ARCA Menards General Tire 150 Race Recap
William Sawalich, the reigning ARCA Menards East Series championship winner, showcased an impressive performance in Friday’s General Tire 150 by leading from the front. However, with less than 40 laps remaining, a thunderstorm hit the one-mile tri-oval, forcing ARCA officials to call the race early. Therefore, Sawalich was declared the winner due to their outstanding performance throughout the race.
“Not the way I wanted to win a race, but I knew we had the best car out there,” Sawalich said. “We kind of fell back during that first stint, but the guys made a really good adjustment, so I’m super proud of them doing that. We ran a good race, and I knew we had a chance to win it.”
During his ARCA Menards Series national debut, Gio Ruggiero successfully chased down Sawalich in a race that included the longest green flag run of the evening. The two drivers engaged in several one-on-one battles, but Sawalich eventually gained the upper hand after the halfway break, forcing Ruggiero to settle for second place.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series star Grant Enfinger finished third in Friday’s race. Connor Mosack and defending ARCA West Series champion, Sean Hingorani, placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Isabella Robusto
Isabella Robusto debuted in the ARCA Menards Series and performed excellently, finishing in sixth place. She showed her potential and skills by climbing to the third position during the race. Robusto was happy with her result and was grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Toyota Racing and Venturini Motorsports. She said she learned much from the experience and looks forward to the next race.
Toni Breidinger
Toni Breidinger drove the Raising Cane’s Toyota for Venturini Motorsports and put forth an impressive performance, finishing in ninth place. She expressed satisfaction with her performance at Phoenix. Earlier this week, Breidinger was in Phoenix to promote women in motorsports and mingle with young racers. Along with her sponsor, Raising Cane’s, the ARCA Menards driver made a $100,000 donation during the event.
In a press release, Breidinger stated, “I truly believe seeing is believing, so being able to get involved and hopefully inspire the next generation of women in motorsports is really special to me.” She added, “I started my racing journey in Go Karts, so I know what it’s like to be in these girls’ position. I’m excited to share with them what I’ve learned on my journey and help them along with theirs.”
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Next Stop
The ARCA Menards Series takes a month-long break before returning to action at Talladega Superspeedway on April 20 for the General Tire 200, which will be televised live on FS1 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Follow @acoffeyppn for updates on the ARCA Menards Series.
