By Vincent Delforge, Staff Writer
The second race of the 2025 season, the General Tire 150, held on the one-mile paved oval at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, AZ, featured a stunning finish between Brent Crews and Brenden Queen. The final one-lap dash was intense. Crews won by 160-thousandths of a second by going around the inside line of Turn 4 while Queen hit the outside wall.
This ARCA Menards West Series race was combined with the ARCA Menards National Series. Brenden Queen extended his lead in the national championship while ninth-place finisher Robbie Kennealy, the top West Series regular, picked up points and is now second in the championship behind Trevor Huddleston.
Complete race results: www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2025-02/AW/
Race review: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/2025-arca-west-at-bakersfield-team-reactions-and-analysis/
The top five in the championship were the following: Trevor Huddleston (48), Kyle Keller (42), Tanner Reif (42), Robbie Kennealy (40), and Eric Johnson, Jr. (39).
Driver & owner point standings: www.racing-reference.info/standings/2025/AW/
The next race is on Saturday, April 5, for the third race of the season. This will be the return of the West Series to the Tucson Speedway, a .375-mile paved oval located in Tucson, AZ. The last race on this bullring, won by Derek Kraus, dates back to 2019.
After each race, we are going to detail the statistics for each driver, embellished with the reactions collected from many of them, drivers, owners and crew chiefs
ARCA West Quick Stats At Phoenix Raceway
-72nd season in history.
-Race No. 1030 since the inception of the West Series in 1954.
-2025 race No. 2 of 12.
-693rd paved oval race in history.
-55th race at Phoenix Raceway since 1977.
-13th win for Toyota at Phoenix. Among the manufacturers, Chevrolet leads the dance with 17 wins ahead of Ford (14), Toyota (13), Pontiac (6), Dodge (3) and Buick (2). The all-time most successful manufacturer is Ford with 293 wins..
-Fourth win for team owner Joe Gibbs.
-Win No. 8 for Joe Gibbs Racing team (Coy Gibbs 2 ; J.D. Gibbs 2 and Joe Gibbs 4).
-The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally (99), Fred Elder (45), Bob Bruncati (42) and Ernie Conn (41). The all-time most successful teams in history are Bill McAnally Racing (99), McCoy Racing (54), The Racing Farmers (47), Bruncati Racing (42) and Gene Price Motorsports (26).
-Sixth win for Joe Gibbs Racing at Phoenix. Joe Gibbs Racing are the most victorious teams in Phoenix ahead of Bill McAnally Racing with five wins each. Petty Enterprises and Gene Price Motorsports follow with three wins each. The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally (99), Fred Elder (45), Bob Bruncati (42) and Ernie Conn (41).
-First career win for Brent Crews (4th career start).
-Brent Crews is the 211st race winner in West Series history and the 40th at Phoenix.
-Ken Schrader is the most successful driver at Phoenix with four wins. Richard Petty, Greg Pursley and Ty Gibbs follow with three. In all, 40 different drivers have won at least one race at Phoenix.
-17 times in 55 races, the pole-sitter wins at Phoenix. (Note, no time trials due to rain for this race)
-Joe Gibbs Racing is the most successful team in Phoenix with five poles ahead of Gene Price Motorsports and Duncan Racing with four poles each. The most successful team in history is Bill McAnally Racing with 79 poles. The most successful owner in history is Bill McAnally with 52 poles. (Note, no time trials due to rain for this race)
-Among the manufacturers, Chevrolet leads the dance with 21 poles ahead of Ford (12), Toyota (10), Buick (3), Dodge (3) and Pontiac (3). Note, three times in 2004, 2021 and 2025, the qualifying was cancelled due to rain.
-The all-time most successful manufacturer for pole position is Chevrolet with 261.
-Ricky Rudd won the race in 1995 from 29th position on the starting grid, which is a record.
-The track record is owned by Sammy Smith for Kyle Busch Motorsports at 135.491 mph achieved in 2022 (November race).
-As far as yellow flags are concerned, the record is 13 in 2023 (March race). The 2023 March race holds the record for the number of yellow flag laps with 78.
-Note that from 1988 to 1996, the Phoenix race was combined with the NASCAR Cup Series.
-The most leader changes occurred in 1993 with 20. The least leader change is zero, three times in 2012, 2014 and 2021 #2.
