NOTEBOOK: Will winning parity continue as ARCA invades Iowa Speedway?

www.arcaracing.com June 13, 2024

Through the first six races of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series season, six different drivers have made visits to Victory Lane.

They include Daytona winner Gus Dean, Phoenix winner William Sawalich, Talladega winner Jake Finch, Dover winner Connor Zilisch, Kansas winner Connor Mosack and Charlotte winner Tanner Gray.

The last time an ARCA Menards Series season opened with six consecutive different winners was 2016, when eight different drivers won the first eight races of the campaign.

Gus Dean
Gus Dean celebrates winning during the Daytona ARCA 200 on Feb. 16, 2024. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

It started at Daytona International Speedway with John Wes Townley, followed by Josh Williams at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Current NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell won the next event at Salem Speedway, with Dean winning the fourth race of the 2016 season at Talladega.

Myatt Snider triumphed in the fifth race of the year at Toledo Speedway before Parker Kligerman picked up at win on the road course at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Grant Enfinger delivered a win in the next event at Pocono Raceway before Brandon Jones triumphed at Michigan International Speedway to complete the run of eight different winners to open the season.

In all, the 2016 season saw 13 different drivers visit Victory Lane in 20 races. Other winners that season included eventual series champion and current NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe, Dalton Sargeant, Justin Haley, Tom Hessert III and Austin Cindric.

Several drivers have a reasonable shot at continuing the race-winning parity Friday evening in the Atlas 150 (8 p.m. ET on FS1). Perhaps the two with the best odds are Venturini Motorsports’ Gio Ruggiero and Rev Racing’s Andres Perez.

Ruggiero enters Friday’s race ranked third in the ARCA Menards Series East standings after a win to open the season at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway. He also led laps and finished second to Sawalich during the ARCA Menards Series and West Series combination race at Phoenix Raceway in March.

Perez, meanwhile, leads the ARCA Menards Series standings thanks to two top-five and five top-10 finishes through the first six races. He also won the General Tire Pole Award for the most recent event at Charlotte and finished third.

There are several other drivers who, should things go their way, could also be in contention at Iowa. Among them are Lavar Scott, Greg Van Alst, Christian Rose, Kris Wright, Marco Andretti, Mason Mitchell, Toni Breidinger, Amber Balcaen and Andy Jankowiak.

Mason Mitchell
Mason Mitchell made his return to the ARCA platform during a West Series event earlier this year at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in Bakersfield, California on April 20, 2024. (Photo: David Dennis/ARCA Racing)

Mason Mitchell is back home again at Iowa Speedway

When Mason Mitchell decided he was going to return to ARCA Menards Series competition this year, he knew right away at least one event he wanted to enter.

The Atlas 150 at Iowa Speedway was an obvious choice for Mitchell. He grew up 30 minutes from the track, located in Newton, Iowa. In 2015, it was the site of one of his three career ARCA Menards Series victories.

“I still remember taking the checkered flag like it was yesterday,” Mitchell said. “We worked all race long to make the right adjustments, and we put ourselves in an excellent position for the final restart. It was the hardest I’ve ever driven in my life. Victory lane was electric.

“We will have a lot of friends, family and sponsors in the stands Friday evening.”

Mitchell on Friday will drive the No. 23 Chevrolet for team owner Joe Farre and Sigma Performance Services. The team, which is competing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West, is coming off its first ARCA platform victory at Sonoma Raceway with Sam Mayer behind the wheel.

That, combined with Mitchell’s previous experience at Iowa, could make for an interesting pairing Friday night during the Atlas 150.

William Sawalich
William Sawalich (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Redemption on the mind of William Sawalich

One year ago, William Sawalich looked well on his way to victory at Iowa Speedway until a late-race caution derailed his night.

Starting from the pole, Sawalich was on cruise control for most of the evening until a spin by Conner Jones brought out the caution flag on Lap 149 of the scheduled 150-lap race. That sent the event into overtime, when Luke Fenhaus used an incredible restart to steal the lead and ultimately the win from Sawalich.

It was the second time during the 2023 season that Sawalich lost a race to Fenhaus under those circumstances. The first time was at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, where Fenhaus snatched the lead away during a one-lap dash to the checkered flag.

Earlier this year, Sawalich redeemed himself by leading 145 laps and winning at Nashville in East Series competition.

Now with that victory out of the way, Sawalich will try to do the same thing Friday at Iowa.

NOTES:

  • Chris Tate, an active-duty Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps., will make his ARCA Menards Series and East Series debut Friday at Iowa Speedway. He’ll drive the No. 10 Toyota out of Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing stable.
  • Cody Dennison is set to make his first start with CW Motorsports in the No. 93 Chevrolet on Friday after driving for multiple teams to start the season. Dennison announced earlier this week he’ll finish the ARCA Menards Series season with CW Motorsports.
  • East Series championship leader Connor Zilisch continues to win races. His most recent victory came with the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last weekend. He already has IMSA, CARS Tour, ARCA Menards Series and East Series victories during his busy 2024 campaign.
  • For the second time this season, Clubb Racing will be bringing two cars to the race track. Team owner Alex Clubb will drive his typical No. 03 Ford while Presley Sorah will take the wheel of the team’s No. 86 Ford at Iowa. The team also brought two cars to Daytona, but only Clubb made the race. The aforementioned Dennison failed to qualify in the Clubb Racing No. 86.