By Vincent Delforge, Staff Writer
This Friday, October 10, the 11th race of the 2025 ARCA Menards West Series season, the Star Nursery 150 Presented by The West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, Las Vegas, NV, was won by championship leader Trevor Huddleston. This is the second time in his career that he has won two consecutive races. With one race remaining in the season, with four wins under his belt and a 34-point advantage over Kyle Keller, he can legitimately consider his first championship title.
The day at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring was largely disrupted by the weather. Thunderstorms, wind, and rain prevented the qualifying session from taking place and delayed the start of the race by more than two hours. But once the green flag waved, the race was intense, with numerous lead changes, crashes, and an exhilarating finale.
It’s time to take a closer look at this penultimate race of the season.
ARCA West Practice/Qualifying
Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing) set the fastest time in practice ahead of Robbie Kennealy and Kyle Keller, the Jan’s Racing Team drivers. Thomas Annunziata was fourth and the best representative of Venturini Motorsports. For the prestigious team founded 43 years ago by Bill and Cathy Venturini, this was the very last race before closing the curtain for good.
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, the weather was going to be unpredictable and prevent the qualifying session from taking place. According to the rules, the starting grid is determined based on the results of the practice session. Therefore, Huddleston will start from pole position.
It should be noted that Michael Maples, who hit the wall during practice, will ultimately not take part in the race.
The weather is improving, and the track is drying.
After more than two hours of delays, the race was finally able to begin. The dryers had done their job, and the Ford Mustang, acting as the pace car, freed up the 20 cars. Kyle Keller was the quickest to get into action and took the lead over Huddleston along the outside lane in Turns 3 and 4. Behind, Robbie Kennealy lost grip in Turn 2 and slipped from third to 14th in just over a lap. It’s worth noting that Eric Johnson, Jr. had to start from last position due to a problem with his window net during the pace laps. Jade Avedisian was fourth, and Monty Tipton fifth.
Ahead, Keller remained under pressure from Huddleston, and the latter managed to regain the race lead at the end of lap nine by taking the inside lane. On lap 20 the Top 10 consisted of Huddleston leading ahead of Keller, Tanner Reif, Thomas Annunziata, Connor Hall, Monty Tipton, Jade Avedisian, Gavin Ray, Blake Lothian and Taylor Reimer.
In the backmarkers traffic, Keller managed to regain the lead at the start of lap 22 in Turn 1. Arriving at Turn 3, he passed Shane Backes on the outside while Huddleston did the same by taking the inside line. The start of lap 23 was stormy as Huddleston leaned against the driver’s side of Keller’s car. As a result, the driver of the No. 71 suffered a left front tire puncture and Huddleston regained the lead. Arriving at Turn 3, Keller locked his wheels and narrowly avoided the leader’s rear bumper. Unfortunately for Keller, the yellow flag was not raised and he completed a full lap at reduced speed before being able to reach the pit lane for a tire change, located outside the track at the Bullring. He would lose four laps to the leaders. It’s worth noting that Bryce Haugeberg stopped at his pit box on lap 35 due to mechanical issues and would remain there for a long time before returning to the track.
The green flag continued, and Connor Hall (Sigma Performance Services) gained positions and found himself threatening Huddleston for first place. He took advantage of the leader being slowed by backmarker David Smith in Turns 1 and 2 to catch up with the leader and take the lead of the race by passing him on the inside in Turns 3 and 4 on lap 54. It’s worth noting that Kennealy and Johnson, Jr. had returned to the Top 10.
Denison out, yellow flag.
On lap 69, Cody Dennison, now four laps behind the leaders, slowed on the backstretch and stopped his car in the infield, triggering the first caution of the race. Blake Lothian, in 13th place, who had fallen down the order in the last 20 laps, was given a free pass.
At the halfway point, the standings were as follows: Connor Hall led, ahead of Trevor Huddleston, Tanner, Reif, Thomas Annunziata, Gavin Ray, Robbie Kennealy, Eric Johnson, Jr., Jade Avedisian, Andrew Chapman, Monty Tipton, Spencer Gallagher, Taylor Reimer, Blake Lothian, Nick Joanides (-2), Dustin Hillneburg (-2), Kyle Keller (-4), Shane Backes (-5), David Smith (-7), Cody Dennison (out at -9), and Bryce Haugeberg (out at -40).
