Isabella Robusto (born November 4, 2004) is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 55 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. She has been in the TD2 driver development program system since 2021 and was a part of the Drive for Diversity program with Rev Racing from 2016 to 2021 which made her the longest lasting member of the program to date.
| Isabella Robusto | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Robusto at Sonoma Raceway in 2024 | |||||||
| Born | November 4, 2004 Fort Mill, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Achievements | First female to win a Legend Car National Qualifier event (Texas, 2018) | ||||||
| ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
| 4 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| ARCA no., team | No. 55 (Venturini Motorsports) | ||||||
| Best finish | 35th (2024) | ||||||
| First race | 2024 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Reese's 150 (Kansas) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Menards Series East career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| ARCA East no., team | No. 55 (Venturini Motorsports) | ||||||
| Best finish | 36th (2024) | ||||||
| First race | 2024 Music City 150 (Nashville Fairgrounds) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Menards Series West career | |||||||
| 6 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| ARCA West no., team | No. 55 (Venturini Motorsports) | ||||||
| First race | 2024 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 NAPA Auto Parts 150 (Kern County) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of October 17, 2024. | |||||||
Racing career
editEarly career
editShe started off her career in 2010 when she was 5 racing Go-Karts with her brother Will. At the age of 8 in 2013, she began racing Bandolero's at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, then in 2016 she would move up to Legend Cars and scored the Young Lions division title for the state of South Carolina. In 2018 she would become the first female to ever win a national qualifier race in Legend Car competition.[1]
Late Model Stock Cars
editIn 2020, she would start running in Late Model Stock Cars for Rev Racing with the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series on part-time basis where she would score 6 top-5's and 14 top-10's. For 2021 she would return and score 5 top-5's and 8 top-10's as well as a pole.[2]
At the very end of 2021 and heading into 2022, Robusto joined the TD2 driver development program in the No. 55 for Lee Faulk Racing. She took part in 37 events, where she would score 2 wins, 3 poles, 10 top 5's, and over 30 top 10's. She also raced all the way from 30th to 3rd in the South Carolina 400, having to hold off drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bryant Barnhill.[3]
ARCA Menards Series
edit2023
editOn January 18, 2023, it was announced Robusto would run part-time in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East in 2023.[4] Her first scheduled race was Nashville in May, however she was injured and sustained a concussion in a last lap crash at Hickory Motor Speedway just a week prior and replaced by fellow TD2 driver Giovanni Ruggiero.[5]
2024
edit
In 2024, Robusto would make her official ARCA Menards Series debut in the General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway, driving the No. 55 for Venturini Motorsports.[6] She started and finished the race in sixth, and ran as high as third throughout parts of the race.[7]
Other racing
editSports car racing
editIn 2023, Robusto has competed in Pirelli GT4 America and TGR GR Cup North America series competition picking up 2 top 5's, 3 top 10's, and one podium in 4 starts with the GT4's all coming for TGR-Smooge Racing.
Personal life
editShe graduated from Fort Mill High School in August 2022 a year ahead of when she was originally scheduled to. She also has a twin brother Will who races in Pirelli GT4 America competition.[8]
Robusto is very active in the fitness community and is a part of the Virginia's Blue Ridge–TWENTY24 cycling team.[9]
Motorsports career results
editARCA Menards Series
edit(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 results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2024 | Venturini Motorsports | 55 | Toyota | DAY | PHO 6 |
TAL | DOV | KAN | CLT | IOW | MOH | BLN | IRP | SLM | ELK 4 |
MCH | KAN 28 |
TOL | 35th | 137 | [10] | |||||
| 20 | ISF 2 |
MLW | DSF | GLN | BRI | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 55 | Toyota | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | CLT | MCH | BLN | ELK | LRP | DOV | IRP | IOW | GLN | ISF | MAD | DSF | BRI | SLM | KAN | TOL | -* | -* | ||
ARCA Menards Series East
edit| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2024 | Venturini Motorsports | 55 | Toyota | FIF | DOV | NSV 2 |
FRS | IOW | IRP | MLW | BRI | 36th | 43 | [11] |
| 2025 | FIF | CAR | NSH | FRS | DOV | IRP | IOW | BRI | -* | -* | ||||
ARCA Menards Series West
edit| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2024 | Venturini Motorsports | 55 | Toyota | PHO 6 |
KER | PIR 3 |
SON 6 |
IRW 2 |
IRW 17 |
SHA | TRI | MAD | AAS | KER 18 |
PHO | 13th | 213 | [12] |
| 2025 | KER | PHO | TUC | CNS | KER | SON | TRI | PIR | AAS | MAD | LVS | PHO | -* | -* | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Teenage phenom Isabella Robusto is accelerating the future of racing". Yahoo! Sports. 23 September 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Isabella Robusto - About". Isabella Robusto. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Robusto Tallies Strong Podium Finish in South Carolina 400". The Podium Finish. 23 November 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "ISABELLA ROBUSTO TO MAKE HER ARCA DEBUT WITH VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS". Venturini Motorsports. 18 January 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Gio Ruggiero ready to make the most of his opportunity with Venturini Motorsports at Nashville Fairgrounds". ARCA. 11 May 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ White, Brandon (March 6, 2024). "Isabella Robusto's ARCA debut arrives behind schedule, but it features a stronger driver". ARCA. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Eggert, Seth (March 10, 2024). "Isabella Robusto Shines in Long-Awaited ARCA Menards Debut". Kickin' The Tires. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ "Robusto races Late Models, trains for Spartan Race". NASCAR. 18 August 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Isabella Robusto". Virginia's Blue Ridge–TWENTY24. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Isabella Robusto – 2024 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ "Isabella Robusto – 2024 ARCA Menards Series East Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ "Isabella Robusto – 2024 ARCA Menards Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website
- Isabella Robusto driver statistics at Racing-Reference