In its first televised race on FOX, the first half of the ARCA Menards Series 2025 season opener at Daytona International Speedway introduced itself as more of a Demolition Derby. Throughout the first 45 laps, the race wound up with a lot of carnage, hard hits and laps run under the yellow flag.
By the competition caution to mark the mid-race break, there were six cautions and three first-half multi-car crashes.
On lap 5, Cody Dennison got loose as the field neared the start/finish line. His No. 11 got loose and calamity ensued.
A HUGE crash takes out multiple contenders on Lap 5 at @DAYTONA
📺 #RideTheDente200 on FOX pic.twitter.com/tgj9twA6A2— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) February 15, 2025
Fifteen drivers were involved in The Big One including Dennison, WIllie Mullins and series regular Thad Moffitt.
“Went rolling through the center and it just went weightless,” Dennison said after he was successfully released from the infield care center. “And then, I didn’t move the wheel at all. I was like, ‘Alright, the downforce is going to catch it.’ And then as the weight balance shifted, it just hit the wall, like straight at it. So yeah, it was pretty spooky. Yeah, I never felt that before.”
“So I saw the No. 11; he got either rooted up off the bottom and got into the fence,” Mullins said. “Just part of the ride, we got tore up right there. You know, the Ford was pretty fast today. Can’t complain but we’ll do it again.”
Mullins said he doesn’t know what other races he’ll compete in, but he will be back. The Virginian has 30 ARCA starts under his belt with a pair of starts in 2024.
For Moffitt, it was a tough break to what he hoped would be a promising start to the year.
“We with the Toyota program, we worked really well together,” Moffitt added. “There at the start of the race, they were all up together at the top and I was at the bottom as a sitting duck. We had kinda got it sorted out. I still, I saw a replay, it just looked like I got tagged in the right rear so absolutely nothing I could do. Going straight coming off 4 and got tagged in the right rear. So, sucks, we’ll go to Phoenix and back to plate racing and then get plate racing behind us and start doing what I’m looking forward to with this Nitro group.”
Dennison finished 34th followed by Mullins in 35th and Moffitt 37th.
😳 Aftermath of THE BIG ONE…
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) February 15, 2025
📺 #RideTheDente200 on FOX pic.twitter.com/5GCOPT04pl
After that wreck, the focus shifted to Amber Balcaen, who was involved in a number of on-track incidents. First, she collected Rette Jones Racing teammates Garrett Mitchell, also known as Cleetus McFarland, and Kyle Steckly.
More trouble at @DAYTONA!@amberbalcaen10 gets loose and collects Cleetus McFarland and @KyleSteckly.
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) February 15, 2025
📺 #RideTheDente200 on FOX pic.twitter.com/xIsV6q81eT
Then, she got loose in the corner and again collected Mitchell and Craig Bracken.
Craig Bracken, Amber Balcaen and Garrett 'Cleetus McFarland' Mitchell crash at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/4EBplTnriJ
— AJ 9 5 (@_AJ_95_) February 15, 2025
“Unfortunately when we went back green, we put new tires on and a tire rubbed,” Balcaen said. “I saw smoke when going into [turns] 3 and 4. And then going into turn 1, I got on the radio and said, “Guys, we got a tire going down.” And unfortunately, before I could get to pit road, the tire went down and we were in the wall.
“Really unfortunate. I hate that other cars got involved. Everyone works super hard to get here and really feel bad about that.”
For Mitchell, it was a disappointing end to what had been a promising ARCA debut.
“Well, I was ripping down there through [turns] 1 and 2, foot on the gas and the No. 70 lost it,” Mitchell said. “I think a tire went down or whatever, and lost it. Car started diving and so I made the split-second decision to go high. And right as the car went down, it came back up and I just piled right into it. You know, definitely wondering what I could’ve done better in that moment. But I guess that’s where my inexperience shines. I didn’t know which line to take in that scenario.
“I was having the time of my life. Sucks to go out on a car that, I saw it wrecking, I knew, I was like, ‘It’s wrecking. I’ll just avoid this.’ I didn’t have enough brakes to stop it before her cause she was decelerating so fast. And just made the wrong decision.
“I should’ve zigged instead of zagged.”
Mitchell finished 31st in his series debut, eventually joining the FOX broadcast booth for the rest of the race. There, he revealed his next goal is to compete in the race at Talladega Superspeedway later this spring.
Bracken finished 27th, Balcaen 30th and Steckly 32nd. Bracken was later transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Then, right before the competition caution, ARCA went through a third major wreck. Jeff Scofield attempted to give Isabella Robusto a bump draft, but his shove got her loose and another multi-car crash occurred, collecting Robusto, her Venturini Motorsports teammate Lawless Alan, Scofield and Corey Day. All four wound up with finishes not indicative of the speed in their racecars.
When drafting goes wrong …
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) February 15, 2025
📺 #RideTheDente200 on FOX pic.twitter.com/C0k5LnbzJm
After the competition caution, the field calmed down, though Jake Finch and Tim Richmond crashed separately on the same lap. When the checkered flag flew, as Brenden Queen celebrated, much of the field left with torn-up racecars as only 13 drivers finished on the lead lap.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.
Greatest race car drivers in the world. If AJ or Mario or even Dale Earnhardt were born in this era you would never hear of them. They wouldn’t have the skills required to whip the wheel back and forth or know that when you’re told there is one lap until the break you’re supposed to wreck someone even if you get taken out too, Brilliant race by the greatest racers of all time.
“They wouldn’t have the skills required to whip the wheel back and forth”
HAHAHHAHAHA I just randomly found this article, and now you’re comment. I know almost zilch about NASCAR and am a fan of Garret Mitchell, but he said something in practice about how people were all over the place. Then, watching through his onboard cam, I could see exactly what he was talking about. I couldn’t believe how sketchy some of those drivers looked. I watched him in relation to the infield line and he was steady it was just MOST of the others dancing around like they had loose steering.
Funny snarky comment
Hell, even after the checkered flag Moyer wrecked Helio and Raz. Total wreckfest, hopefully the rest of the ARCA season is better.
All the sexists commenting on Amber. Crickets on Isabella being taken out. She might have won the race.
Amber kept spinning by herself is why. She got the same treatment any guy gets so what’s your problem?
Everything’s an “ist” anymore.
Hope I never see Cleetus interviewed again. That was weird.
Yes he needs to learn to say ” Well, I was biding my time trying to gets me one of those top 35 finishes, boy howdy and thank you Jesus “
Yeah…someone being excited and entertaining and humble at the same time is super weird.
Dude can drive, quite well, in any format he’s been in yet. Just don’t put a jump near the finish line and put him in a SST.
Pretty sure you’ll hear from him again.
What was the highest position during the race that Garrett Mitchell got to, before the big crash that took him out ?
7th or 8th I think? Not positive. Probably a waste to reply ;)