2023 Menards 250
{{Short description|7th race of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=CUST|First_Driver=Jesse Love|Announcers=Brent Stover and Phil Parsons|Distance_mi=93|Year=2023|Race_Name=Menards 250|Scheduled_mi=93|Course_mi=0.375|Distance_laps=250|Scheduled_laps=250|Distance_km=150|Scheduled_km=150|Avg={{Convert|59.671|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}|Car=20|Location=Elko Speedway, Elko New Market, Minnesota|Most_Driver=Jesse Love|First_Team=Venturini Motorsports|Most_laps=235|Most_Team=Venturini Motorsports|Pole_Team=Joe Gibbs Racing|Date=June 24|Network=FS2|Pole_Driver=William Sawalich|Description=Race 7 of 20 of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series|Official_name=8th Annual Menards 250|Course_km=0.604|Radio=ARCA Racing Network|Details_ref={{cite web|url=https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/21/entry-list-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/|title=Entry list: Menards 250 at Elko Speedway|date=June 21, 2023|access-date=June 21, 2023|website=ARCA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/24/practice-results-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/|title=Starting lineup: Menards 250 at Elko Speedway|date=June 24, 2023|access-date=June 24, 2023|website=ARCA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/24/race-results-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/|title=Race results: Menards 250 at Elko Speedway|date=June 24, 2023|access-date=June 25, 2023|website=ARCA}}|Grid_from_prev_perf=yes}}
The 2023 Menards 250 was the 7th stock car race of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season, and the 8th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Elko New Market, Minnesota at Elko Speedway, a 0.375 mile (0.604 km) permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. In a wild and controversial race that had an exciting battle between Jesse Love and William Sawalich, Jesse Love, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would hold off a fast-charging Sawalich in the final 20 laps of the race to earn his sixth career ARCA Menards Series win, and his fourth of the season. Love dominated the entire race as well, leading 235 of the 250 laps.{{Cite web |last=Calloni |first=Josh |date=June 24, 2023 |title=Jesse Love Wins at Elko Speedway for Fourth ARCA Win of 2023 |url=https://frontstretch.com/2023/06/24/jesse-love-wins-at-elko-speedway-for-fourth-arca-win-of-2023/ |access-date=June 25, 2023 |website=Frontstretch}} Sawalich, who started on pole, led 15 laps of the race until getting spun by Sean Hingorani on lap 150.{{Cite web |last=Wingard |first=Luke |date=June 24, 2023 |title=William Sawalich Scores Eventful Runner-Up Finish as Venturini Motorsports Rivalry Intensifies |url=https://frontstretch.com/2023/06/24/sawalich-scores-eventful-runner-up-finish-as-rivalry-with-venturini-intensifies/ |access-date=June 25, 2023 |website=Frontstretch}}{{Cite web |last=Christie |first=Toby |date=June 24, 2023 |title=Video: Jesse Love Sideswipes William Sawalich; Sean Hingorani Then Turns Sawalich |url=https://tobychristie.com/2023/06/24/video-jesse-love-sideswipes-william-sawalich-sean-hingorani-then-turns-sawalich/ |access-date=June 25, 2023 |website=TobyChristie.com}} To fill out the podium, Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background
Elko Speedway, is a 3/8 mile asphalt oval NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Elko New Market, Minnesota. Elko Speedway is a track in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The track is located in the former Elko portion of the merged city.