-The largest starting field was in 1996 and 1996 with 44 cars.
-The smallest starting field was in 2003 #2 with 22 cars.
-The driver with the most races is Brett Thomspon (24).
-The driver with the most wins is Ken Schrader (4)
-The drivers with the most poles are Mike Duncan, Greg Pursley and William Sawalich with 4.
-The drivers with the most Top 5 is Greg Pursley (8).
-The drivers with the most Top 10s are Greg Pursley and Brett Thompson with 10.
-The driver with the most laps is Ken Schrader (3614).
-The driver with the most laps lead is Mark Martin (448).
-13 times the race has been extended by an overtime (2003-01, 2005-03, 2007-02, 2009-03, 2010-02, 2014-01, 2014-14, 2015-13, 2019-14, 2022-01, 2022-11, 2023-01 and 2025-02).
-The race was shortened one time due to rain (2024-01)
-First career attempt in West Series for: (7) Corey Day, Jason Kitzmiller, Treyten Lapcevich, Brenden Queen, Jonathan Reaume, Ryan Vargas and Tim Viens.
-First career start in West Series for: (7) Corey Day, Jason Kitzmiller, Treyten Lapcevich, Brenden Queen, Jonathan Reaume, Ryan Vargas and Tim Viens.
-First career attempt at Phoenix in West Series for (12 drivers): Lawless Alan, Corey Day, Cody Dennison, Adrian Ferrer, Jason Kitzmiller, Treyten Lapcevich, Blake Lothian, Brenden Queen, Jonathan Reaume, Patrick Staropoli, Ryan Vargas and Tim Viens.
-First career start at Phoenix in West Series for (12 drivers): Lawless Alan, Corey Day, Cody Dennison, Adrian Ferrer, Jason Kitzmiller, Treyten Lapcevich, Blake Lothian, Brenden Queen, Jonathan Reaume, Patrick Staropoli, Ryan Vargas and Tim Viens.
-Best career result in West Series for Brent Crews (1st), Brenden Queen (2nd), Treyten Lapcevich (3rd), Lawless Alan (4th), Lavar Scott (5th), Corey Day (10th), Andy Jankowiak (14th), Tim Viens (20th), Michael Maples (21st), Brayton Laster (22nd), Tim Monroe (23rd), Jonathan Reaume (25th), Jason Kitzmiller (27th), Brad Perez (30th) and Ryan Vargas (32nd).
-First career Top-10 result in West Series for: Brenden Queen (2nd), Treyten Lapcevich (3rd) and Corey Day (10th)
-First career Top-5 result in West Series for: Brenden Queen (2nd) and Treyten Lapcevich (3rd)
-18th win for the No. 18 in history. The fifth at Phoenix (all from the pole position).
-Fourth career win for crew chief Matt Ross. The third at Phoenix.
The Drivers
No. 03 Alex Clubb (Clubb Racing Inc.) Start: 23rd –Fin: 28th Oil pan
No better luck this year than last. Alex retired due to a mechanical problem. This time it was a broken oil pan after hitting debris from another car.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18th | 4 starts, best result 18th |
No. 05 David Smith (Shockwave Racing) Start: 14th – Fin: 29th Crash
His sixth race in Phoenix will not be a memorable one for David Smith. A mistake in the dog leg and the Toyota hit the wall, breaking the right front suspension. Fortunately, the Canadian is strong and escapes without injury, except for his ego. “I did not think it was appropriate to go to the US but glad I did. From the top of ARCA to the top of the broadcasters I spread the word. I told them that Canada is really really mad and will remain so. They were extremely respectful of the situation. I could go on. Many thanks again to our crew. 22nd after starting at the back of 32 and still moving ahead. Unfortunately I got tangled up on the dog leg and ended up in the wall. My third visit to the infield care centre! I hope things get back to normal as the rest of the season is not prepaid. Thanks again all! » Smith said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10th (3x) | 6 starts, best result 17th |
No. 06 Brayton Laster (WP Motorsports) Start: 24th – Fin: 22nd
Life for the underdogs isn’t easy. Laster, who had a good race with the resources he had, explains it to us in detail: “Had a lot of fun driving racecars last night at Phoenix Raceway, it was a crazy day with no on-track time before the race and little to no notes with the car either for this track.
