Bryce Applegate excited for opportunity to race at Daytona with Mullins Racing
- Dinah Mullins
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Bryce Applegate excited for opportunity to race at Daytona with Mullins Racing
Kentucky driver will make ARCA debut in General Tire 200
Bryce Applegate is excited about the opportunity to compete at Daytona International Speedway with Mullins Racing, teaming up with Vaughn Racing for the ARCA Menards Series General Tire 200 on Saturday, February 14.
Applegate, 19, from Simpsonville, Kentucky, has competed part-time in the zMAX CARS Tour and logged his first laps at the World Center of Racing during the ARCA Menards Series open test in January. After impressing the Mullins Racing team, Willie and Dinah Mullins partnered with Dee Vaughan to place Applegate in the No. 34 Chevrolet SS, a number that carries deep significance within the Mullins Racing organization.
The No. 34 represents a full-circle moment for Mullins Racing, as Willie Mullins made his Daytona debut in 2016 driving the No. 34 for Darrell Basham Racing. Nearly a decade later, Mullins Racing will return to Daytona with that same number, this time fielding its own Chevrolet SS with Applegate behind the wheel through the Vaughn Racing alliance.
“I’m very excited and happy to have them have me,” Applegate said. “Not everybody gets to race at Daytona and to be able to be part of a really good, experienced team is a really good thing. I think it will be a good experience for me, even though I’ve not been doing ARCA much. I’ve always been working in racing and working on other cars and this will be the first time racing at Daytona.”
Applegate leaned heavily on his January test session along with his experience in the CARS Tour, where he has recorded two top-10 finishes in 11 career starts.
“Racing in the CARS Tour prepares any good driver because it’s so close,” Applegate commented. “And the test was a very good experience. I think everybody should do it if you have the opportunity. It is good to feel the G forces going into the corner. It really caught me off guard how much G-force you feel in your body. Even though going around the track looks smooth on TV, it’s really not a smooth racetrack. You can’t let your mind drift away. You got to always be thinking of what you are going to do, stay on the yellow line and look ahead of you.”
Applegate’s goals entering the General Tire 200 are simple: keep the car clean, avoid the expected superspeedway chaos, and position himself for a strong finish.
“I kind of keep tabs on the ARCA races,” Applegate explained. “I worked with Josh Williams and he’s taught me how to race, so I’ve kind of watched him and how he’s maneuvered some of his superspeedway races and how you want to be in the lead pack but kind of be the last car in the lead pack so you have maneuverability. I don’t think the race is going to be long enough to ride in the back and move to the front, so you want to kind of be in the mix the entire time.”
While Applegate will pilot the Mullins Racing entry, owner points for the No. 34 will be credited to Vaughn Racing, which fields the number for Austin Vaughn, the 2025 ARCA Menards Series East Rookie of the Year.
“Austin’s not old enough to run superspeedways,” Vaughn Racing owner Dee Vaughn said. “He just turned 17, so we had the number available and they had asked if they could use that number since we didn’t have anyone qualified to run Daytona and I said that would be fine. Mullins Racing, they’re very good people. Several teams reached out to me but I decided to go with Mullins Racing because they’ve always been nice people, well known, and a very well-liked organization.”
For Mullins, seeing the No. 34 return to Daytona carries added meaning, especially with a young driver like Applegate behind the wheel.
“Having the No. 34 back on one of our cars is full circle for me. It’s just special,” Mullins said. “To have a talented young driver like Bryce behind the wheel makes it even more meaningful. We had a really good group of testers this year with Bryce and Tyler Garretson, and we were excited when Bryce wanted to come back and run the race. He’s not only talented behind the wheel, but this kid truly lives racing.
“As we struggled some at the test with my car, Bryce asked to come back the second day to help crew on it. Anytime a young driver wants to not only improve his craft in the car but also learn everything he can about the car itself, that’s a huge plus.”
Mullins will also compete in the General Tire 200 in the No. 3 Chevrolet, a car he has driven at Daytona since 2018, including a runner-up finish in that year’s event. His return to the speedway alongside No. 34 adds another layer of significance to Mullins Racing’s Daytona effort.
Applegate’s efforts are supported by Stansteel Hotmix, Industrial Kiln & Dryer Group, and Louisville Dryer Company. Applegate and his sponsors are also proud supporters of Folds of Honor, Tunnel to Towers, and Wreaths Across America.
Practice for the General Tire 200, the season-opening race for the ARCA Menards Series, will take place Thursday, February 12, with qualifying scheduled for Friday, February 13. The 80-lap, 200-mile event will go green on Saturday, February 14 at 12:00 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX and stream on the FOX One app.
