Three Canadians Trying to Make History in Daytona ARCA Race February 13, 2016 Miscellaneous DAYTONA BEACH, FL – No Canadian has ever won the Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire at Daytona Int’l Speedway. Three, however, will have a legitimate shot when the 40-car field takes the green flag in Saturday’s race. Canadians Cole Powell, Sarah Cornett-Ching and Terry Jones will attempt to rewrite the history books. Powell starts sixth on the field Saturday, Cornett-Ching 12th, and Jones 21st. Powell finished third at Talladega in 2015 and drives for the 2014 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship team, Mason Mitchell Motorsports (MMM), in the No. 78 Chevrolet. MMM took the top three spots in open testing at Daytona in mid-January. “A win at Daytona would honestly be the best that could happen to me a driver,” said the 23-year-old Mount Brydges, Ontario native. “A victory at Daytona might open more doors for me to compete in more races and maybe even land a full time ride, which would be a dream come true,” added Powell, whose best finish at Daytona is 20th. Cornett-Ching finished seventh in ARCA national championship points last year. Her career-best finish is eighth at Talladega and Chicagoland. “It would definitely be awesome,” said Cornett-Ching, who hails from Summerland, British Columbia. “Last year, we came down here on a one-shot deal…on a hope and a dream. Now we’ve got a full season under us. We brought back a more polished car, a driver with more experience…there’s no reason why we can’t finish in the top-five. I’d love to win this thing.” If Cornett-Ching did “win this thing,” she would not only become the first Canadian to win, she would be the first female driver to win an ARCA race. Currently, Shawna Robinson and Erin Crocker are the highest finishing female drivers in ARCA competition with Robinson’s second-place finish at Daytona in 1999 and Crocker’s second-place finishes at Kentucky and Kansas. Jones, from Amherstburg, Ontario, finished a career-best fifth at Talladega in 2013. His crew chief, Mark Rette, earned the ARCA championship with driver Justin Lofton in 2009. “We’d be the first Canadian to do it,” Jones said. “That’s my goal in racing…to win here. Actually, my ultimate goal would be to start the (Daytona) 500 here. But if we win this ARCA race, I think there’d be a big parade back home. We have a car that can run up front.” A win by one of these three drivers would surpass driver Earl Ross as the highest finishing Canadian in the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona. Ross finished third in 1973, and again in 1976. The 53rd annual Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona is live on FS1 Saturday, February 13 and precedes NASCAR’s same-night Sprint Unlimited. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring and live chat for all on-track activities.
