Just when you think you’ve seen everything in this sport, more surprises drop on the news wire. Spencer Gallagher, a former NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner who hasn’t competed in the NASCAR National Series level since 2018, and hasn’t run an ARCA Menards Series event since 2014, will get back behind the steering wheel for a four-race ARCA Menards Series stint this season.
On Friday, Sigma Performance Services announced on Instagram that Gallagher will make his return to the driver’s seat in the upcoming ARCA Menards Series East event at Rockingham Speedway on April 19, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for the team.
Gallagher, 35, will return as the driver of the No. 23 Sigma Performance Services Chevrolet for the ARCA Menards Series events at Talladega Superspeedway (April 26), Kansas Speedway (May 9), and Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 23).
The high water mark of Gallagher’s racing career was a 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega Superspeedway, but the driver’s lone NASCAR National Series win was marred by a substance abuse suspension in the aftermath of the race win.
From 2013 to 2018, the native of Las Vegas competed in 60 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events, 59 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, and he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2018 event at Watkins Glen International. Gallagher, who competed for the now-defunct BK Racing in his NASCAR Cup Series debut, started 34th and finished 35th in the 37-car field driving the No. 23 Toyota for the BK Racing team.
Prior to moving up to the NASCAR National Series level, Gallagher, the son of Maury Gallagher who served as the team owner of GMS Racing and co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, competed in the ARCA ranks.
Gallagher finished seventh in the 2012 ARCA Menards Series championship standings after reeling off six top-10 finishes in 19 races that season, and he followed that up with a 2013 campaign, where he recorded five top-five finishes and eight top-10s. Despite missing three races that season, Gallagher still ranked 10th in the championship standings.
Competing in just 11 races during the 2014 ARCA Menards Series season, Gallagher recorded his lone ARCA Menards Series win at Kansas Speedway. Gallagher started that race from the 32nd position, but led a race-high 53 laps en route to the victory.
After stepping away from racing at the conclusion of the 2018 NASCAR season, Gallagher took on an executive role within his father’s race team.
It’ll be interesting to see how well Gallagher acclimates to the ARCA Menards Series competition after seven years away from racing in the NASCAR/ARCA circles.
