Michael James Maples Sr. Bio
Michael James Maples Sr., born on December 5, 1963, is an American professional stock car racing driver from Choctaw, Oklahoma. He competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East, driving the No. 99 Chevrolet for his own team, Maples Motorsports. He also runs a part-time schedule in the ARCA Menards Series West with the same team, making him a familiar figure in the ARCA paddock and a respected independent team owner-driver.
Early Life and Background
Michael James Maples Sr. was born in Choctaw, Oklahoma, on December 5, 1963. Choctaw, a community in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, provided the early backdrop for his upbringing. Growing up in the Sooner State placed him near a wide range of short tracks and regional racing scenes that would shape his future in motorsports.
From a young age, Maples developed a passion for stock car racing, a tradition deeply rooted in Oklahoma and the surrounding region. The local short-track culture, combined with the accessibility of asphalt and dirt venues across the southern Plains, helped him build the foundational skills that he would later carry into national-level competition. Although specific details about his family life remain limited, his decision to eventually form his own team, Maples Motorsports, suggests a strong personal commitment to the sport that stretches back decades.
Path to NASCAR
Maples first entered the racing world in 1993, competing in asphalt late model events at Madera Speedway, a well-known short track in California. That debut season marked the beginning of a long journey through American stock car racing, although it was not a straight line to the top tiers of the sport. He took a sabbatical from racing beginning in 1998 for family reasons, stepping away from the cockpit for more than two decades.
He returned to competition in 2019, taking on a new challenge in an IMCA Southern Sport modified, a class of open-wheel, modified stock cars that race primarily on dirt and asphalt ovals. From 2019 through 2023, Maples also competed in regional touring series, including the Sooner Limited Modified Series and the Touring Outlaw Modified Series, where he continued to refine his race craft and prepare for a return to national-level stock car racing.
Michael James Maples Sr. Career
Early Career (1993)
Maples began his racing career in 1993 at Madera Speedway, running asphalt late model races against a mix of established regional drivers and rising talents. Late model racing is a traditional training ground for American stock car drivers, requiring patience, consistency, and mechanical sympathy. His first season provided a foundation, even though it would be cut short by a long break from the sport.
During the 1990s, Maples was an active late model competitor before stepping away in 1998 for familial reasons. That hiatus lasted more than twenty years, but he never fully left the racing community behind. The skills and instincts he developed in his early years on the asphalt would later prove essential when he decided to return to the track in his late fifties.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2024)
In 2024, at age 60, Maples made his ARCA Menards Series debut after participating in the preseason test at Daytona International Speedway. He drove the No. 99 Chevrolet for Fast Track Racing during the test, placing 53rd in the combined results across the two testing days. Shortly after, it was announced that he would run the full main ARCA schedule and the full ARCA Menards Series East schedule for Fast Track Racing in the No. 99.
Maples qualified 35th for his main ARCA debut at Daytona and finished one lap down in 21st place, even after being involved in a late-race crash between Scott Melton and Willie Mullins with twenty-three laps remaining. He posted a best finish of eleventh at both Berlin Raceway and Salem Speedway, ultimately ending the season eighth in the final ARCA points standings. In the East Series, he finished seventh in points, recording a best result of twelfth in three of the first four races of the year, a strong showing for a debut campaign in the series.
Maples Motorsports Era (2025–Present)
In 2025, Maples formed his own team, Maples Motorsports, while continuing to compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series behind the wheel of the No. 99 Chevrolet. The move from Fast Track Racing to his own operation marked a major step in his career, giving him greater control over his race preparation, equipment, and schedule. He also continued part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East and added part-time duties in the ARCA Menards Series West with Maples Motorsports.
During the 2025 season, Maples recorded a single top-ten finish, which came at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. He finished seventh in the final ARCA Menards Series point standings, a result that reinforced his consistency and underscored the value of running his own program. Building Maples Motorsports also positioned him as a long-term participant in the ARCA ladder.
Driving Style and Strengths
Maples is known for a measured, patient approach at the wheel, leaning on the late model and modified background that defined his early career. His experience on a wide range of track types, from the high banks of Daytona to the flat, tricky surfaces of Salem and Berlin, gives him a versatile skill set. That adaptability, paired with the steady growth of Maples Motorsports, has been central to his late-career resurgence.
Notable Races and Milestones
His 2024 ARCA debut at Daytona International Speedway stands as a signature moment, marking his return to national-level stock car racing after a sabbatical that began in 1998. The 2024 top-eleventh finishes at Berlin Raceway and Salem Speedway, along with the seventh-place East Series points result, highlighted his first full year back. The 2025 top-ten at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and the launch of Maples Motorsports further cemented his place in the ARCA paddock.
Michael James Maples Sr. Career Wins
At the time of writing, no main-series victories are recorded for Michael James Maples Sr. across his ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West starts. His results have instead been defined by consistent finishes, top-ten runs, and steady improvement. As both driver and team owner, he continues to build toward a potential breakthrough win.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Maples does not yet have a verified main ARCA Menards Series victory. His strongest results in the series include a best finish of eleventh at Berlin Raceway and Salem Speedway in 2024, an eighth-place run in the final 2024 points standings, a top-ten finish at DuQuoin in 2025, and a seventh-place result in the 2025 points standings. These performances have marked him as a steady presence in the field.
Other Wins and Performances
No verified victories are recorded in regional or modified competition, including the Sooner Limited Modified Series or the Touring Outlaw Modified Series. His pre-ARCA career produced valuable seat time and mechanical experience, but documented win totals from those years are not available.
Michael James Maples Sr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about the immediate Maples family and any racing lineage is limited. His decision to take a sabbatical from racing in 1998 for familial reasons underscores the central role family has played throughout his life. The creation of Maples Motorsports under his own name also reflects the personal nature of his racing identity.
Personal Life
Details about Michael James Maples Sr.’s personal life, including marital status, children, and current residence, are not publicly confirmed. He is widely known in the ARCA community through his team, Maples Motorsports, and through his presence on social media, where the team’s Instagram account documents his racing activities.
2025 Season Performance
Michael James Maples Sr. entered the 2025 ARCA Menards Series as a team owner-driver for the first time, running Maples Motorsports full-time in the No. 99 Chevrolet. He balanced those duties with part-time schedules in the ARCA Menards Series East and the ARCA Menards Series West, expanding his presence across the ARCA ladder while building his own operation.
His most notable result of the season came at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, where he posted a single top-ten finish. That performance, combined with consistent running throughout the year, helped him secure seventh place in the final ARCA Menards Series point standings, a result that reflected both his pace and the reliability of his new team.
Looking ahead, Maples will look to convert his growing experience and the resources of Maples Motorsports into his first ARCA victory. With a full program in place, additional tracks on the East and West schedules, and a year of team ownership behind him, the foundation is in place for a stronger run in 2026.
