The ARCA Menards Series’ Atlas 150 kicks off the first race weekend at Iowa Speedway featuring the NASCAR Cup Series. The 150-lap race will be the 18th time the ARCA national tour has visited the 0.875-mile short track and the 21st for the ARCA Menards Series East.
With 26 drivers entered, who stands out for the race on Friday (June 14) night?
The top three contenders are the top three, in order, in the East standings: Connor Zilisch, William Sawalich and Gio Ruggiero.
Zilisch and Ruggiero are visiting Iowa for the first time in their careers. Zilisch’s team Pinnacle Racing Group won at Iowa last year when Luke Fenhaus snatched the victory on an overtime restart.
In addition to Fenhaus’ win last year, Zilisch’s crew chief Shane Huffman won at Iowa in East competition in 2014 with Brandon Jones. Zilisch has proven a quick learner, winning at 0.25-mile Flat Rock Speedway and 1-mile Dover Motor Speedway. He’ll be quick in his No. 28 Chevrolet once again on Friday night.
Venturini Motorsports has only won at Iowa once, in 2019 with Chandler Smith. Ruggiero has been fast every time he’s piloted the No. 20 Toyota though. In 10 total starts across the ARCA series, he has one win, eight top fives, eight top 10s and led 255 laps. Barring any misfortune, such as his crash at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, he’ll firmly be in contention.
For Sawalich, this race offers the opportunity for redemption from last year’s event. In that one, he was fastest in practice, won the pole, led the first 154 laps … and then lost the race to Fenhaus on that last restart. He absolutely enters as the favorite. To boot, halfway through the East season, he trails Zilisch by 12 points. Winning would lower that gap.
Mason Mitchell enters as the sentimental favorite, though. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native won the 2015 race via a last-lap pass. In six starts at his home racetrack, he has one win, one top five and five top 10s. It is his first national tour race since the 2018 Iowa race. He also is the 2014 champion.
“It means a lot to be able to come back here and race at my home track,” Mitchell told the Newton Daily News. “It just feels right. I’ve always had a connection to the fans there. It’s a special place.”
Mitchell joined newcomer organization Sigma Performance Services for a few ARCA events, with his first in the ARCA Menards Series West race at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Unfortunately, mechanical woes…
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