Tyler Reif Joins Central Coast Cabinets Racing for Shasta

Tyler Reif will join Todd Souza’s ARCA Menards Series West team Central Coast Cabinets Racing for the upcoming race at Shasta Speedway, Reif announced July 10.

Reif will pilot the No. 13 Ford, which has been driven by Souza in all 2023 West events. Souza will slide over into the No. 3 Ford.

Michael Munoz will crew chief Reif, who is currently fourth in the series standings. Jason Dickinson will serve as Souza’s crew chief for that race. Central Coast Cabinets will sponsor both drivers in the race.

The deal is only for the July 29 event. Reif’s remaining 2023 races will be announced at a future date.

“We got a one-race deal with him right now and they’re going to make their decision [regarding the future] pretty much after Shasta,” Souza tells Frontstretch. “We have everything in play with them right now to whatever they want to do.”

Souza and Reif began talking about teaming up in 2022 at the rain race at Portland International Raceway.

“They went with someone local, from their hometown and stuff,” Souza continues. “Back then, he said he’d love to run for us, flat out from day one. He told me, ‘I want to run for CCR, that’s where I want to be.’ They went with the Lowdens, but things just didn’t seem to be working out and he wanted a change. He hasn’t decided what he wants to do after this but we’re putting everything in play with our program for the Shasta race. We want, on our end, to make it right for him to win.”

Reif began the 2023 season driving full time in both the West and ARCA Menards Series East for Lowden Jackson Motorsports. However, he only competed in the East season opener at Five Flags Speedway, finishing sixth.

“We saw what was happening and we’ve had some conversations throughout the year and we’ve always been told, ‘Hey, if things don’t work out, would he be able to jump ship and come over at any point?'” Souza says. “We said, ‘Yeah, just let us know, whatever you need. We’re here for you.’

“Five races in a row where he hadn’t done real well and he’s had issues and problems and he just wasn’t happy. I think he said he had 17 laps total of practice over the last five races. He cannot go out there with the car breaking or something’s not right. He just felt it was time to make a change. He’s got a career he’s working on, he’s young and he had a good start at the beginning of the year. A lot of people were looking at him, had a lot of interest but things had gone a little bit south on him. He wants to get back to that [level of interest from others].

Reif won the West season opener, a combination race for the West with the national ARCA Menards Series, at Phoenix Raceway for his first career victory. Overall, he has one win, two top fives and four top 10s.

“The kid’s got a ton of talent,” Souza adds. “For his age, he doesn’t seem like a 16-year-old. He’s beyond that. And he’s dedicated. I see a lot of kids come up and go through this and I see a lot of kids make it from family money and other ways of getting through there but this kid, even though they’re racing with their own money pretty much, he has full respect for equipment. He doesn’t get out there and drive beyond his means. He’s in control, gets a lot of respect on the racetrack the way he drives. We feel it’s the perfect match for our program. Like I said, if he sticks with us, we’re going to give him everything we can to get that championship this year.”

LJM has not announced a replacement driver at Shasta. The team has fielded the No. 41 full time with the No. 46 competing in all events sans the most recent race at Irwindale Speedway.

Souza also competes full time in the West and he is seventh in the standings. He has one top five and three top 10s in 2023. He also competed in the main ARCA race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, finishing seventh.

Reif and Souza will join the West competitors at Shasta on Saturday, July 29 at 11:30 p.m. ET with live streaming coverage available on FloRacing.