Ahead of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway, the driver lineup for 1995 series champion Andy Hillenburg’s team Fast Track Racing is coming together.
In 2022, the organization scored one top five and 11 top 10s among its four entries, with Ryan Huff earning the team its best finish of fifth at the second event at Kansas Speedway.
Now, Hillenburg plans on bringing four entries to the first five events of both the main series as well as the ARCA Menards Series East. At that point, the team “will evaluate,” he tells Frontstretch. “We’re a little busier than usual, so I need to make sure I like it [to keep four entries].”
The team will field DL Wilson and Zachary Tinkle full time in the East in Nos. 11 and 12, respectively.
“I would like to see both of our drivers finish all the races and get in the top five in points,” Hillenburg said. “I think that’s something that is attainable. We’ll see where we end up.
In addition, Fast Track will be allied with rookie Jon Garrett’s operation Veer Motorsports in the No. 66.
“It’s under the Fast Track umbrella,” Hillenburg said. “The cars are here, we work on the cars, we get them to the racetrack and we get them home. It’s very similar to our deal with D.L. Wilson.”
For Daytona, Hillenburg has two of his three drivers set plus Garrett in the No. 66. Ed Pompa will pilot the No. 10 and Bryce Haugeberg will drive the No. 11. The driver of the third Fast Track entry will be announced at a later date.
Per his sponsor Double H Ranch’s website, Pompa will contest seven total ARCA races. In the main series, he will compete in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Watkins Glen International and Salem Speedway.
In 79 total ARCA series starts, Pompa has four top 10s with his career-best finish of ninth in the 2016 race at Berlin Raceway.
The 18-year-old Haugeberg increased his ARCA participation in 2022 after entering three races in 2021. The most memorable moment of Haugeberg’s season came in a vicious crash with Buddy Kofoid at the end of the race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Remarkably, Haugeberg’s 10th-place finish at the Springfield Mile became his career-best, which he then tied at Salem Speedway. Ultimately, Haugeberg’s 11-race performance garnered him 16th-place points finish. He’ll return to Fast Track for the majority of, if not all, of the 2023 ARCA season.
“They’re still waiting on funding for the full season,” Hillenburg said. “They would like to [run the full season] so they’re working on sponsorship to run the whole year.”
Stephanie Moyer made history in 2022, becoming the first female to finish top five in East points as she wound up fourth with one top 10.
Hillenburg confirmed she will return to the team in 2023, though her amount of races and schedule are dependent on funding.
Although Hillenburg hasn’t competed in ARCA since the 2006 race at the Milwaukee Mile, he might return to the driver’s seat in 2023. Yes, there is a possibility that Hillenburg will wheel one of his racecars in the East race at Flat Rock Speedway.
“It’s a wish and still a possibility but we’ll see how the first couple of months go,” he said. “It’s something that interests me.”
Flat Rock will host the East for the first time. The 0.25-mile short track hosted 40 main races, most recently in 2000. Hillenburg is no stranger there as he won the first event there in 1995.
While the first ARCA dirt track race is nearly seven months from now, Hillenburg already has one of his drivers for those two events set. Team employee Tim Monroe will climb into the cockpit for both races. Monroe competed in a career-high 14 races in 2022 en route to 12th in the points. He has three career top 10s, all at the two ARCA dirt tracks.
The Fast Track 2023 driver lineup isn’t complete, however. There are still more drivers to be announced, including the expectation of both road course and dirt track ringers.
All main races will be broadcast on either FOX Sports 1 or FOX Sports 2, much welcome news for Fast Track.
“For us, I think it’s big because it helps our drivers find more funding and better funding,” Hillenburg said. “So that’s a win across the board for everybody.
As far as goals for his team, the longtime team owner immediately jokingly said, “To make it to 2024,” then added, “For our drivers to stay safe, get some top 10s and even contend for a top five this year.”
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.