01 Ford at Kil-Kare Raceway driving father Jack's family owned team, finishing 21st after starting 22nd.
He would make 10 more starts and earn two top tens with a ninth at Pocono Raceway, and a fifth at Salem Speedway.
He would then finish in the top 10 in fifteen times in the next twenty races, including back-to-back wins late in the season at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack and Toledo Speedway on his way to his first ARCA series title ahead of Bob Keselowski.
In the following year, he would win one race at Toledo and earn twelve top-10's to finish third in the standings behind Keselowski and eventual champion Tim Steele.
He would earn his final two wins at Shady Bowl Speedway, and Kil-Kare, and would once again finish second in the standings behind Tim Steele.
During his time away from ARCA from 1997 to 2002, he would run three races in the ASA National Tour in 2001, getting a best result of 18th at Memphis International Raceway and Winchester Speedway.
He would run three races in the following year, mainly serving as a start and park entry with a best finish of 32nd at Kansas Speedway.