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Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images
ByBrandon White www.arcaracing.com May 21, 2025
The Green family is one of the most recognizable in auto racing across the United States, with Jeff, David and Mark all possessing numerous accomplishments on their resumes.
That tradition of success perseveres through David’s son Austin Green, who is set to make his second ARCA Menards Series national start Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The insight of Green’s dad and uncles has been instrumental as he continues to gather more experience on intermediate ovals.
“It’s definitely good to use [David, Jeff and Mark] as tools,” Green said. “Obviously they’ve done it for a lot longer than I have. The biggest thing is to pick their brains. I’ve never been to Charlotte on the big track; we did the Roval, but that was about it. Depending on what track it is, it’s nice to fall back on them.”
RELATED: Career stats for Austin Green
Unlike the other drivers in his family, Green’s path to NASCAR has undergone literal twists and turns.
Green developed his skills competing in Legends and Late Model Stocks at short tracks around the East Coast. This led to his ARCA Menards Series debut at Toledo Speedway in 2020, when he obtained a solid, lead-lap finish of seventh.
With oval racing opportunities beginning to dry up, Green chose to shift his focus over to road course competition, debuting in the Trans Am Championship TA2 class the following year. He formed a connection with veteran road racer Doug Peterson, which led to him becoming a full-time competitor in the TA2 division by 2023.
Two runner-up finishes during the 2023 season emboldened Green and Peterson to branch into NASCAR Xfintiy Series competition. Green showcased his growing expertise by earning three top 10 showings in the five Xfinity Series road course events last season, which included a career-best finish of fourth at Sonoma Raceway.
Ovals have been more challenging for Green across the board. He admitted he’s still ascertaining how to make progress with the predominance of aerodynamics. With the intermediates in particular, Green said momentum is imperative to navigating around dirty air, an aspect that was not prevalent when he raced on short tracks in his formative years.
Competing at Rockingham Speedway in the ARCA Menards Series East this year provided Green a baseline of what to expect in Friday’s General Tire 150. With the efficiency of Pinnacle Racing Group and the guidance of David, Jeff and Mark at his disposal, Green is eager to write another chapter in his family’s storied racing legacy.
“The ARCA car has a lot more grip, but a little less power since it’s sucked down to the track,” Green said. “I’m kind of using what I learned at Rockingham going into Charlotte. I’m very confident in everyone at [Pinnacle Racing Group]. They always deliver really fast cars, now it’s on me to deliver.”
Green and the rest of the ARCA Menards Series competitors will take the green flag for the General Tire 150 at 6 p.m. ET on Friday evening. FS1 will provide live coverage.
Grant Enfinger set to make 100th ARCA Menards Series start
With Jason Kitzmiller scheduled to attend a graduation ceremony Friday evening, CR7 Motorsports has tabbed its full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Grant Enfinger to pilot the No. 97 in the General Tire 150.
The race will serve as Enfinger’s 100th start in the national ARCA Menards Series. Among the accomplishments Enfinger has earned during his time with the ARCA Menards Series are 16 victories and a championship (2016).
Charlotte is familiar territory for Enfinger with CR7’s ARCA program. He previously competed with CR7 at the complex in 2023, when Enfinger put together a spirited drive that saw him climb from a starting position of 26th to earn a fourth-place showing.
Enfinger’s most recent ARCA Menards Series appearance was at Phoenix Raceway last year, when he placed third in the No. 23 for Sigma Performance Services. Still adept to the ARCA Menards Series platform despite plenty of changes since his title, Enfinger is primed to be a favorite when the green flag waves for the General Tire 150.
The closest CR7 has come to winning an ARCA Menards Series event occurred when Landen Lewis finished runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2024. A win at Charlotte would not only be special for Enfinger in a milestone start, but also for a program that has been a staple on the platform for nearly a decade.
Cleetus McFarland seeks to earn second top 10 in intermediate debut
Despite dropping a cylinder in his second ARCA Menards Series start last month at Talladega Superspeedway, Garrett Mitchell (a.k.a. Cleetus McFarland) still managed to grab his first top 10.
One of the most influential motorsports personas on the internet, McFarland now embarks upon Charlotte Motor Speedway for his first intermediate start. He’s back in the No. 30 for Rette Jones Racing as he looks to sustain the momentum from his solid Talladega performance.
Talladega was a much-needed reset for McFarland, who endured a tumultuous ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona International Speedway in February. After an early spin sent him to the rear of the field, McFarland was unable to avoid the spinning car of Amber Balcaen shortly afterwards, knocking him out of the race and relegating him to 30th.
Despite possessing no competitive track time on an intermediate, McFarland does have the experience of Rette Jones to rely upon as he prepares for the General Tire 150. In their most recent attempt at Charlotte back in 2023, Rette Jones earned a sixth-place finish with another renowned celebrity behind the wheel, Frankie Muniz.
McFarland is still early in his development process as a stock-car driver, but a strong run at Charlotte on Friday evening could be crucial toward building confidence ahead of upcoming starts at various tracks.
NOTES:
- Lanie Buice is back with Rev Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway for her second ARCA Menards Series national appearance. Fresh off a solid eighth-place run in her debut race at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago, Buice seeks to improve on that performance and gain crucial intermediate experience Friday evening.
- The last time the ARCA Menards Series visited Charlotte Motor Speedway, Will Kimmel delivered a stellar showing by bringing his own No. 69 home in the fourth position. Kimmel is back in the driver’s seat at Charlotte again this weekend in search of his first ARCA Menards Series checkered flag.
- Andrew Patterson has not competed on the ARCA Menards Series platform since enduring a mechanical failure in the East Series event at Rockingham Speedway back on April 19. Friday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be Patterson’s sixth career national series start but the first appearance for his small operation.
- Jeff Scofield’s first ARCA Menards Series start of 2025 at Daytona International Speedway was an eventful one that ended with him in 14th, three laps behind the leader. Having exclusively run the superspeedway events since 2024, Scofield will make his intermediate debut this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
