The checkered flag has flown on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series season, and it was an eventful one. The national division saw seven different winners and 121 separate competitors over its 20-race schedule.
It was Andres Perez who was crowned champion of the series at Toledo Speedway in October, keeping himself 41 points above Rev Racing teammate Lavar Scott in the final standings to do so.
Perez was not able to find victory lane this season, however, for the first time since Bob Dotter did so in 1980 in a nine-race season. Perez still put up incredibly consistent numbers over the course of the year, though. He scored 10 top fives and 17 top 10s, leading just 21 laps, finishing all but three races and completing nearly 97% of the laps attempted. Come the finale at Toledo, all the 19-year-old had to do was start the race to clinch the championship.
After the Rev pair in the standings, it was a duo of Venturini Motorsports cars next. Kris Wright finished the season third, with Toni Breidinger in fourth. Christian Rose was able to cap off the season in the top five in the final standings, 125 points back of Perez.
Many things stood out throughout the season, as noted in this year’s awards for 2024.
Top Storyline of the Year: Venturini Motorsports at Springfield
Typically, something as simple as a driver lineup isn’t a huge storyline. However, VMS changed that belief at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, fielding five cars, with women drivers piloting four of them.
Full-timers Breidinger and Amber Balcaen both piloted their usual entries, the Nos. 25 and 22, respectively. They were joined by Isabella Robusto, who drove the No. 20 in place of Brent Crews, who had a CARS Tour race the same day, and Taylor Reimer, who was in the No. 55 that day.
It wasn’t the first time the team had piloted a number of women in the same race, however. In 2018 at Chicagoland Speedway, it ran three cars for Natalie Decker, Lelani Munter and Breidinger.
Of course, it would’ve been a huge storyline alone if the four had simply just raced for the same team together, but they also each scored top 10s in the event. Robusto carried the banner for the team, finishing runner-up to race winner William Sawalich after an overtime restart. The race was just the second time Robusto had run on dirt in her career.
Robusto wasn’t the only female driver to take home a podium that day either, as Reimer finished right behind her teammate…
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