SHASTA, Calif. — The ARCA Menards Series West returns to Shasta Speedway for the first time since 2024 in Saturday’s West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame Bill Schmitt Memorial 173.
The race will be the fourth of 13 scheduled for the West Series in 2026 and the 17th time the series has raced at the third-mile track since 1967.
The race is named in memory of four-time ARCA Menards West champion Bill Schmitt, who hailed from nearby Redding, California. Schmitt won 19 times in a 20-year career, including twice at Shasta Speedway in 1976 and 1979. Schmitt’s son Steve now serves as general manager at Shasta Speedway.
• Reigning ARCA Menards West champion Trevor Huddleston (No. 50 High Point Racing / Racecar Factory Ford) leads the series championship standings by five points over Mason Massey (No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet) heading into Saturday night’s action.
Huddleston led 111 laps in the 2023 race at Shasta Speedway before ultimately finishing second behind winner and eventual series champion Sean Hingorani. Huddleston finished third in the most recent race at Shasta in 2024.
Huddleston is the only driver to finish among the top five in all three West races run so far this season. He finished fourth at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway and Phoenix Raceway and second last time out at Tucson Speedway.
• Massey, who scored his first West victory in his first career series start earlier this season at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, will be making his first appearance at Shasta Speedway. Massey’s team owner, Bill McAnally, is a previous winner at Shasta, winning in 2015 with Chris Eggleston at the wheel.
• Cole Denton (No. 71 Jan’s Towing Ford) will be looking for his second consecutive ARCA Menards West victory on Saturday. Denton became the series’ fourth-youngest winner ever behind Jesse Love, Todd Gilliland, and Taylor Gray – with his victory at Tucson Speedway three weeks ago.
• Kenna Mitchell (No. 13 Central Coast Cabinets Toyota) will make her ARCA Menards West debut on Saturday. She will be driving for the team that won the most recent West race at Shasta Speedway; Tyler Reif won at Shasta in 2024 driving for team owner Kelly Souza.
• Robbie Kennealy (No. 1 Jan’s Towing Ford) comes to Shasta looking to continue to build momentum after a tough start to the season at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Transmission problems relegated him to 20th in the season opener, but he rebounded to 10th at Phoenix Raceway and fourth at Tucson Speedway. He sits sixth in the West standings, 24 points out of the lead.
• Former ARCA Menards West Bounty Rookie of the Year Eric Johnson, Jr. (No. 5 Sherwin-Williams Toyota) will make his second career appearance at Shasta Speedway. Johnson, who finished third at Tucson in his most recent start, finished 12th at Shasta in 2024.
• The last time the ARCA Menards West raced at Shasta Speedway, the race went the entire• distance caution free. In the 2023 version, the race was only slowed by cautions twice for• 12 laps.
