ARCA / ARCA EAST: Driveshaft vibration forces ‘Pizza Man’ Laster out at Iowa
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| PHOTO: @TheOnePizzaMan |
LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
Brayton Laster finished last for the 1st time in his ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East career in Saturday's Calypso 150 at the Iowa Speedway when his #01 JunkCarBlaster.com Chevrolet dropped out with a vibration after completing 19 of the race’s 156 laps.
The finish came in his fifth series start in ARCA and third series start in ARCA East.
Laster began his racing career in go-karts at the Indianapolis Speedrome. In a metro area that is dominated by open-wheel and road course racing, Laster instead went circle track racing. He moved into full-sized cars at age 12, and was into the eccentric and occasionally dangerous circuit of Figure 8 racing by the time he was 15. In that same year, Laster moved into dirt late model racing, seemingly more on a path to become a member of the World of Outlaws than NASCAR.
Brayton Laster finished last for the 1st time in his ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East career in Saturday's Calypso 150 at the Iowa Speedway when his #01 JunkCarBlaster.com Chevrolet dropped out with a vibration after completing 19 of the race’s 156 laps.
The finish came in his fifth series start in ARCA and third series start in ARCA East.
Laster began his racing career in go-karts at the Indianapolis Speedrome. In a metro area that is dominated by open-wheel and road course racing, Laster instead went circle track racing. He moved into full-sized cars at age 12, and was into the eccentric and occasionally dangerous circuit of Figure 8 racing by the time he was 15. In that same year, Laster moved into dirt late model racing, seemingly more on a path to become a member of the World of Outlaws than NASCAR.
However, in January 2022, Laster participated in the ARCA open test at Daytona with Mullins Racing. This test eventually turned into an ARCA race with Mullins. Running at Daytona with Alex Clubb’s owner points, Laster started 17th and brought the car home on the lead lap in 13th. It was around this time that Laster’s obsession for pizza began taking off in the online community, with his passion, pepperoni bucket hat and pizza helmet earning him the affectionate nickname ‘The Pizza Man.’ Following a crash at the Talladega ARCA race, Laster entered the Knoxville Truck race with Reaume Brothers Racing. He finished three laps down in 27th.
The 2023 season has yielded more appearances for Laster on the national stage. A second shot at the Daytona ARCA race landed him another lead-lap finish, albeit this time in 27th. A deal with Mullins to run the Talladega race fell through, but he has since partnered with Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing to run a few events between the ARCA and ARCA East platforms. For last weekend’s combination race, Laster brought a car that he called the ‘sticker bomb’, featuring a multitude of sponsor logos from small backers who support him.
The biggest entry list storyline coming into the Iowa weekend was the driver of the Venturini Motorsports #15 car. Full-time pilot Sean Hingorani was suspended for a week after his egregious on-track actions at Mid-Ohio, which came to a head when he punted teammate Dean Thompson out of second on the final lap of the race. Subbing for him was Conner Jones, who would make his fourth ARCA start of the season at Iowa. Dale Shearer returned in his #98, focusing on the short tracks in 2023. Rita Goulet also returned with RISE Motorsports, making her first start since Elko. Alex Clubb hopped back in his #03, taking the place of Casey Carden, who drove the car at Mid-Ohio. Of Fast Track's four drivers from Mid-Ohio, Tim Monroe was the only entrant to keep his seat for Iowa. Zachary Tinkle took the reins of the #11, Laster claimed the #01, and Matt Kemp returned to ARCA after making his debut earlier this year at Berlin.
In the lone practice session for the day, A.J. Moyer had the slowest car. The Wayne Peterson Racing driver clocked a fast lap of 32.7 seconds, two-and-a-half seconds behind Shearer and eight-and-a-half behind Sawalich at the top of the charts. There was then a bit of a shakeup in qualifying. Clubb failed to make a time, which put him at the bottom of the 20-car field. Of the cars that took time, Brad Smith was at the tail, about 12.5 seconds off Sawalich for pole. Laster was the slowest Fast Track car in practice, clocking in 16th, but he picked it up in qualifying to earn the 13th starting spot, second among the four Fast Track entries.
At the beginning of the race, Laster was taking it easy, riding along in the high teens. However, a vibration in the drive train developed, and he retired to the garage after completing 19 laps.
"Was hoping to run a little bit longer," Laster tweeted, "but a bad drive train vibration ends the run for ole Stickerbomb, better to save the car than destroy one. Honestly felt like we had a top ten car, just tried taking it easy the first handful of laps and was still running 13th. Thanks y’all!"
Kemp was 19th - he spoke of unspecified mechanical issues in a Facebook video posted after the race. Shearer was 18th, a victim of an early transmission problem. Monroe continued his streak of not finishing an ARCA race this year, although his 57 laps were the most he has run in any race this season. Rounding out the Bottom Five on the results sheet was Rita Goulet, who after an early incident was replaced by her husband Tim. The husband-wife duo finished an eventual 42 laps down.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
20) #01-Brayton Laster / 19 laps / vibration
19) #12-Matt Kemp / 29 laps / mechanical
18) #98-Dale Shearer / 30 laps / transmission
17) #10-Tim Monroe / 57 laps / clutch
16) #31-Rita Goulet / 114 laps / running
2023 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Fast Track Racing (3)
2nd) Smith Brothers Racing (2)
3rd) Coughlin Brothers Racing, KLAS Motorsports, Our Motorsports, Tamayo-Cosentino Racing (1)
2023 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Wayne Peterson Racing, Fast Track Racing (2)
2nd) Brad Smith Motorsports (1)
2023 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (5)
2nd) Ford, Toyota (2)
2023 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Toyota, Ford (2)
2nd) Chevrolet (1)
2023 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP
