CONCORD, N.C. — Two-time ARCA Menards Series winner Gus Dean is returning to Venturini Motorsports for a limited schedule this season, beginning with the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 18.
Dean, 28, returns to Venturini after a four-race schedule which resulted in four top-five finishes, highlighted with a fifth-place finish at Daytona and a season-high fourth-place effort at Michigan International Speedway.
A competitor in the ARCA Menards Series since 2016, the veteran racer returns to the World Center of Racing for a seventh time focused on delivering Venturini Motorsports their sixth consecutive ARCA triumph at the 2.5-mile superspeedway aboard the team’s flagship No. 25 Toyota Camry.
“I am pumped up about returning to Venturini Motorsports in 2023,” said Dean. “I am looking forward to building on the success we achieved last season and I strongly believe this season we can turn our success into checkered flags and get ourselves a win or two throughout the year.”
Last month, Dean said he wheeled the best superspeedway car of his career during the annual preseason ARCA testing at the iconic race track which saw the No. 25 Toyota Camry run one of the fastest laps of the weekend.
“I can’t begin to describe how fast our Toyota Camry was during the test last month,” added Dean. “It was really fast every single run. We just made it better and better throughout the two-day test and I left the track knowing it was the best superspeedway car I have ever had.
“I hope we are able to build on the success and our notes during the event weekend and I can keep the Venturini Motorsports’ streak alive at Daytona and capture my third but biggest win of my ARCA career.”
Venturini Motorsports’ Billy Venturini says having a veteran like Dean back in the team’s lineup this season is important.
“I feel really positive about Gus at Daytona,” said Venturini. “He is the most experienced of all the drivers on our roster. I feel like he can bring a veteran calmness to the team. Without a doubt, he should be able to contend for the win and improve the team as a whole with his leadership.
“Looking past Daytona, it’s just great to have him back. He will contend to win races beyond Daytona with us in 2023 and we look forward at that opportunity with him in our No. 25 Toyota Camry.”
In addition to Daytona, Dean will return to ARCA competition with Venturini Motorsports at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April, Michigan International Speedway in August and Salem (Ind.) Speedway in September.
Additional ARCA races with Venturini Motorsports could be added as the season progresses.
“With no championship on the line for me this season, it’s about having fun,” Dean said. “Whether that’s competing with Venturini Motorsports in ARCA, DLP Motorsports in Late Model competition or the other racing endeavors we have planned for this season. Of course, the urge to still compete full-time is there, but it takes marketing partners and a lot of financial commitment to make it happen.
“Until we can hopefully put ourselves back into that position again, we’ll take the path that has been laid out before me and make the most of it. Venturini Motorsports is going for an unprecedented sixth straight ARCA victory at Daytona and I want to be that driver that gets it done for them!”