Zachary Tinkle named recipient of 2023 General Tire Spirit Award

The 2023 General Tire Spirit Award will be presented to ARCA Menards Series East driver, and one of the most well-liked personalities in the garage area, Zachary Tinkle. The award will be presented to the Speedway, Indiana native during the ARCA Menards Series/ARCA Menards Series East combination race at Dover Motor Speedway on Friday, April 26.

Tinkle will receive a unique commemorative General Tire helmet and a check for $2,500. A second check, also for $2,500, will be presented to Moose’s March, a pet charity of Zachary’s choosing.

“We have enjoyed watching Zachary’s career blossom over the course of the last three years in the ARCA Menards Series platform,” said Adam Keiser, content specialist for General Tire. “Zachary has proven to be extremely competitive on the racetrack despite racing with a budget a fraction of the bigger teams, and he has created relationships with virtually everyone in the garage area. You know when you bump into Zachary, you’ll be greeted with a huge smile and a firm handshake.

“We couldn’t think of a better recipient for the General Tire Spirit Award in 2023.  We’d like to pass along our congratulations to Zachary and his entire team on an impressive season, and we wish them the best in 2024.”

Tinkle, driving for 1995 ARCA Menards Series national champion Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track High Performance Racing Team, scored four top-ten finishes in the ARCA Menards Series East in 2023, with two sixth-place finishes at ultra-fast mile at Dover and the tight quarter-mile bullring at Flat Rock Speedway. Perhaps more impressive, he never finished lower than 13th in the four combination races with the ARCA Menards Series, including an eleventh-place finish at Iowa Speedway.

Tinkle, whose team was led by 2000 NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning crew chief Todd Parrott, finished fourth in the final ARCA Menards East standings.

The General Tire Spirit Award is presented annually to a recipient who displays dedication to and support of ARCA, is uplifting by example, and by such actions earns the respect of the community, displays perseverance in the face of adversity, and maintains a supportive, helpful, and positive attitude even under duress.

Previous winners of the General Tire Spirit Award include Darrell Basham, Jack Bowsher, Andy Hillenburg, Kerry Scherer, Bill Kimmel, Brad Smith, and in 2023, Bob Bruncati. Now retired, Bruncati – a member of the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame – earned four ARCA Menards Series West championships with drivers Jason Bowles (2009), Derek Thorn (2013, 2018) and Jake Drew (2022).