TEMPERANCE, Mich. – A trio of drivers representing the ASA Super Late Model touring series have been named to participate in the upcoming ARCA Menards Series “Road to Daytona” during the series’ annual pre-race practice session at Daytona International Speedway. The two-day session will take place on Thursday and Friday, January 9 and 10, 2025.
Lapeer, Michigan resident Chase Burda, 20, will represent the ASA CRA Super Series for the second consecutive year. Burda earned the ASA CRA Super Series championship in 2024, following his rookie of the year title in 2023. Burda has notched several late model victories in his short career, including a win in the prestigious Masters of the Pros at Owosso Speedway in 2023 and an ASA CRA Jegs All Star Tour victory at Flat Rock Speedway in 2024. Burda, who started racing quarter midgets when he was six years old with over 100 victories, was also a member of the Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program in 2024.
Talented teenager Ty Fredrickson, 15, from Northfield, Minnesota, will represent the ASA Midwest Tour after scoring the series’ rookie of the year award in 2024. Fredrickson won early in the season at Dells Raceway Park after a strong performance at the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway. Fredrickson earned the 2024 Kulwicki Driver Development Program championship in 2024 and scored the TUNDRA super late model series championship as well. Fredrickson becomes the first second-generation driver to participate in the Road to Daytona, following his father Dan – himself an ASA Midwest Tour champion – who participated in 2013.
Mobile, Alabama’s Dustin Smith, 26, has over 250 wins from quarter midgets to late models, and he punched his ticket to the Road to Daytona with a solid season in the ASA Southern Super Series, finishing ninth in the series standings and earning the 2024 rookie of the year honors. Smith turned heads with an impressive 17th-to-second performance at Montgomery Motor Speedway in April, his best finish of the ASA Southern Super Series season. Smith also ran well in the Snowball Derby, finishing 12th in an incredibly competitive 36-car field.
Burda, Fredrickson, and Smith will join Zachary Tinkle, Trevor Huddleston, Austin Beers, and Burt Myers representing the ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series in the Road to Daytona. They will share cars prepared by 1995 ARCA Menards Series champion Andy Hillenburg throughout the two-day session. Each driver will have an opportunity to run approximately 100 miles at speeds approaching 190 miles per hour.
The ARCA Menards Series Road to Daytona has seen several participants matriculate from the pre-race practice runs to competing at Daytona and battling for and winning NASCAR national series championships. Former participants include 2023 ARCA Menards Series winner at Daytona Greg Van Alst, 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ty Majeski, 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, ARCA Menards Series race winner Travis Braden, and 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series rookie of the year Layne Riggs.
Live timing and scoring data will be available throughout the two days of track activity, scheduled to run from 10 am through 5 pm, at ARCARacing.com.
The 2025 ARCA Menards Series season will kick off with the 62nd Annual Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 15. The race will be televised live on FOX starting at 12 noon ET; the race will also be broadcast nationwide on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network.
