ARCA Menards Series standings: Breaking down the top 10 in points after the Dawn 150 at Mid-Ohio

Despite a chaotic conclusion to Friday’s Dawn 150 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the top three drivers in the ARCA Menards Series maintained their respective positions in the official point standings.

Rajah Caruth entered the ninth race of the 2022 season with a small advantage over his Rev Racing teammate Nick Sanchez, with GMS Racing development driver Daniel Dye following closely behind in third.

RELATED: Complete Mid-Ohio results

Misfortune plagued all three drivers in the Dawn 150, a race won by David Gilliland Racing’s Taylor Gray, to the point where none ended up finishing on the lead lap. By the time the checkered flag was displayed, Caruth extended the gap between him and Sanchez from five to six points, while Dye erased one point from his deficit to now trail by eight.

The front three have created a sizable advantage over Venturini Motorsports’ Toni Breidinger in the standings and appear poised to settle the ARCA Menards Series championship amongst themselves as the series embarks on the second half of the 2022 season.

Below is a breakdown of the how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared in the Dawn 150, as well as a complete look at the ARCA Menards Series standings.

1. Rajah Caruth: 390 points

Caruth soldiered through an eventful Dawn 150 that saw him endure several spins and off-track excursions in the rain to maintain solid track position. A solid-but-eventful outing for Caurth was ultimately derailed when he illegally pitted for fresh slick tires under caution, which relegated him to ninth after he was penalized two laps.

2. Nick Sanchez: 384 points

As the track conditions changed from wet to dry, Sanchez during the race break took advantage of the opportunity to pit for slick tires, allowing him to easily overtake John Hunter Nemechek for the lead in the closing stages. Like his teammate, Sanchez was assessed a two-lap penalty for pitting again for slicks, but he ended up finishing outside the top 10 after getting tangled up with Nemechek and Kris Wright on the final lap.

3. Daniel Dye: 382 points

A rough start to the afternoon for Dye prevented him from contending for the win in the Dawn 150, but he still managed to finish in front of Caruth and Sanchez following their late issues. Dye’s eighth-place finish at Mid-Ohio gets him closer to striking distance of the points lead as he continues to search for his first victory of the season.

4. Toni Breidinger: 332 points 

Friday’s Dawn 150 at Mid-Ohio was nothing to write home about for Breidinger. She kept her car in one piece to finish in 13th two laps behind race-winner Taylor Gray, but Breidinger is still searching for her first top-five finish with Venturini in 2022.

5. Greg Van Alst: 329 points 

The veteran short track competitor survived the treacherous track conditions at Mid-Ohio to settle for a 12th-place finish. Although the performance snapped Van Alst’s streak of top-10 finishes dating back to Kansas Speedway, he has excelled at keeping his car out of trouble, only failing to finish the second race of the year at Phoenix Raceway due to handling issues.

6. Amber Balcean: 319 points

A spin under caution during the first lap of Friday’s Dawn 150 at Mid-Ohio served as a microcosm of Balcean’s day. She struggled to keep pace with the leaders before ultimately finishing seven laps down in 15th.

7. Brad Smith: 267 points 

A long-time ARCA veteran, Smith’s day ended after just three laps due to an ignition failure. The mechanical issue ended a five-race streak that saw Smith finish inside the top 20.

8. Zachary Tinkle: 248 points

Funding issues ultimately prevented Tinkle from taking the green flag in the Dawn 150. In eight starts this year, Tinkle’s best finish is 11th, which he obtained at Kansas.

9. Sammy Smith: 226 points 

Late contact with Nemechek for the lead ultimately prevented Smith from adding another victory to his growing ARCA resume. Despite the frustration from the spin, in which he took out Nemecheck in the final corner, Smith still finished in third, continuing a streak that has seen him finish inside the top three in every single ARCA appearance this year.

10. D.L. Wilson: 203 points

Wilson ended up finishing 21st after brake problems sidelined him from the Dawn 150 after just five laps. Wilson has competed in all but one race so far this year, scoring a season-best finish of 12th at Kansas.

ARCA Menards Series standings