Bill McAnally Racing Aims to Continue Irwindale Success
31st ARCA West Race at Southern California Half-Mile
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (March 24, 2022) – The second round of the 2022 ARCA Menards Series West sees Bill McAnally Racing bringing a pair of Chevrolets to Irwindale Speedway for the NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car & Motorsports Hall of Fame.
The half-mile east of Los Angeles has been a hot bed of success for BMR, with the Roseville-based team enjoying 17 points paying victories in 30 attempts, along with Austin Cameron’s win in the inaugural All-Star Showdown in 2003 as well.
Drivers Austin Herzog of Clovis, Calif. and Cole Moore of Granite Bay, Calif. have experience at the progressively banked oval in different vehicles. Herzog will make his first ARCA West start at the facility, although he recently participated in the All-Star Showdown for Late Models in February. Herzog is embarking on his rookie full-time season in the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS, opening the campaign with a 14th-place effort at Phoenix.
Moore will make his third Irwindale ARCA start, driving the No. 99 CMeleon Chevrolet SS. He earned a pair of top-10 finishes in 2021 including a fifth-place result on July 3.
Herzog and Moore will look to join two-time series champion and former BMR driver Jesse Love in continuing a winning streak for the team at Irwindale. Love won the last three Irwindale races for the series including a sweep of the 2021 editions.
Eight drivers have contributed to BMR’s strong record of winning races since the state-of-the-art facility at Irwindale opened in 1999. Four different drivers went to Victory Lane as BMR won eight of 11 regular season series events at the track between 2001 and 2007. Brendan Gaughan swept three races there in 2001. Austin Cameron had three series wins there with BMR – one in 2002 and two in 2004. Steve Portenga scored a win with BMR at Irwindale in 2005 and Brian Ickler added another BMR victory in 2007.
BMR won five consecutive series races at Irwindale between 2014 and 2017. Three different drivers contributed to that string of victories, beginning with Patrick Staropoli winning in 2014 and Chris Eggleston in 2015. Todd Gilliland won at Irwindale as a rookie in 2016 and then swept the twin 100s that comprised a doubleheader there in 2017.
BMR worked with District Manager Derek Sasabuchi for the 150-lap race. Guests from NAPA in the Los Angeles area will be VIP guests. BMR also worked with NAPA Store Manager Rob Cole whose guests will be the VIP crew members, experiencing race day including tech, practice, and being on the grid for driver introductions.
A large crowd is expected as the NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 will open up an evening full of thrills, which concludes with a fireworks show.
ARCA Menards Series West Event:
Race: NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 (Race 2 of 11) March 26, 2022
Location: Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Calif. (half-mile oval)
Television: Streamed live on FloRacing on March 26, 7:00 p.m. PT/ USA Network on April 1, 10 a.m. PT
BMR Drivers:
Austin Herzog
No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS
Age: 19
Hometown: Clovis, Calif.
Career series stats: 2 starts, 1 top 10
Most recent series finish: 14th – Phoenix (3/11/22)
Best career series finish: 8th – Kern (3/15/18)
Irwindale stats: First start at Irwindale in series
Cole Moore
No. 99 CMeleon Chevrolet SS
Age: 24
Hometown: Granite Bay, Calif.
Best career series finish: 4th – two times (Sonoma 6/5/21, Colorado 7/31/21)
Most recent series finish: 11th – Phoenix (3/11/22)
Irwindale stats: 2 starts, 2 top 10 (Best finish – 5th on 7/3/21)
BMR Series Record at Irwindale:
18 Victories: Brendan Gaughan (three times in 2001), Austin Cameron (2002, the 2003 All-Star Showdown, twice in 2004), Steve Portenga (2005), Brian Ickler (2007), Patrick Staropoli (2014), Chris Eggleston (2015), Todd Gilliland (2016 and twice in 2017), Jesse Love (2020 and twice in 2021)