Busy Weekend For 15-Year-Old J.J. Haley Highlighted By ARCA Racing Series Debut With Venturini Motorsports
Haley to Travel 10+ hours between Toledo & Lebanon I-44 for two pivotal races (Special from J.J. Haley Racing)
May 13, 2014
Winamac, Indiana (May 13, 2014) – J.J. Haley knew that his 2014 schedule would be
busy as it was with running for the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title in the
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance. After winning the season
opener, the Cabin Fever 100 Presented by JEGS.com at Springport Motor Speedway (MI),
the 15-year-olds' agenda got a whole lot busier thanks to ARCA Racing Series Presented
by Menards powerhouse; Venturini Motorsports.
Beginning with this weekend, Haley will make his ARCA Racing Series debut behind the
wheel of the #66 Venturini Motorsports / Toyota at the famed 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked
paved oval of Toledo Speedway in Toledo, Ohio in the Menards 200 Presented by
Federated Car Care on Sunday, May 18th. While this is without a doubt a golden
opportunity for the Winamac, Indiana teenager, it also poses a hectic, yet fun logistics
situation for him which includes plenty of time inside an airplane.
The day before on Saturday, May 17th, while the ARCA Racing Series teams set the field
for the 200-lap ARCA race through Menards Pole Qualifying, right around the same time
his #99 Braun Ability / Chevrolet is supposed to be on the track for Practice almost 10-
hours away in Lebanon, Missouri. The second race of the 2014 racing season for the
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour; the 2nd Annual Mercy Masters of the Pros 144 Presented by
JEGS.com is at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, located west of St. Louis. While he can't be in
two places at once, Haley and his crew have a plan.
Despite the nearly 10 hour separation between Toledo and Lebanon, the J.J. Haley
Racing Team will have Missouri native, Jesse Smith, the 2006 Champion in the old ASA
Late Model Northern Series, practice and qualify the JEGS/CRA car at Lebanon while
Haley is in Toledo. Once Haley's obligations are complete in Toledo, Haley and a few
members of his crew will then hop on a plane and make a beeline for the Show-Me State
where he will then run 144 laps on a track he will only have seen the day before thanks to
a Practice Day slated for Friday, May 16th.
"This weekend will be particularly tougher then a normal race weekend with bouncing back and forth from Missouri to Ohio to Missouri and back again all within about 48 hours will be exciting. Should get lots of seat time in." Laughed the Hoosier State teenager who will become the youngest driver in ARCA's 62-year history to start an event. "Something like that puts a lot of pressure on you when it comes to race day. The three ARCA races I will run this year are to prepare myself for the road ahead of me." He continued.
"I need to gather as much knowledge as possible these few races and drive to the best of my abilities. Knowing that I have Venturini Motorsports with me will take a lot of the pressure away," Haley added. "I know they will do a great job helping me and communicating with me on the track. Everything about these ARCA cars is different then what I normally run every weekend in the JEGS/CRA car, I can’t wait to get on the track at both places this weekend." He ended.
So far in 2014 and in eight total races, Haley has one win to go with two top fives and five top 10s. His season started with a fourth place finish in the JEGS/CRA non-points opener; SpeedFest 2014 at Watermelon Capital Speedway (GA) back on January 26th. He then ran in six events out of the seven during Speedweeks at New Smyrna Speedway (FL) in the Pro Late Models division. Despite missing one show due to school commitments. Haley would finish ninth in the World Series Pro Late Models final points standings.
In addition to the full JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour schedule. Haley will also make two more appearances, after Toledo, for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. Later in the year, he looks to run in a few select shows in the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS. He will also fill the schedule with races in the Vore's Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Powered by JEGS as well as in weekly competition at Toledo Speedway (OH) competing in the tracks ARCA Sportsman division whenever possible.
For his ARCA debut at Toledo, Haley will sport the #66 for Venturini Motorsports while for the remainder of the 2014 racing season in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, Haley's black #99 J.J. Haley Racing Chevrolet as well as the rest of the fleet of J.J. Haley Racing entries with Crew Chief, Bobby Blount calling the shots on top of the pit box all year long, will sport sponsorship decals and support from Braun Ability as well as Braun Auto Group, Two Guys Mechanical, JMR Trucking, T.J. Racing Lubricants and M.P.H. Promotions.
For more information about the J.J. Haley Racing and to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for the rest of the 2014 campaign, please email Nathan Dennis at: jjhmotorsports@yahoo.com For more information about Venturini Motorsports, go to their website at: www.veturinimotorsports.com The new J.J. Haley Racing website is up and running at: www.jjhaleyracing.com You can also go to the teams’ Facebook Fan Page at: www.facebook.com and search “J.J. Haley Racing” and finally on Twitter by logging on at: www.twitter.com/jjhaley_racing
