Without the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series joining the ARCA Menards Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the race weekend felt like it had lost its luster.
Additionally, the victor was crowned due to a questionable restart violation. Connor Mosack was penalized by series officials for jumping the last restart, he didn’t serve his penalty and despite crossing the line in first, Mosack didn’t go to victory lane. William Sawalich did.
Let’s briefly talk about the penalty. ARCA uses a restart line rather than a zone like the NASCAR national series. Additionally, I have not seen photo or video evidence of said restart violation. The remote TV broadcast failed to fully cover the incident, not even sending one of its two pit reporters to gain comment from series officials, photographic or video evidence of the violation, nothing.
Alas, despite the controversy, the results stand from Mid-Ohio. Sawalich took home the trophy, Mosack wound up as the last driver on the lead lap and Andres Perez increased his points lead.
Therefore, who stood out to make the Frontstretch ARCA Mid-Ohio power rankings?
1. Andres Perez
Perez has been a steady Eddie this season. Outside of his one pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he has not done anything flashy. He also has not made any mistakes.
Perez now has a 37-point lead over Greg Van Alst. Is that insurmountable? No, there are still 12 races left in the season. It is quite comfortable though. Perez almost assuredly will be the points leader after Berlin Raceway, and depending on the results there, could remain the points leader after Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
At Mid-Ohio, Perez started eighth and finished sixth. He had a moment where his No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet appeared borderline out of control, but he held onto it and picked up his series-high seventh top 10th.
Perez now leads the series in top 10s, total laps and total mileage. All this to say that even if his full-time competitors best him in a race or two – none did so at Mid-Ohio – unless Perez falters, he will be hard to beat for the title.
2. William Sawalich
Sawalich was the beneficiary of Mosack’s penalty, but credit to Sawalich for putting himself in that spot to take advantage of the situation. Did Sawalich have race-winning speed? Maybe, though certainly not as much as Mosack or runner up Brent Crews.
Still, the history books show Sawalich won at Mid-Ohio, becoming only the second driver to have…
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