Lapcevich Makes The Most Of His Opportunity

MARNE, Mich. — When the racing season began for Treyten Lapcevich, he knew it was important to capitalize on every available opportunity.

A third-place showing for the Canadian driver at Phoenix Raceway earlier this year reinforced his belief that he could excel in the United States. The ride with Venturini Motorsports that evening was only for one race, which left Lapcevich waiting for the next moment to showcase his talent in the ARCA Menards Series.

Nitro Motorsports provided Lapcevich with a chance in Saturday’s Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin Raceway, one he didn’t let go to waste. Leading every lap from the pole, Lapcevich faced minimal opposition from the field and easily cruised to victory in his second ARCA Menards Series appearance.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Lapcevich said. “A big thanks to Nitro Motorsports. [My crew chief] Shannon [Rusch] and the guys had this thing hooked up. I haven’t been in the seat a whole lot this year and these guys came together and made this possible for me. A huge thanks to Nitro for truly giving me a rocket ship.”

Lapcevich is no stranger to success in his home country of Canada. He has nine victories in the NASCAR Canada Series, seven of which came during his championship campaign in 2023.

Eager to prove himself across the border, Lapcevich embarked on a busy season of short track competition primarily in the southeastern U.S. one season ago. The efficiency Lapcevich displayed in Canada carried over into his new surroundings, as he earned late model stock victories at North Wilkesboro Speedway and in the prestigious South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway.

Despite the rhythm he was enjoying, funding did not materialize for Lapcevich to participate in another full year of U.S. short track racing. Lapcevich refused to let the circumstances deter his optimism and took any ride that was available in both the U.S. and Canada to keep himself fresh behind the wheel.

Saturday’s Berlin ARCA 200 was another chapter in Lapcevich’s journey towards securing his American dream. He previously competed at Berlin twice in a Super Late Model, but putting together a strong run with the ARCA Menards Series would require Lapcevich to acclimate himself to the heavier chassis.

Earning the pole gave Lapcevich the clean air he needed, but holding the top spot proved to be a constant challenge on restarts. Max Reaves, who was piloting the same No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that dominated at Berlin last year, nearly took the lead on several occasions, but Lapcevich relied on his car’s speed to fend the young driver off.

“I was really trying to get [comfortable] with the car on restarts to understand how hard I could push it into turn one,” Lapcevich said. “That second half of the race, it really started coming to life on the restarts. [so] I was able to defend a lot better and retain the lead.”

Lapcevich isthe first Canadian to win an ARCA Menards Series event since Andrew Ranger, who earned all four of his victories at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

“I had a ton of fun today,” Lapcevich said. “Driving fast race cars is always fun, [especially with] Nitro Motorsports. Hopefully we can do more of them and get back to Victory Lane at some point this season.”

Lawless Alan placed third behind Reaves, with Brenden Queen and Lavar Scott completing the top five. Rounding out the top 10 were Isabella Robusto, Mason Mitchell, Jason Kitzmiller, Matt Kemp and Willie Mullins.