WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: Fresh off his ninth top-10 finish of the season this past weekend at Iowa Speedway, Jason Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team head to the Finger Lakes region of New York, prepared to make his debut at the historic Watkins Glen International road course.
Kitzmiller continued to build experience on short tracks during Saturday’s Atlas 150 at The Fastest Short Track on the Planet.
Making steady gains from the opening practice session through the 150-lap main event, Kitzmiller showed consistent pace in his track debut, ultimately securing a 10th-place finish.
While the result may not have met the team’s full expectations, the track time proved invaluable.
The Statesville, N.C.-based operation hopes the experience gained in Iowa will pay dividends across the four remaining short track races on the calendar.
But before Jason Kitzmiller and his team can shift their focus to the remaining races on the schedule, the Petersburg, West Virginia, native will embrace his second career road course start in Friday’s General Tire 100 at Watkins Glen International.
Kitzmiller showed promise in his road course debut in late June at Lime Rock Park, demonstrating solid pace before being collected in a multi-car incident that ended his day prematurely and left him with a frustrating 19th-place finish.
Now refreshed and refocused, the seasoned ARCA veteran returns to road course competition determined to finish what he started in Connecticut — and with his sights set on earning his 10th top-10 finish of the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season.
“Lime Rock definitely didn’t end the way we wanted, but I felt like I learned a lot in a short amount of time,” said Jason Kitzmiller. “Watkins Glen is another new challenge, but I’m going into it with a positive mindset and a great group of people behind me.
“Our team has been working hard all season, and I’d love to put together a clean race and come out of there with another solid finish.”
Approaching the seven-turn course with the same mindset he carried into Lime Rock, Kitzmiller will once again rely on his inner circle for feedback and suggestions from practice and qualifying — insight he hopes will prove valuable in the short but expected to be highly competitive 41-lap race.
Leaning on the guidance of his crew chief — 10-time ARCA Menards Series champion Frank Kimmel — Kitzmiller will continue to benefit from the support within the A.L.L. Construction Racing – CR7 Motorsports camp, which includes NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series veteran Grant Enfinger, who is also set to compete in The Mission 176 shortly after the conclusion of Friday’s ARCA race.
“Having someone like Frank in my corner is a huge advantage — his experience on all types of tracks, especially road courses, has really helped me prepare,” said Kitzmiller.
“And being able to lean on Grant as well, someone who’s had so much success at the national level, just gives me that extra confidence. I’m surrounded by people who want to see us succeed, and I’m ready to put that to work at The Glen.”
Over the past three weeks, Jason Kitzmiller has shared the track with his teenage son, Isaac, competing side-by-side at Dover Motor Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and most recently at Iowa Speedway.
The family duo has delivered top-10 finishes in all three events, with the younger Kitzmiller narrowly edging out his father each time for bragging rights.
Isaac’s impressive stretch as a rookie not only highlights his rapid development but also helped him extend his lead in the ARCA Menards Series East championship standings — with just the season finale remaining next month at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“It’s been really special getting to race with Isaac these past few weeks,” said Jason Kitzmiller. “As a dad, I’m incredibly proud of how he’s been running — he’s learning fast, racing smart and showing a lot of maturity.
“Sure, he’s got the bragging rights for now, but it’s all in good fun. More than anything, it’s something we’ll both look back on and cherish. That’s priceless. “Watching him lead the points going into Bristol just makes it even more meaningful.”
Keeping his expectations in check for Friday afternoon, Kitzmiller is focused on fighting for a top-10 finish — fully aware that the field is expected to be one of the most competitive of the season, featuring a mix of youth and proven road course specialists.
“There’s no doubt this will be one of the toughest fields we’ve faced all year,” added Kitzmiller. “But I’m going in with the same mindset I’ve had all season — run my race, stay out of trouble and take advantage of every opportunity. If we can execute and stay clean, I think we’ve got a shot at another top-10 and a nice recovery from Lime Rock.”
For Watkins Glen, the team welcomes the continued support of Carter Machinery, featuring the iconic Caterpillar (Cat®) brand as the primary partner on the No. 97 Chevrolet SS for the 13th consecutive race this season.
Carter Machinery’s humble start began in 1928, serving Virginia and southeastern West Virginia.
As our customers’ needs changed over the years, we evolved by continually adding new products, services, and locations, with exponential growth occurring after our 2020 acquisition of Alban Tractor Company.
Today, our footprint spans the Mid-Atlantic, with over 30 locations throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
We sell, rent, and support the full line of Cat® equipment, engines, and electric power generation systems, backed by the best parts availability, most diverse rental fleet, and an expert service team working together to enable our customers’ highest level of success.
Our ongoing investment in people, infrastructure, technology, and tooling continues to position us as one of Caterpillar’s leading dealers in North America and throughout the world.
“Carter Machinery has been such an asset to our program this year,” said Kitzmiller. “To represent the Caterpillar brand at a place like Watkins Glen — one of the most iconic road courses in the country — is a great opportunity to showcase our partnership on a national stage. We’re proud to represent them and hope to give them a strong run on Friday afternoon.”
In addition to Carter Machinery, A.L.L. Construction Inc., Grant County Mulch, A&J Excavating, Cobra Mining, Champion Power Equipment and Volt Battery Technology will all serve as associate marketing partners for the sixth ARCA national race hosted at Watkins Glen International.
Entering Watkins Glen, Kitzmiller, 52, sits fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 68 points behind third-place Lavar Scott and 114 points behind leader Brenden Queen, with eight races remaining.
The A.L.L. Construction Racing team also holds a solid seventh place in the championship owner standings.
Since 2020, Jason Kitzmiller has made 39 ARCA Menards Series starts, earning two top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in February 2025.
The General Tire 100 (41 laps | 100.45 miles) marks the 13th race of 20 on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series schedule. On Friday, August 8, teams will hit the track for a forty-five-minute practice session from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. General Tire Pole Group Group Qualifying will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. ET, with the green flag expected to wave shortly after 2:00 p.m. ET. The race will be televised live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) and the Motor Racing Network (radio), while ARCARacing.com will provide live timing and scoring throughout the day’s activities. All times are local (ET).