Being a small team, we rely on other team’s 5-10 lap old scuff they get from practice for our race tires. With no practice for anyone, we only had a practice set with 100+ laps on them and they were from last year, it kinda put us in a pickle. Only 2-3 teams had better scuffs than us that they brought to the track and would be starting the race on new tires, that left most smaller teams were fighting left and right for them. We ended up getting ahold of some 30ish lap old scuffs to start the race on. While the scuffs were better, they were still a year old, but it was the only solution we had. Started the race on those and just kinda survived for the first half. We were able to put a deal together right before the start of the race for two new sticker tires for the right side at the halfway break. We put those on and instantly picked up over 2 seconds a lap, had a lot of fun actually sticking with the back half of the field and giving this ole’ girl a run for her money. Going forward, we have a lot more sponsorship opportunities locked up for the short tracks and will be throwing sticker tires on a lot more frequently. Excited to get back on track at Talladega Superspeedway in April, and once we hit the short tracks this season, we’re really gonna be cooking. Grateful to everyone on this team and all our awesome partners that let us get to do this every week! Walking out of here in one piece, 13th in points, and with a bright future! We had 3,095 names represented on the car last night as part of a cool giveaway with rNASCAR on Reddit, that alone was pretty cool.”
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22nd | 2 starts, best result 22nd |
No. 1 Robbie Kennealy (Jan’s Racing Team) Start: 19th – Fin: 9th
Kennealy had an excellent race, finishing as the best of the West Series regulars. He spent almost the entire race in the top 10, between eighth and 10th position. By finishing ninth, he gained valuable points from Huddleston and is now second in the championship. “Fun weekend out in Phoenix. With no practice and qualifying we started 19th and finished P9 in the Jan’s Racing Team Jan’s Towing, Inc. #1 car. Ended up as the highest Arca west series finisher and now sitting P2 in points. Hate it for my teammate Kyle Keller (out of fuel on the last lap) he had an awesome run going. Thank you to the entire team and Jan Qualkenbush for this opportunity. Tucson up next” Kennealy said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 14 (2 DNS) | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4th | 3 starts, best result 9th |
No. 3 Adrian Ferrer (Central Coast Racing) Start: 11st – Fin: 18th
Starting a race on a track you’ve never done a single lap on is complicated for a rookie. Furthermore, a suspension issue caused abnormal and excessive wear on the right front tire. This problem would have been detected during a practice session… The tire was quickly wearing down… The rookie was also penalized with a drive-through penalty for changing tires and applying fuel during a single pit stop. Despite two free passes, the young Spaniard’s race was very complicated. But on the positive side, he gained experience. “Today was a disaster… Probably the arena where I had the worst time of my life. It rained early this morning, which prevented us from starting free practice or qualifying, which allowed us to go to the most important race of the year without testing the car or doing a lap on a very fast circuit that was new to me. On top of all that, we went into the race with some sort of suspension problem that made the car undriveable and the front wheels were completely torn apart. Despite everything, and a penalty I still don’t understand, we find ourselves in P18 of 36 cars and we’ve picked up some points that could be important at the end of the CTO. The lesson from today is that we continue to learn, and I’m more certain than ever that before the end of the championship, we’ll be fighting for victories. Thank you a thousand times to all those who support me.” Ferrer said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | 1 start, best result 18th |
No. 5 Eric Johnson, Jr. (Jerry Pitts Racing) Start: 15th – Fin: 11th
Johnson, Jr. drove a smart race, but despite not being able to aim for a top-10 finish, he fought in the top-15 throughout the race. He was incisive in the final overtime, finishing 11th after struggling with an unstable car throughout the race, which was important because he gained a point from Huddleston in the championship. “What a wild experience at Phoenix Raceway! After no practice or qualifying, we finished 11th overall and 2nd among the ARCA West Series cars in the 34-car field. Solid points night for our 5 team! Starting with zero track time meant we had to make the most of what we had. The Jerry Pitts Racing team gave me a good piece to work with, and helped me manage our free handling issues all night long. We got everything we could and when it came time, went elbows up in those final starts to be sure nothing was left on the table. I can’t wait to come back this fall and apply what we learned! Thank you all for the outpour of love and support this weekend. Without you and our partners, I’d just be a kid watching from home. I enjoyed every moment with the team. Bring on the next one!” Johnson, Jr. said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 18 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 4th | 3 starts, best result 11th |
