Taylor Gray celebrates after winning Friday night’s ARCA Menards Series race at Phoenix Raceway. Photo: ARCA Media/Twitter
Racing with a heavy heart after the loss of David Gilliland Racing hauler driver Steven Stotts in traffic accident on Tuesday, Taylor Gray earned his first ARCA Menards Series victory Friday night during the General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway.
The 16-year-old Gray had to withstand multiple challenges throughout Friday’s race. He first battled with defending ARCA Menards Series East champion Sammy Smith and later battled his way past GMS Racing’s Daniel Dye during a restart on lap 138 to take the lead for the final time.
Gray retained the lead during two more restarts, including a green-white-checkered restart, in the final portion of the race to claim the victory at the one-mile tri-oval.
The General Tire 150 served as the second race of the ARCA Menards Series season as well as the first race of the ARCA Menards Series West and Sioux Chief Showdown seasons.
“It felt like they didn’t want me to win tonight,” said Gray, who led a race-high 76 laps. “All those guys are really tough to beat. We just had a really good race car tonight.”
Gray paid tribute to Stotts as well as two other crew members who were injured in the crash, John Zaverl and Michael Mizzelle, following his victory.
Dye finished second after taking the lead during the second half of the race and, at one point, leading by more than four seconds. He blamed the decision to restart in the top lane on lap 138 for costing him a shot at the victory.
“We had a great car. GMS brought a really good Chevrolet,” Dye said. “Led a lot of laps. Just came down to a decision that I’ll never make again to pick the top at Phoenix on the money restart.”
Smith, driving the No. 18 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, finished third after leading most of the first half of the race.
“We had a really good car the first 75 and then probably 25 laps after that and then it just went really, really tight,” Smith said. “I’m not sure what quite happened. Just really frustrated to end it like that.”
Rajah Caruth finished fourth after running as high as second in the final laps. Jake Drew was the highest finishing ARCA Menards Series West regular in the field in fifth.
Jesse Love, Nick Sanchez, Josh Berry, Derek Kraus and Connor Mosack rounded out the top-10.
ARCA Menards Series
Phoenix Raceway – Avondale, AZ
General Tire 150 – March 11, 2022
1. Taylor Gray
2. Daniel Dye
3. Sammy Smith
4. Rajah Caruth
5. Jake Drew
6. Jesse Love
7. Nick Sanchez
8. Josh Berry
9. Derek Kraus
10. Connor Mosack
11. Cole Moore
12. Todd Souza
13. Joey Iest
14. Austin Herzog
15. Toni Breidinger
16. Tanner Reif
17. Paul Pedroncelli, Jr.
18. Takuma Koga
19. Tim Spurgeon
20. Parker Chase
21. Alex Clubb
22. Ryan Roulette
23. Bridget Burgess
24. D.L. Wilson
25. Sebastian Arias
26. Bobby Hillis, Jr.
27. Christian Rose
28. Bryce Haugeberg
29. Zachary Tinkle
30. Amber Balcaen
31. Chris Lowden
32. Kyle Keller
33. Tim Monroe
34. Brad Smith
35. Andrew Tuttle
36. Greg Van Alst
37. Brian Kaltreider
38. Paul Pedroncelli
39. Eric Rhead
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