National notebook
Notes: TikTok helps Laster get crack at Daytona
Brayton Laster
When Brayton Laster followed Dinah Mullins on TikTok, he had no idea it would eventually lead to the opportunity of a lifetime.
Laster, a 19-year-old racer from Greenwood, Ind., will join Fredericksburg, Va.-based Mullins Racing to compete in the ARCA Menards Series Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire on Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway.
“I’m a small town dirt track guy. We’re not supposed to make it to Daytona,” an excited Laster said. “The Mullins Racing team is an awesome group of people. I’m so thankful to be able to work with them and actually be able to race for them at Daytona. It’s so cool to work for a team that I share a lot of my values and ideals with.”
The Liberty University freshman, who is pursuing an associate's degree in business, joins Mullins Racing after spending the last four seasons racing primarily on dirt.
In 2018 he was the Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway Rookie of the Year in the Super Late Model division. More recently, he finished the 2021 season ranked third in the Ultimate Heart of America Super Late Model Series standings.
The opportunity for Laster to make his ARCA debut at Daytona stems from a simple follow on the social media platform TikTok. Laster began following Dinah Mullins, the wife of Mullins Racing owner Willie Mullins, on TikTok because he enjoyed the content that the small, family-owned team produced.
Dinah Mullins’ TikTok account (@dinahmmullins) has exploded in the last year. Now boasting more than 25,000 followers, her account features a lot of behind-the-scenes content showcasing what it takes to get the Mullins Racing team to the track.
Soon after he began following Dinah Mullins on TikTok, Laster’s father brought up the idea of taking part in the ARCA pre-race practice at Daytona in January. It was then Laster discovered that Mullins Racing was seeking drivers to take part in the pre-race practice.
A few emails and text messages later and Laster was signed up to take part in the Daytona pre-race practice for Mullins Racing.
“I didn’t really know them before we put this whole deal together,” Laster said. “I knew Dinah from TikTok. That’s how I knew they were looking for some drivers for the practice. So I reached out to them and that’s how we ended up going to the practice.
“You can’t prepare to run at Daytona,” Laster continued. “I went in there completely blind and I came out of there completely speechless. There is nothing like going 190 mph.”
Following the pre-race practice, Laster and his family agreed that Laster was going to race at Daytona, then Mullins Racing was the team they wanted to do it with.
From there, it was only a matter of days before the deal was done for Laster to race at Daytona. It will be the first time in team history that Mullins Racing has fielded two cars at Daytona International Speedway on the ARCA tour. Team owner Willie Mullins will once again drive the No. 3 entry while Laster will pilot the No. 03.
“This is a big deal for us,” Willie Mullins said. “To have Mullins Racing represented by Brayton Laster is extremely exciting. We would have never thought TikTok would bring a driver to us, but it was has worked out well. They see how hard we work on our stuff. We’re excited that platform has actually given us the ability to reach so many people in the motor racing industry.”
Laster’s No. 03 Mullins Racing Ford will carry sponsorship from a number of supporters, including IndyAutoRecyclers.com, EDCO, One Way Auto Parts, Image 13 Photography, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, USA Insulation and Jimmy’s Diner.
“We have a really good car and we have a really great team,” Laster said. “The car I’m going to drive has a pretty strong reputation of finishing strong at Daytona. I’d be very content with finishing the entire race, but even if we don’t I’ll be happy because I’ll be able to say I ran at Daytona and a lot of people don’t make it to this level.” — Mullins Racing
BIG BUCKS ON LUCAS OIL SERIES: Amid a flurry of details announced recently by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series about bonuses, purses and miniseries points funds, here's the number to remember: $6 million. That's the national tour's record cash payout for drivers on the tour that's set for 65 races among 34 tracks in 18 states beginning this weekend and running through October. The breakdown, according to the latest series release? $4,841,020 in feature-race purse money, $530,000 from the championship points fund, $390,600 in the loyalty program for series regulars, $129,800 in consolation-race purse money, $93,750 in non-qualifiers' purse money, $83,500 in various other awards and $23,000 for the Wrisco Winternationals and Sunoco Road to Wheatland point funds.
