Zachary Tinkle Bio
Zachary Tinkle (born July 3, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Fast Track Racing. A native of Speedway, Indiana, Tinkle has built a steady résumé through ARCA’s regional and national divisions, late model stock car racing, and a respected run in the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman championship.
Early Life and Background
Zachary Tinkle was born on July 3, 2002, in Speedway, Indiana, the same Indianapolis neighborhood that surrounds the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Growing up in a region steeped in oval-track tradition gave him early exposure to short-track racing culture and a clear path into competitive motorsports.
He first started racing go-karts and mini cup cars in the mid 2010s. In 2014, he won the Rookie of the Year award in the Central States Region Super Cups, an early sign of his competitive instincts. He followed that up by winning the series championship in 2017 and capturing the Rockford Speedway MiniCup division championship in 2016.
Path to NASCAR
Tinkle moved into full-bodied stock cars in 2018, joining the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman championship, where he placed fifth in the standings. The next year he returned to the series and won two races en route to the 2019 championship, while also sweeping the Triple Crown and the Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series title. That made him the first driver to win all three in a single year.
He ran part-time in the JEG’S / CRA All-Stars Tour in 2020 and 2021, finishing seventh in points, and competed during Speedweeks at New Smyrna Speedway in the Pro Late Model division. In 2021, his career was paused when his father, Brad Tinkle, suffered a stroke, and Tinkle launched a GoFundMe to help restart his racing program. The setback did not stop him, and he soon signed his first ARCA Menards Series ride.
Zachary Tinkle Career
Early Career (2014–2020)
Tinkle’s earliest documented success came in quarter-midgets and mini cup ranks, highlighted by his 2014 Central States Region Super Cups Rookie of the Year award and the 2017 series championship. He added the 2016 Rockford Speedway MiniCup title to his résumé before moving to the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman championship in 2018.
His 2019 late model season was a breakthrough. With two victories, he claimed the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series championship and added both the Triple Crown and the Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series title, becoming the first driver to sweep all three in the same year. He continued part-time in the JEG’S / CRA All-Stars Tour in 2020 and during New Smyrna Speedway Speedweeks in 2021.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Tinkle announced on July 15, 2021, that he had signed for one race with Wayne Peterson Racing after the team needed a driver. Impressed by his performance, Peterson signed him for three more events that year. After Tim Richmond was injured at the 2021 Henry Ford Health System 200, Tinkle was announced to replace Richmond for the last four races of the season.
He returned to Wayne Peterson Racing for a majority of the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule, posting a best series finish of ninth that year. He also made a single ARCA Menards Series West start at Phoenix in 2022, recording a 66th-place result, and continued to develop his national-series résumé across the ARCA ladder.
ARCA Menards Series East Era (2021–2025)
Tinkle made his ARCA Menards Series East debut in the 2021 Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway with Richmond Clubb Motorsports. On December 6, 2022, he announced plans to run full-time in the East Series in 2023, driving the No. 11 for Fast Track Racing. In their first race together, he posted a career-best seventh-place finish at Five Flags Speedway, then followed it with a sixth at Dover Motor Speedway.
On February 1, 2024, it was announced that Tinkle would return to Fast Track Racing for a second full-time East Series season in the No. 11. He finished the 2025 East Series campaign ranked third in the championship standings, his best series result, and also returned to the ARCA Menards Series West for select starts with Maples Motorsports in the No. 19.
Fast Track Racing Era (2023–2025)
Tinkle’s partnership with Fast Track Racing gave him his longest stretch of consistent national-level seat time. In the No. 11 Toyota Camry, he built a reputation for clean, consistent finishes, which translated into double-digit top-ten runs in the ARCA Menards Series East over his two full-time seasons.
His 2025 East Series third-place championship result confirmed his growth and gave him momentum heading into his part-time ARCA Menards Series schedule with the team and his Maples Motorsports No. 19 efforts in the West division.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tinkle’s record shows a driver who emphasizes consistency and race-craft over raw aggression. His top-ten rate in the ARCA Menards Series East (12 across his career) and steady lap times in the national ARCA series suggest a strengths profile built around short-run pace, tire management, and clean execution at a variety of track types.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his 2019 CRA Late Model Sportsman Triple Crown sweep, his first ARCA start with Wayne Peterson Racing in 2021, his first full-time East Series race at Five Flags Speedway in 2023, and his 2025 ARCA Menards Series East third-place championship finish.
Zachary Tinkle Career Wins
Zachary Tinkle has not recorded a victory in any of the three ARCA national or regional series. His win column, however, is anchored in the late model ranks, where he captured the 2019 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series championship with two feature wins.
ARCA Menards Series East Highlights
In the ARCA Menards Series East, Tinkle has recorded zero wins, 12 top-ten finishes, and zero poles. His best championship result is third place, achieved in 2025, after running full-time with Fast Track Racing in the No. 11 Toyota Camry.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside ARCA, Tinkle is a multi-time late model champion. His 2019 season included the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series title, the CRA Triple Crown, and the Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series championship, a rare triple he is the first to sweep in a single year.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Zachary Tinkle Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Tinkle races under the Tinkle Family Racing banner in the ARCA Menards Series, evidence that stock car racing is a family pursuit. His father, Brad Tinkle, is closely tied to his son’s career, and in 2021 the family faced a serious challenge when Brad suffered a stroke. Zachary used a GoFundMe campaign to help restart his racing program and has continued to honor the family’s racing identity on track.
Personal Life
A native of Speedway, Indiana, Zachary Tinkle has kept his personal life largely out of the public eye. His public social media presence, including his Facebook and Instagram accounts, focuses primarily on his racing efforts, with little additional personal detail disclosed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a high point in Tinkle’s ARCA career. Running full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East with Fast Track Racing in the No. 11 Toyota Camry, he recorded consistent finishes across the schedule and ended the year ranked third in the championship standings, his best result in the series.
He complemented that East Series campaign with part-time ARCA Menards Series West starts in the No. 19 for Maples Motorsports, and continued to make selected national ARCA Menards Series appearances. The combined effort underscored his growing role as a reliable, top-tier talent on the ARCA ladder.