William Sawalich #arns #ARCA Redemption

Rain-Shortened Victory at Phoenix

 

A late-race spin from the lead at Phoenix Raceway last March prevented William Sawalich from winning in his ARCA Menards Series debut.

 

The reigning ARCA Menards East Series champion earned redemption in Friday’s General Tire 150 by putting together a typically efficient run from the pole. A thunderstorm descending upon one-mile tri-oval with less than 40 laps remaining forced ARCA officials to call the race early, handing Sawalich the win.

 

Sawalich felt Phoenix owed him a victory after he came so close to prevailing in his first race with Joe Gibbs Racing one year ago. While he would have preferred to settle the outcome on track, Sawalich was more than grateful to celebrate with his team in Victory Lane regardless of the circumstances.

 

“Not the way I wanted to win a race, but I knew we had the best car out there,” Sawalich said. “We kind of fell back during that first stint, but the guys made a really good adjustment, so I’m super proud of them doing that. We ran a good race and I knew we had a chance to win it.”

 

With his triumph on Friday evening, Sawalich is now two for three in ARCA appearances at Phoenix.

 

Sawalich was untouchable when the ARCA Menards Series West wrapped up its 2023 season around the one-mile oval last November. Leading 93 of 100 possible laps, Sawalich’s victory wrapped up a nearly perfect rookie ARCA campaign that saw him visit Victory Lane seven times across the three divisions.

 

Just like the West Series finale last year, Sawalich’s closest competition came in the form of a Venturini Motorsports car. This time it was Gio Ruggiero, who was making his ARCA Menards Series national debut.

 

Ruggiero managed to chase down Sawalich during the longest green flag run of the evening before trading blows with him on several successive restarts. Sawalich gained the upper hand after the halfway break, with Ruggiero being forced to settle for second when rain brought the General Tire 150 to a premature end.

 

Facing Sawalich will be a common theme for Ruggiero throughout his rookie ARCA campaign. His busy schedule includes running all eight events in the East Series, where he will look to dethrone Sawalich as the champion.

 

Following Ruggiero in third was NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series veteran Grant Enfinger, who was making his first West Series appearance as part of Friday’s combination event. Connor Mosack and defending West Series champion Sean Hingorani completed the top-five.

 

 

Race results: General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway

.@WilliamSawalich wins his first ARCA race of the season at @phoenixraceway! @starkeyhearing @SoundGearHear pic.twitter.com/usHcCzZDGr

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) March 9, 2024

 

source: ARCA Racing Media 

Saturday Racing – ARCA in Nashville

'Music City 200'

 

After a thrilling finish in the most recent ARCA Menards Series East event at Dover Motor Speedway, the series heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway tonight for the running of the Music City 200 (9:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

 

Saturday’s race marks the fifth time the ARCA Menards Series East will visit the historic 0.596-mile asphalt oval dating back to 2007. The inaugural series race was won by Rogelio Lopez, with Matt Kobyluck scoring a win at Nashville the following season.

 

Entry List

Car No.	Driver	OEM	Crew Chief
1	Jake Finch	Toyota	Johnny Allen
6	Lavar Scott	Chevrolet	Jay Lupo
10	Tim Monroe	Ford	Tim Monroe
11	Zachary Tinkle	Toyota	Todd Parrott
12	Stephanie Moyer	Chevrolet	Daylan Hairston
15	Sean Hingorani	Toyota	Kevin Reed Jr
18	William Sawalich	Toyota	Matt Ross
20	Gio Ruggiero	Toyota	Shannon Rursch
28	Luke Fenhaus	Chevrolet	Shane Huffman
31	Rita Goulet	Chevrolet	Tim Goulet
48	Brad Smith	Ford	Jeff Smith
95	Tanner Arms	Toyota	Tony Ponkauskas
98	Dale Shearer	Toyota	TBA
1	Brayton Laster	Toyota	Josh Duke
6	Nate Moeller	Toyota	Wayne Peterson

 

🏁It's Race Day Nashville🏁

400 Laps of high octane action is on tap today featuring @ARCA_Racing East, Pro Late Models, & @CRAracing Street Stock!

Still time to get your tickets at the link below!

