By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
The eighth race of the ARCA Menards West Series season, the NAPA Auto Parts 150, ended with the fourth win of the year for Sean Hingorani who at the same time seizes the championship leadership against Landen Lewis. It was here last year that he made his West Series debut.
A race that will have seen Tyler Reif get his first career pole and fight for victory again but also the confirmation of the talented Kole Raz who finishes on his hometrack in third position as he had already done for his Shasta debut end of July.
The top-five in the championship being the following: Sean Hingorani (372 points), Landen Lewis (371), Trevor Huddleston (348), Tyler Reif (344) and Bradley Erickson (342).
For a complete recap of the race, I invite you to read the article « Race review » available here: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-menards-west-2023-evergreen-review/
Complete race results: www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2023-08/AW/
Driver & owner point standings: www.racing-reference.info/standings/2023/AW/
As 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
-70th season in history.
-Race No. 1012 since the inception of the West Series in 1954.
-2023 race No. 8 of 12.
-Race No. 62 at Irwindale Speedway since 1964.
-Win number four for Toyota at Evegreen. Ford leads all manufacturers with 18 wins ahead of Dodge and Chevrolet with 12 each. Pontiac has five, Toyota has four. Buick, Plymouth and Mercury three each and finally Oldsmobile with two.
-79th win for Toyota in West Series
-Fourth win for owner Bill Venturini.
-Win No. 4 for Venturini Motorsports team. The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally (99), Fred Elder (45), Bob Bruncati (42) and Ernie Conn (41).
–Win No. 1 for Bill Venturini and Venturini Motorsports at Evergreen. The most successful team in history at Evergreen is Bill McAnally Racing with 7 wins.
-Fourth career win for Sean Hingorani (13th career start) and the first at Evergreen. The most successful driver in history at Evergreen are Jack McCoy and Ray Elder with five wins each.
-Sean Hingorani is the 42nd different race winner at Evergreen
-12th time in 62 races the driver who started in 2nd position wins at Evergreen. Including three in the last five races.
-First career pole position for Tyler Reif in his 10th career start.
-Tyler Reif is the 207th pole winner in history.
-First pole for Central Coast Racing and owner Kelly Souza at Evergreen.
-First pole for Central Coast Racing and owner Kelly Souza in West Series.
-Best career result in West Series for Jacob Smith (Eighth)
-Seventh win for the No. 15 in history. The first at Evergreen.
-Second pole for the No. 13 in history. The first at Evergreen. The first since Don Puskarich at Santa Maria in 1975.
-5th career win for crew chief Kevin Reed, Jr. The first at Evergreen.
-Second career pole for crew chief Michael Munoz. The first at Evergreen. The first since Phoenix in 2008 with driver Ryan Foster.
-253rd pole for Ford in West Series. The all-time most successful manufacturer is Chevrolet with 257.
-677th paved oval race in history.
The Drivers
No. 05 Dave Smith (Shockwave Racing) Start: 15th – Fin: 13th
Last year for his debut here he had a difficult race. This year he sees the checkered flag but did not have the pace for a top-10. As he says himself, he has progressed compared to last year but the level is high in the West Series against his sharp-toothed young guns! He finished the race in the same position as last year.
