ARCA: Zane Smith takes second win of 2018 at Talladega Superspeedway
By Alex Herbst
In a photo finish, Zane Smith picked up his second ARCA Racing Series victory of 2018 in the General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway over Joe Graf Jr.
The ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards was already in the news before the race began on Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway.
The series announced that NASCAR has purchased the sanctioning body, folding it within their ranks by 2020. But even with that news, a race was still to be run on Friday, one that would end with a photo finish.
Zane Smith, driving the #41 Toyota for MDM Motorsports, won the General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway in one of the closest ARCA Racing Series finishes at the track.
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He crossed the line just 0.029 seconds ahead of Joe Graf Jr. in the #77 Ford for Chad Bryant Racing. The two leaders survived multiple late race cautions, and were beating and banging to the finish line off turn four.
Graf Jr., at just 19 years old, earned his best career finish in second in his rookie year in ARCA. Talladega was not even originally on his schedule with Chad Bryant Racing. Michael Self for Venturini Motorsports, Sheldon Creed for MDM Motorsports, and Josh Williams for Our Motorsports rounded out the top five.
Here are the full race results from the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards at Talladega Superspeedway.
Rank | Driver | Team, Manufacturer |
1 | Zane Smith | MDM Motorsports, Toyota |
2 | Joe Graf Jr. | Chad Bryant Racing, Ford |
3 | Michael Self | Venturini Motorsports, Toyota |
4 | Sheldon Creed | MDM Motorsports, Toyota |
5 | Josh Williams | Our Motorsports, Chevrolet |
6 | Max Tullman | Mason Mitchell Motorsports, Chevrolet |
7 | Brandon Lynn | Venturini Motorsports, Toyota |
8 | Bobby Gerhart | Gerhart Racing, Chevrolet |
9 | Travis Braden | RFMS Racing, Ford |
10 | Andy Seuss | Our Motorsports, Chevrolet |
11 | Bryan Dauzat | Dauzat Racing, Chevrolet |
12 | Gus Dean | Win-Tron Racing, Chevrolet |
13 | Blaine Perkins | Mason Mitchell Motorsports, Chevrolet |
14 | Con Nicolopoulos | Wayne Peteron Racing, Chevrolet |
15 | Jesse Iwuji | Patriot Motorsports Group, Chevrolet |
16 | Dave Mader III | MB Motorsports, Chevrolet |
17 | Riley Herbst | Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota |
18 | Robert Powers | OF Racing, Chevrolet |
19 | D.L. Wilson | Fast Track Racing, Chevrolet |
20 | Brandon Grosso | Ken Schrader Racing, Ford |
21 | Thomas Praytor | Max Force Racing, Chevrolet |
22 | Lelani Munter | Venturini Motorsports, Toyota |
23 | Sean Corr | Empire Racing, Ford |
24 | Codie Rohrbaugh | Rohrbaugh Racing, Chevrolet |
25 | Chase Purdy | MDM Motorsports, Toyota |
26 | Bo LeMastus | DGR Crosley, Toyota |
27 | Bret Holmes | Holmes Family Racing, Chevrolet |
28 | Natalie Decker | Venturini Motorsports, Toyota |
29 | Ed Pompa | Fast Track Racing, Toyota |
30 | Kevin Hinckle | Kimmel Racing, Ford |
31 | Brad Smith | Hylton Motorsports, Ford |
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The next race for the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards comes in just under one month from Toledo Speedway. Coverage of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care comes on Sunday, May 20th, with television coverage from MAVTV.