ARCA PHOENIX
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LOS ANGELES – The ARCA Menards Series national points race launched its 2024 post-Daytona Beach season on Friday, March 8 at the one-mile Phoenix Raceway. A strong field of 43 cars were present to qualify for 40 starting spots in the 150-lap race that started at 5:00 pm Pacific time. Fox FS1 televised the race for a national audience. Desert weather can be unpredictable and it was during the ARCA event. Clouds rolled in during the race accompanied by lightning after 115 laps had been completed. That ended the competitive event unfortunately. Fastest qualifier William Sawalich, 17, won in Joe Gibbs No. 18 Toyota.
The ARCA 200 season opener at Daytona on Friday, February 16 had 50 entrants for the 40 available starting spots. The ARCA Menards West Series has 12 races scheduled in four western states and the Phoenix 150 was the first 2024 point race. Ten tracks from third mile, three-eighths, half miles and miles make up ten of the events and two road races--in Portland, Ore. (May 31) and Sonoma, Calif. (June 7)--comprise the demanding venues. The ARCA Menards East Series has eight 2024 oval track race dates from March 23 to September 19 in eight states. Current NASCAR Xfinity sensational rookie Jesse Love, from California, showed his talent in ARCA in recent seasons. NASCAR team owners would be wise to follow ARCA racing for future driving talent in NASCAR's three national series.
The ARCA Phoenix race (in Avondale) was a coming out introduction for numerous impressive young drivers who bear watching in coming months and years. Five of the top six finishers are ARCA rookies and six of the top ten are ARCA national series rookies officially. They included winner Sawalich, 17, from Minnesota, teenage runner-up Gio Ruggiero (from Mass.), P. 4 Connor Mosack, 24, (from N. Car.), P. 5 Sean Hingorani, 17, (from Calif.), and P. 6 Isabella Robusto, 19, (from S. Car.). One of Max Siegel's two minority development program drivers—Lavar Scott, from N. J)--placed tenth with 21 drivers on the lead lap. Sawalich is the 2023 ARCA Menards East champion and Hingorani is the 2023 ARCA Menards West champion. Both teens won four ARCA races in their home series and Sawalich won the West Series 100-lap closer at the Phoenix mile on Nov. 3, 2023.
The 43 drivers present came from four countries including the United States. Two came from Canada, one from Japan, and one from Mexico. The 39 USA drivers came from 20 states. Eleven call California home, four came from Nevada, and three came from Indiana. Two drivers came from Alabama, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. One driver came from each of the following: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Three car brands were represented in the 43 car field. Chevy and Toyota both had 13 entries and Ford had 13. The top ten had five Toyotas and five Chevys. Indianan Greg Van Alst was the highest finisher in a Ford in P. 13. Indianapolis 500 veteran Marco Andretti drove the No. 17 Chevy for Bruce Cook and finished every lap for P. 21. The 40-car field had four female drivers—Isabella Robusto (P. 6), Californian Toni Breidinger (P. 9), Canadian Amber Balcaen (P. 15), and Washington driver Danica Dart (P. 40). Venturini Motorsports fielded Toyotas for the first three and Harlan Kennealy provided the No. 07 Chevy for rookie Dart.
Eighteen of the 43 entrants race in the ARCA Menards West Series and all qualified for the race. The half-mile Irwindale Speedway had numerous regular NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Series drivers in the field. Three time track champion Trevor Huddleston, 27, placed 17th in the No. 50 High Point Racing Ford. The Reif brothers from Nevada finished all laps. Tyler, 16, was 11th in the No. 13 Toyota and Tanner, 18, was 18th in the No. 42 Chevy. Nick Joanides was 26th in Jan Qualkenbush's No. 71 Ford.
Riverside's Cody Kiemele, 17, made his ARCA debut in Nick's ex-ride—the No. 77 Joe Nava Toyota. Spears Mfg super late model veteran and frequent Irwindale INEX Legends winner Jake Bollman, 16, from Huntington Beach, drove the No. 88 Mike Naake Ford. He got caught in a multi-car crash in turn two on lap 59 and was sidelined. Bollman won the IS 35-lap Legends main event the next night on Irwindale's third-mile. Kiemele and Huddleston raced in the IS twin-30s NASCAR pro late model races Saturday, March 9. Fast timer Huddleston won the first 30 and trailed first time Pro LM winner Nash Youngren, 21, in the second 30. ARCA Menards West will race next at Irwindale's half-mile on Saturday, March 30 and in the series sixth race on Thursday, July 4. Last year Hingorani and Huddleston won those two ARCA 150-lap races.