The ARCA Menards Series entered a new territory Friday afternoon at the Daytona International Speedway road course in the General Tire 100. The drivers are used to the 3.56-mile track, but this time, they would be racing the fourteen-turn road course. This road course would be challenging, especially for the majority of the drivers who do not have any road course experience. Hailie Deegan ran the road course earlier this year in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge while Will Rodgers does have some road racing experience. Sam Mayer competed in the Trans-Am race at Road America last weekend and was involved in the horrific crash, suffering a hairline fracture on his right wrist. He would race with a large cast on his right arm.
A pair of Venturini Motorsports Toyota’s were on the front row with Chandler Smith, the pole-sitter, and next to him, Michael Self, who came into the race with a four-point lead in the standings over Bret Holmes. Sam Mayer was starting third, Taylor Gray fourth, and Ty Gibbs was starting fifth. The race was supposed to get underway shortly after 5 pm; however, Mother Nature had other plans as rain and thunderstorms pelted the track, causing the race to be delayed for over three hours. There were a total of 20 cars in this race. All of the drivers came to pit road to put on slick tires to begin the race.
🌩 is gone 💡 are ON 🟢 is in the air at DAYTONA#ARCAMenards | @siouxchief Showdown pic.twitter.com/dZfJUXwtOw — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
The race began with all the cars making it into turn one with Michael Self getting in front of Chandler Smith. Smith would lose three more positions in the first couple of turns to Taylor Gray, Ty Gibbs, and Sam Mayer and settled in for the fifth position.
Ty Gibbs was able to pass Taylor Gray for second heading out of turn five. Gibbs would catch Michael Self going into turns nine and ten to take the lead all on the first lap.
In the bus stop … And @TyGibbs_ to the lead at DAYTONA#ARCAMenards | @SiouxChief Showdown pic.twitter.com/aEdP1bNgw5 — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
On the second lap, the No. 17w car of Will Rodgers made a gutsy move heading into the turn one getting by both Taylor Gray and Chandler Smith for fourth place. The top seven cars pulled away from the rest of the field. In the first couple of laps, you could tell who had road racing experience and who didn’t. Ty Gibbs had increased his lead on Michael Self by 1.084 seconds. On the third lap, Chandler Smith got loose entering the turn three or the international horseshoe and slid into the grass. He was able to get going again but lost five spots to twelfth place.
Off-course excursion for @SiouxChief Showdown points leader 😳@CSmithDrive | @DISupdates pic.twitter.com/qk2DzZLM6E — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
By lap four, Gibbs’s lead was up to 5.881 seconds on Michael Self. A couple of laps later, Thad Moffit also got loose at turn three and waited for the other cars to go by before turning around to continue the race. He was running in the tenth position, and after that spin was now sitting in fourteenth place. Turn three was a hot spot for a lot of spins with the No. 12 Jacob Construction Toyota of Nick Igdalsky being the latest driver to go around at turn three. Meanwhile, after several laps, Michael Self was catching Ty Gibbs and had cut his lead down to 1.517 seconds.
🦕 is hunting.@MichaelSelf closing on p1⃣#ARCAMenards | @SiouxChief Showdown pic.twitter.com/zNSx4iLgNU — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
By lap 13, Michael Self had caught Gibbs and fought him for the lead side-by-side. The two continued to battle until Gibbs went up high, exiting off of turn six, allowing Self to take the lead before the caution would come out for the only break of the race. During the caution, teams had five minutes to change tires, add fuel, and make adjustments to their cars. While the break was happening, Sam Mayer climbed out of his car, taking his place was Colin Braun.
Gibbs opens the door. Self drives right through.@MAVTV | @_TrackPass pic.twitter.com/JFdonMsB5n — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
The race resumed with eleven laps to go as Michael Self had the lead at turn one. The top five cars made it into turn three when Chandler Smith hit the brakes late and got into Max McLaughlin and turned both of them around with the other cars just missing them. Hailie Deegan got hit on the left front quarter panel by the No. 74 car of Ayrton Ori.
Spin cycle.@MaxMclaughlin_ | @CSmithDrive pic.twitter.com/1A6gdjJQ7t — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
Meanwhile, Michael Self had five cars chasing him down for the lead. Ty Gibbs got by Colin Braun for the second spot. Self would bobble coming off of turn six, allowing Gibbs to take the lead with ten laps to go.
🔟 to go@TyGibbs_ back to the lead#ARCAMenards | @SiouxChief Showdown pic.twitter.com/PHW7FcjJUV — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
Once again, Gibbs had pulled away from Self for a few laps before Michael Self would reel in Gibbs and clash with him for the lead with six laps to go. Self would use the inside lane at turn five to complete the pass on Gibbs.
.@michaelself back to the front‼#ARCAMenards | @SiouxChief Showdown pic.twitter.com/GPpHjk1YJQ — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
From there, Self would pull away and get his second win of the season at the General Tire 100 by 6.993 seconds over Ty Gibbs. The rest of the top ten finishers were Sam Mayer/Colin Braun third, Taylor Gray fourth, Will Rodgers fifth, Hailie Deegan sixth, Max McLaughlin seventh, Bret Holmes eighth, Chandler Smith ninth, and Parker Chase tenth.
.@michaelself back to the front‼#ARCAMenards | @SiouxChief Showdown pic.twitter.com/GPpHjk1YJQ — ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 15, 2020
With the win, Michael Self increased his points now up by 15 points over Bret Holmes. Drew Dollar and Hailie Deegan are tied for third (-56), Thad Moffitt fifth (-92), Brad Smith sixth (-243), Ty Gibbs seventh (-250), Sam Mayer eighth (-265), Chandler Smith ninth (-296), and Ryan Huff tenth (-336) in the point standing.
The next race for the ARCA Menards Series will be at the Wide World Technology Raceway at Gateway on Saturday, August 29th, at 6 pm on MAVTV and the NBC Sports Gold Track Pass.
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