Michael Maples, Ryan Roulette set for 2025 ARCA Menards Series season

The ARCA Menards Series may not garner the same attention as NASCAR's top-three national touring divisions, but that doesn't mean it lacks storylines. 

One such story that has surfaced this offseason is that of Michael Maples' new team, Michael Maples Motorsports, which is set to debut in the series' season-opening race at Daytona on Feb. 15. 

While Maples will pilot the team's full-time entry, it's a good friend of his who will be handed the reins to the organization's second car. 

Enter Ryan Roulette, an Air Force pilot and part-time ARCA driver with 14 ARCA Menards Series starts under his belt. The announcement that Roulette would join the team came on Tuesday. 

"We started talking very early when we started racing together with Andy (Hillenburg) at Fast Track," Maples told Yardbarker regarding the partnership. "We started building a friendship and talking more about the cars. Jeremy Petty was Ryan's crew chief. We started talking to Jeremy and thought it would be nice to do this together."

The friendship between Roulette and Maples is one built by both the racetrack and the military. Roulette's Air Force background is complimented by Maples' service in the U.S. Army — a branch of service Maples jokingly calls "the only branch" — leading to a fair share of jabs between the pair of friends. 

"I tell him (Michael) the Air Force is better than the Army, and he has to deal with that," Roulette joked. 

What isn't a joke are the necessary steps to start a new race team. 

"It was a six to seven-month process," Roulette told Yardbarker. "It wasn't like we woke up one day and told each other we were going to do this. Michael was looking at going into ownership; I was looking for some changes in my organization to get out there with equipment that would be a little bit better than what I had in 2024." 

"Michael had a lot of stuff that he was putting together and was able to offer, and it made sense for me to get on board with his organization." 

Maples' to-do list to prepare for a potential ownership role included mapping out travel and equipment, talking with ARCA officials and speaking with Hillenburg, the 1995 ARCA Menards Series champion. 

The most important step before leaping into team ownership, however? 

"Make sure you have cars," Maples said. "If you have four cars, you're doing okay."

Even with the organization being in its rookie season, both Roulette and Maples echoed expectations of potential top-10 performance. But, the two were asked, what would the celebratory protocol be should Roulette and Maples find their way to victory lane? 

"I assure you, if we find a way to pull one of these off, there will be good times had by all," Roulette said. 

"We'll both enjoy it just as much, but we may not celebrate quite as hard," Maples joked. 

As Michael Maples Motorsports prepares for its maiden voyage in the ARCA Menards Series, it's important to take a step back and examine the dynamic Roulette and Maples have built. The new team encapsulates the ARCA Series, a league built by blue-collar drivers and scrappy teams that race their way into the spotlight. 

However deep the rivalry between Army and Air Force runs, these two men, brought together by their passion for racing, serve as relics of a bygone era in big-time stock-car racing. 

Daytona (Feb. 15, Noon ET, FOX) will be the first test of man and machine for the newly christened team as it attempts to snag a checkered flag on Daytona's hallowed ground. 

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.