Kurzejewski, Armstrong and Ferns Fast in Saturday’s ARCA Open Test Session

Series PR Report
Photo by: ARCA Communications

Daytona Beach, FL(December 15, 2012) — Talk about the ultimate PR pull. Venturini Motorsports, which has been fastest in every test session so far at Daytona Int’l Speedway, has also managed to spread the love among its four drivers testing over three days this weekend at the “World Center of Racing”.

First it was veteran John Wes Townley, who led with the fastest lap in round one Friday morning; then it was rookie Justin Boston who circled his way to the top of the charts Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the world got the first big look at rookie Taylor Ferns, the young lady from Washington, Michigan, who showed the boys the fastest way around the historic 2.5-mile superspeedway.

Now, with the Saturday afternoon session history, the fourth driver in the Venturini Motorsport mix, rookie Caleb Armstrong, with his three teammates in full view in the rear view mirror, turned the fastest lap so far at 184.192 mph.

“As a driver there is no doubt Daytona is the place to be,” Armstrong said.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity and excited to see my progress as I’ve had to make a transition from open wheel to stock cars. The team has been totally supportive and given me really good equipment.”

The “good equipment” thing is a common thread for Venturini Motorsports drivers, who, pretty much, all say the same thing in regards to the quality of the cars they drive.

And while the team has won ARCA championships and races at some of the biggest, most prestigious tracks on the ARCA tour, a victory at Daytona has eluded the team over the course of its motorsports tenure.

Armstrong is the cousin of ARCA winner/NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Dakoda Armstrong.

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rookie Matt Kurzejewski, in the No. 54 Dodge, sat atop the test charts for most of the afternoon Saturday at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

That was until the final moments of on-track testing when four big bad Toyotas from the Venturini Motorsports stable ganged up in a tight draft and zoomed to the top of the board again, all four cars posting the fastest laps so far at better than 184 mph. Rookie Caleb Armstrong was fastest overall at 184.192 mph.

Despite getting nudged off the top of the mountain, Kurzejewski, with an assist from crew chief/mentor/coach Bob Keselowski, took a big step toward getting approved for the 2013 season opener at Daytona. While he still waits the official and complete approval process via series officials, he most certainly gained the approval of the 49 drivers who posted time and speed this afternoon in day two of the three day test. Kurzejewski ended up fifth fastest overall aboard the fastest Dodge of the field so far.

Morning Test Session

The names have changed but the team remains the same. Venturini Motorsports has again topped the test charts at Daytona Int’l Speedway, leading the Saturday morning session.

Although this time they shuffled the driver order sending ARCA Racing Series rookie Taylor Ferns to the top of the list with the quickest lap yet of the three-day test. Ferns, from Washington, Michigan, circled the 2.5-mile historic superspeedway in 49.460 seconds, equating to an average speed of 181.965 mph.

John Wes Townley, Justin Boston and Caleb Armstrong, all from the Venturini Motorsports stable, were second, third and fourth on the charts, respectively.

Brentwood, Tennessee’s Mason Mingus was fifth fastest on the board overall in the Win-Tron Racing Toyota, completing the sweep for Toyota of the top-five positions.

