For the 62nd time in ARCA Menards Series history, it will visit Talladega Superspeedway. The 2.66-mile racetrack will host the third race of the series’ 2024 season.
Only one former winner, Gus Dean — and more on him in a bit — has been victorious at Talladega. Moreover, of the 36 drivers entered in the field, only three – Dean, Jake Finch and Greg Van Alst – have won an ARCA-sanctioned event before.
The Venturini Motorsports duo of Dean and Finch must be at the top of the list of contenders. Dean won the season opener at fellow superspeedway Daytona International Speedway. As noted, he is also the lone ARCA driver with a win at Talladega, in 2016. Overall, Dean has one win, three top fives, five top 10s and 25 laps led in his seven ARCA Talladega starts.
Finch was the best of the field at Daytona until Dean lied about his plans on the final restart, enabling him to grab the lead and Finch subsequently became collected in the last-lap melee en route to an 11th-place finish. It was not indicative of Finch’s performance at Daytona when he led a race-high 65 laps, including the 35 before the final restart.
Moreover, with the format for setting the starting lineup at Talladega, Finch should start first. He’ll look to be in that position when the checkered flag flies.
Finch also has reigning championship-winning crew chief Shannon Rursch atop the pit box. Rursch has won three ARCA Talladega races: one in 2020 with Drew Dollar, one in 2021 with Corey Heim and one in 2023 with Jesse Love. Those are VMS’ three Talladega victories.
Which team snapped that Rursch-led VMS winning streak at Talladega in 2022? Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez in the No. 2. The pilot of the No. 2 last year, Andres Perez de Lara, led 28 laps in his first full ARCA superspeedway start. Perez de Lara finished 12th at Daytona earlier this season and is tied for second in the points, five behind leader Van Alst.
For Perez de Lara’s teammate Lavar Scott, this will be his first Talladega start. Scott has a pair of Daytona starts, fourth in 2023 and 15th in ’24.
All drivers are chasing Van Alst in the points. Van Alst heads back to Talladega for the first time since he broke his back in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race there last year.
“I’m ready to get the monkey off my back,” Van Alst told The Shoe Show. “I’m not nervous about it. I don’t get nervous for races much anymore except for Saturday night [when his son…
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