Rookie Brandon Jones made a last-lap pass on Mason Mitchell to win in his ARCA début at Winchester Speedway Sunday. The two drivers beat and bang until Jones came out on top with the checkered flag in sight.
Turner Scott Motorsports originally planned to put Jones in an ARCA car at Salem Speedway earlier this season, but a scheduling conflict postponed his début until Sunday. The 17-year-old driver competes full-time on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East circuit and is still looking for his first win in that series.
Mitchell once again came up short in his quest for his first ARCA win. This is his fourth runner-up finish in the last six races.
59-year-old Ken Schrader started on the pole and led most of the first half of the race. A caution bunched up the field and Schrader allowing Mitchell to pass him on lap 186. Schrader will look to break his own record as the oldest ARCA winner sometime later this season.
There were a few incidents on the day, including a first-lap crash that took out Anderson Bowen and Kyle Weatherman. Josh Williams also found the same bad luck with a wreck around the half-way mark.
On the flip side, Justin Boston found some good luck and finished third, while Schrader and Grant Enfinger round out the top-five.
All four Venturini Motorsports entries placed inside the top-eight, while the top-two finishers from last year’s race at Winchester, Frank Kimmel and Austin Wayne Self, finished ninth and tenth.
The battle for the points lead between Mitchell and Enfinger will shift to the 1.5 mile Chicagoland Speedway in two weeks.
Herr’s Chase the Taste 200 Top-Ten
#4 Brandon Jones
#98 Mason Mitchell
#25 Justin Boston
#52 Ken Schrader
#90 Grant Enfinger
#66 J.J. Haley
#55 Cody Coughlin
#15 John Wes Townley
#44 Frank Kimmel
#22 Austin Wayne Self
