West Series) when Hershel McGriff took home the checkered flag.
Other, previous winners at the 12-turn, 1.967-mile road course include Jim Inglebright, Luis Martinez Jr, Greg Pursley, Jake Drew, and last year’s winner Taylor Gray.
Pacing in the Pacific Northwest
Looking to this weekend’s event, some familiar faces and big stars will be part of the field this weekend as the West Series shares the track with the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Cup and Xfinity Series winner Cole Custer will hop behind the wheel of the second entry for High Point Racing, joining teammate Trevor Huddleston who sits fourth in ARCA West points standings.
Fellow Stewart-HAAS Xfinity teammate Riley Herbst also joins the field and makes his return to the ARCA platform for the first time since 2021, and his first West race since 2019. The Las Vegas native will drive an entry for Jerry Pits.
Other Xfinity drivers joining the ARCA field are Parker Retzlaff, driving the no. 02 for Young’s Motorsports, and Kyle Sieg, who takes the wheel for the Lowden-Jackson Motorsports no. 46 from RJ Smotherman.
While some of NASCAR’s stars are coming to share the track, there is still a good crop of ARCA West Series drivers fighting to show their strength this weekend.
Sean Hingorani is looking to go three in a row and pick up another win for Venturini Motorsports this season. The 16-year-old currently sits third in the points stands, only nine back of the lead.
ARCA East Series points leader William Sawalich is making the trip west for his second career West Series start with Joe Gibbs Racing and the no. 18 car.
Both drivers for Billy McAnally Racing, Caleb Sharder, and Eric Johnson Jr, will be making their West Series debut at the road course. Roxali Kamper will also join them for her debut in the no. 39 Chevrolet with Tuttle-Kamper Racing.
Other entries include West Series regulars, including points leader Landen Lewis, Phoenix winner Tyler Reif and his brother Tanner Reif, Todd Souza, Bradley Erickson, Kyle Keller, and Takuma Koga.
Official Entry List for the Portland 112
| Entry | # | Driver | Team | Crew Chief |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02 | Parker Retzlaff | Young's Motorsports Ponsse Chevrolet | Joshua Graham |
| 2 | 04 | Ethan Nascimento | Nascimento-Joiner Racing RAILBAR Protein Bar Toyota | Mike Nascimento |
| 3 | 05 | David Smith | Shockwave Racing Shockwave Marine Suspension Seating Toyota | Brandon Carlson |
| 4 | 4 | Eric Nascimento | Nascimento-Joiner Racing Fidelity Capital Chevrolet | Ty Joiner |
| 5 | 5 | Riley Herbst | Jerry Pitts Racing Ford | Jerry Pitts |
| 6 | 7 | Takuma Koga | Jerry Pitts Racing Loop Connect Toyota | Denny Moyer |
| 7 | 13 | Todd Souza | Central Coast Racing Central Coast Cabinets Ford | Michael Munoz |
| 8 | 14 | Davey Magras | Davey Magras Racing Advanced Autoworks Chevrolet | Zach Magras |
| 9 | 15 | Sean Hingorani | Venturini Motorsports Mobil 1 Toyota | Kevin Reed, Jr. |
| 10 | 16 | Tanner Reif | Bill McAnally Racing Chevrolet | John Camilleri |
| 11 | 17 | Landen Lewis | McGowan-Cook Motorsports MMI Chevrolet | Richard Mason |
| 12 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing Starkey / Sound Gear Toyota | Matt Ross |
| 13 | 19 | Eric Johnson, Jr. | Bill McAnally Racing Chevrolet | Chuck Jones |
| 14 | 24 | Dylan Lupton | Bill McAnally Racing Lupton Excavation Chevrolet | Roger Bracken |
| 15 | 32 | Dale Quarterley | 1/4-Ley Racing Van Dyke Recycling Solutions Chevrolet | Alex Quarterley |
| 16 | 39 | Roxali Kamper | Tuttle-Kamper Racing Chevrolet | Travis Kamper |
| 17 | 41 | Tyler Reif | Lowden-Jackson Motorsports Tour Nevada Ford | Tony Jackson |
| 18 | 46 | Kyle Sieg | Lowden-Jackson Motorsports Stoney's Ford | Dave Jackson |
| 19 | 50 | Trevor Huddleston | High Point Racing Ford | Jeff Schrader |
| 20 | 52 | Ryan Philpott | Philpott Racing Mattos Equipment Rentals Toyota | Chuck Dozhier |
| 21 | 55 | Cole Custer | High Point Racing Ford | Travis Thirkettle |
| 22 | 70 | Kyle Keller | Kyle Keller Racing KISMIF Foundation Chevrolet | Brian Kizer |
| 23 | 88 | Bradley Erickson | Naake-Klauer Motorsports L&S Framing Ford | Tony Caputo |
| 24 | 99 | Caleb Shrader | Bill McAnally Racing Chevrolet | Mario Isola |
You can watch the Portland 112 live on FloRacing on Friday at 8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT.
2 Responses
It’s fascinating to see the ARCA Menards Series West returning to the Portland International Raceway after all these years. I remember attending a race there with my family when I was younger, the excitement in the air was palpable. Reading this preview brings back those nostalgic memories of cheering for our favorite drivers as they navigated the twists and turns of the road course.