Shane Backes Bio
Shane Backes (born April 19, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West. He currently drives the No. 67 Chevrolet for Maples Motorsports. A veteran of grassroots short-track competition, Backes returned to national-level stock car racing in 2025 after years away from the spotlight.
Early Life and Background
Shane Backes was born on April 19, 1976, in Evans, Georgia, in the United States. Evans is a suburban community located in the Augusta metropolitan area, a region with a strong regional tradition of short-track racing across the Southeast. Growing up in that environment placed Backes in close proximity to local ovals where many aspiring stock car drivers in the region first learn the craft.
Backes first climbed behind the wheel of a race car at the age of eleven, beginning his competitive career in grassroots-level events. During his formative years in the sport, he competed in the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a sanctioning body well-known for drag racing and grassroots motorsports competition across the United States. That early exposure to IHRA competition helped him develop the car-control skills and race-craft instincts that would later support his transition into oval-track stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
After establishing himself in IHRA and short-track competition, Backes eventually set his sights on the ARCA Menards Series, a recognized developmental stepping stone toward NASCAR national-series competition. His route to the ARCA national tour came later in his career, as he continued to race at the regional level while preparing for a return to national-level stock car events. The ARCA Menards Series and its companion ARCA Menards Series West schedule offered the platform he needed to measure himself against some of the country’s top stock car prospects.
Shane Backes Career
Early Career (Years Prior to 2025)
Backes began his racing career as a pre-teen, competing in the International Hot Rod Association during his earliest years in the sport. His IHRA background gave him a foundation in straight-line speed and mechanical sympathy, skills that translated well to the heavier, more mechanically demanding stock cars he would later pilot. After his time in IHRA, he shifted his focus toward oval-track stock car racing at regional and short-track venues across the United States.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2025)
In 2025, Backes was revealed as a planned entrant in the ARCA Menards Series, originally slated to make his series debut at Watkins Glen International in the No. 00 Toyota for VWV Racing. The entry was withdrawn just a couple of days after the announcement, and Backes was quickly tabbed to drive the No. 67 Chevrolet for Maples Motorsports instead. In his Watkins Glen debut, he placed 25th in the lone practice session, qualified 23rd, and ultimately finished 24th after suffering a crash midway through the race.
Backes later returned with Maples Motorsports at Madison International Speedway, where he placed nineteenth in practice, qualified 21st, and brought home a 17th-place finish despite being involved in an incident with Lawless Alan early in the race. He is scheduled to conclude his 2025 campaign with Maples Motorsports at the season-ending event at Toledo Speedway.
Driving Style and Strengths
Backes’s background in the International Hot Rod Association shaped a driving style rooted in throttle control and mechanical sympathy, two traits that translate naturally to stock car competition. His willingness to take on road-course events such as Watkins Glen International demonstrates a versatility that extends beyond traditional oval racing. Working with Maples Motorsports has given him a stable platform to continue building his national-series experience.
Notable Races and Milestones
Backes’s 2025 ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International stands as the milestone that announced his arrival on the national stock car scene. His follow-up start at Madison International Speedway, where he battled back from an early-race incident to record a 17th-place finish, marked his first completed national-series race. The scheduled season finale at Toledo Speedway is set to add another chapter to his growing ARCA résumé.
Shane Backes Career Wins
Shane Backes’s verified national-series win total remains at zero, as his documented ARCA Menards Series starts in 2025 produced finishes of 24th at Watkins Glen International and 17th at Madison International Speedway. His wins from IHRA and regional short-track competition have not been documented in available sources and are therefore not reported here.
Shane Backes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
There is no publicly verified information regarding Shane Backes’s parents, siblings, or extended racing lineage based on available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Shane Backes’s 2025 campaign represents his first documented season of national ARCA Menards Series competition. After a debut at Watkins Glen International that was cut short by a midrace crash, he rebounded at Madison International Speedway with a 17th-place finish in the No. 67 Chevrolet for Maples Motorsports.
Looking ahead, Backes is currently scheduled to close out the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season with Maples Motorsports at the Toledo Speedway season finale, providing an opportunity to end his rookie national campaign on a strong note. Continued seat time in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West is expected to serve as the foundation for any future progression up the NASCAR ladder.
