Thomas Annunziata signs ARCA Menards Series deal with Nitro Motorsports
A full-time season for Thomas Annunziata in the ARCA Menards Series. Nitro Motorsports signs another young star. Annunziata has a few starts in the NASCAR ranks at this point. The 20-year-old is embarking on his first full-time season in a stock car.
From New Jersey, Thomas Annunziata has been slowly getting his footing in the NASCAR ranks. He ran part-time for Cope Family Racing this season in the Xfinity Series. He had his best finish of P17 at the Chicago Street Course.
Annunziata has experience in Trans AM, ARCA, and NASCAR. Is he a championship contender in the ARCA Menards Series this season?
Thomas Annunziata has a large following on social media. He is also a winner at the ARCA level already, taking the victory at Lime Rock Park earlier this year. Annunziata earned that win with Nitro Motorsports. The young driver also earned a P5 finish at Bristol. All five of his ARCA starts this year, in the national series and East and West, were top-five finishes in 2025.
It is clear that Annunziata is a talent on the road courses. That is where he typically shines. However, he managed a pair of P20 finishes on ovals in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this year. Nashville and Gateway were his best oval tracks, by far. Four DNFs hampered other finishes on the season.
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A full-time season will be good for Annunziata and his development. He adds a little bit of experience to a very young Nitro lineup in 2026.
Thomas Annunziata could be ARCA favorite for 2026
When you look at the current lineup for the 2026 ARCA Menards Series season, Thomas Annunziata stands out as a championship favorite. In my mind, he could be the favorite now. He has raced in nine events across the ARCA platform, and his worst finish is P12 at Talladega. His next worst finish is P7 at Watkins Glen.
Annunziata has competed against very talented racers in the last two seasons. The road course races in the ARCA Menards Series have been very competitive since Connor Zilisch stopped racing in the series. Jokes aside, he’s gone toe-to-toe with William Sawalich, Brent Crews, Connor Mosack, and others who find themselves higher up in the NASCAR ranks currently.
A strong season with multiple wins, including ovals, would do so much for Thomas Annunziata and his development. If he is able to at least contend for the championship late into the season, a Truck or O’Reilly Series team is going to come calling for 2027.