Ben Peterson Bio
Benjamin Peterson (born June 26, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, most recently driving the No. 0 Ford for Wayne Peterson Racing. Peterson is the grandson of longtime ARCA driver and team owner Wayne Peterson, continuing a family connection to the series through his grandfather’s operation.
Early Life and Background
Benjamin Peterson was born on June 26, 1997, in Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States. Growing up in the Birmingham area placed him within reach of a wide network of short tracks across the southeastern United States, where grassroots stock car racing has long served as an entry point for aspiring drivers. His family ties to the sport came through his grandfather, Wayne Peterson, a veteran of the ARCA Menards Series who built and maintained his own race team over many seasons.
That family connection gave Peterson early exposure to race shops, haulers, and short ovals long before he ever turned a competitive lap. The Wayne Peterson Racing shop and its small fleet of cars functioned as a hands-on classroom where Peterson learned the basics of car preparation, race-day routine, and the discipline required to move up through the stock car ladder. Sponsorship ties to Auburn Athletics also reflect his Alabama roots and his connection to the regional college sports community.
Path to NASCAR
Peterson’s path to national touring series competition has run through the ARCA Menards Series rather than the traditional NASCAR ladder. ARCA has long been used by stock car racers as a proving ground, and the Peterson family’s existing team offered a natural place for him to begin. He made his ARCA debut in 2019 with Wayne Peterson Racing, and the team has remained his primary home whenever he has returned to the track in subsequent seasons.
Ben Peterson Career
Early Career (2019)
Peterson made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2019 at the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic 200 at Salem Speedway, driving the No. 0 Ford for Wayne Peterson Racing. The outing was brief: he ran only three laps before brake issues forced him out of the event, and he was classified 21st. He then entered the next race at Lucas Oil Raceway, where he did not set a qualifying time and did not take the green flag, finishing officially in 22nd position.
Those two starts established the basic outline of his rookie season: short runs, learning the rhythms of a national touring series, and working through the mechanical realities of part-time equipment. His best series finish that year was 59th in the final standings, a modest but honest starting point for a young driver balancing limited track time with family-team logistics.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2024–2025)
After several seasons away from the track, Peterson returned to ARCA action in 2024. He participated in the pre-season test for the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 06 Toyota for Wayne Peterson Racing, and was the fastest of seven drivers who piloted that same chassis across the two testing days, placing 70th in the overall combined results. In April 2024, it was revealed that Peterson would drive the No. 0 Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway. Running a short track car on a superspeedway, he started 34th, advanced to 30th at one point, but ultimately finished 34th after mechanical issues ended his day after seven laps.
Peterson returned to Talladega in 2025, this time back in the No. 0 Ford with sponsorship from Auburn Athletics. The result was again short, as overheating issues ended his run after only ten laps, and he was classified 36th. Across his documented ARCA Menards Series starts, Peterson has recorded zero wins, zero top-ten finishes, and zero poles, with his best points result a 59th-place finish in 2019.
Wayne Peterson Racing Era (2019–Present)
Wayne Peterson Racing has been the constant thread through every step of Ben Peterson’s stock car career. The family-owned team has fielded a variety of Ford and Toyota entries under his guidance, including the No. 0 that has become his primary car number. Whether the program has run as a true season-long effort or a part-time schedule, Peterson has continued to align himself with the operation his grandfather built.
Driving Style and Strengths
Peterson’s documented track time has come primarily on short ovals and restrictor-plate superspeedways, two very different environments. At Salem Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway, he has worked on the fundamentals of throttle control and braking in stock cars, while his Talladega appearances have tested his ability to draft and manage mechanical components in pack racing. His partnership with the Wayne Peterson Racing crew has been central to each of those efforts.
Notable Races and Milestones
His 2019 debut at Salem Speedway stands as his first official ARCA Menards Series start, and his 2024 Daytona test session produced a notable internal benchmark as the quickest of the Wayne Peterson Racing drivers in the 06 Toyota. His two Talladega entries, in 2024 and 2025, bookend his most recent stretch of series activity and reflect his willingness to take on the sport’s biggest tracks with limited preparation.
Ben Peterson Career Wins
Across his documented ARCA Menards Series career, Ben Peterson has not recorded a victory, a top-ten finish, or a pole position. His results have come entirely in part-time outings with Wayne Peterson Racing, often cut short by mechanical issues such as brake failure, overheating, or qualifying complications.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Peterson’s first ARCA Menards Series race came at Salem Speedway in 2019, and his most recent start was the 2025 General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway. His best series points result remains the 59th-place finish he earned in 2019, the only season in which he made more than a single documented start.
Ben Peterson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ben Peterson comes from a family with deep roots in the ARCA Menards Series. His grandfather, Wayne Peterson, is a longtime ARCA driver and team owner, and Wayne Peterson Racing has been the team through which Ben has run his ARCA program. The team has carried the No. 0 Ford and, at times, No. 06 Toyota entries in the series, anchoring the Peterson family’s presence in stock car racing.
Personal Life
Peterson was born and raised in the Birmingham, Alabama, area, and his sponsorship ties, including Auburn Athletics, reflect ongoing ties to his home state. Beyond those connections, limited public information is available about his personal life.
2025 Season Performance
Ben Peterson’s 2025 ARCA Menards Series activity has been limited to a single confirmed entry. He returned to Talladega Superspeedway for the General Tire 200, driving the No. 0 Ford for Wayne Peterson Racing with sponsorship from Auburn Athletics. The run lasted only ten laps before overheating issues forced him out, and he was classified 36th.
Because his 2025 schedule has been part-time and focused on superspeedway events, there is no full-season points battle or playoff picture to track for Peterson this year. His presence at Talladega nonetheless keeps the Wayne Peterson Racing program on the ARCA entry lists and gives the team a chance to evaluate equipment at one of the series’ most demanding tracks.
Heading into the remainder of 2025, Peterson’s outlook depends on whether Wayne Peterson Racing elects to enter additional ARCA Menards Series events. Any future starts would likely continue to pair him with the No. 0 Ford program and build further track time that his earlier career, interrupted by gaps in activity, has not yet allowed him to accumulate.