CHRISTIANSBURG, VA :: Derrick Lancaster is heading to Daytona as he attempts to make his ARCA debut next weekend.  Lancaster’s Daytona attempt comes a few months after he scored his first career Late Model Stock Car victory at Kingsport Speedway in October.

Lancaster has teamed up with engine builder Danny Glad for the season opening race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Daytona International Speedway.

“Me and Danny Glad formed a deal together,” Lancaster said.  “I own the car, equipment, trucks and everything and he supplies the engine.”

The Lucas Oil 200 presented by MavTV American Real is Lancaster’s first ARCA race and first superspeedway race of any kid.  For the race, Lancaster has two expectations, to make the field and to have a strong finish.

“Our goal is to make the show and concentrate on not getting torn up and see what happens,” Lancaster stated.  “I wouldn’t be a racer if I didn’t want to win and with Danny’s help, we’ve got as good a chance as anyone else.”

A lot of effort and preparation has been put in to the race.  Lancaster began putting the deal together before he competed in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville.

“A lot of long hours and hard work have been put in to this by several great friends and crew members,” Lancaster remarked.  “We’ve been working on this deal since before the Martinsville Late Model race last October.  People don’t realize how many dedicated man hours go in to things like this.  It’s just a lot of hard work and dedication on certain peoples’ parts.”

While others have been using iRacing and other racing simulators to prepare for the race, Lancaster doesn’t feel the simulators would benefit him.  Instead, he will use the knowledge and experience he inherited during an open test session held at Daytona in December.  Lancaster’s best time in the session was a 49.342, a time that put him in the top-third of the field on the speed charts.

“I did iRacing stuff years ago but I hadn’t done that in four or five years,” Lancaster explained.  “There’s a difference between iRacing and a deal where you get in the car and can get hurt and feel the car from under your pants.”

If Lancaster has a strong enough effort at Daytona, he could decide to race at Mobile International Speedway in March and Salem Speedway in April.  He also plans on racing at Talladega Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway along with his plans to continue to compete in Late Model Stock Car racing at Kingsport Speedway, Lonesome Pine Raceway and Motor Mile Speedway.

“We’re going to see how Daytona goes,” Lancaster mentioned.  “We’re going to run Motor Mile, Kingsport and Lonesome Pine in the Late Model.  We’d like to go to Talladega, Michigan and Pocono on the ARCA deal.  We’ll see how it works out.  If we finish in the top five at Daytona and have the points, we might go to Mobile, Talladega and Winchester.  The more races you do, the better you become.”

Qualifying for the Lucas Oil 200 presented by MavTV American Real will be on Friday, February 14th.  The 80-lap, 200-mile race will be contested on Saturday, February 15th and will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 4:00pm EST.

Lancaster’s ARCA bid is supported by Total Car Care and Truck Service, RGM Erectors, Dean’s Body Shop in Radford, Danny Glad and Glad Precision, some of the students at Patrick Henry Commnity College, Elite Fabrication and Machine and Longwood Signworks in Rocky Mount.