While the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East have completed their seasons, the ARCA Menards Series West still has two races left to go.
So, here’s a quick refresher on what’s happened this season with 10 of the 12 races complete.
For the driver’s championship, Trevor Huddleston leads Kyle Keller by 18 points. It’s a two-horse race for the title as third-place Tanner Reif, fourth-place Robbie Kennealy, and fifth-place Eric Johnson Jr. trail by 38, 42, and 44 points, respectively.
That’s not an indictment on those three drivers, though. Reif and Kennealy have both scored wins this season. Johnson has six top fives, eight top 10s, 30 laps led and zero DNFs.
In fact, while only two of the 10 races have featured at least 20 entrants, there has not been a back-to-back winner yet and Huddleston and Wiliam Sawalich are the only ones who have multiple wins.
Additionally, the racing has been fairly clean, as only three races have had at least five cautions. Likewise, two races have not had any cautions and the trip to Colorado National Speedway only had one, and that was the race-ending yellow flag due to rain.
In addition to series regulars Huddleston, Keller, Kennealy, and Reif going to victory lane, Joe Gibbs Racing has triumphed with Sawalich and Brent Crews. While JGR has fielded the No. 18 only three times, it’s 3-for-3 and 13th in the owner point standings.
Regarding the owner points, Huddleston’s No. 51 team leads Keller’s No. 71 team by 18 markers with Reif’s No. 13 team in third, Kennealy’s No. 1 team in fourth and Bill McAnally Racing’s No. 19 in fifth.
However, BMR is not fielding an entry in the upcoming race at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The organization has chosen to focus its efforts on aiding its two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff drivers to make the Championship 4. The BMR absence breaks a 30-year, 395-race streak of the team participating in the West series.
Vegas has 21 drivers entered, though. While BMR will not be there, Venturini Motorsports will be there in its final ARCA series start.
The team has prospects Thomas Annunziata, Jade Avedisian, and Taylor Reimer in its Nos. 15, 20, and 25, respectively. Annunziata won the inaugural national division race at Lime Rock Park. As for Avedisian and Reimer, they’ve both driven in the main series this year, too.
For the storied organization, two women in their lineup is fitting. The team has fielded many women throughout its history, including Natalie Decker, Hailie Deegan, Gracie Trotter, Milka Duno and 2025 ARCA Rookie of the Year Isabella Robusto. Plus, team matriarch Cathy Venturini has served as a pit crew member, team owner, and twice as a crew chief for her husband Bill Venturini.
Clark Racing, an offshoot team from Sigma Performance Services, and SPS are fielding Spencer Gallagher and Connor Hall, respectively. Gallagher returned to ARCA competition this year, logging five starts, with two top 10s, across the platform. Clark’s No. 23 is 14th in owner points, two behind SPS.
SPS will have Hall piloting its No. 24 in the final two races, the Las Vegas bullring and Phoenix Raceway. Hall is second in the ZMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock points with one race to go.
So, with two races left to go in the West series season, 21 drivers competing in Las Vegas, and a likely solid entry list at Phoenix, who is the favorite to take home the championship hardware – Huddleston or Keller?
Huddleston has four starts at the Vegas bullring with three top fives, three top 10s, and 15 laps led. Then at Phoenix, he has four top 10s in nine starts.
Comparatively, Keller has three top fives and four top 10s in Las Vegas with one top five and two top 10s in seven trips to Phoenix.
Neither driver has astounding numbers at either racetrack, so with the current points difference, Huddleston is the favorite.
But that’s why the champion will be determined on the track, not via a computer.
The race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway bullring will take place at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 10. Then the season ends at Phoenix on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Both races will be broadcast live on FloRacing.
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.