Testing Times

Afternoon Session

1 ) 55 Caleb Armstrong — 48.862
2 ) 25a Justin Boston — 48.871
3 ) 55a Taylor Ferns — 48.876
4 ) 15 John Wes Townley — 48.876
5 ) 54 Matt Kurzejewski — 48.881
6 ) 8 Clay Campbell — 49.092
7 ) 42 Bo Lemastus — 49.113
8 ) 2 Thomas Praytor — 49.305
9 ) 77 Michel Disdier — 49.323
10 ) 22 Tom Hessert — 49.382
11 ) 92 Brennan Newberry — 49.394
12 ) 04a Galen Hassler — 49.447
13 ) 68 Will Kimmel — 49.465
14 ) 3 Drew Charleson — 49.527
15 ) 16 Ricky Ehrgott — 49.527
16 ) 99 John Ferrier — 49.643
17 ) 6 Julien Jousse — 49.658
18 ) 32 Mason Mingus — 49.661
19 ) 30 Terry Jones — 49.772
20 ) 11e Trevor Edwards — 49.782
21 ) 75 Benny Chastain — 49.845
22 ) 5 Bobby Gerhart — 49.848
23 ) 58 Chad Hackenbracht — 49.958
24 ) 04b Jeremy Morales — 49.985
25 ) 4 Dominick Casola — 50.018
26 ) 40e Michelle Theriault — 50.025
27 ) 69 Steve Kemp — 50.071
28 ) 58a Mason Mitchell — 50.075
29 ) 17 Chris Buescher — 50.118
30 ) 9 Grant Enfinger — 50.16
31 ) 75a Scott Green — 50.203
32 ) 94 Milka Duno — 50.251
33 ) 40 Joel Willman — 50.31
34 ) 19a Nur Ali — 50.322
35 ) 11b Jonathan Eilen — 50.409
36 ) 40a Richard Altman — 50.531
37 ) 10a Rick Clifton — 50.608
38 ) 5b Brandon Hanks — 50.65
39 ) 99a Chris Buescher — 50.673
40 ) 5a Brian Smith — 50.693
41 ) 38 Andrew Gresel — 50.718
42 ) 11f Casey Hillenburg — 51.01
43 ) 11c Johnny VanDoorn — 51.196
44 ) 23 Spencer Gallagher — 51.403
45 ) 88 Buster Graham — 51.492
46 ) 7 Brent Cross — 51.779
47 ) 19 Cody Ware — 51.789
48 ) 19d Dexter Stacey — 51.867
49 ) 7a George Cushman — 51.91

Morning Session

1 ) 55a Taylor Ferns — 49.46
2 ) 15 John Wes Townley — 49.563
3 ) 25a Justin Boston — 49.672
4 ) 55 Caleb Armstrong — 49.976
5 ) 32 Mason Mingus — 50.077
6 ) 3 Drew Charleson — 50.117
7 ) 58 Chad Hackenbracht — 50.208
8 ) 16 Ricky Ehrgott — 50.297
9 ) 17 Chris Buescher — 50.306
10 ) 58a Mason Mitchell — 50.311
11 ) 5 Bobby Gerhart — 50.43
12 ) 54 Matt Kurzejewski — 50.448
13 ) 54a Garrett Smithley — 50.598
14 ) 75a Scott Green — 50.64
15 ) 5a Brian Smith — 50.644
16 ) 22 Tom Hessert — 50.683
17 ) 92 Brennan Newberry — 50.697
18 ) 69 Steve Kemp — 50.726
19 ) 04a Galen Hassler — 50.767
20 ) 8 Clay Campbell — 50.791
21 ) 94 Milka Duno — 50.807
22 ) 75 Benny Chastain — 50.834
23 ) 99a Chris Buescher — 50.913
24 ) 5b Brandon Hanks — 50.95
25 ) 77 Michel Disdier — 50.985
26 ) 6 Julien Jousse — 51.006
27 ) 40a Richard Altman — 51.021
28 ) 2 Thomas Praytor — 51.085
29 ) 23 Spencer Gallagher — 51.24
30 ) 7a George Cushman — 51.319
31 ) 19a Nur Ali — 51.407
32 ) 40c Garrett Farmer — 51.514
33 ) 88 Buster Graham — 51.515
34 ) 09a Charles Evans, Jr. — 51.55
35 ) 40b Jimmy Wills — 51.551
36 ) 11a Travis Braden — 51.575
37 ) 99 John Ferrier — 51.598
38 ) 11b Jonathan Eilen — 51.633
39 ) 19b Noel Dowler — 51.748
40 ) 10a Rick Clifton — 51.861
41 ) 10 Richard Doheny — 51.927
42 ) 38 Andrew Gresel — 52.015
43 ) 7 Brent Cross — 52.018
44 ) 19d Dexter Stacey — 52.152