Travis Braden used a four tire strategy on Friday night to record his first ever ARCA Racing Series career victory in his first career start in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Braden who at one time was a lap down during the race, was able to get around second place finisher William Byron to become the eighth driver ever to win in his first career ARCA Racing Series start.
A West Virginia native, Braden has enjoyed multiple successes before debuting in his in the ARCA racing series. He was the ARCA/CRA champing in 2014 and has competed in many prestigious events across the country including the All American 400, Winchester 400 as well as Denny Hamlin’s short track showdown.
Braden started the event in eighth before slipping back and ending up a lap down at one point. Even Braden himself was unsure of his race winning chances.
“I knew we would have a chance, but the way it played out I could never have imagined that,” Braden said. “I was confident we would get back on the lead lap, but I didn’t know how I was going to get the lead.”
Braden battled back into the top-ten and then moved into the top-five passing some of the most dominant cars of the race, including the likes of pole sitter, Kyle Weatherman, series points leader Grant Enfinger and K&N drivers William Byron and J.J Haley.
Although Braden was unknown to some fans coming into the ARCA Racing Series’ Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200, his victory is rooted in the minds of fans and his competitors. Travis Braden is now definitively etched in the legacy that is the ARCA Racing Series.
