Amber Balcaen and Chase Pinsonneault were the fastest drivers in the annual ARCA Menards Series pre-season practice session from Daytona International Speedway, which took place last Thursday and Friday.
Balcaen, who has competed in the ARCA Menards Series for several seasons, paced the overall times from the two-day session, piloting the No. 70 Toyota Camry for the newly-formed Nitro Motorsports team.
RELATED: ARCA Menards Series Pre-Season Practice Results
The Winnipeg, Manitoba native will run multiple ARCA Menards Series events for the organization in 2025, driving the No. 70 starting with the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.
With a lap time registering at 49.102 seconds, Balcaen was more than a tenth of a second quicker than the second-quickest driver in the session. All of the quick times in the session were set while in a pack.
Chase Pinsonneault, a development driver for NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar’s Late Model team, was second-quickest overall, as the Belle River, Ontario native drove the No. 15 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports.
It’s the first time since ARCA began hosting the pre-season practice session that a pair of Canadian drivers have topped the speed charts.
Pinsonneault will return to Daytona International Speedway in February for the ARCA Daytona 200, a one-off run for Venturini Motorsports.
Willie Mullins, the polesitter for last season’s ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, was ranked third place in the Mullins Racing No. 3.
Lawless Alan, who will run full-time for Venturini Motorsports in 2025, was fourth-quickest, with his teammates Jake Finch and Isabella Robusto sitting in fifth and sixth. Robusto will also compete full-time for Venturini in 2025.
Andy Janowiak was seventh, with Brad Perez (Mullins Racing), Vincent Arthur (KLAS Motorsports), and Kole Raz (AM Racing) rounding out the top-10.
Dale Quarterly, driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Quarterly Racing, was ranked 14th place overall after posting his best lap time during Friday’s session. Kyle Steckly, driving for Rette Jones Racing, ranked 18th, after being second fastest on Friday.
Garrett Mitchell, AKA Cleetus McFarland, was driving a Rette Jones Racing entry on Thursday, and clocked in at 15th place overall, after spending some time in a pack.
A total of 70 drivers posted a lap time across the two days of on-track running, with the slowing of them being Alex Clubb in the Clubb Racing No. 03.
