Small Team Spotlight: Visconti Motorsports

Starting in 2017, Visconti Motorsports rolled onto the scene. Owned by John Visconti, III and his wife Marie, the team has been instrumental in giving several up-and-coming drivers a competitive shot at a professional level of racing.

Fielding cars in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ARCA, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West, the Visconti’s have seen drivers such as Parker Retzlaff, Mason Diaz, and Brandon McReynolds slide behind the wheel.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (2017):

Visconti Motorsports made their NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut in 2017, featuring driver C.J. Lehmann and a successful limited schedule. Armed with sponsorship from IGA and Baldwin Automotive, the team made 4 starts during the season. Lehmann would find speed quickly as he would score 3 Top 20 finishes in those 4 starts, including an impressive 6th at Riverhead Raceway. To this date, Visconti Motorsports has not appeared in the Modified Tour since.

The team also competed in the 2017 Southern Slam 150 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, with Lehmann and the 74 coming home seventh, in a field that included the likes of Corey LaJoie, Derek Kraus, Ryan Preece, and race winner Doug Coby.

ARCA MENARDS EAST SERIES/K&N East (2018-2022):

The arrival of the 2018 season saw Visconti Motorsports decide to head to the NASCAR K&N East Series for 2018 for a limited schedule, which would require a total change-over of the team.

2019:

To compete at such a high level, the team would need a new driver for 2018. Enter Brandon McReynolds, who would bring needed experience after having made starts in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Pinty’s Series in Canada.

McReynolds and the new 74 team would start off with success. The black-and-orange No. 74 IGA Chevrolet would make an immediate impact, running up front every race they attempted. With McReynolds behind the wheel, the team would start go on a tear, scoring a popular win at New Hampshire, while collecting (3) Top 5s and (6) Top 10’s along the way.

Austin Hill would also see time behind the wheel of the 74 at Watkins Glen. Hill, trying gain more experience on road courses, would finish a solid 12th (completing all 41 laps).

Brandon McReynolds would return to Visconti Motorsports for 2019, along with The Reichert Group to back his efforts. This time running 5 of 12 races for the season, the Visconti Motorsports team would reel off (2) Top 5’s and (4) Top 10’s.

Newcomers Parker Retzlaff (2 starts), and Josh Berry (1 start) would also see seat time in 2019. Retzlaff would have a best finish of 5th at Gateway, while Berry would finish 3rd in his solo start in New Hampshire.

• • 2019 K&N West Series: Parker Retzlaff would also give the team their K&N West Series debut in the combination event (East and West Series) at Gateway. Retzlaff would take the No. 74 Ponsse Toyota to a 5th place finish, after qualifying 11th.

2020:

The new season in the ARCA Menards East Series got off to a rocky start for the 74 crew. Brandon McReynolds left the team to pursue other opportunities, so once again Visconti Motorsports was in the midst of a driver search.

The team would turn to late-model standout Giovanni Bromante in a planned bid for rookie honors. However, after the first two races of the season, Bromante would leave the team to concentrate on his family’s business. Joe Graf, Jr. made the teams only other start that season in Dover, this time fielding a Ford. 2020 results can be seen below:

2021:

The new season saw Visconti Motorsports sign Mason Diaz to driver their new No. 74 Toyota for the full 8-race schedule. Diaz was a huge get for the team, having both Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series starts, and the hire showed an immediate impact.

While Diaz would not win, he would finish the ’21 season with (3) Top 5’s, (5) Top 10’s, and a pole…including two runner-up finishes at Pensacola and Nashville. Diaz and the 74 would wrap up the season with a 6th place finish in points.

2022:

In January, it was announced that Donald Theetge would be the 2022 driver for Visconti Motorsports. However, the team would only run 4 races during the season, with Theetge posting three Top 10 finishes in all 3 of his starts. Mandy Chick would also make a start at Milwaukee. 2022 Results are below:

ARCA Menards Series (2020-2021):

With the success of the Visconti Motorsports ARCA Menards Series East and Whelen Modified runs, the team would set their sights on the nationally touring main ARCA Menards Series in 2020.

The 2020 season saw three starts for the team with drivers Giovanni Bromante, Austin Green, and WeatherTech Sportscar driver Ayrton Ori seeing seat time in Toledo and the Daytona Road Course (Ori). The team accumulated (1) Top 10 and two other Top 20 finishes in their main ARCA Menards Series debut.

2021 saw the Visconti Motorsports 74 make 4 starts in 2021, on a wider variety of tracks, including Watkins Glen. ARCA Menards East driver Mason Diaz would make the speedway starts, while they fielded a Ford for Chris Werth at Watkins Glen. Not quite as successful as the previous season, Diaz did score an 8th place finish at Iowa.

2020-2021 ARCA Menards Series Results:

2022 (The Conclusion):

So where did things all end for Visconti Motorsports? The 74 lived on in the ARCA Menards Series briefly, as former Truck Series owner Steve Chick bought a car and equipment for the ARCA race at Lucas Oil Raceway Park (IRP). Chick had a history with the “74”, as it was the number his Truck Series team used in 2004.