Mike Basham Bio
Mike Basham (born June 20, 1968) is an American professional stock car racing driver who has competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series. He is best known for his long association with family-owned Darrell Basham Racing and later work with Fast Track Racing and Shearer Speed Racing, driving the No. 01/9/11/12 and No. 98 entries in Ford and Toyota equipment. A second-generation racer from Henryville, Indiana, Basham has built a journeyman career highlighted by steady improvement and a family legacy in short-track and stock car competition.
Early Life and Background
Mike Basham was born on June 20, 1968, in Henryville, Indiana, a small community in the southern part of the state known for its rural character and proximity to short tracks across the Ohio River Valley. He grew up around racing through his father, Darrell Basham, a long-time ARCA Menards Series driver who operated his own family team. The garage and shop environment of his father’s operation provided Mike with early exposure to car preparation, race-day procedures, and the discipline required to compete at a regional level.
Basham’s older brother, Jason Basham, also pursued a racing career and competed in the ARCA series from 2003 to 2013, reinforcing the family’s deep ties to the sport. Surrounded by this racing lineage, Mike spent his formative years learning the craft on dirt ovals and short paved tracks common throughout Indiana and the surrounding region. This upbringing laid the foundation for his eventual transition into stock car racing’s national ladder.
Path to NASCAR
Basham’s professional path diverged from the traditional NASCAR regional and national touring ladder. Rather than moving through late model and Truck Series programs, he entered national-level stock car racing directly through the ARCA Re/Max Series, a longstanding feeder series affiliated with NASCAR. His father’s team offered a natural entry point, allowing him to debut without the sponsorship backing required by many Cup-aligned prospects.
After a long break from competition between 2003 and 2014, Basham returned to the series in 2015, gradually expanding his schedule and working with established ARCA teams. While he has not competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, or Craftsman Truck Series at a national level, his consistent presence in ARCA has kept him connected to the broader NASCAR ecosystem and given him opportunities to race at major facilities used by the top national series.
Mike Basham Career
Early Career (2001–2015)
Basham made his ARCA Re/Max Series debut in 2001 at Gateway, driving the No. 34 Chevrolet for his father Darrell’s family-owned team. He finished 28th in that first start due to overheating problems, and went on to make four additional appearances that season, posting a best result of 22nd at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds dirt track. Over the next two seasons, he ran a small number of additional races, splitting time between his family’s operation and Brad Smith’s team.
After a twelve-year absence from the series, Basham returned to ARCA competition in 2015 with three starts in the No. 34 for Darrell Basham Racing, recording a best finish of 15th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt track. That same year he also ran select events in the Indiana Late Model Series, finishing tenth in points with a best result of sixth at Movieland Speedpark, signaling his continued dedication to grassroots racing.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2016–2020)
In 2016, Basham ran a majority of the ARCA schedule with Darrell Basham Racing in collaboration with Mullins Racing, finishing tenth in the final standings with a best result of tenth at Springfield. He continued with the program in 2017, placing 13th in points, and repeated that position in 2018 while adding his first start for Kimmel Racing at Pocono Raceway, where he retired early with overheating issues.
The 2019 season saw Basham split time between Fast Track Racing, Kimmel Racing, and Darrell Basham Racing, finishing 17th in points after ten starts with a best result of 13th at Lucas Oil Raceway and Salem. His strongest campaign came in 2020, when he returned primarily to Fast Track Racing and posted a career-best eighth-place points finish. That year included three top-ten results, highlighted by a career-best sixth at Springfield, and a 12th-place run at Kansas Speedway driving a Chad Bryant Racing-prepared No. 77 Ford. He also made three ARCA Menards Series East starts, with a best finish of 12th at Toledo Speedway.
Fast Track Racing Era (2021–2024)
Basham’s workload decreased in 2021, with a single Fast Track Racing start at Berlin Raceway ending in a 16th-place finish due to handling problems. He returned to the track in 2023 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, driving the No. 69 Ford for Kimmel Racing, where he qualified 17th but finished 24th after brake issues ended his day after eleven laps. He added additional appearances at Bristol Motor Speedway, where mechanical trouble again cut his run short, and at Toledo for the season finale, completing eleven laps before retiring to a 17th-place result.
In 2024, Basham opened the ARCA Menards Series East schedule at Five Flags Speedway in the No. 10 Ford for Fast Track Racing. After placing 12th in practice and qualifying tenth, he brought home a sixth-place finish, five laps down to race winner Gio Ruggiero. The start reflected his continued value as a reliable part-time entry for the team.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Basham’s career highlights, his sixth-place run at Springfield in 2020 stands as his best ARCA finish to date. His tenacious recovery drives at Salem Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway, along with late-season runs at Toledo and Berlin Raceway, demonstrate a driver willing to return repeatedly to a competitive program despite limited resources.
Mike Basham Career Wins
Mike Basham has built his ARCA career without recording a victory in the series. His results have instead emphasized consistency, longevity, and incremental improvement, with a career-best finish of sixth at Springfield in 2020 representing the high-water mark of his efforts. While wins have eluded him, his continued presence on entry lists across multiple teams reflects a respected reputation within the ARCA paddock.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Basham’s most productive ARCA season came in 2020, when he finished eighth in the final standings and recorded three top-ten results. He has regularly piloted the No. 34 for his family team in earlier years and the No. 01/9/11/12 and No. 98 entries more recently, transitioning from Chevrolet to Ford and Toyota equipment over the course of his career.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Outside the ARCA national schedule, Basham has competed in the Indiana Late Model Series, finishing tenth in the 2015 standings with a best result of sixth at Movieland Speedpark. He has also made starts in the ARCA Menards Series East, including a best finish of 12th at Toledo Speedway in 2020.
Mike Basham Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Basham comes from one of Indiana’s well-known racing families. His father, Darrell Basham, is a long-time ARCA Menards Series driver and team owner whose family operation has fielded cars in the series for decades. His older brother, Jason Basham, also raced in ARCA from 2003 to 2013, making the Basham surname a familiar one in the paddock. Multi-generational teamwork has defined Mike’s career, with Darrell Basham Racing serving as the foundation for his earliest and most frequent opportunities.
Personal Life
Mike Basham resides in the Henryville, Indiana, area, the same community where he was born and raised. He continues to balance his part-time ARCA program with work supporting the family racing operation.
2025 Season Performance
As of early 2025, Mike Basham has not publicly announced a full-season ARCA Menards Series plan, continuing the part-time approach that has defined his recent years. His most recent verified start came at the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East opener at Five Flags Speedway, where a sixth-place result reinforced his standing as a reliable entry for Fast Track Racing. Any 2025 schedule is expected to revolve around select Fast Track Racing and Shearer Speed Racing starts, again in Ford and Toyota equipment.
Basham’s 2025 outlook centers on consistency and selective appearances rather than a championship push. With deep familiarity in the No. 01/9/11/12 and No. 98 cars and established relationships with multiple ARCA teams, he remains well positioned to contribute top-fifteen and occasional top-ten finishes. His experience at tracks like Toledo, Salem, and the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt oval gives him a steady baseline whenever entries are confirmed.