Isabella Robusto joins RAFA Racing Team as team expands to ARCA Menards Series
- RACERS
- Oct 22
- 3 min read
Toyota development driver Isabella Robusto is set to lead RAFA Racing Team's expansion into stock car racing, as the driver joins forces with the fast-growing organization for a ARCA Menards Series program.
Toyota development driver Isabella Robusto is set to lead RAFA Racing Team's expansion into stock car racing. One of North America’s fastest-growing motorsport organizations, RAFA Racing team will in fact make its debut in the ARCA Menards Series this November, marking a new chapter as the team expands from sports car racing into the world of stock cars.
The team’s first ARCA appearance will take place on November 1, 2025, at Phoenix International Raceway during the NASCAR Championship Weekend, competing in the ARCA Menards West Series.
Leading the effort will be 2025 ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year and Toyota Development Driver Isabella Robusto, who will drive the #2 AMSYS / RAFA Racing Team Toyota Camry for the debut event, a fitting start to RAFA’s new venture under the Toyota banner.
“This is a milestone moment for RAFA Racing Team,” said Kevin Conway, Team Principal of RAFA Racing Team.“Our success in sports car racing has been built on people, data, and performance — and that same DNA will carry us into the ARCA Menards Series. To launch this program with AMSYS, Toyota, and Isabella Robusto at Phoenix during the NASCAR Championship weekend is an incredible opportunity.”
The Phoenix race will serve as the foundation for RAFA Racing Team’s broader 2026 stock car campaign, in which the team plans to field Toyota Camrys for select ARCA Menards Series events. The lineup will include a diverse roster of emerging talents drawn from RAFA’s global driver development platform.
Robusto made her ARCA platform debut in 2024, also at Phoenix Raceway, where she impressed with a sixth-place finish and later in the season claimed her first General Tire Pole Award.
In her first full ARCA season in 2025, the young driver completed over 20 races, collecting nine top-five and 14 top-ten finishes, finishing fourth in the overall standings and earning the 2025 ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year title, establishing herself as one of Toyota Racing Development’s brightest prospects.
“RAFA’s culture of excellence and diversity perfectly aligns with my values and my approach as a driver,” said Isabella Robusto. “I’m proud to represent this team as we take on this new challenge together at Phoenix and begin my partnership with the RAFA Family of Companies.”
RAFA Racing Team’s move into ARCA builds upon its strong relationship with Toyota, which has seen the team compete with the Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 across multiple sports car championships, including the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, and SRO Pirelli GT4 America.
RAFA Racing Team’s entry into ARCA reflects its broader mission to bridge the gap between sports car and stock car competition in North America. The team has traditionally fielded female racing drivers, starting from a successful female shootout which saw French talent Caroline Candas emerging victorious for a seat in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America. Jem Hepworth competed under the banner of RAFA Racing in GT4 European Championship, before joining Lindsay Brewer in an all-female line up in the 2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo NA. In the Mazda MX5 Cup, Candas, Hepworth and Maite Caceres represented the RAFA outfit in select rounds.
RAFA Racing Team and Isabella Robusto will start their partnership during the ARCA Menards West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on November 1, 2025.
