Leaving the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series at the end of the 1999 season, Kennewick (Wash.) native Damon Lusk made a shift in 2000 to competing on a limited schedule in the ARCA Bondo Mar Hyde Series.
"ARCA is probably one the fastest growing series on the East Coast.” Lusk said of his new racing experience. “I like ARCA due to the fact that I am driving a Winston Cup car. It has been a really good experience and I have learned a lot since we are now traveling to the big race tracks considered with the Winston Cup Series."
Setting his eyes on a number of these big tracks for the first time, Lusk was particularly impressed with one of them saying, "Without a doubt the new Kentucky Speedway is first class all the way. They planned it so well and it is so organized for the racers it is unbelievable. Garages, fan friendly grandstands, clean rest rooms, press room, tunnels, I mean it has it all."
"The biggest change that I have had to deal with other than the crazy southern accents is the distance of the races,” Lusk explained on the changes and challenges he is facing in making the shift from the Southwest Touring Series to the ARCA Series. “Not physically, just a lot more strategy and patience. The radial tires just don’t like to take any abuse, and a lot of times you are able to run hard, but in the back of your mind you always have to be thinking about later in the race. Your pit stops, cautions, crashes, etc. is all a really big part in winning these races."
Another change Lusk is learning to cope with is travel time. "Although I have not raced all of the races this year, the ARCA events are usually 3-4 days. So you are on the road a lot more, and that means eating a lot of junk food. But all in all it has been fun, Southern people move really slow so it is all about the same," said Lusk.
Lusk is currently living in Spartanburg, South Carolina and has found the new location to his liking, but there are things he misses. Lusk said referring to his family, "I really miss the barbecues, and all the fun we had every day. But, when they are very supportive it makes it a lot easier,”
“I moved to Carolina to pursue a racing career, it’s a job that every racer would die to have and I will be here until racing is no longer fun to me. I really enjoy living here and the people in the community really love racing and are very supportive. Hopefully I will be able to stay here and call Spartanburg my home."
For the 2001 season plans are underway for Lusk to drive the No. 75 Racing For Christ Ford owned by Bob Schact.
