Zachary Tinkle will make his debut as a driver-owner in the ARCA Menards Series race at Berlin Raceway on June 20. Tinkle will pilot the No. 53 Toyota Camry for Tinkle Family Racing in select events this season.
“First, I want to thank Adam Murphy, everyone at Racing Resources and Empire Racing, David Lewis at Robert Yates Racing, and Wayne Peterson, who has continued to support me and has been instrumental over the past several months in helping make this opportunity possible,” said Tinkle. “Berlin has always been a special place to me. The fans bring so much energy, and it’s where I made my first ARCA start in 2021.”
That 2021 race was significant for Tinkle. Due to his father’s stroke, he stepped away from racing and thought he would never drive a car again. He got the call from Wayne Peterson Racing to pilot their No. 06, and finished in a respectable 13th-place on his debut. Since then, the 23-year old has been a regular on the ARCA circuit.
In 45 ARCA starts, Tinkle has three top-10s, including a 9th-place finish in the 2023 Berlin race for Fast Track Racing. From 2023 to 2025, Tinkle was full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for the same Fast Track team. In the 24 races that made up those three seasons, Tinkle earned three top-5s and finished top-10 in half the races.
2026 has been a slower start racing wise, with only one ARCA start at Phoenix Raceway so far, but Tinkle looks forward to returning to the seat.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know Zachary and am looking forward to being on top of the box as his crew chief,” crew chief Adam Murphy said. “I’ve watched him race for years and have a lot of respect for what he’s accomplished. After getting to know him over the last couple of months, I’m excited to work together and see what we can accomplish at Berlin.”
