Gil Linster left a noticeable mark with his ARCA Menards Series debut in the season opening Daytona 200. In a race that saw many twists and turns, overtakes and spectacular incidents, the 30-year-old brought home a great seventh place finish in the #68 Ford Mustang entered by Kimmel Racing.
“That was amazing!” expressed Linster after an eventful race in which he masterfully dodged several big crashes. “I had a feeling that I was going to be involved in almost every single crash, there were cars passing left and right and I was lucky in some of them. Coming to the last lap I was 16th, I was just going for the move on the third line. Then the next big crash just came flying into me and I was so lucky to get through it. I ended up with a 7th place finish, which is an amazing result and it was just an amazing experience!”
“For sure this will be a big boost for myself and for the partners, who all can’t wait to see what I can do. My partners at HOOSH told me that we will give you a little bit more budget with a top-20 finish so now I’m in a good position! We have a top-10 and I can’t wait to talk to the guys and earn that big boost for the EuroNASCAR season.”
The result follows upon an impressive Qualifying showcase in which Linster qualified the car in seventh, making him the fastest of the many renowned international drivers that entered the race. Overall, the Luxembourger showed great maturity behind the wheel and proved that he’s ready to earn more opportunities to race in the United States.
Linster’s journey in the ARCA Menards Series began when he entered the pre-season testing session at Daytona and earned a license to compete in the superspeedways. With the help of several trusted partners, the driver from Frisange in Luxembourg worked hard to secure a ride for the Daytona 200 with Kimmel Racing. With 50 cars entered, Linster needed to show that he had the speed to make it to the 40-car grid in a tough Qualifying session. He cleared it with flying colors, finishing seventh ahead of many experienced competitors.
The race was initially scheduled for Saturday, but it was moved up to Friday night after the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race due to weather concerns. Thus, Linster started his first ARCA race under the lights of Daytona International Speedway. He had to stay focused at all times, avoiding numerous incidents and making a save that would go straight into every highlight reel.
In the end, Linster avoided a massive pileup on the final lap to secure a top-10 finish on his debut. The Luxembourger was happy as he finished strongly and brought his car home in one piece, an important result for teams competing in superspeedway tracks like Daytona. His focus will now shift to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, where he is set to continue his journey with Hendriks Motorsport onboard the #50 Toyota Camry in the EuroNASCAR 2 division.
NWES PR
