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Fuel Pressure Issue Drops #73 Acacia Entry Out of Lead Pack
Mooresville, NC (April 22nd, 2024) – For the second time this year, Andy Jankowiak was running fourth in a superspeedway ARCA Racing Series event with just a handful of laps remaining. His #73 Acacia Ford fielded by KLAS Motorsports was poised to battle for the victory on Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway (AL), but with just six laps remaining, the car lost fuel pressure and dropped out of the race. Jankowiak was credited with a 27th-place finish.
The starting grid for the Talladega race was based on owner points from the previous season. Since the KLAS Motorsports team did not compete full-time in 2023, that dropped the team to a 19th-place start. Jankowiak went straight to work at the start of the race to overcome that disadvantage though. He passed five cars in the first three laps and settled into the eighth position for soon afterwards.
After the mid-race pit stop, Jankowiak moved up into the lead pack of four and looked to have a good result in the making until the apparent electric fuel pump failure.
Jankowiak did get to bring positive attention to the team though after a light hearted moment was caught on the team’s on board camera during the live Fox Sports 1 television broadcast.
During the mid-race caution period, Jankowiak took a break to peel and eat a banana from behind the steering wheel. The commentators described the challenge of getting a banana under Jankowiak’s helmet and into his mouth.
“He had a bit of a challenge getting that first bite!” said Phil Parsons. “He eventually got a bite in.”
“That’s why he always wears a bandana,” said Jamie Little. “It’s a catch all!”
“It’s halfway down his firesuit!” said Trevor Bayne.
Jankowiak’s snack break was entertaining enough to have the broadcast team vote it as the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race.
The Talladega race was the first event where Acacia Energy served as the primary sponsor of the #73 KLAS Motorsports entry. Acacia Energy is a Texas-based electricity provider specializing in prepaid energy plans. They offer pay-as-you-go billing for month-to-month electricity plans without credit checks or security deposits. For more information, please visit AcaciaEnergy.com.
Whelen Engineering was featured prominently on the quarter panels of the #73 for the Talladega race.
Talladega marked the debut of Thermal Foams as an associate sponsor of the #73. The KLAS Motorsports family of marketing partners also includes Automotive Consultants of Ithaca, NY (Selling new cars at wholesale prices since 1959), Yukon Creek Sportsman Club (a free-of-charge hunting camp in upstate NY for the disabled), Florida Safety Systems (Andy J and KLAS Motorsports supporters), Dak’s Market, PlanterBoxDirect.com (Durable metal planter boxes shipped to your door) and Rusty Diamond Cores LLC.
The KLAS Motorsports team and Jankowiak will compete at Dover Downs Speedway on Friday, April 26th for the General Tire 150 ARCA East Series event. The event will be televised live on FS1 and on the Fox Sports app with a post time of 5pm ET.
