If the Reese’s 150 ARCA Menards Series event was just two laps shorter, it would have had a magical outcome for the #73 KLAS Motorsports team with driver Andy Jankowiak. However, fate intervened, and the team did not finish the event after getting so close to the finish line with a very positive result.
Jankowiak paced fourth in the only practice session for the event, qualified eleventh and started immediately marching through the field at the start. He treated Fox Sports television viewers to a spirited battle for position with Venturini Motorsports driver Isabella Robusto in the early laps. Jankowiak favored the high line in that battle while Robusto switched up from down low to block a run from Jankowiak. The answer to that challenge was a crossover move by Jankowiak that gained the position.
Jankowiak was not finished yet, aided by the right calls by the KLAS Motorsports team on pit stops, he was able to crack the top five. Late in the race, it appeared had the #73 had the speed for a top three finish.
On lap 98, Jankowiak was solidly in the fourth position when a tire shredded on the #73 car. A shower of sparks erupted behind the machine and heavy damage to the right front suspension resulted as Jankowiak limped back to the pit area. The caution came out and the race was extended. Later, it was extended a second time after a Thad Moffett spin. Meanwhile, Jankowiak could not get back on track with his damaged #73. This dropped him back to a 18th-place finish – ten laps down to race winner Brenden “Butterbean” Queen.
“It felt like it was going to be our day to crack the podium, but it wasn’t meant to be,” said Jankowiak. “I’m proud of my team from top to bottom. We just dig deep and get everything we can.”
Team owner Kevin Lapierre was standing in the #73 pit as the race concluded, and he was heartbroken by the turn of events.
“I want to scream, but I also want to say that the team performed unbelievably today,” said Lapierre. “We are not backed by any manufacturer or Cup team and at one point, we were the fastest car on the track.”
Lapierre’s point is a strong one. During their battle for position late in the race, KLAS Motorsports competed favorably against teams backed by Chevrolet, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports. KLAS Motorsports is made of great teammates who prepare excellent equipment, but they lack the engineering, driver development and aerodynamic resources of the factory supported teams. They do not have access to the same data that these large teams do. Still, they put their hearts and souls into going fast and that underdog work ethic cannot be bought.
“We are one big team of dreamers chasing a goal that we always dreamed about chasing while loving every moment of that journey,” said Jankowiak.
Supporting that chase is a lineup of marketing partners that make it all possible. Ranch Fuel debuted as the primary sponsor at the Kansas race with Phillips 66 Lubricants serving as the presenting sponsor. Other marketing partners for the #73 at Kansas Speedway included Acacia Energy, DaK’s Markets, Florida Safety Systems, Automotive Consultants, Wordsmith Fence, Ryan Bronson Music, SunTric Renewable Energy, MikeSellsGolfCarts.com, and Yukon Creek Sportsman Club.
The Reese’s 150 concluded the 2025 racing season for KLAS Motorsports. The team collected six top ten finishes in eleven starts (nine races with Jankowiak and two with Glen Reen). They are currently searching for additional marketing partners as they set their 2026 racing plans and goals. The team plans to start their next season in February at Daytona International Speedway (FL) and will have more news to share throughout the off season.