Thomas “Moose” Praytor made his first ARCA start at the inaugural ARCA Mobile 200 in 2012 and with his start in 2014 will be one of only nine drivers that have competed in every ARCA race at Mobile International Speedway.
“Every ARCA start is an honor but it’s extra special to be in front of the home town fans that have supported me since I was eight,” said Praytor.
For the second year Praytor will wear an AJ McCarron style race helmet that he and his old team mate will autograph and donate to the Alabama Institute of Deaf and Blind Race Fever Auction during Aarons Dream weekend at Talladega. “Every year we’ve improved our equipment for the ARCA Mobile 200 and this year we have a new car that we spent 2 days testing to get dialed in. This weekend is a big effort for our team and we have high expectations.”
The ARCA Mobile 200 is the culmination of the Fastest Week in Alabama. Teams wills be at the USS Alabama on Thursday night with the Causeway Seafood Jubilee followed by the Home Mortgage America Green Flag Party at Grand Central on Dauphin Street. Friday its time to get down to business with practice and qualifying for the ARCA cars with the local divisions racing on Friday night. Saturday is an hour long autograph session with the drivers and the green flag flying at 2:00 PM CST for the ARCA Mobile 200. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com with live radio coverage on WNTM 701 and arcaracing.com.
MOBILE PRIMAIRY SPONSORS: Realtors and Nudraulixs www.nudraulix.com .
CAR: Roush Chassis #461, nickname “Black Betty”, as in the song. Black Betty is another new chassis to the Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing stable. The Moose spent 2 days testing Black Betty at Mobile International Speedway and is powered by Roush Yates horsepower.
HIXSON MOTORSPORTS/MAX FORCE RACING: Max Force Racing is based out of Mobile, Alabama and is fielding cars in its 17th season of competition. Max Force teamed with another home grown operation, Hixson Motorsports with four decades of experience in the ARCA Series from Soddy Daisy. This is the second year of the combined effort.
THOMAS “MOOSE” PRAYTOR: Praytor is coming off a stellar Rookie season that should have been only three races but under the watchful eye of veteran ARCA car owner Wayne Hixson turned into a full season. The Moose finished ninth in the Championship standings and collected the AG Adcox Sportsmanship Award in 2013. Along the way the all volunteer team collected three top 10s, was the second driver in the Fast Track Driver Challenge, third in the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award, fourth in the S & S Volvo Laps Completed Award and fourth in the Scotts Rookie Challenge. In 2012, Moose made his first ARCA start in the inaugural ARCA-Mobile 200 at Mobile International Speedway. He also raced in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega with Andy Belmont Racing and rounded out the season with a couple of starts for Venturini Motorsports. The Moose started cutting his racing teeth at eight years old on short tracks across the Southeast, racking up local and state titles along the way. The Moose and his Max Force Racing Team earned the Ironman Status of the Gulf Coast in 2011 for competing in every Late Model (Pro & Super) Race at Mobile International Speedway and Five Flags Speedway, finishing in the top 10 in the Championship standings at both tracks. Away from the track Praytor was one of AJ McCarron’s centers through grade school and high school winning a state title in 2007. In 2013 the duo teamed up donating a specially prepared McCarron replica racing helmet that Praytor wore at Daytona and Talladega to the Alabama Institute of Deaf & Blind for their annual Race Fever auction. For more on the Moose- www.maxforceracing.com.