No. 6 Lavar Scott (REV Racing) Start: 5th- Fin: 5th
Lavar Scott has made significant progress since last year, battling for a top-five finish throughout the race. This first top-five finish in his career in the West Series has allowed him to stay in contention for the national series championship against Brenden Queen.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5th | 4 starts, best result 5th |
No. 9 Tony Cosentino (Fast Track Racing) Start: 20th – Fin: 26th Mechanical
The race was complicated from the start due to mechanical issues. Having been granted a free pass during the first caution, he wasn’t able to take advantage of it for long, as his car became increasingly difficult to drive. Cosentino retired shortly after the halfway point without having been able to do anything. A race to forget. «After getting chopped early on put us behind the ball, a mechanical failure sent us to the garage before we made a charge.We’re done for the night. Heartbreak.» Cosentino said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15th (2x) | 3 starts, best result 15th |
No. 10 Brad Perez (Fast Track Racing) Start: 22nd – Fin: 30th Mechanical
Perez was forced to retire after just 24 laps due to a mechanical problem. Phoenix is definitely not going his way; he suffered the same fate a year ago…
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30th | 2 starts, best result 30th |
No. 11 Cody Dennison (Fast Track Racing) Start: 17th – Fin: 16th
Dennison had an interesting race considering he drives for Fast Track Racing and had to drive a car that was struggling from the start. He made numerous pit stops to try and fix the problems. He was given a free pass during the second yellow. But he lost a lot of time during the long 54-lap run under green. This 16th position rewarded his dedication.. “Hardest race of my life. Car broke right out of the gate. Had to pit about 10 times trying to fix it. Somehow brought it home 16th out of 34 with no scratches. Great points day. Top 10 in the next one!” Dennison said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 (1 DNQ) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8th | 1 start (+1 DNQ), best result 16th |
No. 12 Tim Monroe (Fast Track Racing) Start: 21st – fin: 23rd
What can I say? Monroe, with worn tires and an unstable car, did what he could and, despite a very slow pace, managed to reach the finish line. That’s already an achievement. This is the first time he’s taken the checkered flag in Phoenix, albeit 20 laps behind the winner. It’s a shame, because his metallic blue Ford looked simply superb under the spotlight.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23rd | 3 starts, best result 23rd |
No. 13 Tanner Reif (Central Coast Racing) Start: 2nd – Fin: 13th
Following the cancellation of the qualifying session, Tanner started the race in second place, but from the start he lost positions and spent the rest of the race in the top 15. He gained a few positions towards the end of the race following Kyle Keller’s problem and also following his younger brother’s accident. That said, by finishing just behind Huddleston, he lost the minimum number of points and remains more than ever a contender for the championship. “Rain made for a dynamic weekend. Started front row at Phoenix Raceway this Friday without practice or qualifying due to rain. Had a decent car for the ARCA West field but couldn’t keep pace with the national series cars. Attempted to improve handling at the halftime break but ended up making a change that didn’t do what we wanted it to do making the car a handful in the second half. Not what we wanted but you can’t do much without practice. The team and I will stay working and improve our performance at Tucson Speedway. Thanks to the team for all the hard work and time spent.” Tanner Reif said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 27 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 6 starts, best result 8th |
No. 15 Treyten Lapcevich (Venturini Motorsports) Start: 18th – Fin: 3rd
The 2023 NASCAR Canada Series champion is a prodigy, as we all know. And he proved it once again. For his West Series debut at Phoenix, and without having done a single lap here before, he was excellent. Raising his game throughout the race to the point of claiming victory in the final overtime. The only downside was that he was sometimes a bit “messy” within the pack. The worst was avoided when he clashed with his teammate Staropoli on lap 89. This is currently the only race scheduled in ARCA for the young Canadian. We want more!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3rd | 1 start, best result 3rd |
No. 18 Brent Crews (Joe Gibbs Racing) Start: 1st (NTT) – Fin: 1st
