Daytona Debut: AM Racing will welcome Lake Oswego, Oregon native Kole Raz, to the team for Saturday afternoon’s ARCA Menards Series season-opening Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Daytona International Speedway will mark the second ARCA Menards Series platform race, where Raz will drive an entry for the Statesville, N.C.-based team.
Last fall, Raz competed for the team in the ARCA Menards Series West season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, where he delivered the team a top-10 finish in the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100.
About Kole: Kole Raz is a 21-year-old first-generation Lake Oswego, Oregon, driver. He enters the ARCA Menards Series platform after competing in various Super Late Model divisions along the West Coast.
Raz is a 22-time Super Late Model winner, with victories last season, including the 2024 Chilly Willy 150 winner, the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Salted Metals 150, and the Star Nursery Classic at The Bullring
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Last year, Raz also scored his first ARCA Menards Series West victory in a thrilling finish at Kevin Harvick’s Kern County (Calif.) Raceway.
In addition to his many Late Model wins, Raz is a two-time NASCAR Arizona state champion.
He’s Back Too!: To help steer Kole Raz and the AM Racing team towards a victory at the “World Center of Racing,” Ryan “Pickle” London will return to serve as crew chief of the No. 76 Ford Mustang.
London, a long-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series crew chief, returned to AM Racing in early 2023 after spending the 2020 season as the truck chief with the team’s Truck Series program.
London has plenty of experience as a leader in the ARCA Menards Series, including guiding drivers Tom Hessert and Frank Kimmel to poles and leading Grant Enfinger to victories at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds in 2014.
He spent 2023 and 2004 as the team leader for West Virginia native Christian Rose. His leadership carried Rose to five top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 40 races. Rose also finished third and fifth, respectively in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2023 and 2024.
In addition to the two wins as crew chief, the winning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series crew chief has numerous ARCA top-fives and top-10 efforts to his credit.
Partner Support: Cyclum Next Gen Travel Centers will serve as the primary marketing partner on Raz’s No. 76 Ford Mustang in Saturday afternoon’s Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200.
Founded in 2019, Cyclum Next Gen Travel Centers embarked on a mission to revolutionize the trucking industry.
Cyclum Next Gen Travel Centers is building a next-generation network of 400 truck stops across the US, offering a comprehensive suite of transitional and traditional fueling options alongside all available renewable fuels, such as hydrogen and EV charging.
January Rewind: In January, Raz and AM Racing kicked off their season by partaking in the annual ARCA Menards Series preseason practice session at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
The team spent Thursday, January 9, 2025, focusing on comfort, maneuverability and speed. Overall, the team registered the 10th quickest lap out of 10 participants at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Kole Raz ARCA Daytona International Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 will mark Raz’s first career ARCA Menards Series start at the central Florida race track.
Kole Raz Career ARCA National Series Stats: Saturday’s kickoff race for the ARCA Menards Series will signify Raz’s debut on the premier ARCA Menards Series platform.
However, Raz has seven ARCA Menards Series West starts since 2023, with one win (Kevin Harvick’s Kern County Raceway Park in April 2024), three top-five finishes, and six top-10 finishes.
AM Minute: It’s a busy weekend for AM Racing. In addition to the ARCA Menards Series, both AM Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series and Dirt Division teams are in action.
At Daytona, Harrison Burton will make his AM Racing debut aboard the No. 25 Dead On Tools Ford Mustang in Saturday afternoon’s United Rentals 300, shortly following the Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200.
The AM Racing Dirt Division continues a busy month of February, competing in various Dirt Late Model shows throughout the Sunshine State with mainstay driver Austin Wayne Self.
Thanks For Your Support: With the start of the 2025 season on deck, AM Racing and Kole Raz would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, Auto Bank RV Sales & Service, Eagle Rentals, Flying Circle, Phillips 66 Lubricants, Racing Radios and WIX Filters.
Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and X | Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.
For more on Kole Raz like him on Facebook (Kole Raz Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@koleraz) and X | Twitter (@koleraz27).
Kole Raz Quoteboard:
On Daytona International Speedway: “I am beyond excited to head down to Daytona for the season opener. I felt like we had a strong practice session in January with our No. 76 Cyclum Next Gen Travel Centers Ford.
“It’s always a pleasure being able to work with such a strong team, “Pickle” (Ryan London, crew chief) and the guys with AM Racing have been working hard through the off-season to ensure we are bringing a strong piece for this weekend.”
On Goal for Daytona International Speedway Debut: “First and foremost, I think the first goal is to survive, obviously. It’s going to be a big learning curve for me, with this being my first superspeedway race, but based on our practice, I think we have a car that can contend for a win.
“We just need to play it smart with our Ford Performance teammates, and I hope we can have a good pill draw on Thursday to set ourselves up for a strong qualifying run in a good group.
“It’s going to be a thrilling weekend of racing. AM Racing as an organization has made big strides this offseason for not only the No. 76 but the No. 25 team on the Xfinity side. Now it’s time to go show for it!”
About AM Racing:
AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.
Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.
In its ninth year of competition, the family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events.