Jonathan Shafer – who has spent the last three seasons racing in the JEGS CRA Series and CARS Tour — will embark on the next step of his racing career, signing a five-race deal with Venturini Motorsports for 2022.
The 16-year-old prospect will compete for the organization at Iowa, Lucas Oil Raceway, Bristol, and Salem in the ARCA Menards Series, along with the ARCA Menards Series East event at Dover.
“This is such a great moment in my career. A lot of hard work has gotten me to this point,” said Shafer, when asked about taking the next step in his racing career.
“I can’t thank Venturini Motorsports and Toyota enough for giving me this opportunity. I’m excited to have this chance and continue to develop as a driver. Knowing I’ll be running great equipment with a team as good as Venturini Motorsports gives me a lot of confidence going into my first start at Iowa.”
The Ashland, Ohio-native began driving quarter midgets at the age of five and has since moved his way through the ranks, accumulating nearly 300 feature race victories along the way. In recent years, the teenager has focused heavily on midget racing and late models, running with Keith Kunz Motorsports.
“I’ve gained a lot of great experience with Keith (Kunz) and his midget program along with Lee Pulliam in the CARS Tour. The last couple of years racing late models have been an important stepping stone to get me where I am today. I’m focused on continuing to get better and go out this year and do the best I can.”
Shafer will compete in his first race foe Venturini Motorsports at Dover Motor Speedway on April 29 but will make his ARCA Menards Series debut at Iowa Speedway, piloting the No. 15 Toyota Camry on June 11.
