Lanie Buice is fresh off a top-10 finish in her ARCA Menards Series debut at Rockingham Speedway. Now she is ready to take the show into Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s CARS Tour this coming weekend. She will take the wheel of the #03 entry for the Folsom Fence Supply 250 at Orange County Speedway, representing Lee Pulliam Performance.
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At Rockingham, though, Buice drove one of three Rev Racing machines, sharing the garage with Lavar Scott and Eloy Sebastián López Falcón, the latter also making his series debut. Despite never having raced on a track larger than three-quarters of a mile, Buice rose to the occasion. She qualified fifth with a lap of 22.722 seconds.
However, her race wasn’t without its troubles. During the scheduled mid-race break, she was hit with a penalty for exceeding the five-minute window permitted for repairs. In a bid to claw her way back into contention, Buice found herself in hot water after making contact with Tyler Reif, an incident that sent him crashing out of the race.
Reif had started the race from third but his race unraveled as he slid down the order to 17th due to the incident. Meanwhile, Buice, despite not leading a single lap, came back with a P8 — which was an unforgettable showing for someone making their first ARCA Menards Series start.
Excited for another @CARSTour race this Saturday! Hitting the track in 03 for the Folsom Fence Supply 250 at Orange County Speedway with Lee Pulliam Performance. See y’all there! pic.twitter.com/OZQZyhF5uJ
— Lanie (@laniebuice) April 23, 2025
However, when it came to taking responsibility for her mistake that jeopardized Tyler Reif’s race, Buice didn’t shy away. She owned up to the miscue, stating, “Honestly, I made a mistake.
“Personally, I’m learning, and I’m trying to figure out these cars as quickly as I possibly can, so I’m definitely going to walk down there in a minute, once everything cools down, and apologize for the mistake that I made… I’ll learn from it, and I’ll come back better.”
Former NASCAR driver Mark Martin was among those who took note. Applauding Buice’s maturity, he wrote on X, “Admitting when you make mistakes is brave and rare now days. I will have an eye on @laniebuice going forward to see her progress.”
Veteran driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t let Mark Martin’s praise go unnoticed, he reiterated the endorsement by stating, “She’s fast and a tough racer Mark.” However, his support for Buice isn’t new.
Last year, when she stepped in to drive the vacant No. 3 car for Lee Pulliam Performance, Earnhardt Jr. welcomed her to the fold, posting, “This is great news for @zMAXFormula @CARSTour! See ya at the track Lanie.”
At just 18, Buice already has almost a decade of racing under her belt. She began racing at 10 and between 2017 and 2020, she racked up 91 go-kart wins, including a streak of 23 wins in her final season. In 2023, she also competed in the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, securing 12 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s at Florence Motor Speedway.
Beyond the racetrack, Lanie Buice wears her heart on her sleeve, as she actively volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club of America, mentoring children and helping them discover their potential. Alongside her Rev Racing teammates, she also visits children’s hospitals, offering support and lifting spirits, proving that her drive to make a difference goes well beyond the finish line.
