PIT BOX: Iowa Familiar Turf For Top Contenders

After a run of tracks where the ARCA Menards Series drivers have limited experience and success, the series heads to one that’s very familiar to the field: Iowa Speedway.

The .875-mile track that sits 30 minutes east of Des Moines has been a staple of both the ARCA Menards Series as well as the East and West since it opened in 2006, hosting 31 events between the three series. Past winners at the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet” include Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe.

Michael Self climbed the frontstretch fence in celebration in 2013 when he became the first West Series driver to win the annual NASCAR combination race. And both Sam Mayer and Chandler Smith claimed wins there last year.

This year’s Shore Lunch 150 will be part of a weekend of racing that features the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on back-to-back nights — Friday and Saturday. Saturday afternoon’s ARCA Menards Series is also the third round of the Sioux Chief Showdown and will air live on MAVTV.

GENERAL TIRE 150

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

How do you pick a favorite for this one?

Start with the championship points leader. Self has built a 22-point cushion on the strength of five top fives and top 10s in all six starts this year. The Park City, Utah, driver has has plenty of success at Iowa. Outside of his win in 2013, he was the highest finishing West driver in 2012 (ninth overall) and has two top fives in three ARCA starts — including a third last year.

Self’s Venturini Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith is looking to rebound from a disappointing 22nd in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Kentucky Speedway. The 18-year-old returns to the ARCA Menards Series where he’s won both Sioux Chief Showdown races this season and has victories in five of his last eight series starts — including leading 140 of 150 laps in an Iowa win last July.

Smith also finished second to Sheldon Creed at Iowa in 2018.

How about Ty Gibbs? He was fifth in the ARCA Menards Series race on July 19, and second a week later in the East-West combination event. He’s coming off a dominating performance at Kentucky Speedway, where he picked up his second win in his last three starts.

And then there’s Mayer. The defending East champion led 142 of 150 laps en route to a win at Iowa in the final East-West race there under the NASCAR banner, and finished fourth at Kentucky after starting 14th.

Bret Holmes continues to inch closer to his first series win with a runner-up finish at Kentucky, and he has top 10 finishes in all three starts at Iowa.

Jesse Love, who’s put together a string of two wins and two runner-up finishes to take control of the ARCA Menards Series West standings, will look to become the first Bill McAnally Racing driver to win at Iowa since Brandon McReynolds and Todd Gilliland combined to sweep four straight East-West races from 2015-17.

RACING REFERENCE: Previous ARCA Menards races at Iowa | ARCA Menards Drivers at Iowa| 2020 ARCA Menards Series Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE EVENT GUIDE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Shore Lunch 150 is limited to 36, including provisional positions. The field will be set by 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Owners Points (1-25) for the Shore Lunch 150. The remaining 11 spots will be awarded through the provisional process. This event will be run under the 2020 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

RACE PIT STOP: No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started. A maximum four (4) crew members may service car. No tires and fuel may be added outside of the break.

The Shore Lunch 150 will be 100 laps (150 miles) and is to be run in three (3) segments. The race will have the first break, at or near the conclusion of Lap 50. The race will have  the second break, at or near the conclusion of Lap 100. At the conclusion of the break(s), vehicles will line up in the order they were running at the beginning of the break.

RELATED: Sioux Chief Showdown Recap & Points Standings

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is eight (8).