Taylor Mayhew delivers his first ARCA West Series victory in a photo finish during the Kyle Busch Classic at the Las Vegas Bullring.
LAS VEGAS – Taylor Mayhew didn’t get the chance to qualify for Friday’s Kyle Busch Classic at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but that didn’t stop him from earning his first ARCA Menards Series West victory.
Taylor Mayhew: First Victory
A patient, methodical drive from Mayhew saw him gradually carve his way through the field before he found himself behind leader Robbie Kennealy for a one-lap shootout. Mayhew bumped Kennealy going into the third turn, which moved Kennealy out of the groove just enough for Mayhew to prevail in a photo finish.
The spirited charge through the field was only one part of the story for Mayhew. Without his crew at Cook Racing Technologies, Mayhew might not have even made the starting grid.
“It wasn’t me; it was all my guys behind me for working their absolute butts off for getting me out here,” Mayhew said. “We had a super fast car all weekend. We had some issues before qualifying, so we weren’t able to do that. Picked them off one at a time. I gave Robbie a little bumper. He would have done the same thing, he said.”
It only took Mayhew four starts to join his father, David Mayhew, as a West Series winner. The elder Mayhew didn’t get his first triumph until his 25th start at Iowa Speedway, which saw him credited with a West Series victory as part of a combined event with the ARCA Menards Series East.
Inprobability
The circumstances that led the younger Mayhew to Victory Lane were improbable in ways that extended beyond the clutch issue that sidelined him from qualifying. Mayhew was going to settle for a runner-up finish to Trevor Huddleston when a caution for Hailie Deegan’s wounded machine forced an overtime restart.
Mayhew was merely a spectator as Huddleston and Mason Massey spun in the third and fourth turns on what would have been the final lap while racing for the win. The contact appeared to open the door for Kennealy to secure his first West Series victory of 2026, but the caution flag waved seconds before he crossed the start-finish line.
That meant another restart and another opportunity for Mayhew to find a way to the lead. He did just that, beating Kennealy to the finish line by 0.045 seconds. Friday’s race marked the fourth consecutive West Series race to feature a last-lap pass for the victory, and Mayhew became the seventh different West Series winner in the last seven events.
Kennealy Racing for an Emotional Reason
Only a few feet prevented Kennealy from celebrating a victory on Friday. He did everything possible to fend off Mayhew during the one-lap shootout, but was unable to generate the momentum needed to edge him at the line following the last lap contact.
Kennealy was determined to prevail at The Bullring to honor both Kyle Busch and his late father Gary. While he did not fault Mayhew for the maneuver, Kennealy was still emotional over how close he was to taking home a checkered flag.
“In that moment, I can’t really be mad because I probably would have made the same move,” Kennealy said. “This race is a little emotional for me. Two years ago, two days ago was a memorial for my dad passing. I really wanted to win this one with it being the Kyle Busch memorial. We fought really hard all day and nothing to hang our heads over.”
For Mayhew, who has completed every lap in four West Series starts so far, he was still in disbelief while taking in his breakthrough triumph. Only a few hours before, his No. 17 MMI Chevrolet was sitting in pit lane during qualifying while his crew worked desperately to repair the broken clutch.
There is still much for Mayhew to learn in the West Series, but he plans to cherish how his first win came together, especially in an event that was dedicated to a NASCAR legend like Busch.
“I’m super proud of my whole team, and I can’t believe that I’m here,” Mayhew said. “My dad knew Kyle [Busch] pretty well, so to have that trophy on the shelf is going to be pretty cool.”
The Kyle Busch Classic Results
Cole Denton, Kennealy’s teammate at Jan’s Racing Team, finished third. Vito Cancilla placed fourth in his West Series debut, with Huddleston recovering from his spin to round out the top five.
Massey, Tyler Tomassi, Eric Johnson Jr., Eric Rhead and Andrew Chapman were sixth through tenth, respectively.
The ARCA West Series Point Standings
While Trevor Huddleston continues to lead the series points by 40 points, Robbie Kennealy is now sitting in second place. The former second-place driver Mason Massey (-43) is in third. Cole Denton (-63) and Hailie Deegan (-66) round out the top five.
Up Next
Two races remain on the 2026 ARCA Menards Series West calendar, with the series next traveling to Phoenix Raceway on Oct. 17. The green flag for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 will wave at 8 p.m. MST/10 p.m. ET, with FloRacing providing live, flag-to-flag coverage.
