Joey started his racing career in 2012 at the age of nine when his grandfather bought him his first used quarter midget. He raced at a local club track, Good Times in Madera, California. Joey did not have any racing background coming into the sport and was thankful that God provided the club trainer Rusty Lomier to help and coach him throughout his entire five years of quarter midget racing. His first year of racing in Senior Novice, Rusty lead Joey to achieve club track record, senior rookie of the year as well as the most improved driver. The next few years of racing included Senior Honda, Light 160, Light World Formula achieving numerous track records, club championships, state championships, and finishing his quarter midget career in 2016 with two national championships. In 2017, Joey moved up to running in the USAC HPD Focus Midget Series on asphalt at Madera Speedway. He won rookie of the year at the end of his first season. From there Joey continued to move up in different series and continued to win championships. Here are just a few of his accomplishments:
2018: Joey raced the dirt series in HPD as well as the asphalt. He ended the season with a 2nd place finish for the USAC Western Speed2 Overall and Pavement. In August of 2018, God opened another door and Joey was given the honorable opportunity to do some testing with the Naake-Klauer Motorsports team. Joey was most thankful he was able to progress in the same weekend and run his first junior late model race at Madera Speedway starting in the back but was able to bring home a 6th place finish. Joey learned a lot and was presented with the opportunity by Mike Naake to run the remaining 4 races in 2018 and a full season in the 88 car in the 2019 Jr. Late Model Series.
2019: Joey Iest drove the number #88 Chevrolet Late Model for Naake-Klauer Motorsports in the 51FIFTY Jr Late Model Series where he won the 2019 Championship. Joey also competed in 7 Nut-Up Pro Late Model Series races at Madera Speedway. In addition to the Late Models, Joey competed in selected USAC Western Speed 2 Midget races, winning 7 races in 7 starts bringing home the championship.
2020: The year brought on a variety of new challenges for Joey as he competed in both the SRL Super Late Model Tour and several NASCAR ARCA Menard's Series West races. Joey also signed with David Gilliland Racing (DGR) to compete in 6 ARCA Menard's Series East events in 2021.
2021: Joey competed full-time in the ARCA Menard's Series West with Naake-Klauer Motorsports as well as 6 races with David Gilliland Racing. Joey recorded his first ARCA Series win at Colorado National Speedway and finished 5th in championship point in both the East and West ARCA Series.
2022: Joey returned to the ARCA Menards Series West with Naake - Klauer Motorsports. He finished the season with 3 top 5s, 6 top 10s and finished 5th in Championship Points.
2023: Joey raced a limited season in the ARCA Menards Series West and ended with 2 top 5 finishes.
In 2024 Joey is competing in the new ZMax Cars Racing Tour West Series and has already had his first win of the season at Irwindale Speedway.
"I am excited and look forward to all the amazing opportunities God has provided," says Joey.
