Add Tony Cosentino to the drivers competing for the 2026 ARCA Menards Series championship. Cosentino will pilot the No. 1 for Maples Motorsports, the organization announced on Jan. 12.
“Calculated, aggressive, and unapologetically fast,” the team posted on its Instagram page. “Every lap is an attack, and every restart a statement. This is pressure at race pace, precision under fire, and intent from the drop of the green. Welcome to the Maples family.”
Sponsorship, manufacturer and crew chief for Cosentino’s No. 1 are still to be determined.
Cosentino will join team owner Michael Maples as the full-time drivers from MMS.
Overall, Cosentino has 34 career starts with seven top 10s, highlighted with a best result of seventh place at Elko Speedway in 2023. In 2025, he competed in 14 races, accrued three top 10s and finished 10th in the point standings.
Cosentino, Maples and Ryan Vargas are the three announced drivers from MMS. The team plans to field the No. 99 for Maples, the No. 1 for Cosentino and the Nos. 19 and 91 full time with a rotation of drivers.
During the series test at Daytona International Speedway, a person with knowledge of the situation told Frontstretch that Shane Backes and Christopher Tate will also drive MMS racecars throughout the year.
Monty Tipton tested with the team at Daytona in hopes of receiving approval to compete in the season opener there and the race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Maples acquired several racecars and two haulers from Rev Racing.
The No. 99 finished 11th in the owner point standings and the No. 67 finished 14th. The team has transferred the No. 67 owner points to its No. 91 entry.
The Nos. 1 and 19 do not currently have any owner points to begin the 2026 season, Michael Maples confirmed to Frontstretch. With the entry list for Daytona expected to be more than 40 entrants, MMS’s Nos. 1 and 19 will have to qualify their way into the race, unless Maples acquires owner points.
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.