Beyond the Cockpit: Quinn Davis Ready to Make Dollywood Proud

The Bush’s Best 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway is a combination race between the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East. For the East drivers, it’s their season finale.

Fifth in points is Quinn Davis. The 17-year-old driver for City Garage Motorsports overcame two DNFs in the first three races to rebound with four straight top-15 finishes, highlighted by her career-best result of fifth at Flat Rock Speedway.

Davis will drive a special No. 85 Ford at Bristol, with popular Tennessee tourist attraction Dollywood Parks & Resorts adorning her racecar. Yes, Davis will drive a racecar with the company bearing country legend, and recently deceased, Dolly Parton’s name on it.

Prior to the main series race at Salem Speedway, Frontstretch ARCA editor Mark Kristl spoke to Davis about how she overcame her early-season adversity, Dolly, and competing at Bristol for the first time.

Mark Kristl, Frontstretch: You had a tough start to begin the year. How hard was that to deal with?

Quinn Davis: Honestly, it took a lot of mental awareness, and I had to sit down by myself and figure out how I could handle these problems one-on-one rather than taking them out on the track and ultimately messing up more. So, I had to prepare for any situation, whether good or bad, and figure out how I could eliminate those problems in the first place.

It’s just a matter of remembering that when stuff breaks, it’s not your fault. As a driver, it’s hard to keep that in mind.

Kristl: Toledo Speedway seemed like where you turned your season around and you finished 12th. What clicked there?

Davis: It was the weekend we turned it around. Before Toledo, we sat down and talked about what issues we were having and what we could do to fix those issues. Then at Toledo, we started getting those finishes to turn it around.

Kristl: Then, Flat Rock was the highlight of your season. Looking back at it, what stands out from that race?

Davis: Yes, it was the highlight of my racing career. I was able to go back to my racing roots, stay grounded, stay calculated, and wait for someone else to mess up. I would stay behind people, see where they were weaker, and make their weaknesses work for me that lap.

I felt like I was back in my quarter midget days. So, it felt comfortable, like I’d been there before.

Kristl: Has that been the top highlight of your year, on or off the track?

Davis: Well, the physical highlight will be Bristol, I promise you that. Mentally, as a driver, the highlight has been learning to be a better driver, whether that’s being more patient, strategy, and efficiency. Everyone on the team has helped me get to that point and it’s been a big change for me this year.

Kristl: Now, Bristol is the ARCA East season finale. First, how are you feeling going to Bristol?

Davis: I’m feeling confident. We’ve got Dolly on our side so we’re going to have a team meeting to see what we can do to maximize our day. We don’t want to kill it, at least not in the beginning part of the race. Once we get into a rhythm, we should be OK. The goal is just to keep going forward throughout.

Kristl: Bristol is known as The Last Great Colosseum, and you’re racing at it for the first time. Is it any different for you compared to any other racetrack?

Davis: No. If you’re not scared, you’re not human, no matter where you go. It could be Flat Rock, which is so small, or Iowa Speedway, because it was so big. It’s learning that you are not the only one who is scared or nervous as everyone else is too. NASCAR Cup Series drivers are nervous too when they go to certain tracks or new ones; they just don’t say that. I’m not intimidated; I’m excited to go out there.

Kristl: You’re fifth in points, with two drivers a few markers behind you. What would fifth in points in your first full-time East Series season mean to you?

Davis: It would mean a lot to me but also to my team that has worked so hard to get where we are, sacrificing so much to even step foot on track. I would love it. It would mean a lot to me and be worth more to me because I would do it for my team, my partners, my fans who want to be entertained and kept happy, and that’s what I want to do for them.

Kristl: You mentioned Dolly. Your car will be sponsored by Dollywood at Bristol. First, how did that sponsorship deal come together?

Davis: It took a long time. It began as a friendship with Dollywood President Eugene Naughton. This wasn’t strictly because I was seeking money from them. Instead, I wanted to create that bond with Dollywood because she was my inspiration as a girl growing up. I wanted to be involved with Dollywood somehow, whether it was going there and having a good time, and people go there and are happy. So, I thought it was important to offer Eugene to have Dollywood be on the car as a partner. It was not initially that big of a deal, but now with Dolly Parton passing away, it’s huge because I want to spread her message worldwide.

Kristl: You’ve said the word partner rather than sponsor multiple times. Is that intentional?

Davis: Yes. I say partner rather than sponsor because I think of a sponsor as a business transaction. Whereas I think of a partner as a friend. In this case, they have done a lot for me. We’re all a big family here at City Garage. We don’t consider sponsors family, but our partners are.

Kristl: That’s an interesting take coming from a 17-year-old. It is a different mindset, refreshing to hear how much you value these companies.

Davis: Thank you for noticing. Not a lot of people do and our partners matter.

Kristl: When your team unveiled the decal of the rear bumper of your car at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, you smiled so big that a plastic surgeon couldn’t do better. Clearly, you love Dollywood and Dolly. So, what’s your favorite Dolly song?

Davis: That’s a great question. I like all her songs. “Jolene” is my favorite, but every time I hear “I Believe,” I cry.

Unfortunately, I never met Dolly. We were hoping she would be at our car reveal at Dollywood or at Bristol. We had a crew shirt made for her. God needed her more than we did; that’s all I can say.

It feels good that I was one of her last choices and will be a part of her legacy. That was special, a lot of pride.

Kristl: In addition to Dolly, every time you are at the racetrack, you light up when you’re by your parents. What impact do they have on your racing career, specifically?

Davis: Without them, I wouldn’t be racing. It’s as simple as that. It was always a dream between us. Ever since I was five years old, this has been our goal. We’d travel cross-country together for me to race. They do a lot for me to do what I love. So, from my past 13 years of racing, it has strengthened our bond in a way that not many others get to experience. So, we’ve been cross-country together, we’ve had a lot of highs and lows, and it’s made us ultimately come together stronger.

Kristl: Yes, your smile when you are around them is so noticeable. On track, who has been your favorite driver to race?

Davis: All the drivers are good, so I like racing them all. Thinking about it though, it’s Craig Pellegrini Jr. We raced a lot together at Iowa, Flat Rock, and it’s cool racing him.

I like hanging with Bobby Dale Earnhardt at the racetrack. I tested cars with him at Winchester Speedway. He was surprised because I was doing so good and I was 16 at the time. He was impressed and we both asked each other for advice. A friendship sparked there, and now he’s driving for Tim Goulet, so there’s that relationship. He was dealing with overheating in his car after Iowa and I went to check on him immediately afterward.

Kristl: Your team CGM is running full time in the East for the first time. How has it been, with the growing pains, going to tracks for the first time, and improving?

Davis: Honestly, with our team, we’ve faced a lot of challenges and had a lot of ups and downs. Ultimately, we’ve all come together as quickly as we can, both before and after races. We come up with a plan and that’s what we do. As my crew chief Ryan Bell always tells me, “As long as you maximize your day, you did all you could.”

Kristl: In 2027, you will be 18 years old so you could run the full national schedule. Do you know your racing plans yet?

Davis: It depends on what opportunities come knocking. If nothing really comes my way, I’m not going to be butt hurt about it. That’s the way it’s supposed to go. Instead, I’ll probably go to college at the University of Arizona. I’ve already done many of my prerequisites at 17. So, I’d go for law and business to become a NASCAR agent, attorney, or hopefully a team owner. After college — again, if nothing comes for racing next year — I’d go to North Carolina to pursue my career in racing. You have to always be ready with a Plan B.