The restart came on lap 79, with Hall ahead of Huddleston, Reif, Annunziata, and Ray for the Top five. But the green flag lasted only two laps as Gavin Ray spun out of Turn 2 after colliding with Annunziata. Nick Joanides got the free pass and came back from two laps down to one lap down.
Joanides hit the wall!
Another restart on lap 86 with Hall leading. However, he was put under pressure by Huddleston on the outside line and by Reif, who didn’t hesitate to give him the odd love tap. The leaders quickly caught Dustin Hillenburg, who was particularly slow after a flat right front tire, and Connor Hall was surprised in the frontstretch. Huddleston took advantage to pass him directly on the inside and regained first place. Tanner Reif also took the lead over Hall and took second place.
On lap 90, Nick Joanides went straight into Turn 3 and hit the outside wall very hard after breaking a right front ball joint. Unfortunately, in the impact, his left leg hit the steering column. After a visit to the medical center, Joanides was left with a double fracture of his left leg and knee, which will prevent him from competing in the next race in Phoenix. Gavin Ray received the free pass. Note that Bryce Haugeberg returned to the track on lap 99, 64 laps behind.
On lap 100, the standings were as follows: Huddleston led, ahead of Reif, Hall, Kennealy, Johnson, Jr., Annunziata, Chapman, Reimer, Tipton, Gallagher, Avedisian, Ray, Lothian, Keller (-4), Backes (-6), Smith (-10), Joanides (-12), Hillenburg (-33), Dennison (-52), and Haugeberg (-64).
After 10 laps behind the pace, the race resumed on lap 101, with Huddleston extending the gap on his pursuers. Hall passed Reif for second place.
On lap 118, Andrew Chapman, then fifth, was loose in Turn 3 as a few drops of rain began to fall, and in Turn 4, he made contact with Annunziata and Avedisian. In the frontstretch, Annunziata, sandwiched between Chapman and Avedisian, hit the latter, sending her spinning into Turn 1. Another yellow flag. Kyle Keller, 13th, earned the free pass and came back to within three laps. The rain extended the caution for 22 laps.
The restart was given on lap 142, but it only lasted a few seconds as Monty Tipton spun his rear tires while accelerating, and Annunziata hit him. Tipton entered Turn 1 overspeeding and pushed Johnson, Jr. into a spin in Turn 2. Annunziata then hit Tipton, and the latter also spun into the backstretch. Behind, panic ensued. Chapman, Avedisian, and Reimer all scraped their bodies, but without much damage, as they skirted the outside wall. This new yellow flag allowed Keller to earn another free lap. However, he remained in 13th place, two laps behind the leaders.
At the restart on lap 147, Connor Hall took a few meters ahead of Huddleston, while Blake Lothian, in fifth place, was pushed off the good line by Annunziata and made contact with Ray. Up front, Huddleston regained the lead and gained a few lengths ahead of Hall, who was attacked from all sides by Tanner Reif. Johnson, Jr. and Avedisian battled for tenth place.
Huddleston crossed the finish line as the winner, ahead of Hall, Kennealy, Annunziata, and Reif for the Top five. The rest of the Top 10 was made up of Chapman, Ray, Lothian, Reimer, and Johnson, Jr.
“We did not unload good. [My crew] stuck to it and they made it happen. That was a little rough, but it was an amazing battle with everybody. We had some transmission issues [about his battle with Keller]. I lost it into neutral, hit the rumble strips and got into Kyle. It was a bummer deal and I knew we were going to have a great battle. People are going to be mad a little bit, but that’s part of racing, I guess. Win number four is pretty awesome and I’m pretty speechless.” Huddleston said.
This is Huddleston’s second consecutive victory after Madera’s. His fourth of the season and ninth of his career. With Keller only 13th, he now has a 34-point lead heading into the final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, AZ, on November 1st for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100.
