| Team name | Jerry Pitts Racing |
|---|---|
| Owner names | Jerry Pitts Brian Pitts |
| Base | Pahrump, Nevada, U.S. |
| Series | ARCA Menards Series ARCA Menards Series West |
| Drivers | ARCA Menards Series: 5. Eric Johnson Jr. (part-time) 7. Gavin Ray (part-time) ARCA Menards Series West: 5. Eric Johnson Jr. 7. Gavin Ray |
| Manufacturer | Toyota Ford |
| Opened | 2019 |
| Debut | ARCA Menards Series: 2021 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) ARCA Menards Series West: 2020 Star Nursery 150 (Las Vegas) |
| Final | ARCA Menards Series: 2024 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) ARCA Menards Series West: |
| Races | 68 |
| Drivers champ | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Poles | 1 |
Jerry Pitts Racing (JPR), also called JP Racing, is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series West. In the ARCA Menards Series, they field the No. 5 Toyota Camry part-time for Eric Johnson Jr., and the No. 7 Toyota Camry for Gavin Ray. In the ARCA Menards Series West, they field the No. 5 Toyota full-time for Eric Johnson Jr., and the No. 7 Toyota full-time for Gavin Ray. The team is owned by former Gene Price Motorsports crew chief, Jerry Pitts, along with his brother Brian.
History
Before the team was founded, Pitts formerly co-owned Jefferson Pitts Racing, alongside fellow and former Gene Price Motorsports crew chief, Jeff Jefferson. In August 2019, it was announced that Jefferson and Pitts would form their own separate teams following the end of the season. Jefferson would remain at his base in Naches, Washington, while Pitts would relocate to Pahrump, Nevada, his hometown.[1]
ARCA Menards Series
Car No. 5 history
On December 23, 2024, it was announced that Eric Johnson Jr. would be driving the No. 5 part-time in 2025.[2]
Car No. 5 results
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2025 | Eric Johnson Jr. | 5 | Toyota | DAY | PHO 11 | TAL | KAN | CLT | MCH | BLN | ELK | LRP | DOV | IRP | IOW | GLN | ISF | MAD | DSF | BRI | SLM | KAN | TOL | |||
Car No. 7 history
Takuma Koga (2021–present)
Since 2021, the team has competed in the ARCA Menards Series/ARCA Menards Series West combination race at Phoenix Raceway, with Takuma Koga driving the No. 7 entry, as part of a full-time West Series schedule. Koga's best finish in the race was an 18th-place finish in 2022.
Car No. 7 results
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Takuma Koga | 7 | Toyota | DAY | PHO 23 | TAL | KAN | TOL | CLT | MOH | POC | ELK | BLN | IOW | WIN | GLN | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | BRI | SLM | KAN | 64th | 21 | [3] |
| 2022 | DAY | PHO 18 | TAL | KAN | CLT | IOW | BLN | ELK | MOH | POC | IRP | MCH | GLN | ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | 61st | 26 | [4] | |||
| 2023 | DAY | PHO 19 | TAL | KAN | CLT | BLN | ELK | MOH | IOW | POC | MCH | IRP | GLN | ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | 64th | 25 | [5] | |||
| 2024 | DAY | PHO 23 | TAL | DOV | KAN | CLT | IOW | MOH | BLN | IRP | SLM | ELK | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | GLN | BRI | KAN | TOL | 69th | 50 | [6] | |||
ARCA Menards Series West
Car No. 5 history
Multiple drivers (2021–present)
