Since Mason Mitchell Motorsports (MMM) entered the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in 2014, the teams motto has always been “never give up.” The MMM team demonstrated that attitude Saturday at the Daytona International Speedway in the Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire as Max Tullman fought back for a sixth-place finish to lead the charge for the championship team.
“What an up and down day,” an exhausted Tullman said after the event. “I don’t even know where to begin. We had such a strong car all weekend long and especially pacing the field. Someone checked up on that restart and we got hit from behind. We fought through adversity to fight back with a top-ten finish.”
“The MMM crew had a great plan in place when we got the damage. I can’t thank them enough for their hard work all weekend long. My goal was to complete all of the laps, earn my competitors respect and I believe we did that. Hopefully we can build on this and come back and race again in ARCA.”
Tullman who made his ARCA Racing Series debut driving the No. 78 Zoomi/Myota Chevrolet turned heads all weekend long at the “World Center of Racing.” Friday, he qualified the No. 78 in the fourth position. When the green flag dropped on the 2018 season, Tullman quickly asserted himself as a contender moving into the runner-up position on lap two. The sportscar veteran would claim the lead for the first time on lap 30. He would then reclaim the lead 33 and lead the next nine circuits. Tullman brought the No. 78 down pit-road at lap 41 and returned to the race in 17th. On the ensuing restart the field stacked up leaving nowhere for the No. 78 to go receiving front and rear damage.
Two late red flags allowed the MMM team to build a plan and continue to work on the damaged machine. Tullman, would exert patience like a veteran and was rewarded a sixth-place finish for his patience and hard work.
Quin Houff had unfinished business at DIS last weekend. Houff led 23 laps in the 2017 version of this race until a late race incident set him back in the final running order. Houff driver of the No. 98 Beatincancerwithduke.org Chevrolet qualified in the 11th position for the 80-lap event. Houff moved up four spots to seventh in the opening six laps and was content riding single file with the rest of the leaders. After a great pit-stop by the Mark Setzer led team, Houff returned to the action inside the top-five in the fourth position. Houff would push teammate Tullman into the lead but wouldn’t be able to slide in line and was stuck on the outside groove fighting for position. While racing in the sixth position, working his way back to the front of the field, Houff was pushed up the track and was swept up in a five-car incident. Houff received heavy damage to the rear of the car sending him to the garage 15 laps early. He would finish in the 32nd position.
”It was a rough way to end our day at Daytona,” a dejected Houff stated. “I learned a ton in these cars. “We kept getting stuck on the outside during restarts and had to fight very hard to get to the bottom. It felt good to be back on track just wish the evening had a better ending for us! I can’t thank everyone on this MMM team enough for their heard work this weekend. I’m looking forward to these next three races with MMM starting at Charlotte in May.”
The next event for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is the Music City 200 at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville Saturday night, April 7. The race will be live on MAVTV
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MMM PR/Photo Kevin Ramsell
