On Saturday, Jake Finch dominates for his first ARCA Menards Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway in the General Tire 200.
TALLADEGA, AL. — In February at Daytona International Speedway, a miscommunication between teammates and a last-lap crash cost Jake Finch his first victory in the premier ARCA Menards Series division.
Jake Finch Dominates for His First ARCA Menards Series Victory at Talladega
On Saturday afternoon, a native of Lynn Haven, Florida, 18-year-old Finch encountered no obstacles at Talladega Superspeedway. He never lost control of the lead once, becoming the first driver in ARCA Menards Series history to lead a Talladega race wire-to-wire.
Knowing Talladega’s reputation, Finch admitted to feeling apprehensive before Saturday’s green flag. In the end, Finch was enjoying a flawless day. The only aspect of his outing he wished could have been better was his post-race burnout.
“I was just trying to stay locked in,” Finch said. “I was a nervous wreck before this race, but [my crew chief] Shannon [Rusch] told me that if I do what I’m supposed to do, we’ll kick their butts. I think that’s what we did.
“Terrible burnout, but if we keep running this No. 20 with Shannon, I think we’ll get a few more.”
Father and Son History at Talladega
Talladega has long been a special facility for Finch and his father James, who previously fielded cars across ARCA and NASCAR under the Phoenix Racing banner.
In 1994, James had the chance to celebrate an ARCA victory in Talladega’s Victory Lane with veteran Jeff Purvis, who had to pass Jimmy Horton with three laps remaining to claim his second of three ARCA wins with Phoenix Racing that season.
The Finch family’s most prestigious accomplishment at Talladega famously came in 2009. A young Brad Keselowski utilized a tandem draft with Carl Edwards to launch toward the front during the final lap before turning him coming to the checkered flag, delivering Phoenix Racing its lone win in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Jake Finch Dominates with His Venturini Teammate Kris Wright in Second Place
The younger Finch’s path to victory on Saturday was far more procedural when compared to his father’s triumphs as a car owner at the track. Finch established a single-file procession at the front of the field while the only caution came during the halfway break.
Despite this, Finch was still left at the mercy of his Venturini Motorsports teammate Kris Wright in the closing laps, who had patiently followed him during the final 30 laps. Wright played his hand behind Finch until the checkered flag waved to bring home a career-best ARCA Menards Series finish of second.
The runner-up performance was needed for Wright after placing outside the top ten in the first two events of the 2024 season. Although Wright tried to find a way around Finch, he was satisfied with helping Venturini Motorsports earn their fourth win over the past five Talladega races.
“I definitely could have made some more aggressive moves, but I wanted to keep that victory in the Venturini camp,” Wright said. “I didn’t want to give it to the Gibbs guys or [Christian Rose], so I was trying to be a team player there.”
The General Tire 200 Results
Wright playing defense enabled Finch to claim his second victory on the ARCA platform. He previously earned his maiden checkered flag in the ARCA Menards Series East at Dover Motor Speedway last year after holding off Landen Lewis on an overtime restart.
As orderly as the day was, Finch could not help but wonder if he was doing everything necessary to maintain his lead at the front of the line. He credited everyone involved with his team for keeping him composed through all 76 laps and allowing him to experience the same feelings his father enjoyed during his Talladega victories many years ago.
“[My spotter] Tyler Monn did a spectacular job,” Finch said. “Sometimes he didn’t talk much and [I was wondering] if he could still hear me. I couldn’t really believe that we won and this is super cool. I can’t wait to experience this with my friends and family.”
Following Finch and Wright home in third was Tanner Gray in the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Rounding out the top five were Gus Dean and Christian Rose.
Sean Corr, Amber Balcaen, Andres Perez, Frankie Muniz, and Toni Breidinger made up the rest of the top ten finishers.
The ARCA Menards Series Point Standings
Greg Van Alst leads the series point standings with Christian Rose and Andres Perez just five points behind. Amber Balcan (-9) and Lavar Scott (-10) round out the top five.
Up Next
ARCA Menards Series teams will not have much time to regroup after Talladega. The next race is on Friday, April 26th at Dover Motor Speedway for the General Tire 150, which will broadcast live on FS1.