Eagle, Idaho, 17-year-old Jacob Smith will join Jerry Pitts Racing for his ARCA Menards Series West debut on Friday, October 14 at the Star Nursery 150 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith will drive the No. 5 Collective Region Cross-Country Mortgage Ford on the three-eight-mile asphalt oval.
Smith competes full-time in the MAVTV-televised Lunkerdaddy Pro Late Model Series at Madera Speedway and is currently ranked third in that championship. Jerry Pitts Racing is owned by three-time West Series champion Crew Chief with 23 series wins. In 2020, he was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Jacob Smith Racing will host the Drive to Live Community Health and Wellness Fair at Madera Auto Center on Wednesday, October 12. The event will raise awareness of mental health issues and services available to youth in the Madera area. Thursday’s schedule will include tryouts at Madera Speedway for the $10,000 Short Track Shootout to win on Saturday for the Pro Late Models. Smith will travel to Las Vegas for Friday’s ARCA West race, then travel back to Madera for the 150-lap championship event on Saturday.
The teen driver burst onto the scene in 2021 on the series 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model. Smith won four fast-time awards in the nine-race campaign along with two wins. He added two second-place finishes and three third-place performances to win second place in a hard-fought championship while clinching Rookie of the Year. Smith also set an all-time record with 196 consecutive laps led.
Prior to racing at Madera, Smith was a four-time winner and Rookie of the Year in the Northwest Tour Truck Series. His eight-year karting career featured 110 races and 70 wins, including two IKF Grand National Championships in 2015.
More than 60 VIP guests from Cross Country Mortgage and The Collective Region will attend Friday’s race in Las Vegas. They will enjoy reserved seating with other Jacob Smith Racing guests in the main grandstands.
Additional support for the weekend includes The Westmark Group, Idahome Solar, ARM Multi Insurance Services, Pullover Prints, Hammer Nutrition and Alpinestars. Smith’s Ford will carry the hashtag #TakeGWithMe in honor of his inspiration in mental health, Garrison Zimmer and the Garrison Zimmer Foundation, raising awareness of suicide prevention.
Racing fans can watch Friday’s Star Nursery 150 live at 8:35 pm PT on FloRacing. The event will also be nationally televised on tape delay on USA Network on October 21 at 2 pm PT. Saturday’s Short Track Shootout airs live on www.YouTube.com/ShortTrackTV with B-Main coverage starting at 5 pm PT.
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