AVONDALE, Ariz.: For ARCA Menards Series rookie driver Howie DiSavino III, 2020 has been anything but normal.

In January, the Win-Tron Racing development driver had a concrete schedule in ARCA and a limited schedule in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

Less than a week after competing in the ARCA Menards Series race at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in early March, the world was sent into a blender from the Coronavirus pandemic. Steadily, things returned to a new normal – including the world of Motorsports.

Everyone in the racing scene was impacted by the pandemic with DiSavino and team having to go back to the drawing board and recreate a schedule that benefitted everyone since practice and qualifying had been eliminated from much of the remainder of the season.

With the Truck Series plans on idle, the focus centered on ARCA and the No. 32 KEES Travel | Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning Chevrolet. In his series’ return at Lucas Oil Raceway on July 3, he earned a career-best ninth-place finish

The Chesterfield, Va. native hasn’t competed in an ARCA Menards Series race since Iowa Speedway this summer, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy.

Whether it be studying film, testing an ARCA car at various short tracks, competing in Late Model races in the Midwest, DiSavino has stayed busy preparing for Saturday afternoon’s Arizona Lottery 100.

Set to compete in his fourth ARCA Menards Series race of the year and armed with the experience of veteran crew chief Jamie Jones, DiSavino returns to the desert hoping to end the season with a career-best ARCA finish.

“We’ve come a long way in a little over a year,” said DiSavino. “I’m humbled to have the opportunity to chase my dreams and have so many people behind me, helping me be successful. Kevin (Cywinski, team owner) and Jamie (Jones) with Win-Tron Racing, Austin (Theriault) and JR (Longley) with PMG and Joey Coulter have all helped and sped up my learning curve.

“I’m ready to tackle Phoenix this weekend, but I am also extremely excited about what next year will bring. We have great partners that have followed me and I’m excited about moving up next year with their support.”

Luckily for the 19-year-old driver, he returns to Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway with the benefit of plenty of track time. Something he has missed since returning to Motorsports post-pandemic lockdown.

In March, he qualified 16^th and quickly raced inside the top-10 before being swept into a late-race accident, not of his making. While the finish left more to be desired, DiSavino and Jones return to the 1.0-mile track looking to finish what they started eight months ago.

“We made great strides at Phoenix in March, so I’m looking forward to going back to Phoenix and earning that top-10 finish that was taken away from us,” added DiSavino.

“Jamie (Jones) really made some great changes to the car and it showed with our pace. With the race expected to be even more competitive than the spring, I think we have the opportunity to showcase a lot with our Win-Tron Racing team on Saturday.”

You talk about being surrounded by veterans, DiSavino has that covered.

Whether it’s team owner Kevin Cywinski on the grounds, crew chief Jamie Jones calling the shots as crew chief, guiding DiSavino from up above is Joey Coulter.

A former ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series winner, Coulter’s guidance as his spotter has proven to be equally as beneficial this season.

“Joey is great at keeping me calm and focused behind the wheel,” sounded DiSavino. “Of course, Jamie is on the radio with us, but Joey is that extra set of eyes and laying a foundation to help make me a better driver.

“Whether it’s cheerleading one lap, to criticism the next – we’re going in the right direction and a strong performance on Saturday will give us that added boost of confidence heading into the offseason and preparing for next year.”

Of course, DiSavino isn’t just getting support and confidence from his team, his marketing partners have been pivotal in rolling with the punches of 2020 all while looking ahead to an aggressive 2021 schedule.

“For Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning, joining the HDIII racing team through a sponsorship opportunity, has been everything we could hope for,” said Rob Nelson, president of Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning.

“The closeness and comradery with Howie, his dad and all the others involved just feels like we are a part of an organization that cares about its partners. They’re focused on creating and exploiting every possible opportunity for the betterment of the sponsors in concert with the true star of the show, Howie DiSavino III. 

“We wish the team a lot of luck this weekend at Phoenix.”

Win-Tron Racing team owner Kevin Cywinski says DiSavino has grown as a driver despite the hurdles 2020 presented.

“2020 hasn’t gone according to plan, but we’ve adjusted to a pace that was comfortable with Howie and I think we’ve met our objectives. We’ve focused on a lot of tasks off the track which he has excelled at and it should prove to be beneficial at Phoenix this weekend with our on-track performance in the No. 32 KEES Travel | Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning Chevrolet.”  

For more on Howie DiSavino III, please visit howiedisavino.com, like him on Facebook (Howie DiSavino III Racing), follow him on Twitter (@hdisavino) and Instagram (HowieDiSavino).

For more on Win-Tron Racing, please visit WinTronRacing.com, like them on Facebook (WinTron Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@WinTronRacing).

The Arizona Lottery 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 11^th of 11^th races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series West schedule. Group Practice begins Sat., Nov. 7, 2020, with a one-hour practice session from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 12:00 p.m., televised live on NBC Sports’ TrackPass. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire day’s festivities. All times are local (Mountain).

About KEES Travel™:

KEES Travel™ is a hospitality management & vacation rental company which started because the vacation rental and timeshare rental markets only offered weekly stays. KEES Travel™ saw this as an opportunity to offer travelers more accessibility to these accommodation for a short-term or partial stay.

They believe everyone deserves a vacation no matter the length. KEES Travel™ believes in providing quality accommodation for guests and taking care of properties for their owners. They strive to give each the best experience possible in hospitality management.

About Bud’s Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric:

Bud’s Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric is the recognized leader in residential and light commercial mechanical contractors in the Hampton Roads market. From simple, honest beginnings in 1969, Bud’s quickly rose to prominence, establishing a legendary reputation for quality, service and professionalism while always maintaining the same home-town personalized connections with clients throughout its 51-year history.

In 2000, Bud’s expanded under the current leadership of CEO Robert W. Nelson Jr. adding plumbing and electrical departments and introducing a science-based whole home approach that has now become the industry benchmark, while national influencing the market through innovative business and customer relations practices.