Andrew Ponstein (born May 2, 1976) is an American professional

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...

driver. He is a former competitor in the

NASCAR Nationwide Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock cars. The series i ...

, and

ARCA Re/Max Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national ...

Racing career

A graduate of

Hope College Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan, United States. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman coll ...

, Ponstein began his professional racing career in 1998, competing in the

American Speed Association The American Speed Association (ASA) is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana, Pendleton, Indiana, and later in Daytona Beach, Florida. The ASA sanctioned asphalt a ...

; moving to the

CRA Super Series The ASA/CRA Super Series is a super late model stock car racing series owned and operated by the American Speed Association. It is a touring series based in the Midwestern United States, which competes at paved short ovals. It was formerly known as ...

in 2001, he won his first race in the series in 2003. Ponstein got his feet wet in NASCAR beginning in 2003, when he ran two races in the No. 70 Ford for the J&J Motorsports team, owned by John Bailey. He started in his first 15th at IRP and finished that race in 24th. His next race came at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, where he finished 22nd despite a blown engine. He also competed in five

races that year. Ponstein started 2004 off with a deal to drive the No. 39

Yahoo Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, an ...

Ford for

Jay Robinson Racing Premium Motorsports (formerly Jay Robinson Racing) was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team last fielded the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation)#ZL1, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 LE full-ti ...

. After sitting out

Daytona Daytona may refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach, Florida * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Daytona, the region around Daytona Beach Motor racing * Dayto ...

, Ponstein started 30th and would finish 25th in his debut at Rockingham. His debut would turn out to be his best run of the year, as he could only manage two other top-30s at

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...

(29th) and

Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...

(27th). Ponstein asked for his release from the team after nine races into 2004. He spent several years out of NASCAR, before returning in 2008 to drive for

Corrie Stott Racing Corrie may refer to: Arts and entertainment * nickname of ''Coronation Street'', a long-running British television soap opera ** '' Corrie!'', a play written to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ''Coronation Street'' in 2010 * The Corries, a Scott ...

, competing for the next four years in selected Nationwide Series races, as well as five Camping World Truck Series races in 2009. In 2010, he raced in the first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at

Road America Road America is a motorsport Road racing, road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Sports Car Club ...

. In 2011, Ponstein returned to the CRA Super Series, as well as running Super Late Models at

Berlin Raceway Berlin Raceway is a long paved oval race track in Marne, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids. The track races weekly as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. It has also held touring series events on the ARCA Menar ...

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

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

Nationwide Series

Camping World Truck Series

ARCA Re/Max Series

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

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ponstein, Andy Living people 1976 births People from Jenison, Michigan Sportspeople from Ottawa County, Michigan Racing drivers from Michigan NASCAR drivers ARCA Menards Series drivers American Speed Association drivers Hope College alumni