Having one of the best cars of recent years here in Phoenix is one thing. Knowing how to use it to its full potential is another. And Brent Crews knew how to take full advantage of his car and of the second overtime to go all out against Queen. He made a decisive attack on the final lap, and when Queen went wide and scraped the outside wall in Turn 4, Crews was able to let his joy out by taking the checkered flag first. A first career win in West Series. “I raced Brenden [Queen] the whole year last year. We raced him for CARS Tour wins, and then coming here to the ARCA Menards Series at a track like Phoenix to race for the win was really special. A great job for 28 teams [Pinnacle Racing Group]. They had a winning car today, so I’m grateful for the deposit at the end. Winning this race is so special for me. It was my mom’s birthday [on Thursday], so I’m dedicating this win to her. I can’t thank the Joe Gibbs Racing enough. No practice, so showing up to the track with a car this fast was pretty cool.” Crews said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1st | 2 starts, best result 1st |
No. 19 Jake Bollman (Bill McAnally Racing) Start: 7th – Fin: 24th
Bollman was unlucky in his first race with BMR. He suffered a blowout in his left front tire while going from the apron to the banking of the dog leg, and he swerved straight into the outside wall on lap 32 while running eighth. At BMR, they never give up until they can repair it. The team got the car back on track. A car in bad shape, but by gaining several positions, they scored important points in the owners’ championship. “Super unfortunate that our night ended the way it did and that we had that road block so early in the race but I am so proud of these guys for bouncing back and getting our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet back out on track to finish the night. This BMR team gave me such a solid ride tonight, it is just a shame we could not get the result to show for it. Huge thanks to BMR and NAPA Racing for all the support and effort they put into this program. I have had so much fun with these guys already and I know that we are going to have a solid rest of the season and hopefully make a few trips to Victory Lane.” Bollman said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7th (2x) | 2 starts, brest result 24th |
No. 20 Lawless Alan (Venturini Motorsports) Start: 4th – Fin: 4th
Alan had an excellent race, earning his first career top-five finish in his first race at Phoenix. He was solid throughout the race, but made a potentially fatal mistake on the final restart when he slid inside Turn 1 and hit Moffitt. Fortunately, he maintained control of his car and finished fourth, a position he held for almost the entire race. His move to Venturini Motorsports this year finally gave him the opportunity to drive a top car.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4th | 1 start, best result 4th |
No. 23 Tyler Reif (Sigma Performance Services) Start: 6th – Fin: 19th Crash
A contender for a podium spot throughout the race, Tyler could have won the race but was pushed by Moffitt during the first overtime. While Queen, just in front of him at the restart, spun his tires while accelerating, forcing Tyler to lift his foot off the accelerator pedal for a fraction of a second, but behind him, Moffitt didn’t see fit to do the same, and we know the result. Tyler hit the end of the wall at the end of the pit lane and destroyed the front of his Chevrolet. Fortunately without any injuries. “Heartbreak in the desert. Had such a good #chevrolet but luck wasn’t on are side. Started 6th and drove to the front and never fell outside the top 3 and led laps, such a bummer to get wrecked on the last lap well in position to win the race. Looking forward to five flags in 2 weeks going to make the team and i push harder then ever before.” Tyler Reif said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 27 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 5 | 1st (3x) | 6 starts, best result 1st |
No. 25 Patrick Staropoli (Venturini Motorsports) Start: 12th – Fin: 8th
A big smile on his face all day long, even after the race when he could clearly have finished better than eighth, he who at one point managed to bring his car into the top 5. He was pushed on lap 89 in a spun, fortunately without touching anything. He came back from the back of the pack only to be demoted again just outside the top 10 following a black flag. In fact, he had to go through his pit box to fix a fastener on his window net that had come loose. But it was great to see Staropoli back in the West Series. We want more!! «Wild night in the desert! No practice, no qualifying, started 12th, moved forward, got spun, Tokyo drifted, and passed a lot of cars to get back to 5th with 1 lap to go before getting flagged to pit road for a loose window net. Finished 8th. Thankful for a fast Venturini Toyota and all the support! Felt really good to be back.» Staropoli said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1st | 1 start, best result 8th |
No. 28 Brenden Queen (Pinnacle Racing Group) Start: 9th – Fin: 2nd
