Joey Iest

Joey Iest (born February 12, 2003) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 88 Ford Fusion for Naake-Klauer Motorsports.

Racing career

Early career

Iest started racing in 2012, at nine years old, after his grandfather bought him a used quarter midget. He had raced at his local home track, Madera Speedway. He didn't have any background coming into racing but got help from trainer Rusty Lomier throughout his five years of racing in quarter midgets.

Throughout 2012 to 2016, Iest competed in Senior Honda, Light 160, and Light World Formula events, and finished off his quarter midget career with two national championships.

Iest moved up to USAC HPD Focus Midget Series in 2017, racing at Madera Speedway. He would win Rookie of the Year in his first season.

Iest returned to the HPD Focus Midget Series in 2018, competing on dirt and asphalt tracks. He was allowed to drive a junior late model race at Madera Speedway for Naake-Klauer Motorsports later in the year. He started in the back but managed to finish in sixth. He would go on to drive the final four races of the 2018 season and would go full-time racing for Naake-Klauer in 2019.

2019 would be a successful year for Iest, as he won the 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model Series championship with Naake-Klauer Motorsports, along with winning the USAC Western Speed 2 Midget Series championship, getting seven wins in seven starts.

For 2020, Iest competed full-time in the SRL Southwest Tour, where he won his first career race at Stockton 99 Speedway, finishing in front of two former SRL champions, Jeremy Doss, and Cole Moore.

ARCA Menards Series West On February 11, 2020, one day before his seventeenth birthday, Iest made his first career ARCA Menards Series West start at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Naake-Klauer Motorsports. He would start third and finish fourteenth. He was expected to make four more starts that season, but only made three after withdrawing from the ENEOS 125 at Irwindale Speedway. His best finish from that season would be eleventh at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 26, 2020.

Iest returned to Naake-Klauer Motorsports for a full-time schedule in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series West season. On July 31, 2021, Iest captured his first career ARCA Menards Series West win at Colorado National Speedway, after leading the final eighteen laps.

ARCA Menards Series East On December 18, 2020, it was announced that Iest would be driving part-time in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East season for David Gilliland Racing. He was scheduled to run at least six races for the team but eventually announced he would be driving the full eight races of the season. He earned six top-tens, with his best finish of second at Southern National Motorsports Park.

ARCA Menards Series Iest drove four races in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season, all of which had a collaboration with ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West races. His best finish would be eighth at the Milwaukee Mile.

Motorsports career results

ARCA Menards Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series East

ARCA Menards Series West