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

With only one race left in the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season, the battle for the series championship has come down to a one-on-one battle between Nick Sanchez and Daniel Dye.

Following Sanchez’s sixth-place finish last Saturday afternoon at Salem Speedway in the Herr’s Snacks 200, he holds a two-point advantage on Dye. He started the race five points ahead of Dye, who finished third to trim three points from Sanchez’s lead.

RELATED: Complete Salem Speedway results

With Saturday’s Shore Lunch 200 at Toledo Speedway the only race left on the schedule, it means either Sanchez or Dye will end the day as the 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion.

Below is a breakdown of the how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared in the Herr’s Snacks 200 and a complete look at the ARCA Menards Series standings.

1. Nick Sanchez: 882 points

Sanchez didn’t have a bad race Saturday afternoon at Salem Speedway, he just didn’t have a great race either. He raced in or just outside of the top five throughout the Herr’s Snacks 200 after starting fifth. He ultimately finished sixth, the final driver on the lead lap.

2. Daniel Dye: 880 points

GMS Racing’s Dye has shown that his personal skillset lends itself to short track racing and he proved that again Saturday at Salem Speedway. Starting sixth, Dye worked his way inside the top-five and utilized a bump-and-run on Taylor Gray on the final lap to cross the line third and trim three points off Nick Sanchez’s championship lead.

3. Rajah Caruth: 843 points

Mechanical gremlins got the best of Caruth at Salem Speedway. He started fourth and quickly made his way to second early in the race, but suspension issues soon started emerging and Caruth faded through the field. After multiple pit stops to work on the car, he would eventually retire from the race and finished 15th.

4. Greg Van Alst: 756 points

Veteran racer Van Alst stayed off the radar during much of the Herr’s Snacks 200. He qualified 10th and was able to move up a few positions to finish seventh, four laps off the pace set by race winner Sammy Smith.

5. Sammy Smith: 755 points

The Herr’s Snacks 200 was like a Saturday afternoon cruise for Smith, who started from the pole and led every lap on his way to his series-best fifth victory of the season. The win also moved him from sixth to fifth in the ARCA Menards Series standings and within one point of Greg Van Alst for fourth with one race left in the season.

6. Toni Breidinger: 744 points

Breidinger turned in a solid performance during the Herr’s Snacks 200 at Salem Speedway. The Venturini Motorsports driver started 11th and moved up to eighth by the time the checkered flag waved to earn her sixth top-10 finish of the season.

7. Amber Balcaen: 690 points

A summer full of misfortune and bad luck finally seemed to turn around for Balcaen during the Herr’s Snacks 200 despite a rough start. She was unable to turn a qualifying lap due to mechanical issues and started 19th, but slowly and methodically worked her way through the field to earn a ninth-place finish. It was her second top-10 finish in the last three races.

8. Brad Smith: 630 points

Staying out of trouble, veteran ARCA Menards Series driver Smith started 17th and crossed the finish line 14th during the Herr’s Snacks 200. He was the last driver still running at the completion of the race.

9. Taylor Gray: 566 points

At points during the Herr’s Snacks 200 it appeared as though Gray may have something to challenge race winner Sammy Smith. However, his luck turned sour late in the race when Daniel Dye used his bumper to get past him on the final lap, dropping Gray from third to fifth in the final rundown.

10. Jesse Love: 559 points

Entering the Herr’s Snacks 200 as the defending race winner at Salem Speedway, Love battled near the front of the field all day Saturday afternoon. He started third and crossed the finish line second, 2.726 seconds behind race winner Sammy Smith.

ARCA Menards Series standings