The second-ever ARCA Menards Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was wild. Drivers qualified on a dry track, but Mother Nature had other plans for the Dawn 150.
Rain delayed the start of the race. When the green flag flew to begin the 42-lap event, it was still raining, forcing drivers to start with rain tires. By the time the competition caution flew on lap 22, the field was split on whether to pit for rain tires or slicks as the precipitation had stopped.
In the closing laps of the race, the sun came out as well as the caution flag. Some drivers pitted, with the Rev Racing duo incurring two-lap penalties following their stops. But ultimately, Taylor Gray won his second ARCA race of the season.
Rev driver Rajah Caruth leads his teammate Nick Sanchez by six points, while third-place Daniel Dye trails by eight points. Toni Breidinger and Greg Van Alst round out the top five in points, both more than 50 points behind Caruth.
How did the first ARCA road course race affect the Frontstretch ARCA power rankings?
1. Sammy Smith
Sammy Smith qualified second, led one lap and survived this wacky race to finish third. On a road course with ever-changing track conditions, Smith’s No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota was quite dirty after the race.
This is third place @sammysmithSS No. 18 @KBMteam Toyota. It’s quite dirty & beat up after the @ARCA_Racing race at @Mid_Ohio pic.twitter.com/DEvOc7P4KE
— Mark Kristl (@MarkKristl) July 8, 2022
“Well yeah, it’s going to happen when you’re in the rain,” Smith told Frontstretch post-race. “I mean, it’s raining, you’re racing in the rain, you get mud everywhere. When you get run over two times, it’s going to happen, I guess.
“They [his team] brought a good car here,” he continued. “The car didn’t switch from beginning to end, so I mean I never quite had it the whole time. It sucks.”
Smith is now 164 points behind Caruth, so he would need to gain at least 15 points per race on his competition to contend for the title. Up next for him is Pocono Raceway, where Ty Gibbs drove the No. 18 to victory lane in ARCA last year.
“Yeah, ready to go,” Smith said about heading to The Tricky Triangle. “See how we do.”
2. Rajah Caruth
Caruth was more frustrated with his own on-track performance than his costly two-lap penalty for changing slicks during the last caution flag period.
“I just kept messing up,” he said post-race. “I couldn’t go wherever the grip was, slipping tires…
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