In 2021, the team would run a second entry part-time, fielding the No. 5 car for Kyle Keller at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. Keller started eighth and finished fifth in the race. They returned in 2022, fielding the car for Jacob Smith at the same track, where he started 11th and finished ninth.[7] Smith was originally scheduled to run four races for the team in 2023, but did not end up happening.[8] The entry was increased to seven races that year, with Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst running the road course races at Portland and Sonoma,[9] late model driver Kole Raz at Shasta and Evergreen, Buddy Shepherd at Roseville, and Dustin Ash at The Bullring and Madera. They scored a third-place effort with Herbst at Sonoma, along with Raz in his two starts. The team returned part-time for 2024, where Raz would give them their first career West Series win at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway, holding off Trevor Huddleston in a close finish.[10] 2023 ARCA West champion Sean Hingorani was announced as the driver for Portland. Hingorani would score the teams first pole at Tri-City.[11]
On December 23, 2024, it was announced that Eric Johnson Jr. would be driving the No. 5 full-time in 2025.[2]
Car No. 5 results
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Kyle Keller | 5 | Ford | PHO | SON | IRW | CNS | IRW | PIR | LVS 5 | AAS | PHO | 37th | 39 | [12] | |||
| 2022 | Jacob Smith | PHO | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | EVG | PIR | AAS | LVS 9 | PHO | 48th | 35 | [13] | |||
| 2023 | Riley Herbst | PHO | IRW | KCR | PIR 18 | SON 3 | IRW | 14th | 245 | [14] | ||||||||
| Kole Raz | Toyota | SHA 3 | EVG 3 | |||||||||||||||
| Buddy Shepherd | AAS 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| Dustin Ash | LVS 13 | MAD 18 | PHO | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Kole Raz | PHO | KER 1 | IRW 17 | IRW 6 | 11th | 439 | [15] | ||||||||||
| Sean Hingorani | PIR 16 | SON 3 | SHA 2 | TRI 2 | MAD 2 | AAS 4 | KER | PHO | ||||||||||
| 2025 | Eric Johnson Jr. | KER 5 | PHO 11 | TUC 2 | CNS 4 | KER 5 | SON 17 | TRI 7 | PIR 9 | AAS 5 | MAD 3 | LVS | PHO | |||||
Car No. 6 history
Caleb Shrader (2024)
In 2024, the team would run a third entry for Caleb Shrader at Portland and Sonoma, fielding the No. 6 car and at Tri-City with Jess Havens.
Car No. 6 results
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2024 | Caleb Shrader | 6 | Ford | PHO | KER | PIR 21 | SON 27 | IRW | IRW | SHA | 31st | 66 | [15] | |||||
| Jess Havens | TRI 8 | MAD | AAS | KER | PHO | |||||||||||||
| 2025 | Caleb Shrader | Toyota | KER | PHO | TUC 6 | CNS | -* | -* | ||||||||||
| Buddy Shepherd | KER 15 | |||||||||||||||||
| Caleb Shrader | Ford | SON 11 | TRI | PIR | AAS | MAD | LVS | PHO | ||||||||||
Car No. 7 history
Multiple drivers (2020)
JP Racing ran their first race as an independent team in the season-opener at The Bullring, with Austin Reed driving their No. 7 entry. Kris Wright would pilot the car for the road course doubleheader races at the Utah Motorsports Campus, finishing 2nd and 3rd in both races. Devin Dodson drove the entry at Irwindale and Phoenix, with Kyle Keller driving at The Bullring and Kern County.
Takuma Koga (2021–present)
On January 20, 2021, it was announced that Japanese driver Takuma Koga would pilot the No. 7 car full-time for the upcoming season, as the team switched from running Fords to Toyotas.[16] Koga started out the season with a 23rd-place finish at Phoenix. Throughout the season, he scored four top-ten finishes, with a fifth-place effort at Portland. He ended the season eighth in points. 2022 was an improvement for Koga, scoring five top-ten finishes with two top-fives, ironically both coming from Portland. During the October race at The Bullring, Koga made his 100th career West Series start.[17] He ended with a career-best sixth in points. 2023 was an up-and-down year for Koga, scoring four top-tens and a ninth-place points finish.
