A Brenden Queen victory at Kansas Speedway on his thoughts within the ARCA Menards Sequence on Friday night time within the Tide 150
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — An unlucky sense of déjà vu befell Queen when he noticed the warning flag come out just a few hundred yards away from the start-finish line at Kansas Speedway.
Brenden Queen Victory at Kansas
Only some months in the past at Phoenix Raceway, a spin by Tim Viens on the ultimate lap whereas Queen was main pressured him to defend the highest spot throughout a one-lap shootout. An aggressive dive by Brent Crews within the third flip moved Queen out of the groove, handing Crews the victory and spoiling what had been a dominant efficiency by Queen.
Queen ensured nobody received inside vary of his again bumper in the course of the one-lap shootout that settled Friday’s Tide 150. A wonderfully executed restart offered Queen the launch he wanted to tug away from the remainder of the sphere, leading to his second ARCA Menards Sequence victory in his fifth profession begin.
“I let one get away at Phoenix,” Queen mentioned. “After all that was going by means of my thoughts on the finish of this race, however on the identical time, that’s what a race automotive driver lives for, the chance to redeem your self. These guys work so laborious on this automotive, so the one factor I can do is take them to Waffle Home tonight.”
Like at Phoenix, the first opposition standing in the best way of one other journey to Victory Lane was the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18, piloted by William Sawalich.
William Sawalich versus Brenden Queen
Sawalich appeared to have one of the best automotive in the course of the opening portion of the Tide 150. He shortly dispatched polesitter and Talladega Superspeedway winner Lawless Alan earlier than continuing to set a well-recognized, commanding tone.
Regardless of the robust begin, Sawalich’s lead didn’t final, as Queen methodically chipped away at Sawalich’s benefit by trying to find clear air round Kansas’ progressive banking. Queen lastly pulled alongside Sawalich on lap 34, utilizing the aspect draft and the lapped automotive of Ryan Vargas as a decide to imagine management of the highest spot for the remainder of the night time.
For Sawalich, who was trying to find his first ARCA Menards Sequence victory on an intermediate monitor, making an attempt to overhaul Queen was a irritating course of. Already fighting the stability of his automotive on lengthy runs, Sawalich admitted restarts offered little help whereas difficult Queen.
“The primary section, we had been a bit too free on the long term,” Sawalich mentioned. “Within the second section, we had been a bit too tight. I additionally didn’t have a bunch of assistance on the restarts. The second lane was a bit robust to launch in, and we had some wheelspin. [Queen] did a superb job, and I’m happy with my JGR boys for bringing me a superb automotive.”
Sawalich’s runner-up end to Queen on Friday continued an ongoing rivalry between Gibbs and Pinnacle Racing Group throughout all three ARCA Menards Sequence divisions. Together with a number of one-two finishes between the 2 applications, their battle additionally expanded to the East Sequence title combat in 2024, with Sawalich prevailing over PRG and Connor Zilisch.
PRG earned one other notch in opposition to Gibbs on Friday courtesy of Queen, who used his Late Mannequin Inventory expertise to be exact on restarts all night, together with the pivotal one-lap shootout.
“[Being a] Late Mannequin man, I’m used to going [from third gear to fourth gear], so once we had been going by means of the entire H sample, [I was] making an attempt to handle the runs,” Queen mentioned. [My spotter] Derek Kneeland up high does such a terrific job teaching me and retaining me within the sport. They’ll’t say we haven’t received on a mile-and-a-half now.”
Following Queen and Sawalich in third was 2014 ARCA Menards Sequence champion Mason Mitchell. Alan and Lavar Scott accomplished the highest 5.
Andy Jankowiak, Jason Kitzmiller, Lanie Buice, Spencer Gallagher, and Ryan Vargas had been sixth by means of tenth, respectively.
The ARCA Menards Sequence Level Standings
The purpose standings are heating up with Brenden Queen main by just one level over Lawless Alan and Lavar Scott. Andy Jakowiak is down 13 factors from the chief, whereas fifth-place Jason Kitzmiller sits 23 factors behind.
The sixth by means of tenth spots are William Sawalich, Thad Moffitt, Kole Raz, Alex Clubb, and Patrick Staropoli.
Up Subsequent
Charlotte Motor Speedway welcomes the ARCA Menards Sequence for the subsequent race on the schedule, the Basic Tire 150 on Friday, Could 23. The inexperienced flag is ready to wave at 6 p.m. ET, with FS1 offering dwell flag-to-flag protection.
