After starting on the pole and leading most of the 200 lap event, Max Reaves took home the checkered flag at Toledo Speedway for his third ARCA Menards Series win of 2025.
Reaves had both Pinnacle Racing Group cars, Tristan McKee and Brenden Queen, in his rearview mirror for most of the race but was able to hold both off to win. Queen in particular had gotten around Reaves with around 50 laps to go after a bump-and -run, but Reaves returned the favor in the next set of turns to regain the lead.
Not that the loss was of much consequence for Queen, who ended the season finale as the 2025 ARCA champion.
“I’m just proud of all my guys and thankful to be here,” Reaves told FOX Sports.
Queen and McKee finished second and third, respectively, with both running inside of the top three for the entirety of the race. Queen was crowned the season champion upon taking the green flag at the start of the race, finishing off an impressive season in which he found victory lane eight times.
“We won the owners [championship], we won the war,” Queen said. “I raced him clean, [Reaves] will learn how to one day. What a dream season it’s been, we’re definitely gonna pound some waffles and ice cold drinks here in a little bit.”
Isabella Robusto wrapped up her Rookie of the Year season with a fourth-place finish, falling just a few positions shy of passing Jason Kitzmiller for third in points.
Tyler Reif crossed the line in fifth to round out the top five. Taylor Reimer, Willie Mullins, Julian DaCosta, Kitzmiller and Becca Monopoli rounded out the top 10 finishers.
The race began the way it has so frequently this season, with the Nos. 18 and 28 on the front row. It was Reaves utilizing the lower lane to rocket out to the lead at the exit of turn 2. Before long, Reaves gapped Queen and McKee, leaving the latter two to battle for second.
The early portions of the race saw dominance from Reaves, but the Pinnacle cars never truly let him get away. McKee eventually worked around Queen and then set his sights on the rear of the No. 18. However, that order remained the same, as the first caution of the day flew on lap 75 for the scheduled race break with Reaves nearly two seconds ahead of his competition.
Toward the end of the opening run, tires became an issue, with Kitzmiller and DaCosta, among others, were on pit road with flats.
The first restart of the race didn’t offer a huge change in the running order, with Reaves firing off over McKee. The green run was short, though, as Lavar Scott went for a spin after making heavy contact with the inside wall while batting with Robusto for fourth. For Scott, the DNF marked just his second of the season.
The battle on the subsequent restart was for second, as the battle between McKee and Queen was as heated as it had been. McKee again proved faster, as the two settled into second and third behind Reaves. McKee was able to pull close to Reaves as the laps winded down before the second race break on lap 125 but wasn’t able to make the pass before the caution flew.
On the other side of the final race break of the season, Queen upped the ante. The champion got around McKee and settled into second, just a few car lengths behind Reaves. Further behind, Reif and Robusto had a spirited battle for fourth, with Robusto coming out with the spot.
Queen was able to get the nose of his No. 28 inside of Reaves with 50 laps to go nudging the No. 18 up the track for the lead on the exit of turn 4. Reaves returned the favor as the pair went off into turn 1, nearly sending Queen sideways and retaking the lead in the process.
After the leaders played their round of bumper cars, Reaves set began to pull away from Queen once again. Lapped traffic nearly played a role in deciding the race a few times in the latter staged of the event, but Reaves never surrendered the lead and went on to take the checkered flag.
ARCA Toledo Results
Despite the national division wrapping up its 2025 season today, ARCA continues on in the West division. ARCA West has two more races remaining on its schedule, next being at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That race is slated to kick off at 10 p.m. ET on Oct. 10, with the race airing on FloRacing.
Josh joined Frontstretch in 2023 and currently covers the ARCA Menards Series. Born and raised in Missouri, Josh has been watching motorsports since 2005. He currently is studying for a Mass Communication degree at Lindenwood University