The penultimate race of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series season certainly delivered drama. Five cautions’ worth yielded only 17 of the 28 drivers finishing the race at Kansas Speedway and only seven finished on the lead lap.
When the checkered flag flew, Tanner Gray celebrated with his second winning burnout of the season. He then hopped into his No. 15 TRICON Garage Toyota and finished a season-best sixth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, also at Kansas afterward.
Rev Racing drivers Andres Perez and Lavar Scott will finish first and second, not necessarily in that order, in points when the season finishes on Saturday (Oct. 5) at Toledo Speedway. However, neither is on the front row of the power rankings post-Kansas.
1. Tanner Gray
Gray was dominant at Kansas. He posted the fastest lap in the race, led at the halfway point and led a race-high 88 of the 100 laps.
Even with damage sustained to his left-rear tire on the final restart, Gray prevailed with a 0.312-second margin of victory.
“It’s obviously gratifying when you can come here and close these things out,” Gray said post-race. “We’ve been in a position to win most of them this year, but I haven’t done a good a very good job on the restarts at the end. It’s been a lot of fun racing with [Joe Gibbs Racing] this year and hopefully we can do this some more in the future.”
Entering this year, Gray had 15 ARCA starts with stats reading three top fives, nine top 10s and 16 laps led. This year, he has two wins, five top fives, five top 10s and 260 laps led.
Yes, he is in top-tier equipment in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but it still takes skill to win races. Just ask all the series regulars who have been shut out of victory lane.
Gray’s Kansas performance has him not only in the rankings but also out front in first.
2. William Sawalich
Even though he was underage and therefore ineligible to compete at Kansas, William Sawalich still leads the series in a number of categories: Wins, top fives, poles, laps led, and most Richmond Water Heaters Halfway Leader awards.
Gray’s win was Joe Gibbs Racing’s 10th win of the ’24 season, matching Jesse Love’s championship-winning total from last year. The No. 18 team also won 10 times in 2021 en route to the championship with Ty Gibbs. This year, the No. 18 team is 99 points ahead of the VMS No. 20 in owner points. So long as Sawalich starts at Toledo, the team will win the owners…
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