USAC National Midget standout Billy Wease will make his stock car racing debut in a Dodge fielded by Penske Racing South in the Sept. 10 SK Hand Tool ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. In the first day of a two-day test late last month at the 1.5-mile speedway, Wease posted the quickest time in his #27 Kodak Dodge. Wease, who began racing Quarter Midgets at age 5, recorded a lap of 173.244 mph, 31.170 seconds. The second day of the test also went well when the team concentrated on qualifying setup. Wease will drive the Dodge that Penske Racing South NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regular Travis Kvapil drove to victory in an ARCA RE/MAX event at Pocono Raceway in June. The ARCA effort is under the direction of Penske Racing South chief engineer Roy McCauley, who spearheaded Ryan Newman and a rookie crew to three straight Busch Series victories in August. Wease joined Penske Racing South’s driver development program earlier this year. Since joining the Mooresville, N.C.-based operation, he has tested at Rockingham, N.C., Greenville, S.C., Memphis, Nashville, Kentucky, and twice at Chicago. During Wease’s 13 years of racing, the Indiana native has won two Grand National Quarter Midget championships, 10 regional Quarter Midget championships, two Kenyon Midget titles and Rookie of the Year, and claimed one national USAC victory.(Penske Racing)(9-7-2005)