“It’s like eating an elephant. One bite at a time. That’s what we are learning. We do ARCA West because it’s tough and we aren’t disappointed. Did we run fast? No. Did we stay out of the way, not wreck and run faster than a year ago? Yes. Big thanks again to my team.” David Smith said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | 2 starts, best result 13th |
No. 3 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing) Start: 11th – Fin: 10th
Not the same race as last year for Souza who was far from the top-five this time. He sailed in the bottom of the top-10 throughout the race. He lost a lap during the final long run under the green flag but still managed to grab his 66th career top-10.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 116 | 1 | 20 | 66 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 6 starts, best result : 5th |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports) Start: 9th – Fin: 5th
In addition to having put on a show during the race by performing superb and daring overtaking on his opponents, Bubba obtained his third consecutive top-five. It’s a shame that he has had so much bad luck with countless mechanical problems in the first half season. Because when the car is going well, the driver demonstrates that he is a top driver. Note that he received the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race Award for overtaking on the 42nd lap in 3-wide, limit a 4-wide with the driver whose group took a lap!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 16 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2nd (1x) | 1 start, best result : 5th |
No. 5 Kole Raz (Jerry Pitts Racing) Start: 4th – Fin: 3rd
Here is a driver who is surprisingly efficient for his debut. Twice Raj finished third in two races! At Shasta it was a real surprise, here at Evergreen on his home track, we expected him to do a good race. And that’s what he did. Even fighting for second position with Tyler Reif during the last restart. Jerry Pitts has found a nugget. Hoping that we will soon see Raz again at the wheel of the No. 5.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3rd (2x) | 1 start, best result : 3rd |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing) Start: 13th – Fin: 12th
Bad period for the Japanese driver who lost the rhythm from Sonoma. Apart from a painful 10th position at Irwindale, he is always out of the top-10. The comparison with his new teammate, Kole Raz, is cruel. Hoping that Takuma will find his superb from the next race in Las Vegas. Because bullrings usually suit him well.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 109 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 9 starts, best result 9th |
No. 13 Tyler Reif (Central Coast Racing) Start: 1st – Fin: 2nd
His arrival at CCR is a blessing for Tyler who lives again! From Shasta we felt that with Michael Munoz, his crew chief, there was a beautiful chemistry that was born between them. It’s confirmed at Evergreen. Very fast, he obtained his first career pole. He led the first 55 laps before dropping a bit of pace with the tires wearing out. In addition the team will make a little mistake during the half-race break. But the driver of the No. 13 will hang on and get a good second position. Victory is coming soon, no doubt about it!
“Such a good weekend starting off really good for my first laps on this track and getting P2 in practice . In qualifying got the pole award in one lap with a tenth on the second. Lead the first 55 laps and made a little mistake on the car in half time break, Ending up in second huge thanks to this team and everyone who helps to make this possible!” Tyler Reif said.
“Evergreen is one of my favorite tracks so I was exited to get back and see what we could do. This is only the second time Tyler and I have worked together and we’re making gains every time we get on the track and that’s very important and exciting. We will continue to work hard as a program and try and limit any mistakes and get our Central Coast Racing team into victory lane.” Michael Munoz explains to us.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1st | 1 start, best result : 2nd |
No. 15 Sean Hingorani (Venturini Motorsports) Start: 2nd – Fin: 1st
Last year for his debut in the West Series here, we saw that Hingorani had talent. You just had to polish that rough diamond. A year later, he secured the victory, his fourth of the year and seized the championship leadership for the first time in his career, one point ahead of Landen Lewis. He is surrounded by a good group and his progress is incredible. Note that he will also make his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the Milwaukee Mile with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
“Thank You to Kevin Reed, Jr. (crew chief) and the entire Venturini team for giving me a super fast car I could win with. Thanks to Derek Thorn for making the trip up and the extra help to get it done,” Hingorani said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1st (4x) | 2 starts, best result 1st |
No. 16 Tanner Reif (Bill McAnally Racing) Start: 7th – Fin: 15th Crash
The 2023 race at Evergreen will not go down as a fond memory for Tanner. Especially if we compare with last year when he won the race. This year has been complicated. As too often he starts the race from the middle of the pack. And each time he wins positions early in the race. While he is fighting for fourth position, he is the victim during the first restart of a mess on the part of two of his opponents.
As a result, he hit the wall at the exit of Turn 4 and his right front tire burst… Launched at full speed, the Chevrolet No. 16 crashed into the wall at turn 1 on the 82th lap. The shock is violent. Fortunately, Tanner escaped without physical injury. But he will have to overcome this new disappointment and come back stronger. A victory by the end of the season would save his sophomore year.
“The NAPA Chevy was superfast on a long run and I was able to catch and pass several cars. At the break, the BMR crew tightened the car up just a little. When we went green, the car in front of me missed a shift and I got them in the center of Turn 3, then hit a bump and was loose coming off the corner. I clipped the wall, which caused the right front tire to go flat. When I went into Turn 1, the car didn’t turn and hit the wall. I want to thank all the crew on the BMR NAPA Chevy for giving me such a fast car.” Tanner Reif said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 19 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 2 starts, best result 1st |
No. 17 Landen Lewis (McGowan Motorsports with Cook Racing Technologies) Start: 6th – Fin: 4th
Evergreen is not his best track. Sixth last year, he finished in pain in fourth position this year. However, he was the fastest in practice. Qualified sixth, he will fight for the top-five but not better. Lewis narrowly managing to contain Eric Nascimento under the checkered flag. He limits the damage to the championship but loses the leadership against Hingorani who is now one point ahead.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 16 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 2 starts, best result 4th |
No. 19 Eric Johnson, Jr. (Bill McAnally Racing) Start: 14th – Fin: 11th
A first race on an oval, especially on an oval as complicated as Evergreen, is never easy. This young road ringer is doing quite well. The objective was to learn and if possible without damaging the car. And that’s what Eric Johnson, Jr. did. Not fast enough for a top-10, he finished 11th two laps behind the leader. Let’s not forget that he himself works on his car at the race shop. Indeed he is an employee of BMR in ordinary times.
