TUCSON, Ariz. — Cole Denton (No. 71 Jan’s Towing Ford) started from the Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole and dominated Saturday’s ARCA Menards West Tucson 150, scoring his first career series victory in just his third career ARCA Menards West start.
At 15 years, 8 months, and 16 days of age, Denton becomes the fourth-youngest winner in series history behind Jesse Love, Todd Gilliland, and Taylor Gray.
Reigning ARCA Menards West champion Trevor Huddleson (No. 50 High Point Racing / Racecar Factory Ford) finished second after spending much of the middle stages of the race outside the top ten conserving tires.
Eric Johnson, Jr. (No. 5 Sherwin-Williams Toyota) finished third, his second consecutive top-three finish at Tucson; he finished second in 2025.
Denton’s Jan’s Racing teammate Robbie Kennealy (No. 1 Jan’s Towing Ford) raced to the front to lead a lap early in the race before dropping back into the field to conserve tires for a late charge to the front. Kennealy’s strategy paid off with a fourth-place finish, his best finish of the season.
Gavin Ray (No. 7 Jerry Pitts Racing Toyota) finished fifth, his best career series finish. Combined with Johnson, Jr.’s third-place finish, Jerry Pitts Racing had two drivers finish in the top five.
Eric Rhead (No. 66 Champ Transport / Turnkey Leasing Chevrolet) finished a career-best sixth after running in the top five in the mid stages of the race.
Hailey Deegan (No. 16 Columbia Bank / Monster Energy Chevrolet) finished sixth, her second sixth-place finish of the year; she also finished sixth in the season opener at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. It was a busy yet successful weekend for the Deegan family; her father Brian Deegan won the Freedom 500 at Cleetus McFarland’s Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Fla. on Friday night.
Mia Lovell (No. 15 Pine HealthToyota) notched her first career top-ten finish in eighth, as did her Nitro Motorsports teammate Julian DaCosta (No. 25 Austin Canvas and Awning Toyota) in tenth.
Memphis Villareal (No. 72 RBR Engineering Chevrolet) ran as high as second before the second and final caution flag of the night. He faded on the ensuing restart, dropping to ninth at the finish.
Seventy-six year old David Smith (No. 05 Shockwave Marine Suspension Toyota) started last in the 17-car field but quickly raced his way through the field to take the lead before lap 50. He would lead until the first restart of the night, the first time in his career he led laps in an ARCA Menards West race.
Ninety-eight year old NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Hershel McGriff gave the command to start engines. McGriff is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and the 1986 champion of what is now the ARCA Menards West with 34 career wins. He made his final career start at Tucson Speedway in 2018 at the age of 90.