= Entry list =
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 01
|CW Metals |
| 2
|Andrés Pérez de Lara (R) |
| 03
|Ford |
| 06
|River's Edge Cottages & Park |
| 10
|Ford |CW Metals |
| 11
|Ford |
| 12
|Ford |VFW, Bellator Recruiting Academy |
| 15 |
| 18
|Starkey, SoundGear |
| 20
|JBL |
| 25
|Jones Utilities |
| 30
|Frankie Muniz (R) |Ford |ReSkills |
| 31
|DNA Collision & Repair |
| 32
|Christian Rose (R) |Ford |West Virginia Tourism |
| 43 |
| 45
|Ford |
| 48
|[https://copraya.com Copraya.com] |
| 55
| nowrap="" |Toni Breidinger |
| 66
|Jon Garrett (R) |Venture Foods |
| colspan="5" |[https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/21/entry-list-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/ Official entry list] |
|---|
Practice
The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, June 24, at 3:40 PM CST, and would last for 20 minutes.{{Cite web |date=May 31, 2023 |title=Schedule of events: Menards 250 at Elko Speedway |url=https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/05/31/schedule-of-events-menards-250-at-elko-speedway/ |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=ARCA |language=en-US}} William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 14.439, and an average speed of {{Convert|93.497|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web |date=June 24, 2023 |title=Practice results: Menards 250 at Elko Speedway |url=https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/24/practice-results-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/ |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=ARCA}} A second session was scheduled to be held at 4:10 PM CST, but was cancelled due to inclement weather.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|18 |14.439 |93.497 |
|---|
| 2
|20 |14.690 |91.899 |
| 3
|25 |14.707 |91.793 |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/24/practice-results-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/ Full practice results] |
Qualifying
Qualifying was scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 24, at 5:20 PM CST. The qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. Whoever sets the fastest time in that round wins the pole. Qualifying was cancelled due to inclement weather. The starting lineup would be determined by practice speeds. As a result, William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would earn the pole.{{Cite web |last=Wingard |first=Luke |date=June 24, 2023 |title=William Sawalich On Pole For ARCA Menards 250 at Elko |url=https://frontstretch.com/2023/06/24/arca-menards-series-elko-starting-lineup/ |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=Frontstretch}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make |
| 1
|18 |
|---|
| 2
|20 |
| 3
|25 |
| 4
|15 |
| 5
|30 |Frankie Muniz (R) |Ford |
| 6
|10 |Ford |
| 7
|55 |
| 8
|01 |
| 9
|2 |Andrés Pérez de Lara (R) |
| 10
|32 |Christian Rose (R) |Ford |
| 11
|66 |Jon Garrett (R) |
| 12
|06 |
| 13
|11 |Ford |
| 14
|03 |Ford |
| 15
|12 |Ford |
| 16
|31 |
| 17
|48 |
| 18
|43 |
| 19
|45 |Ford |
| colspan="5" |[https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/24/practice-results-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/ Official starting lineup] |
Race results
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts |
| 1
|2 |20 |Jesse Love |Venturini Motorsports |Toyota |250 |235 |Running |48 |
|---|
| 2
|1 |18 |William Sawalich |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |250 |15 |Running |44 |
| 3
|4 |15 |Sean Hingorani |Venturini Motorsports |Toyota |250 |0 |Running |41 |
| 4
|3 |25 |Conner Jones |Venturini Motorsports |Toyota |250 |0 |Running |40 |
| 5
|9 |2 |Andrés Pérez de Lara (R) |Rev Racing |Chevrolet |250 |0 |Running |39 |
| 6
|8 |01 |Davey Callihan |Fast Track Racing |Toyota |250 |0 |Running |38 |
| 7
|18 |45 |Tony Cosentino |Tamayo Cosentino Racing |Ford |249 |0 |Running |37 |
| 8
|6 |10 |Willie Mullins |Fast Track Racing |Ford |249 |0 |Running |36 |
| 9
|7 |55 |Toni Breidinger |Venturini Motorsports |Toyota |248 |0 |Running |35 |
| 10
|10 |32 |Christian Rose (R) |AM Racing |Ford |246 |0 |Running |34 |
| 11
|11 |66 |Jon Garrett (R) |Veer Motorsports |Chevrolet |242 |0 |Running |33 |
| 12
|15 |12 |Ryan Roulette |Fast Track Racing |Ford |240 |0 |Running |32 |
| 13
|13 |11 |Bryce Haugeberg |Fast Track Racing |Ford |233 |0 |Running |31 |
| 14
|16 |31 |Rita Goulet |Rise Motorsports |Chevrolet |217 |0 |Running |30 |
| 15
|12 |06 |A. J. Moyer |Wayne Peterson Racing |Toyota |216 |0 |Running |29 |
| 16
|5 |30 |Frankie Muniz (R) |Rette Jones Racing |Ford |199 |0 |Accident |28 |
| 17
|14 |03 |Casey Carden |Clubb Racing Inc. |Ford |113 |0 |Valve |27 |
| 18
|17 |48 |Brad Smith |Brad Smith Motorsports |Chevrolet |3 |0 |Throttle |26 |
| 19
|19 |43 |Jalen Mack |Tamayo Cosentino Racing |Chevrolet |0 |0 |Fuel Pump |25 |
| colspan="10" |[https://www.arcaracing.com/2023/06/24/race-results-menards-250-at-elko-speedway-2/ Official race results] |
Standings after the race
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
;Drivers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| ! Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 340 |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 296 (-44) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 288 (-52) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 276 (-64) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 273 (-67) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 264 (-76) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 238 (-102) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 214 (-126) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 213 (-127) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 202 (-138) |
| class="sortbottom" |
- Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{NASCAR next race|Previous_race=2023 Herr's Snacks 200|Series=ARCA Menards Series|Monsteryear=2023|Next_race=2023 Zinsser SmartCoat 150}}
{{2023 ARCA Menards}}{{NASCAR on Fox}}
{{morecat|date=November 2023}}