Car No. 7 results
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | Austin Reed | 7 | Ford | LVS 9 | 12th | 313 | [18] | |||||||||||
| Kris Wright | MMP 2 | MMP 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Devin Dodson | IRW 5 | EVG | DCS | CNS | PHO 16 | |||||||||||||
| Kyle Keller | LVS 4 | AAS | KCR 6 | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Takuma Koga | Toyota | PHO 23 | SON 11 | IRW 16 | CNS 15 | IRW 8 | PIR 5 | LVS 8 | AAS 9 | PHO 23 | 8th | 378 | [12] | ||||
| 2022 | PHO 18 | IRW 7 | KCR 9 | PIR 5 | SON 19 | IRW 18 | EVG 9 | PIR 5 | AAS 18 | LVS 21 | PHO 15 | 7th | 490 | [13] | ||||
| 2023 | PHO 19 | IRW 7 | KCR 11 | PIR 8 | SON 24 | IRW 10 | SHA 11 | EVG 12 | AAS 10 | LVS 19 | MAD 15 | PHO 16 | 10th | 516 | [14] | |||
| 2024 | PHO 23 | KER 15 | PIR 10 | SON 13 | IRW 9 | IRW 13 | SHA 9 | TRI 11 | MAD 7 | AAS 12 | KER 15 | PHO 19 | 7th | 472 | [15] | |||
| 2025 | Gavin Ray | KER 6 | PHO | TUC | CNS | KER | SON | TRI | PIR | AAS | MAD | LVS | PHO | [19] | ||||
Car No. 70 history
Kyle Keller (2023)
In 2023, Kyle Keller returned to JPR and ran a full season with the team in the No. 70 car. In the previous year, he ran for his own team in a partnership with JPR.[20] Keller started out the season with a fifth-place finish at Phoenix. He earned six top-tens throughout the season and finished eighth in points. Keller left the team at the end of the season to join the newly formed Kennealy Keller Motorsports, a team which he co-owns with Robbie Kennealy.[21]
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2023 | Kyle Keller | 70 | Toyota | PHO 5 | IRW 6 | KCR 14 | 9th | 548 | [14] | |||||||||
| Chevy | PIR 20 | SON 13 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ford | IRW 15 | SHA 6 | EVG 7 | AAS 17 | LVS 6 | MAD 7 | PHO 14 | |||||||||||
References
- ^ "Jefferson Pitts Racing Taking Separate Paths". Newswire. August 14, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ ((bubbajohnsonjr74)) (December 23, 2024). "Breaking: Jerry Pitts Racing Taps Eric Johnson Jr. to Drive Their Flagship No.5 Toyota Full-Time in The 2025 NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West". Ericjrracing. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series Owner Standings For 2021 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series Owner Standings For 2022 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series Owner Standings For 2023 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series Owner Standings For 2024 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Jacob Smith Ascends to ARCA Menards Series West For Las Vegas Debut". Kickin' The Tires. October 7, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (January 11, 2023). "Jacob Smith Competing in At Least Four ARCA West Races with Jerry Pitts Racing". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Fenwick, Adam (June 1, 2023). "NOTEBOOK: Five NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers are returning to their ARCA roots at Portland". ARCA. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Branscum, Benjamine (April 21, 2024). "Kole Raz Out Duels Trevor Huddleston, Takes The Checkered At Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NAPA Auto Care 150 Qualifying Results". Racing-Reference.info. October 26, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West Owner Standings For 2021 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West Owner Standings For 2022 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West Owner Standings For 2023 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West Owner Standings For 2024 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (January 20, 2021). "Takuma Koga Joins Jerry Pitts Racing for 2021 ARCA West Campaign". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Fenwick, Adam (October 13, 2022). "NOTEBOOK: Takuma Koga set for 100th West Series start Friday in Las Vegas". ARCA. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West Owner Standings For 2020 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West Owner Standings For 2025 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ Fenwick, Adam (April 26, 2023). "Development-focused: Kyle Keller juggling racing and managing a driver development program on the West Coast". ARCA. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Branscum, Benjamine (September 1, 2023). "Kennealy Keller Motorsports Announces Launch of ARCA West Development Team for 2024". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.