Jerry Pitts Racing (JPR), also called JP Racing, is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series West. In the ARCA Menards Series, they field the No. 5 Toyota Camry part-time for Eric Johnson Jr., and the No. 7 Toyota Camry for Gavin Ray. In the ARCA Menards Series West, they field the No. 5 Toyota full-time for Eric Johnson Jr., the No. 6 Toyota for Caleb Shrader, and the No. 7 Toyota full-time for Gavin Ray. The team is owned by former Gene Price Motorsports crew chief, Jerry Pitts, along with his brother Brian.
History Before the team was founded, Pitts formerly co-owned Jefferson Pitts Racing, alongside fellow and former Gene Price Motorsports crew chief, Jeff Jefferson. In August 2019, it was announced that Jefferson and Pitts would form their own separate teams following the end of the season. Jefferson would remain at his base in Naches, Washington, while Pitts would relocate to Pahrump, Nevada, his hometown.
ARCA Menards Series Car No. 5 history
On December 23, 2024, it was announced that Eric Johnson Jr. would be driving the No. 5 part-time in 2025.
He subsequently joined Jerry Pitts Racing to compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West starting in 2025.
Car No. 5 results ARCA Menards Series resultsYearDriverNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920PtsRef 2025 Eric Johnson Jr. 5 Toyota DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT MCH BLN ELK LRP DOV IRP IOW GLN ISF MAD DSF BRI SLM KAN TOL
Car No. 7 history Takuma Koga (2021–present)
Since 2021, the team has competed in the ARCA Menards Series/ARCA Menards Series West combination race at Phoenix Raceway, with Takuma Koga driving the No. 7 entry, as part of a full-time West Series schedule. Koga's best finish in the race was an 18th-place finish in 2022.
Car No. 7 results ARCA Menards Series resultsYearDriverNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920PtsRef2021Takuma Koga7ToyotaDAYPHOTALKANTOLCLTMOHPOCELKBLNIOWWINGLNMCHISFMLWDSFBRISLMKAN64th212022DAYPHOTALKANCLTIOWBLNELKMOHPOCIRPMCHGLNISFMLWDSFKANBRISLMTOL61st262023DAYPHOTALKANCLTBLNELKMOHIOWPOCMCHIRPGLNISFMLWDSFKANBRISLMTOL64th252024DAYPHOTALDOVKANCLTIOWMOHBLNIRPSLMELKMCHISFMLWDSFGLNBRIKANTOL69th50
ARCA Menards Series West
Car No. 5 history Multiple drivers (2021–present) In 2021, the team would run a second entry part-time, fielding the No. 5 car for Kyle Keller at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. Keller started eighth and finished fifth in the race. They returned in 2022, fielding the car for Jacob Smith at the same track, where he started 11th and finished ninth. Smith was originally scheduled to run four races for the team in 2023, but did not end up happening. The entry was increased to seven races that year, with Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst running the road course races at Portland and Sonoma, late model driver Kole Raz at Shasta and Evergreen, Buddy Shepherd at Roseville, and Dustin Ash at The Bullring and Madera. They scored a third-place effort with Herbst at Sonoma, along with Raz in his two starts. The team returned part-time for 2024, where Raz would give them their first career West Series win at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway, holding off Trevor Huddleston in a close finish. 2023 ARCA West champion Sean Hingorani was announced as the driver for Portland. Hingorani would score the teams first pole at Tri-City.
On December 23, 2024, it was announced that Eric Johnson Jr. would be driving the No. 5 full-time in 2025.
