Championship Scenarios For ARCA Menards Series West Finale At Phoenix

Jesse Love will enter Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series West season finale with the goal to win the race, per usual.

But in this case, winning the battle is a tougher task than winning the war.

Love, 15, holds a 14-point lead over second-place Blaine Perkins in the championship standings as the West Series heads to Phoenix Raceway for the Arizona Lottery 100 (Noon MST / 2 p.m. ET on TrackPass). Which means Love’s path to a title in his rookie season is simple.

PIT BOX: Title Race Coming In Hot At Phoenix

Love needs to finish eighth or better Saturday to clinch the championship regardless of how many points the 20-year-old Perkins collects.

A ninth-place finish for Love would open the door for Perkins to take a tiebreaker should the No. 9 Sunrise Ford/Four Star Fruit/Lucas Oil/Reeves Ford win the race in addition to collecting the three bonus points available for the General Tire Pole, leading a lap and the most laps led.

Which would seem to be good news for Love, as the driver of the No. 19 NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing has finished worse than fourth just once in 10 West races this season — his eighth-place finish at Kern County Raceway Park the last time the series was on track.

A car count of 27 for the West finale at Phoenix increases Love’s margin for error.

Love could finish as low as 11th and still guarantee himself the title, if he were to gain all three bonus points. Otherwise, Perkins, who is tied with Love for a series-high three wins in 2020, would be able to steal the title.

Love holds the tiebreaker unless Perkins wins the race, which would give the Sunrise Ford Racing driver a 4-3 edge in victories this season. Even if Perkins finishes in the top five and Love does not, the best Perkins can do is tie in top fives (9-9) and/or top 10s (10-10), and Love would still win tiebreaker on poles.

That means Perkins needs to finish 15th or better to give himself a chance to win the title should Love slip. Or, if he fails to gain any of the three bonus points, Perkins needs to finish 12th or better to give himself the same chance.

Below is a table that illustrates the championship points scenarios for Love and Perkins at Phoenix depending on where they finish and how many bonus points they collect.

ARCA Menards Series West Championship Points Scenarios at Phoenix