🎟Music City 200 Tix Link | https://t.co/KGFMm5UpLU pic.twitter.com/H3DNIygHyo

— Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (@RaceFairgrounds) May 13, 2023

Schedule

 

 

(All times CT)

• Saturday, May 13

Time	Event
8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Credentials
9 a.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Haulers Enter
9:30 a.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Garage Open
9:40 a.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Crew Chief Meeting
11:45 a.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Driver/Spotter Meeting
2 – 3 p.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Final Practice
4 p.m.	ARCA Menards Series East General Tire Pole Qualifying (Single Car, Two Laps; Impound)
8:10 p.m.	ARCA Menards Series East Driver Introductions
8:30 p.m.	Music City 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (200 Laps / 119 Miles; FloRacing)

 

source: ARCA Racing Media

Taylor Gray takes ARCA East Victory

'General Tire 125' Results

 

Taylor Gray grabbed the momentum his race team was seeking in a big way Friday at Dover Motor Speedway.

 

And his reward was a new Monster Trophy to display.

 

Gray led 115 of 125 laps and cruised to his first victory at the Monster Mile with a victory in the General Tire 125 ARCA Menards Series East race.

 

It was the first ARCA Menards Series East victory of the year for Gray, 17, a New Mexico native, who has also made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this year. 

 

Here are the @reeses Sweet Move of the Race nominees from @MonsterMile! pic.twitter.com/9jKnWstfIU

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) April 30, 2022

 

Gray has top-three finishes in all three AMSE races so far in 2022 but Friday marked his first trip to Victory Lane.

 

“Hard work has paid off, finally,” Gray said. “We’ll take this momentum and go to Nashville [next race in series is May 7] and see what we can do.

 

“We’ve been working hard and making gains.”

 

Gray, driving the No. 17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing, topped second-place Jesse Love by 1.456 seconds at the checkered flag, with Conner Jones in third and Rajah Caruth in fourth.

 

Sammy Smith, who entered Friday as the ARCA Menards Series points leader after winning the season’s first two races, finished fifth.

 

Gray, who earned the pole position with a track record lap of 160.915 mph earlier on Friday.

 

And after capping a long day at Dover with a big victory, Gray already has a place in mind to keep his newly-won Monster Trophy.

 

“It’s a super cool trophy, probably one of my favorite trophies on the circuit,” Gray said. “It’s probably going to go right in my living room.”

 

GENERAL TIRE 125 RESULTS

Left his mark 😏 pic.twitter.com/rguzJMIQdm

— David Gilliland Racing (@dgr_racing) April 29, 2022

 

source: Dover Motor Speedway

Ty Gibbs speeds to General Tire Pole at Dover

2021 General Tire 125 Today at 5:00 PM ET

Ty Gibbs has some unfinished business with the ‘Monster Mile.’

 

A wreck ended his day last year, after he led a race-high 110 laps. Friday, the 18-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, returned to Dover International Speedway for ARCA Menards Series East’s General Tire 125.

 

He won the General Tire Pole Award with a lap of 23.168 seconds (155.387 mph) around the concrete mile track in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

 

It is the eighth pole award for Gibbs across the ARCA Menards, East and West series.

 

Ty Gibbs Stats For 2021:

NXS : Four starts, 1 WIN (in debut), three top-fives.
ARCA : Four starts, TWO wins, three top-fives.

And the car this weekend is unsponsored as of now. #NASCAR | #Drydene200 pic.twitter.com/I3HLE9z3N6

— Michael Carey (@MichaelICarey) May 13, 2021

 

More impressively, Gibbs was nearly four miles per hour faster than the second qualifier.

 

Joe Iest will start on the outside row after a lap of 23.737 (151.662). Rajah Caruth briefly knocked Gibbs off the top of the board late in the hour and 10 minute session, and will start third with a lap of 23.745 (151.611).

 

Drew Dollard and points leader Sammy Smith were fourth and fifth, respectively.

 

David Gilliland, Josh Berry, Max Gutierrez, Mason Diaz and Jesse Love rounded out the top 10.

 

For Qualifying Results Click Here

 

Today's a good day to tackle the 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥

📍 @MonsterMile
⌚️ 5 p.m. ET
📺 @_TrackPass pic.twitter.com/YlR2CxO7YT

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) May 14, 2021

 

 

source

Rajah Caruth Wins Reeses Sweet Move at Race Fairgrounds

The Reese’s brand of candy  “sponsor” a special award in each ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West race in 2021: the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race. 

The Sweet Move of the Race will reward the team and/or driver who has performed a remarkable or extraordinary action during each event. 

 

WINNER: @rajahcaruth_ avoiding a crash is the @reeses Sweet Move of the Race from @RaceFairgrounds pic.twitter.com/jUP4hXX6kQ

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) May 9, 2021

 

Race fans go to @ARCA_Racing on Twitter to vote for the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race the day after the race starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. ET.

 

Rajah Caruth, age eighteen,  is in his third year in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, this time in the ARCA Menards Series East. 

 

He is also chasing a Pro license in the eNASCAR iRacing Road to Pro with Spacestation Gaming.