Buice Continues ARCA Learning Curve With Kansas Top 10

Lanie Buice in action at Kansas Speedway. (Photo Courtesy of Rev Racing)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Young Lanie Buice has found her stride since her ARCA platform debut last month, cashing in her second consecutive eighth-place finish in her first headlining ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas Speedway Friday night.

The 18-year-old Georgia driver for Rev Racing stayed calm during the 100-lap, 150-mile race after losing a lap before the mandatory halfway caution, allowing her to regain contention for the second half of the race.

Running seventh when the first yellow waved on lap 48, Buice received the free pass, allowing her to get back on the lead lap. It was a benefit she’d hold throughout the second segment of the Tide 150.

However, there were also a few challenges. Buice narrowly lost control of her No. 2 Chevrolet as eventual race winner Brenden Queen took the white flag.

Buice was battling Isabella Robusto for position when Robusto disrupted the airflow over Buice’s Chevrolet, causing Buice to become loose as she exited turn two. The incident led to Robusto losing control of her No. 55 Venturini Motorsports Toyota, suffering her third DNF in four races this season.

After the debris was cleared from the entrance of the backstretch, Buice restarted alongside Jason Kitzmiller for the one-lap restart in eighth place, maintaining that position for the final 1.5-mile circuit.

“Super happy with the way that it ended up,” said Buice after scoring a top 10 in her first national ARCA Menards Series start. “Incredibly thankful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to get back at it. I’ve learned a ton so far.”

Buice also noted several learning curves throughout the evening, particularly around the aerodynamics of the ARCA stock cars, as well as not being used to restarts on bigger tracks due to her short track background in the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour.

Lanie Buice (Photo Courtesy of Rev Racing)

“The air, I knew I was going to struggle with that the most, I’ve never felt the air like that before,” Buice noted. “I packed in on the doors, I also packed a lot of air on the doors of others. The restarts are a lot different from short track racing, so continuing to get better at my restarts is super important, and keeping that momentum rolling is just really different than what I’ve done before now.”

Buice and Robusto, the lone females in Friday’s race, were the two that came together in a hard battle on lap 100. It resulted in Robusto walking away with a destroyed race car.

“Me and Isabella (Robusto) were racing hard; she’s a really good driver. I think we were just racing too hard; she packed in the air on my door and vice versa,” said Buice. “She got me a little tight down into turn one and just got free off the bottom, so sorry to her. I’m sorry for ending her night.

“Hopefully, she can bounce back from it; she deserves to be running up front.”

Buice will get back behind the wheel for the Rev Racing ARCA program during Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Coverage of the General Tire 150 begins Friday, May 23 at 6 p.m. ET on FS1, the FOX Sports App, and ARCAracing.com.