Lucas Oil Raceway, site of 2013 CRA Fall Brawl victory, the site of WVU students’ ARCA debut
Wheeling, West Virginia (Tuesday, July 21, 2015): Travis Braden has been a standout over the past two and half seasons of racing within the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS. Starting in 2012 when he took the tours’ Rookie of the Year title, his success continued to grow with back to back Championships in Champion Racing Association’s (CRA) premier tour. He’s also been invited to test an ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards car at the last three winter tests at the famed Daytona International Speedway (FL).
It’s time for the Wheeling, West Virginia standout to get behind the wheel of an ARCA big car in a real event instead of just Practice. The 21-year-old driver will make his ARCA Racing Series debut on Friday, July 24th in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 Presented by Federated Car Care at the immaculate 0.686 mile progressively banked paved oval of Lucas Oil Raceway (IN). Braden is a former winner at the Circle City speed plant having taken the coveted boxing gloves home after the 2013 CRA Fall Brawl. However, even with the ARCA/CRA Super Series on hand, Braden is concentrating solely on the ARCA big car race.
“A lot of people have asked me if I’m nervous or scared or excited, and I’m mostly just anxious. This is something I have been looking forward to for years and that so many people have put so much time, effort, and money into.” Offered the West Virginia University Engineering student. “We wanted to make our debut earlier in the season, but we decided to wait because we wanted to be 100% prepared and I think we are now ready.” He added.
Braden and his team traveled to LOR last Wednesday, July 15th to test the new ARCA car and we were pleased with the results. “It went extremely well. We were very close in comparison with lap times of some of the best teams in the series, and more importantly we got me comfortable in the seat.” Braden explained. “I’m astonished at the amount of support that everyone has been giving us and now it is just time to let time tell its story.”
After LOR, the rest of Braden’s ARCA schedule depends on how he fares in the 200-lap main in the Circle City. “I really hope to be able to continue racing in the ARCA Racing Series. If we can leave LOR with a racecar in one piece, we will do our best to get to another race or two before the end of the season. Whatever time and our budget allows.” He stated. “Then hopefully our sponsors and our team can expand a little bit further for 2016 and make a larger stab at running full-time in the series.” He ended.
Braden has made limited appearances in the ARCA/CRA Super Series in 2015 as he and his Travis Braden Motorsports team prepared for their ARCA Racing Series debut with support from Ken Schrader Racing. He’s also raced in the last three JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour races filling in for Bill Burba Motorsports and has helped move that team to second place in the JEGS/CRA Owners Points Standings with a 10th a fourth and a third.
Over the past two and a half seasons of ARCA/CRA Super Series competition, Braden has put up some impressive numbers. He has six trips to victory lane including four in 2013 and two in 2014. During the 2014 racing season, Braden accumulated an impressive string of 11 consecutive top five finishes to close out the year en route to repeating as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion.
In 46 career ARCA/CRA Super Series starts, he has six wins, 24 top fives, 28 top 10 showings and five fast qualifier awards. In addition, in eight JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour starts, Braden has collected three wins, six top fives and all eight starts have resulted in at least a top 10 finish.
For the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200, Braden’s #01 West Virginia University / Chevrolet will also carry additional sponsorship support and decals for his ARCA debut from Braden’s A-1 Towing & Collision as well as RememberTheMiners.org, Matheson Valley Gases, Stoney Hollow Tire, Elms Grove Eagles #1891, A.D. Baker Construction, M.P.H. Promotions, and Travis Braden Motorsports.
For more information about Travis Braden and Travis Braden Motorsports and to inquire about additional sponsorship opportunities for the rest of the 2015 racing season, call Car Owner, Don Braden at: (304) 215-5026. You can also go to his Website located at: www.travisbraden.com as well as the Facebook Fan Page at: www.facebook.com/TravisDBraden and finally on Twitter by clicking on: www.twitter.com/TrBRaden
