Duno Teams With ESR for Another ARCA Run

DAYTONA BEACH -- Venezuelan driver Milka Duno is hoping that success does indeed breed success.
Or at least a spot in Saturday's ARCA race.

If Duno makes the field, she'll be in the No. 33 Chevrolet of Eddie Sharp Racing, an operation that won six races and the 2009 series title with Justin Lofton and has also helped groom the careers of Craig Goess, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Scott Speed.

As the series begins practice at 1 p.m. today for Saturday's season-opener, Duno has also partnered with longtime crew chief David Leiner, who has won 51 ARCA races, including four at Daytona, over the last 18 years.

"Over the last seven races last year, she started to really come into it. Then, unfortunately, the offseason arrived. But she picked right back up at the Daytona test and we came with a brand new car for the Daytona test," Leiner said. "Once we got the bugs worked out, the car got pretty decent. She ran in the draft really well. All of the experience she's gained is really going to help her this year."

Duno, 39, has 14 years of experience in the Barber Dodge Pro, American Le Mans, Rolex Grand-Am and IndyCar Series, but she's still finding her way in stock cars.

Despite a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona five years ago and driving in two Indianapolis 500s (2007-08), Duno has gotten caught up in wrecks in the ARCA event here the last two seasons.

"Something always happens at the end. This kind of race, with so many cars, is very tough. At the end, people start getting crazy and do strange things," Duno said. "This car is tough to drive, but the good thing about this series is the driver can make a difference. In IndyCar, it's 90 percent the car and the rest is driver."

A year ago, driving the No. 63 of defending ARCA series champion Patrick Sheltra, she was running 12th with 16 laps to go when a crashed car left her no place to go while exiting Turn 4. As a result, she finished 31st.

She made 11 of 18 starts the rest of the season and finished 18th in the final points -- even after a lack of funding kept her from finishing out the season.

With a team and a crew chief that have both won races, she's hoping to finish at the 2012 Daytona race, which could be the springboard to a full season.

"We want to race more. We'll see what happens with this race. We're working to see what is the next possibility and we are talking with a sponsor also," Duno said. "We hope to have an answer before the next race. I don't want to lose any races like last (year)."

First, she must make the race.
Last year, she had Sheltra's points to fall back on. But Friday she'll be one of 59 entries looking to land one of the race's 43 available starting spots.

If she does qualify on time, her management team aspires for her to run the full season before dabbling with a couple of NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at season's end.

"We are working to try and put together some races. At this moment we're speaking with different (NASCAR) teams that are interested. We're trying to finalize some things," said Luis Areualo, Duno's manager. "It will probably be at the end of the year. We'll start here, and at the end of the year we hope to get in some races."

 

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