Arca West Sam Mayer Wwl 022120
Sam Mayer was all smiles as he rolled to the win in the ARCA Menards Series West opener Thursday at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Miranda Alam/ARCA Racing)

ARCA Menards Rewind: What We Learned at The Bullring

ARCA Racing February 21, 2020

LAS VEGAS — As the 2020 ARCA Menards Series West kicked off their season, it was an East regular who stole the show and the checkered flag. A West powerhouse looked more like themselves and a new face at a familiar team may have emerged as a championship contender.

Here is what we learned from the Star Nursery 150 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Star Nursery 150: Results | Race Recap

All He Does Is Win

In the two races Sam Mayer has competed in ARCA Menards Series competition this season, he’s won both and led just over half the laps he’s run. Not too bad of a start to a year, huh?

Mayer led all but 12 circuits from the pole on Thursday’s Star Nursery 150 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, four years removed from him running a legend car at the famed Nevada track.

“The No. 19 (Jesse Love) was going pretty hard there at the beginning, you could see he was sideways off the corner on Lap 6,” Mayer said. “So I was like ‘you can go have your fun leading some laps,’ and he came back to me pretty quick. Can’t thank everybody at GMS what they do for me.”

Mayer ran a special paint scheme, honoring Spencer Clark, who got his start racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Clark was killed in an automobile accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2006 at the age of 19.

“Having the Spencer Clark Foundation and the idea of having Spencer on the car is really special for me and everyone over at GMS,” he said. “I’m starting to feel a connection being with the team. That’s something special to me and I’m definitely going to think about this one for as long as I live.”

At New Smyrna Speedway and at The Bullring, Mayer had to survive late restarts to get the win. It was something he worked on this off-season to perfect one thing he felt was lacking in his repertoire.

“That last caution I was pretty scared,” he admitted. “I was going pretty hard there with 10 to go. I was burning my stuff up. He definitely got a little better restart than I did because I think I used my stuff up towards the end. That’s something I need to get in my head: if you’re clear by half a straightaway, just calm down. It’ll be okay.”

BMR Back On Track?

After none of their cars finished inside the top 10 at New Smyrna, Bill McAnally Racing returned to their normal form in the ARCA Menards West opener at The Bullring.

Jesse Love led 12 laps en route to a runner-up finish, his best career result in his second career start. But admitted he doesn’t think he had anything for Mayer.

“We saved a decent amount and I ran hard when we needed to run hard,” he said. “We fired off a little too tight. But that’s what I’ll keep in my memory bank going to Irwindale and hopefully that’ll be even better. I’m really confident in this team, we’re really fast. Overall a solid night, good points night.

Gracie Trotter ran inside the top five all night and came home with a fourth-place finish.

Lawless Alan came home sixth, Gio Scelzi 10th and Holley Hollan 12th.

Perkins A Dark Horse?

Coming into 2020, Trevor Huddleston was looked upon as the championship favorite for Sunrise Ford.

But with Blaine Perkins’ podium run in the season opener, he may have some competition, even coming from his own stable.

“Not a bad way to start the year,” Perkins said. “Just really proud of everybody and looking forward to the next one already.”

Perkins, driving the No. 9 Four Star Fruits/Lucas Oil Ford, has championship-winning crew chief Bill Sedgwick atop the pit box calling the shots. Their setup proved positive, as they announced themselves as a championship contender.

“That’s definitely the goal, he said. “I felt like once I go into this No. 9 car, that was our goal from the get go. Be consistent, get to the end of these races and everything will line up. The wins will come and be there at Phoenix. I know Trevor’s going to be really good, too. He’s a tough one, and everybody at the BMR camp. Just really looking forward to Irwindale.”

2020 ARCA Menards Series West Standings

Notes

  • Jack Wood finished seventh, his best career finish in West competition.
  • Joey Iest, making his first career start, was forced behind the wall (mechanical) while running inside the top ten. He qualified third and finished 14th.