Car No. 5 results ARCA Menards Series West resultsYearDriverNo.Make12345678910111213PtsRef 2021 Kyle Keller5Ford PHO SON IRW CNS IRW PIRLVS AAS PHO 37th 39 2022 Jacob Smith PHO IRW KCR PIR SON IRW EVG PIR AAS LVS9 PHO48th352023 Riley Herbst PHO IRW KCR PIR18 SON3 IRW14th245 Kole RazToyota SHA EVG Buddy Shepherd AAS Dustin Ash LVS MAD PHO 2024 Kole Raz PHO KER IRW IRW KER6 PHO 11th439 Sean Hingorani PIR SON SHA TRI MAD AAS 2025 Eric Johnson Jr. KER PHO TUC CNS KER SON TRI PIR AAS MAD LVS PHO 5th 581 2026 KER PHO TUC SHA CNS TRI SON PIR AAS MAD LVS PHO KER -* -*
Car No. 6 history
Caleb Shrader (2024) In 2024, the team would run a third entry for Caleb Shrader at Portland and Sonoma, fielding the No. 6 car and at Tri-City with Jess Havens.
Car No. 6 results ARCA Menards Series West results Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pts Ref 2024 Caleb Shrader 6 Ford PHO KER PIR21 SON27 IRW IRW SHA 31st 66 Jess Havens TRI8 MAD AAS KER PHO 2025 Caleb Shrader Toyota KER PHO TUC CNS 11th 292 Ford SON TRI PIR AAS MAD Buddy Shepherd Toyota KER Gavin Ray LVS PHO 2026 Caleb Shrader KER PHO TUC SHA CNS TRI SON PIR AAS MAD LVS PHO KER -* -*
Car No. 7 history
Multiple drivers (2020) JP Racing ran their first race as an independent team in the season-opener at The Bullring, with Austin Reed driving their No. 7 entry. Kris Wright would pilot the car for the road course doubleheader races at the Utah Motorsports Campus, finishing 2nd and 3rd in both races. Devin Dodson drove the entry at Irwindale and Phoenix, with Kyle Keller driving at The Bullring and Kern County.
Takuma Koga (2021–present) On January 20, 2021, it was announced that Japanese driver Takuma Koga would pilot the No. 7 car full-time for the upcoming season, as the team switched from running Fords to Toyotas. Koga started out the season with a 23rd-place finish at Phoenix. Throughout the season, he scored four top-ten finishes, with a fifth-place effort at Portland. He ended the season eighth in points. 2022 was an improvement for Koga, scoring five top-ten finishes with two top-fives, ironically both coming from Portland. During the October race at The Bullring, Koga made his 100th career West Series start. He ended with a career-best sixth in points. 2023 was an up-and-down year for Koga, scoring four top-tens and a ninth-place points finish.
Car No. 7 results ARCA Menards Series West resultsYearDriverNo.Make12345678910111213PtsRef2020 Austin Reed7Ford LVS912th313 Kris Wright MMP2 MMP3 Devin Dodson IRW5 EVG DCS CNS PHO16 Kyle Keller LVS4 AAS KCR6 2021Takuma KogaToyota PHO SON IRW CNS IRW PIR LVS AAS PHO8th378 2022 PHO IRW KCR PIR SON IRW EVG PIR AAS LVS PHO 7th490 2023 PHO IRW KCR PIR SON IRW SHA EVG AAS LVS MAD PHO 10th516 2024 PHO KER PIR SON IRW IRWSHA TRIMAD AAS KER PHO 7th472 2025 Gavin Ray KER PHO TUC CNS KER SON TRI PIR AAS MAD LVS PHO N/A N/A 2026 KER PHO TUC SHA CNS TRI AAS MAD LVS PHO KER -* -* Ford SON PIR
Car No. 70 history
Kyle Keller (2023) In 2023, Kyle Keller returned to JPR and ran a full season with the team in the No. 70 car. In the previous year, he ran for his own team in a partnership with JPR. Keller started out the season with a fifth-place finish at Phoenix. He earned six top-tens throughout the season and finished eighth in points. Keller left the team at the end of the season to join the newly formed Kennealy Keller Motorsports, a team which he co-owns with Robbie Kennealy.
ARCA Menards Series West resultsYearTeamNo.Make123456789101112PtsRef 2023 Kyle Keller 70 Toyota PHO IRW KCR 9th 548 Chevy PIR SON Ford IRW SHA EVG AAS LVS MAD PHO
References
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