“As a driver, this race was incredibly important and one I’ll remember for a long time. Since I began racing four years ago, I’ve had a constant craving for new learning experiences and tonight was just that. While I want nothing more than to be competing for wins, races like these are a necessity if I want to be that driver.
“It was a dogfight, a constant search for grip as we fought a free car all night, but the number 19 crew gave me all the information I needed to adjust to the conditions. I can’t thank them all enough.” Johnson says.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | 1 start, best result : 11th |
No. 21 Ethan Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports) Start: 12th – Fin: 14th Handling
Finally it was Ethan who was behind the wheel. The team is looking in priority for a pilot who can bring the budget. They didn’t get one for Evergreen. We thus had the opportunity to see Ethan again, he who had left his place to Shasta. He was fighting for eighth position when his car became increasingly difficult to drive.
After obtaining the free pass during the midway break, he managed to stay at the end of the top10. Unfortunately he had to retire to avoid damaging his car. Fingers crossed to see him back in the race. Sponsors, please think of Ethan.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 6 (+ 1 DNS) | – | – | 2 | – | 8th | 1 start, best result : 14th |
No. 41 Jacob Smith (Lowden Jackson Motorsports) Start: 10th – Fin: 8th
He should have done a partial program this year but a sponsor let him down. Jake Drew preferring to prioritize his program in the Truck Series, LJM called on Smith to take the wheel of the No. 41. A specialist in Madera, he held his rank by aiming for the top-five. A little tight at the end of the race, he obtained eighth position. That’s good for a driver who hadn’t driven in the West Series since Las Vegas last year. We should find him with No. 41 at least in Madera.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8th | 1 start, best result : 8th |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing) Start: 3rd – Fin: 6th
Curiously very discreet during the second half of the race. Yet he had started in the top-three but very quickly he slipped to the door of the top-five. It is a position that he will keep until the finish. Quite surprising when you know that he is usually very successful at Evergreen where he has already won. However he consolidated his third position in the championship.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 61 | 3 | 23 | 51 | 2 | 1st (3x) | 5 starts, best result : 1st |
No. 70 Kyle Keller (Kyle Keller Racing) Start: 8th – Fin: 7th
A correct race for Keller who fought for sixth position at best. At times he fell back to the end of the top10 but managed to regain positions. This “yo-yo” effect probably costs him the possibility of considering the top-five at the end of the race. Indeed he stumbled on Huddleston without the possibility of overtaking him in the last laps. But let’s remember that the reliability is there and that Kyle is again in the top-10 each time.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 18 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 2 starts, best result 7th |
No. 77 Nick Joanides (Performance P-1 Motorsports) Withdraw
For lack of a deal with a sponsor and due to unforeseen expense concerning the team’s Pro Late Models program following the recent breakage of two engines. Decision was made by Joe Nava not to race at Evergreen.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4th | 1 start, best result : 11th |
No. 88 Bradley Erickson (Naake-Klauer Motorsports) Start: 5th – Fin: 9th
Excellent start to the race for Erickson who is fighting with Lewis for fourth position. But the Ford No. 88 will lose efficiency and the rookie will tumble in the standings. He is 11th when he receives the free pass at the midway break. This return to the leader’s lap will be welcomed with joy but without jumping into the air.
Indeed he had problems with his rear brakes. It was time for the race to end because passing under the checkered flag, the next braking will go wrong and Bradley will end up spun into the wall. Ironically, he destroyed the back of his car in front of a billboard stating: “Accident? Not your fault? 844-CALL…”
“When I got on the brakes to slow down at the end the rear end came around and tried to correct the car from spinning but wasn’t able to.” Erickson explained to us about this misadventure.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Evergreen |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3rd | 1 start, best result : 9th |
It will take some patience before seeing the West Series drivers in action again. The next race on September 30 at All Amercian Speedway, Roseville, CA. For the NAPA Auto Care 150.