Zachary Tinkle is a 19-year-old stock car driving sensation based in Speedway, IN that currently races in NASCAR®s ARCA Menards series. He is the 2019 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Champion and 2019 Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series Champion and Rookie of the Year. Tinkle also won the 2019 Vore’s Welding CRA late model sportsman Triple Crown Championship. In his 2018 rookie season in the Vore’s Welding CRA late model sportsman series, Zachary Tinkle was named PGG Sportsman of the Year and voted Most Popular Driver; finishing 5th in the championship. He also tested in a USF2000 car in the fall of 2018.
He was the 2017 Central States Region (CSR) Super Cups and 2016 Rockford Speedway Wild Wednesday Super Cup Champion. In 2015, Tinkle was the Illinois Super Cup State Champion for the Short Track Auto Racing Series (STARS), Rockford Speedway National Short Track Champion for Super Cups, awarded the Rockford Speedway “Lead, Follow, or Get Out Of My Way” award and Most Improved Driver for CSR Super Cups. For 2014, he was Rookie of the Year for CSR.
His racing roots started in the Chicagoland area. He has family ties to the Indianapolis area and was born in Cincinnati, OH.
Zachary has aspirations of racing at the highest levels of racing including getting a ride with a top tier team.
Do you have a pre-race routine? If so, what is it? For me, I try to always make sure that I stay hydrated before a race. Before I go to the track, I do a cardio workout. And, the day before, I usually do at least a hundred laps on the simulator for the track I’m racing.
What is your favorite track to race at? (Any Series) Winchester Speedway is my favorite track to race at.
What is the most memorable moment in your career so far? My most memorable moment in my racing career so far would be winning the CRA Late Model Sportsman championship at Winchester Speedway. It was a must win race against stiff competition. It was a challenge to not only manage the tires the whole race, but also maintain the winning speed at the same time.
Is there another driver that you look up to or consider an inspiration? A former driver would definitely be Jeff Gordon. He was not only a great ambassador to the sport, but also knew how to get it done on the race track in almost any situation. He also is charitable and a smart business person. Kody Swanson would be an inspiration as a current driver. He’s very methodical in his driving and definitely cool under pressure. In late models, I learned quite a bit from him in the short time that I got to race him. Kody is extremely knowledgeable and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet in the pits.
What has been your favorite series to race in so far? I’d probably say the ARCA Menards Series because of the professionalism and respect within the series among drivers and teams. There’s also a family atmosphere that you don’t necessarily find in other series.
What is one goal that you have for the remainder of the 2022 season? I would really like to get at least one Top 10 in the 2022 season.
What is one goal that you have for your racing career in the long run? I guess the standard answer is to make the Cup Series, but I would prefer to be in a quality ride. So, if that meant I needed to make a career in the truck or xfinity series, I would do that instead. I would really like to do the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double someday.
Any set racing plans for 2023? We have several options on the table for 2023, but nothing is set in stone yet.
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