Flat Rock Speedway

(FLAT ROCK, Mich. – August 13, 2014) – Fresh off serving as a spotter in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and an ARCA/CRA Super Series race scheduled for tonight in western Michigan, Ross Kenseth will race at Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night.

Kenseth, 21, is the son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth. He moved to western Michigan earlier this year to be closer to his race team and compete full-time in the ARCA/CRA Super Series powered by JEGS.

“It’s worked out real well,” Kenseth said. “I’m at the shop every day and focused on racing. We sort of built this team from the ground up, but now we have a full-blown race shop. Things are going well. We’ve come a long way in the last four or five months.”

Kenseth will drive the No. 77 Boyne Machine Company/Enterprise Iron and Metal/DOC 360 Ford.

Kenseth has yet to win this season on the ARCA/CRA tour, but he is second in the point standings behind Travis Braden.

“It’s been all right year,” Kenseth said. “We haven’t got that win that we are looking for or are used to have happening, but we’ve made a lot of strides with our race program. I’m looking forward to these two races this week – Kalamazoo (Wednesday, Aug. 13) and Flat Rock on Saturday.”

Saturday’s 7UP-125 will be Kenseth’s first time racing at the quarter-mile Flat Rock Speedway.

“I’ve never even seen the place,” Kenseth said. “But, I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve heard a lot about it.

“Whenever I get to a track the first time, I just like to take a look around, kind of get a feel for it. Then, on those first few practice laps, you get behind someone who knows there way around the track and you pick up the line. It usually doesn’t take too long to figure it out. It’s going to be fun there Saturday.”

Kenseth is part of a star-packed lineup that includes NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan, Todd Gilliland, son of NASCAR driver Todd Gilliland, plus the usual lineup of ARCA/CRA drivers. The elder Gilliland will be at the track signing autographs after completing his duties at Michigan International Speedway, where the NASCAR drivers are this weekend.

Kenseth said his father, Matt, has been a big supporter of his racing and move to Michigan.

“He’s always behind me and supports me,” Kenseth said. “I think he’s proud of what I’ve been able to do.”

When Kenseth made his ARCA Racing Series debut last year at Madison (Wisc.) International Speedway, his father made the trip. Last month, Ross raced in the ARCA/CRA race at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis and Matt attended that event as well.

Last week, the younger Kenseth served as a spotter for Karl Weber in the ARCA Racing Series race at Berlin Raceway.

“That was my first time spotting in a while,” Kenseth said.

The ARCA/CRA drivers will host an autograph session for fans in front of the main grandstand at approximately 6:30 p.m.

In addition to the 7UP 125, the track’s ARCA Praxair Figure 8’s and the DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stocks will also be in action on the August 16 race schedule.

Practice will begin at 3:30 for the ARCA/CRA cars, followed by Figure 8 and Street Stock practice.  Time trials begin at 5:30, the autograph session is set for 6:30 and racing begins at 7 p.m.  All tickets will go on sale race day at 3:30 p.m. 

 - By Doug Donnelly, arcaracing.com