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 product of the Midwest short-track scene, Tinkle has built his career on a foundation of karting, mini cup, and late model competition across Indiana and the surrounding region.
Early Life and Background
Zachary Tinkle was born on July 3, 2002, in Speedway, Indiana, a town located within the Indianapolis metropolitan area and closely tied to the city’s deep motorsports heritage. Growing up in central Indiana placed him near some of the most active short tracks in the country, providing early access to grassroots racing opportunities that helped shape his career path.
Tinkle’s entry into motorsports came in the mid-2010s, when he began racing go-karts and mini cup cars. In 2014, he earned the Rookie of the Year award in the Central States Region Super Cups, signaling early promise. He continued developing his skills in regional mini cup competition and captured the Rockford Speedway MiniCup division championship in 2016.
Path to NASCAR
Tinkle advanced through the short-track ladder by moving into full-bodied stock car competition. In 2018, he entered the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman championship, where he finished fifth in the standings during his first season. The following year, he returned to the same series and won two races on his way to the series championship. That same 2019 season, he also captured the CRA Late Model Sportsman Triple Crown and the Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series championship, becoming the first driver to sweep all three titles in a single year.
As Tinkle’s late model results drew attention, he expanded his schedule. In 2020, he ran part-time in the JEG’S / CRA All-Stars Tour and finished seventh in points. He continued in that series part-time in 2021 while also competing during Speedweeks at New Smyrna Speedway in the Pro Late Model division, where he set one fastest qualifier time and placed seventh in points. That summer, however, his career was interrupted when his father, Brad Tinkle, suffered a stroke, prompting Zachary to launch a GoFundMe campaign to help restart his racing program.
Zachary Tinkle Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Tinkle’s early stock car career centered on the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman championship and the JEG’S / CRA All-Stars Tour. His 2019 sweep of the CRA Late Model Sportsman championship, Triple Crown, and Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series title established him as one of the Midwest’s most promising young short-track talents. In 2020, he transitioned to a part-time schedule in the JEG’S / CRA All-Stars Tour, finishing seventh in the championship while continuing to log laps across multiple regional series.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2021–2022)
On July 15, 2021, Tinkle announced that he had signed for one race with Wayne Peterson Racing after the team needed a driver. Wayne Peterson was impressed with Tinkle’s performance and signed him for three additional races that year. Later in the season, Tinkle was announced as the replacement for Tim Richmond, who was injured at the 2021 Henry Ford Health System 200, giving Tinkle the seat for the last four races of the campaign.
Tinkle returned to Wayne Peterson Racing for a majority of the schedule in 2022, continuing his development in the ARCA Menards Series and gaining experience on a variety of tracks. His time with the team provided a steady platform to refine his race craft at the national touring level before his next career step.
ARCA Menards Series East Breakthrough (2021–2024)
Tinkle was originally scheduled to make his ARCA Menards Series East debut in the 2021 Pensacola 200, driving the No. 22 for Brandon Oakley Racing, but the team withdrew. He instead made his East Series debut in the 2021 Bush’s Beans 200 with Richmond Clubb Motorsports. On December 6, 2022, he announced that he would run full-time in the East Series in 2023, driving the No. 11 for Fast Track Racing.
His first full-time race with Fast Track Racing produced a career-best seventh-place finish in the season opener at Five Flags Speedway, followed by a sixth-place run at Dover Motor Speedway. On February 1, 2024, Tinkle announced that he would return to Fast Track Racing for a second full-time season in the East Series, again behind the wheel of the No. 11 car.
Fast Track Racing Era (2023–Present)
Tinkle’s move to Fast Track Racing marked a new chapter in his career, pairing him with a Toyota-backed team in the ARCA Menards Series East. His opening stretch of 2023 immediately produced career-best results, including a seventh-place run at Five Flags Speedway and a sixth-place finish at Dover Motor Speedway, demonstrating consistent pace across different track types. The renewal announced in early 2024 signaled continued confidence from the team in Tinkle’s development.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tinkle has built his reputation on short-track discipline and consistent lap times, skills sharpened through years of CRA Late Model and mini cup competition. His ability to adapt between ovals of varying shapes and sizes, from the flat five-eighths mile at Five Flags Speedway to the high-banked concrete of Dover Motor Speedway, has been a defining trait during his ARCA Menards Series East tenure with Fast Track Racing.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Tinkle’s signature moments are his 2019 sweep of three Midwest short-track championships, his late-season 2021 call-up to replace Tim Richmond at Wayne Peterson Racing, and his career-best seventh-place finish in his first full-time ARCA Menards Series East start at Five Flags Speedway in 2023.
Zachary Tinkle Career Wins
Zachary Tinkle’s career wins are concentrated in regional and short-track competition, where he built the foundation of his racing resume.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Tinkle’s ARCA Menards Series career began with Wayne Peterson Racing in 2021 and expanded into the East Series with Fast Track Racing beginning in 2023. He has notched career-best finishes of seventh at Five Flags Speedway and sixth at Dover Motor Speedway, but his verified national-series win totals are not clearly established in the available sources.
Other Wins and Performances
Tinkle captured the 2019 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman championship, the 2019 CRA Late Model Sportsman Triple Crown, and the 2019 Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series championship, becoming the first driver to win all three in the same year. He also won the Rockford Speedway MiniCup division championship in 2016 and the Central States Region Super Cups Rookie of the Year award in 2014.
Zachary Tinkle Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Zachary Tinkle’s father, Brad Tinkle, has been closely involved in his son’s racing journey. In 2021, Brad Tinkle suffered a stroke that temporarily halted Zachary’s racing career, prompting the younger Tinkle to start a GoFundMe campaign to help restart his program and continue competing.
Personal Life
Tinkle was born and raised in Speedway, Indiana, a community known for its connection to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Additional verified details about his personal life, including marital status and family, are not currently available in the public sources reviewed.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Tinkle’s most recent full-time campaign came in 2024, when he returned to Fast Track Racing for a second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East season behind the wheel of the No. 11 Toyota. His prior opening stretch, highlighted by top-ten runs at Five Flags Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway, established a competitive baseline for the program. As of the latest available information, additional details about his 2025 schedule and results are not confirmed.