Venturini Motorsports (VMS), one of the most well-known and successful organizations in the history of the ARCA Menards Series, is set to shutter its operations at season’s end, team owner Billy Venturini announced Friday in a press conference at Rockingham Speedway.
The organization will be sold to Nick Tucker and Nitro Motorsports, who will assume ownership on October 15, 2025. Nitro Motorsports currently fields the No. 46 and No. 70 in the ARCA Menards Series.
“Nitro Motorsports foundation has been built on driver development, a pillar of what Venturini Motorsports has been known for and curated. My partner Joe (Tovo) and I understand the responsibility to carry on that legacy and the history that the Venturini family has poured their life’s work into and build on that for many years to come with Toyota GAZOO Racing,” said Nick Tucker of Nitro Motorsports.
Billy Venturini will stay on board the Nitro Motorsports program through the 2026 ARCA Menards Series campaign as General Manager, in an attempt to ease the transition for the first-year ARCA Menards Series program, which has deep roots in TransAm, Toyota GR Cup Series, and karting.
“With the acquisition of Venturini Motorsports, Nitro becomes the most vertically integrated driver development program in the world starting with our premier cadet Go Karting program (Nitro Kart) as the ground floor with progression to cars with Toyota GR Cup, Trans Am, and now ARCA.”
“Billy and I are cut from the same cloth of being born into the sport with a racing family, working up through the ranks at all levels, and seeing how to build a driver with an intimate view that very few have. I want to thank Toyota for believing in my vision to carry forward their goals and Billy for the forethought to bring us in to carry forward the torch.”
Venturini Motorsports first rose to prominence during the late-1980s and early-1990s, when team patriarch Bill Venturini secured 12 victories and the 1987 ARCA Menards Series championship, while finishing top five in point standings in six consecutive years.
In 2006, VMS ended a winless streak that spanned more than 12 seasons when Billy Venturini, son of Bill Venturini, won the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway. In the two decades since, the organization has won 71 ARCA Menards Series events.
VMS has become well-known for its driver development program over the years, serving as a stepping off point for many talented individuals, including NASCAR Cup Series drivers Joey Logano, Erik Jones, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, and Christopher Bell.
“I want to thank my wife, my parents, my team, Jack Irving, Tyler Gibbs, and Ron Drager. Each of them is what has made this journey so very special,” said Billy Venturini. “The last 20 years [as owner and General Manager] have been very rewarding, but also incredibly demanding. I love what this sport has given to me, but in return I gave it everything I had. So the time has come to be able to prioritize other things ahead of racing. As a racer, nothing comes before the sport. I understood, I believed, and lived by it. But it’s now time to prepare for my departure.
“I knew that the person who was to take this team over when the time came needed to be someone who carried that same passion and intensity that I did. Nick is that guy. Nick seems like the perfect fit to continue this program for the team and for Toyota with the same devotion to drivers development as I have.”
In 2025, Venturini Motorsports is fielding four entries in the ARCA Menards Series, the No. 15, No. 20, No. 25, and No. 55, while also making sporadic appearances in both the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West.
This weekend at Rockingham Speedway, Jake Finch will drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry, and Patrick Staropoli will drive the No. 25 Toyota Camry. Lawless Alan (No. 20) and Isabella Robusto (No. 55) currently compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for the organization.
Other drivers that will join the team’s roster this season include Taylor Reimer, Treyten Lapcevich, Mason Mitchell, and Chase Pinsonneault, among others that will be announced as the season continues.
In 2023, Jesse Love succeeded in earning the second-ever Driver’s Championship for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series. The team also played a role in back-to-back ARCA Menards Series West championships for Sean Hingorani.
“Billy Venturini and the entire Venturini Motorsports organization have been incredible partners for TRD. Over the years, we’ve shared countless wins and developed some of the sport’s brightest talents together. What makes the relationship special is not just the success on the track, but the trust, integrity, and friendship that define how we work together. Billy’s passion for racing and commitment to driver development truly embody what we value at TRD,” said Jack Irving, General Manager, TRD.
Corey Heim, Kevin Swindell, Chandler Smith, Michael Self, Brennan Poole, Todd Gilliland, Drew Dollar, Christian Eckes, Logan Seavy, Tom Hessert, Dalton Sargeant, Justin Boston, Kyle Benjamin, and Austin Theriault are among the drivers who have secured victories for VMS over the years.
“The Venturini family has built a racing legacy synonymous with success in the ARCA Menards Series for over 40 years, beginning with Bill and Cathy Venturini’s championship in 1987,” said Ron Drager, President, ARCA Menards Series.
“Over the past 20-plus years, Billy Venturini has taken the business to a new level, winning races and championships, establishing and growing the team’s partnership with Toyota, and creating and expanding its highly respected driver development initiative. From an ARCA perspective, we’re proud that Venturini Motorsports chose to make a home here, and we applaud them on their tremendous success.”
The journey for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series, which has resulted in 107 victories, will come to an end in October.
