Scott Melton Bio
Scott Melton (born November 30, 1961) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 68 Ford Mustang for Kimmel Racing. A late-entry competitor who balances racing with a career in insurance, Melton has built a reputation as a determined owner-driver at the regional and national stock car level.
Early Life and Background
Scott Melton was born and raised in Rockford, Michigan, a small community in the western part of the state. He grew up in a region with a deep grassroots racing culture, where local short tracks have long served as a starting point for aspiring drivers. His upbringing in Michigan placed him close to the heart of the American auto industry and to a strong network of short tracks, weekly racing programs, and engine builders.
Beyond his roots in Rockford, Melton later settled in Greenville, Michigan, where he runs a professional life alongside his racing activities. He is the operator of the Melton-McFadden Insurance Agency, an insurance company with offices in Greenville and Belding, Michigan. The business has also been a longtime sponsor of his race efforts, allowing him to fund his own seat in the car and maintain control of his racing program.
Path to NASCAR
Melton’s path to national stock car competition did not follow the traditional late-teens ladder through Legends cars and late models. He began racing in 2018 at Springport Speedway, competing in 4 Cylinder division events. That grassroots start gave him the seat time and confidence to consider a step up to a national touring series.
After his initial 4 Cylinder races, Melton decided to move into the ARCA Menards Series following discussions with Bill Kimmel, the owner of Kimmel Racing. That conversation connected him with an established team and opened the door to competition on bigger tracks, including his first start at Berlin Raceway. His transition into ARCA marked his first sustained run at the national stock car level.
Scott Melton Career
Early Career (2018)
Scott Melton’s recorded racing career began in 2018 with 4 Cylinder races at Springport Speedway. The Springport program allowed him to learn race craft, manage traffic, and adapt to wheel-to-wheel competition in a low-cost environment. Those early short-track starts laid the groundwork for his move to a national series the following year.
His decision to enter the ARCA Menards Series came after talks with Bill Kimmel of Kimmel Racing, which gave him an immediate team affiliation and a competitive car. The 2018 season is best understood as a foundational year, when he was introduced to longer races, larger fields, and a wider range of track types than he had faced at the local level.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2019–2021)
Melton made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2019, finishing fifteenth in his first start at Berlin Raceway. He followed that debut with a 25th-place finish at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, getting his first taste of two of the more demanding ovals on the schedule. He went on to run roughly half of the 2019 season, earning two top-ten finishes and ending the year fifteenth in the point standings. His best result of that season came at Michigan International Speedway, where he finished ninth.
The 2020 campaign marked Melton’s first sustained run of form in the series. He collected three top-ten finishes, with his best result of the year being a ninth-place run at Kansas Speedway. In 2021, he added a tenth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, one of the most unpredictable superspeedways on the ARCA calendar. These results cemented his status as a consistent mid-pack and occasional top-ten runner with Kimmel Racing.
Kimmel Racing Era (2019–2022)
Melton’s partnership with Kimmel Racing has been the defining team relationship of his national-level career. Driving the No. 68 Ford Mustang, he has represented a veteran owner-driver model, combining his own sponsorship through the Melton-McFadden Insurance Agency with the preparation and infrastructure of an established ARCA operation. The pairing has allowed him to focus on improving his race craft while the team handles the technical side of the program.
His career hit a serious hurdle during the 2022 General Tire 200, when an accident left him with a compound fracture in his left leg. The injury sidelined him temporarily, but he returned later in the 2022 season at Pocono, demonstrating the resilience that has defined his late-blooming racing career. The Kimmel Racing era has been marked by steady progress, top-ten results at major tracks, and a willingness to keep racing on his own terms.
Driving Style and Strengths
Melton’s driving style reflects his background as a self-funded owner-driver who began racing in his late fifties. He has shown particular comfort on large, fast ovals, with strong results at Michigan International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and Talladega Superspeedway. His strengths include patience in long runs, consistency over a stint, and the ability to bring a car home cleanly in traffic-heavy packs. Working with Kimmel Racing has given him a stable technical platform to refine those traits.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Melton’s most memorable runs are his ninth-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in 2019, his ninth at Kansas Speedway in 2020, and his tenth at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021. His 2022 return at Pocono following a compound fracture in his left leg stands as a personal milestone, underscoring his commitment to continue competing after a serious injury.
Scott Melton Career Wins
Scott Melton’s national-level career is best measured in top-ten finishes and clean, consistent runs rather than victories. Across his ARCA Menards Series appearances with Kimmel Racing, he has notched multiple top-ten results, including standout runs at Michigan, Kansas, and Talladega. His role as an owner-driver, combined with limited starts, has kept him focused on finishing races and gaining experience at the national level.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Melton debuted in the ARCA Menards Series in 2019 at Berlin Raceway, where he finished fifteenth, and went on to record two top-tens that season, including a career-best ninth at Michigan International Speedway. He expanded on that foundation in 2020 with three top-ten finishes, capped by a ninth at Kansas Speedway, and added a tenth-place run at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021. Across these seasons, he has been a steady presence in the No. 68 Ford Mustang for Kimmel Racing.
Other Wins & Performances
Outside of ARCA, Melton’s recorded results begin with 4 Cylinder races at Springport Speedway in 2018. While specific wins and finishes at the local level are not documented in available sources, his performance there was strong enough to convince him, along with Kimmel Racing, that a move to the ARCA Menards Series was the right next step.
Scott Melton Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Scott Melton comes from Rockford, Michigan, and has built his life and business around west Michigan. He is a father of eight children, balancing a large family with the demands of running an insurance agency and a part-time racing program. His family and business ties in Greenville and Belding have been central to funding and supporting his racing efforts.
Personal Life
Melton resides in Greenville, Michigan, where he operates the Melton-McFadden Insurance Agency with offices in Greenville and Belding. The agency has frequently served as a sponsor of his race car, giving him a self-funded pathway into national-level stock car competition. His personal and professional life remain closely tied to his west Michigan roots.
2025 Season Performance
As of the 2025 season, Scott Melton is not currently listed as an active driver in the ARCA Menards Series. His most recent documented national-level starts came during the 2022 season, which was interrupted by a compound fracture in his left leg at the General Tire 200 before he returned at Pocono. With no confirmed 2025 program announced, his racing status for the year remains inactive.
Should he elect to return to competition, Melton would likely continue his long-standing relationship with Kimmel Racing in the No. 68 Ford Mustang. His prior track record at Michigan, Kansas, and Talladega suggests that superspeedways and intermediate ovals would remain his strongest venues. A 2025 campaign, if it materializes, would focus on consistent finishes and another step forward in the ARCA Menards Series point standings.
For now, Melton’s attention appears to remain on his insurance business in Greenville and Belding, Michigan. His legacy in the ARCA Menards Series is that of a late-starting owner-driver who proved that a national stock car program could be sustained through personal sponsorship, family support, and a partnership with an established team.