ARCA Menards Series standings: Breaking down the top 10 in points after Elko Speedway

The top three drivers in the 2022 ARCA Menards Series standings did not change with Saturday night’s Menards 250 at Minnesota’s Elko Speedway, the eighth race on the schedule.

What did change, though, are the gaps between championship leader Rajah Caruth, second-place Nick Sanchez and third-place Daniel Dye.

RELATED: Complete Elko results | Photo gallery

Caruth entered the Elko race with a one-point advantage over his Rev Racing teammate in the ARCA Menards Series standings. Sanchez’s 11th-place finish thanks in part to a spin on Lap 137 of the Menards 250, though, coupled with Caruth’s seventh-place effort, grew Caruth’s points lead to five.

Dye notched his fourth top-five finish of the season at Elko with his fifth-place run, a result that leaves him nine points back from Caruth’s championship lead with 12 races remaining in 2022.

Below is a breakdown of how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared in the Menards 250, plus a complete look at the ARCA Menards Series standings.

1. Rajah Caruth: 355 points

Caruth did not run as well as he might have liked at Elko, with his seventh-place run earning him 37 points for the night. But he’ll take an extended lead in the ARCA Menards Series standings. The finish also marked his sixth top 10 of the year, tied with Sanchez and Dye for the most in the series.

2. Nick Sanchez: 350 points

Sanchez battled issues all night at Elko, with the trouble culminating in a spin in the second half of the race and resulting in an 11th-place finish. Still, he is the only driver in the top three of the championship standings with something in the win column this year thanks to his victories at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway.

3. Daniel Dye: 346 points

Fresh off a heartbreaker at Berlin Raceway, where an electrical issue with just a few laps to go ruined what likely would have been a cruise to the checkered flag, Dye turned in a strong run at Elko with a fifth-place finish. He, Sammy Smith and Caruth are tied atop the board with four top-five finishes this season.

4. Toni Breidinger: 301 points

An early spin did not help Breidinger’s efforts to gain points at Elko. She ultimately finished 12th.

5. Greg Van Alst: 297 points

Van Alst finished eighth at Elko, a notable result. He extended his streak of consecutive top-10 finishes to five, making him the only driver who has finished in the top 10 in each of the last five ARCA Menards Series events.

6. Amber Balcaen: 290 points

Balcaen’s rough day at Elko began with a mechanical issue her team discovered prior to qualifying, forcing her to start the race from the back of the pack. She then was forced to retire from the race with an engine issues after 56 laps, leaving her with a 17th-place finish.

7. Zachary Tinkle: 248 points

Tinkle is another driver who was forced to deal with car issues Saturday night at Elko. He was able to run only 15 laps because of an overheating issue, and he finished 18th.

8. Brad Smith: 245 points

On the subject of overheating issues at Elko, they knocked Smith out of the race, too. Smith was able to run 116 laps before retiring from the event and settling for a 16th-place finish.

9. Sammy Smith: 184 points

Smith won his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series race Saturday at Elko, and he did it in dominant fashion, leading 233 of 250 laps. Despite having run only four ARCA Menards Series (national) races thus far this season, he is now tied with Sanchez for the most victories in 2022 with two. Now 18, Smith plans to run the rest of the season for Kyle Busch Motorsports. The question is whether he can compete for a title despite running four fewer races than the other contenders.

10. D.L. Wilson: 180 points

Wilson is another driver who dealt with car issues at Elko. A brake problem forced him out of the race after just 15 laps. He finished 19th.

ARCA Menards Series standings