PLYMOUTH POINTS FUND: With the conclusion of the Russ Scheffler Tribute Nights, race co-promoters Greg Wester and Chad Marquardt have steered race sponsors to Plymouth (Wis.) Dirt Track in 2022 to enhance the track's points fund. Among highlights are $1,000 in FK Rod Ends products plus $500 in cash from FK along with a fan blade from Gorsuch Performance to the track champion. The runner-up will receive $300 from Pro Power Racing and a Go Lithium battery-charger pack combo while third place will receive $300 from Pro Power Racing, a $400 product certificate good for MD3 products from Performance Bodies and three cases of Schaeffer's Oil. The top rookie will receive a $500 FK Rod Ends product certificate and two bottles of StopTech brake fluid while the Most Improved Driver will receive a set of ratcheting seatbelts from Hooker Harness. Check out the track's Facebook page for more more postseason prizes.
NEW NAME FOR GEORGIA OVAL: The former Patriots Park Raceway in Dublin, Ga., has been renamed Vintage 441 Speedway Park under new promotorship of Michael Condon, according to a report on the Outside Groove. Condon, a Massachusetts transplant who promotes the Southeastern Modified Series, will make the Dublin oval the home track for his circuit along with several weekly divisions, including 602 Crate Late Models.
NORTHERN STORM BREWING: XR last week announced plans for a July 18-22 stretch of five races among five Minnesota and Wisconsin tracks featuring WISSOTA Late Models, modifieds and Midwest mods. The miniseries, presented by Troy Powers and Associates, is scheduled to run at Ogilvie (Minn.) Raceway, Grand Rapids (Minn.) Speedway, Hibbing (Minn.) Raceway, ABC Raceway in Ashland, Wis., and Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wis. Details on purses and a points fund will be announced.
PROMOTER NAMED AT MISSOURI TRACK: Billy Clayton of SRP Promotions will promote the reopening Benton (Mo.) Speedway with plans for eight events, including June 29 action on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. Besides the Summer Nationals event at the Rob Russell-owned 3/8-mile over in the southeastern corner of the Show-Me State, Super Late Models are scheduled to be in action at least once more for the Jim Hall Memorial. Dates and more details will be announced. The track hasn't hosted the Summer Nationals since a 1997 victory by Randy Sellars of Mayfield, Ky. Previous series winners were Bob Pierce of Danville, Ill. (1991) and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn. (1992).
ODDS AND ENDS: Fenelton, Pa.-based Krill Recycling has come on board as presenting sponsor for the Super Late Model division at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway in 2022. The sponsorship will allow the track to continue paying at least $3,000-to-win for weekly events. ... Sue Collins, a former Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway promoter and track Hall of Fame member, died Jan. 4. She was 83. ... Former Salem, Ore., resident Dave Goulet, a former champion in the Limited Late Model division at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., died Jan. 7 at age 57. He also competed on asphalt's NASCAR Northwest Tour and after a move to North Carolina made a start in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series. ... Hall of Fame sprint car driver Lance Dewease of Fayetteville, Pa., is scheduled to make his first career Super Late Model start June 5 in Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway's Frank Sagi Tribute race. Dewease, who has more than 350 career sprint features over 38 seasons, will pilot the Chad Horst and Danny McSherry-owned No. 14 Rocket Chassis normally piloted by Tyler Horst. ... Raceway 7 in Conneaut, Ohio, plans at least four Super Late Model events in 2022 at the track with a weekly Crate Late Model division. ... The North-Carolina-based Steel Block Bandits Dirt Late Model Challenge has doubled its Rookie of the Year award to $2,000 for 2022 thanks to sponsorship from New Point Lighting and Design. ... Daniel Hilsabeck of Earlham, Iowa, has announced intentions to run for Rookie of the Year on the Missouri-based Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association. Hilsabeck has four career top-10 finishes with MLRA and is looking for his first career Super Late Model victory.