The Daytona winner had the race won until two turns from the finish when Tim Viens spun. If he survived the first overtime, the second would prove fatal, as he brushed the outside wall of Turn 4 on the very last lap, giving Crews the victory away. But Queen is talented, and no matter what type of track he’s discovering, he adapts with ease. “The only way they could beat us was to knock us out of the way. Honestly, I’m going to look at it as I have to do a better job on that restart’. In my defense, I never should have let him get close enough. I gave him the bottom in [turn] one to try and not get hit because he had such a run off [turn] two because I cleared him. “I almost wish I wouldn’t have cleared him and stayed door-to-door, then I could have run him up the hill or something.” Queen said
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | 1 start, best result 2nd |
No. 31 Tim Viens (Rise Motorsports) Start: 25th – Fin: 20th
Off the pace throughout the race, Viens made his mark twice. The first time was when he tangled with Crews in Turn 3 early in the race as the latter, the race leader, took a lap lead. Fortunately, without damage. The second time was when he spun off on his own in Turn 4 of the final lap, causing the first overtime. Aside from that, finishing 20th was a decent result for someone new to Phoenix.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20th | 1 start, best result 20th |
No. 46 Thad Moffitt (Nitro Motorsports) Start: 13th – Fin: 7th
Honestly, Moffitt had a great race with a top-5 finish in his sights. But he lacked foresight during the first overtime, pushing Tyler Reif. He then almost lost it all in the second overtime when Lawless Alan, sliding, hit him entering turn 1 on the very last lap. Moffitt then hit Kole Raz in turn. He ultimately finished seventh, not without making a new friend along the way! “The No. 28 spun his tires in front of the No. 23 it looked like, the No. 23 got a better jump than him (the 28) and I felt like got a better jump than both of them,” he said. “The No. 23 went down inside, I shaded left of him where I had a run then we got to pit wall and we ran out of wall. I felt like I gave him room to race and I gave the No. 28 room and we all ran out. It’s unfortunate, I don’t like to wreck racecars. He’s a good kid, nice kid, always been super nice to me, I’ve got nothing negative to say about him.” Moffitt said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | 2 starts , best result : 3rd |
No. 48 Brad Smith (Smith Bros. Racing) Start: 27th – Fin: 33rd
With a backup car from Fast Track Racing, it was 99.9% certain that the veteran would do a start and park. Eight laps and then he was gone. Incredibly, he wasn’t the slowest on track. With a best lap of 33.262 seconds, he beat Ryan Vargas and his 33.433 seconds, even though the latter had done 13 laps…
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 4 (1 DNQ) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26th (1x) | 4 starts (1 DNQ), best result : 26th |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing) Start: 3rd – Fin: 12th
Not the race and result Huddleston expected. The long 54-lap run under green cost him a lap. It’s a shame, because he wasn’t in the lucky dog position during the two overtimes. Without that, he could have claimed a better finish than 12th. But by finishing second among the West Series regulars, he maintained his championship lead. This is important for the rest of the season.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 79 | 6 | 31 | 63 | 3 | 1st (6x) | 9 starts, best result : 7th |
No. 51 Blake Lothian (Strike Mamba Racing) Start: 33rd – Fin: 17th
Like all rookies, not being able to do a single lap on a track you’re new to before the start of the race was a handicap. Especially since his team is also new to the sport. And Lothian managed to put in a solid race and learn a lot. All of this will be useful for the rest of the season.“P33 to P17!! Didn’t have practice or qualifying due to rain but our Strike Mamba Racing team made amazing adjustments all throughout the night! Looking forward to when we come back in November to build on this result! Next up for us on the ARCA side is Tucson April 5th! Huge thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters that make this all possible The Texas Lawbook and Potusabckids” Lothian said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th | 1 start, best result 17th |
No. 55 Isabella Robusto (Venturini Motorsports) Start: 8th – Fin: 31st Mechanical
A huge disappointment for Robusto, who had a very good car and the pace to challenge Crews and Queen for victory. By the third lap, she was already in the top five. But her Toyota began to emit smoke, and just before the first yellow flag, she returned to the pit lane and didn’t leave. Fluid was leaking from the engine.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2nd | 2 starts, best result 6th |
No. 67 Ryan Vargas (Maples Motorsports) Start: 32nd – Fin: 32nd Suspension
Vargas is a nice driver and deserves a better car. This second Maples Motorsports car is clearly there to make up the numbers and score some points in the owners’ championship. Officially, a suspension issue was the cause of the retirement. But with a year-old set of tires… what more could he have done?
