MOORPARK, Calif. – Dean Thompson and High Point Racing, the winners of last year’s SPEARS Southwest Tour Series rookie-of-the-year award and the Irwindale Speedway LKQ Pick Your Part late model championship, will join the ARCA Menards Series West this year.
Beginning at Phoenix Raceway on March 6, Thompson and his No. 51 Thompson Pipe Group/High Point Racing team will compete for Rookie of the Year and the series title.
Thompson is entering his fourth year at High Point Racing. The 19-year-old Anaheim Hills resident has victories in multiple divisions with HPR, including late models and pro late models.
Along with a full-time campaign in the SPEARS Southwest Tour, the addition of the full ARCA West schedule will see Thompson and HPR compete for the two most prestigious championships on the west coast.
“I cannot thank Thompson Pipe Group and High Point Racing enough for this opportunity” said Thompson. “The ARCA Menards Series West is a historic series that has helped launch so many careers in stock car racing. I look forward to this new and exciting challenge and can’t wait to get to Phoenix in March. I believe the No. 51 Thompson Pipe Group/High Point Racing Ford is going to turn a lot of heads this year.”
High Point Racing’s driver development program has seen drivers such as Cup Series Rookie of the Year Cole Custer and Xfinity Series winner Ryan Reed come through their program at the late model level.
Following expansions into the pro late model and super late model divisions, HPR looks to solidify itself as one of the country’s premier development teams with the addition of an ARCA Menards Series West team.
To aid with the expansion, HPR has entered into a technical alliance with perennial championship contender Sunrise Ford Racing.
“The ARCA Menards Series West has been a goal of ours for quite some time” said team owner Tim Huddleston. “For a development team such as HPR, we really needed to have the right opportunity, with the right driver. When Dean came to us during the 2018 season, we started him in sportsman cars. Since then, he has progressed into late models, followed by super late models. The idea has been to constantly challenge him with a variety of cars and competition.
“With support from Sunrise Ford in 2021, I’m confident Dean, and the HPR team as a whole, will be ready for this new challenge in the ARCA Menards Series West.”
The ARCA Menards Series West season will kick off March 6 at Phoenix Raceway.