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32nd | 1 start, best result 32nd |
No. 71 Kyle Keller (Jan’s Racing Team) Start: 10th – Fin: 15th
A big disappointment for Keller, who was the best of the regular West Series drivers, battling in the top 10, often for eighth position, for 149 laps. But out of fuel on the final lap, he lost a lap on the leaders and found himself 15th, the only driver three laps behind the leader. This made it impossible to gain any position during the final one-lap dash. However, he limited his loss of points to the other West Series drivers and remains more than ever a favorite for the championship. “Man what a bummer ran out of fuel taking the white flag running P.9. Had a good points night coming along but it’s part of racing we will have our good nights and our bad nights. Thank you to my entire crew and we will rebound on April 5th! Thank you Jan Qualkenbush for everything you do for me. Thank you to my sponsors and crew for everything!” Keller said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 36 | 0 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 2nd | 7 starts, best result : 5th |
No. 72 Jonathan Reaume (Strike Mamba Racing) Start: 34th – Fin: 25th
Lack of pace for Reaume, who was new to Phoenix without having been able to race there beforehand. It was a tough race for the rookie, and finishing the race is already a great satisfaction for his first career race, especially since he wasn’t spared from mechanical issues. But his team was able to resolve the issues each time. This race ultimately served as a kind of full-scale practice session.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25th | 1 start, best result 25th |
No. 73 Andy Jankowiak (KLAS Motorsports) Start: 28th – Fin: 14th
Last year, Jankowiak’s race was frustrating. This year, he was able to reach the finish line in 14th place. A good day for the plumber, who scored big points in the championship, even though he could have hoped for better. Starting from the back of the grid, he reached the top 10 around lap 35. He lost a few positions and was down to 14th at the halfway point. He set off again to fight for the top 10, but a power steering problem complicated his finish, especially during the long 54-lap green-flag run. He lost a lap on the leaders and stagnated around 16th. He ultimately gained two positions following problems of Keller and Tyler Reif.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14th | 2 starts, best result 14th |
No. 76 Kole Raz (AM Racing) Start: 16th – Fin: 6th
Ninth last year in November for his first race with AM Racing, Kole Raz demonstrated that with him the team could hope for an excellent season. He finished sixth, not without having had a chance of achieving better. Indeed, during the final restart, he was pushed to the outside line by Alan and Moffitt in turn 1, even though he had the speed to finish in the top five. “I am proud of my AM Racing team. It was not ideal to not have any practice or qualifying heading into the race, but Ryan (London, crew chief) and the rest of the AM Racing team made the best of it. “Our No. 76 Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers Ford Mustang was the best at the end, and luckily, we survived the double overtime chaos to deliver another sixth-place finish for the AM Racing team. “I’m proud that we were able to get a little redemption from Phoenix Raceway last fall and continue a strong start to the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season with Cyclum and AM Racing.” Raz said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 8 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1st | 2 starts, best result 6th |
No. 77 Corey Day (Spire Motorsports) Start: 29th – Fin: 10th
Having quickly climbed back into the top 15, Corey Day’s progression would then become more complicated. He completed 100 laps stuck between 11th and 12th position. The end of the race was beneficial to him. Indeed, he benefited from the free pass during the final yellow flag. This, combined with Keller and Tyler Reif’s problems, allowed him to enter the top 10 for the overtime in ninth position but would have to give way to Staropoli. 10th was a nice reward.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | 1 start, best result 10th |
No. 86 Alex Malycke (Clubb Racing Inc.) Start: 31st – Fin: 34th Mechanical
Malycke ran into trouble right from the pace laps. He was forced to park his car in the infield before the race even started. A huge disappointment. A shame, because he probably had the best-looking motor hood of the 34 drivers.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19th | 2 starts, best result 22nd |
No. 97 Jason Kitzmiller (CR7 Motorsports) Start: 30th – Fin: 27th Mechanical
The CR7 team was unable to repeat its 2023 performance when it finished sixth with Landen Lewis. This time, the r Chevrolet driven by Kitzmiller suffered a mechanical failure after a contact with the wall, forcing him to park it permanently on lap 38.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27th | 1 start, best result 27th |
No. 99 Michael Maples (Maples Motorsports) Start: 26 – Fin: 21st
An uneventful race for owner/driver Maples. He lost lap after lap to the leaders due to a lack of pace, but his goal of finishing the race was achieved.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Phoenix |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21st | 2 starts, best result 21st |
For the next race on April 5, we will return to Arizona but on the .375-mile bullring of the Tucson Speedway located in the eponymous city.